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Reviews by Ray P. (Selden, NY)

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Live by Night
Live by Night
by Dennis Lehane
Classic gangster noir circa the 1920's. (8/2/2012)
Dennis Lehane is so good at what he does as soon as he releases a new novel it goes directly to the top of my 'read next' pile --- regardless of who else is on that pile.

LIVE BY NIGHT is set in the time of prohibition, bootleggers and gangster's. Young Joe Coughlin is a …more
The House of Velvet and Glass
The House of Velvet and Glass: A Novel
by Katherine Howe
Decent premise but fails to deliver in the end. (3/26/2012)
Her debut novel, "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dance" was one of the original books of the past few years and I eagerly sought out her second offering, "The House Of Velvet and Glass".

A period piece based in the years following the sinking of the Titanic and the on-set …more
A Bitter Truth
A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery
by Charles Todd
The latest in the saga of WWI British nurse, Bess Crawford. (8/21/2011)
The mother/son team that writes under the pen name --- Charles Todd --- have already created the terrific Inspector Ian Rutledge series. Now, A BITTER TRUTH marks the third entry in their latest series --- the Bess Crawford mysteries.

Bess is a British battlefield nurse who …more
The Trinity Six
The Trinity Six
by Charles Cumming
The return of the international spy game! (2/4/2011)
Back in the 1930's, a group of five respected British men from Cambridge were revealed to be Russian spies. They earned the nickname --- the Magnificent Five.

Now, in present times, a British academic and authority on Russian history, Sam Gaddis, has turned up evidence that …more
The Girl in the Green Raincoat
The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Novel
by Laura Lippman
Another fine entry in the Tess Monaghan series. (11/18/2010)
In my opinion, Laura Lippman is the best American Female Crime Writer working today. As a former investigative journalist and resident of Baltimore, MD, she knows her territory and what is going on behind the scenes. Unlike contemporaries like Patricia Cornwell and Kathy …more
Bad Boy
Bad Boy: An Inspector Banks Novel
by Peter Robinson
"Bad Boy" delivers! (7/16/2010)
As one character is quoted in the latest effort by British mystery writer, Peter Robinson: "A bad boy is unreliable, and sometimes he doesn't show up at all, or if he does, he's late and moody; he acts mean to you, and he leaves early. He always seems to have another iron …more
Serena
Serena: A Novel
by Ron Rash
Serena depicts a mix of beauty and violence. (10/11/2009)
George and Serena Pemberton are newly married and have made the huge decision to relocate from Boston to North Carolina during the uncertain times of 1929. In an effort to make their mark in the world they dream of building their own timber empire. This is not as easy as it …more
The Last Secret
The Last Secret: A Novel
by Mary McGarry Morris
Secrets and Lies (4/20/2009)
Nora and Ken Hammond live an ideal life - house in suburban New England, two kids and work together at the family-owned newspaper. That is, until Ken's betrayal of Nora by exposing a 4-year long affair with one of their closest friends. The secrets, lies and betrayal that …more
Green Monster
Green Monster: A Sam Skarda Mystery
by Rick Shefchik
Curse Of the Bambino - Revisited! (6/25/2008)
For sports fans, particularly baseball fans, the idea that the Red Sox's 2004 World Series victory of the Cardinals may have been tainted is intriguing. Could it be that the Red Sox were part of the biggest ruse in sports history? Does this mean the Curse of the Bambino …more
The Critic
The Critic: The Second of the Enzo Files
by Peter May
The Critic - Peter May (11/12/2007)
Peter May's novel, The Critic, involves the investigation into the mysterious death of a wine critic in France. Ironically enough, the body of the wine critic is found drowned in a cask of wine. Investigator Enzo MacLeod, Scottish exile, delves into this case and finds …more
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