Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell

British soldier Sharpe stands out in India, 1799. Good read, would try another in the series.

Lovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams by Paul Hemphill

Very interesting biography of Hank Williams from cradle to grave. Left me feeling low.

The Mark Of The Assassin by Daniel Silva

Very enjoyable. Gabrielle is missing, but some familiar characters drift through. The ending is weak. Set in London, Cairo, Amsterdam, and Washington, the story line follows CIA case agent Michael Osbourne as he attempts to locate the terrorists who shot down an airliner off the coast of Long Island. Osbourne has two main antagonists: Delaroche, a KGB-trained expert assassin ordered to kill the handful of people who know the truth, including Osbourne, and the corrupt political culture of Washington, which ominously stymies him at every turn.

Hot Money by Dick Francis

081516 Re-read and enjoyed it a lot, not DF's best but certainly a pleasure.

I didn't think there were any Dick Francis books I hadn't read so this was a sublime treat. I'm to biased to say if this book was good or not, but I loved it. Written in 1987 when Francis was in true form. In this reincarnate of his magical formula, Francis tells of a father and son who search for the family member that is/has been trying to kill them. Too much detail about the family members, but I didn't care, loved the entire thing.

Dead Aim by Thomas Perry

Thomas Perry has become one of the my favorite writers. When combined with the narration of Michael Kramer, its a real treat to take in his novels. Dead Aim is about a 48 year old retired guy living in Santa Barbara who accidentally gets entangled with a club of people who murder for sport. Far fetched, but still very enjoyable.

Hell's Corner by David Baldacci

I think this is the 5th installment in the Camel Club series and it holds its own. Lots going on, maybe too much, but Oliver Stone et al are good company. Look forward to the next one.

Bad Blood: A Virgil Flowers Novel by John Sandford

Real good, I'm not sure the plot makes any sense at all but I am sure it should be disturbing. Doesn't matter, its a real enjoyable read in the very strong Virgil Flowers series.

Worth Dying For by Lee Child

Of the 13 books in the series this is the least interesting. On top of that it was the 'part 2' for the previous novel 61 Hours and its conclusion was underwhelming and incomplete. I think the technical term for a book like this is 'sucko'.

American Assassin by Vince Flynn

I really enjoy the Mitch Rapp series, and American Assassin might be my new favorite. Going back and getting the back story on how the spy was recruited and got his start was a lot of fun.

Broken Prey by John Sandford

 This was my favorite in the Lucas Davenport series. The author avoided an obvious plot path that was much appreciated. Real enjoyable.

Toros & Torsos by Craig McDonald

McDonald is an interesting author, and the combination of fiction with real events and people works well. I don't know if I'd read another one of the author's books, mostly because it's not really my thing, but it was well written and paced.

Spanning the years from 1935 to 1959, Edgar-finalist McDonald's second novel to feature crime novelist Hector Lassiter (after 2007's Head Games) deftly mixes myth, history and a serial killer who arranges dead bodies to resemble surrealistic art. Lassiter, whose work embodies the write what you live and live what you write ethos, loves hard, drinks hard and keeps an eye on avenging the loss of the beautiful blonde he meets in a Key West bar on page one. As a popular author, Lassiter interacts with such notables as Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, whom the author skillfully animates. Other celebrities of the day make cameo appearances. Solidly grounded in such actual events as the Key West hurricane of 1935, the Spanish Civil War and Cuba's last days before Castro, McDonald's imaginative tale takes an enjoyably different approach to art and murder.

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

Re-read Feb 2017 enjoyed. Except for a weak ending, it's a good book. All of the characters who have survived the long series are gathered. Had potential to be great but didn't make it. Its middle of the road Connelly which is pretty good.

Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller is recruited to change stripes and prosecute the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder. After 24 years in prison, convicted killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he gets to choose his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch (his half brother),  and his second chair, ex-wife Maggie.

Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt

Like all the stories in this series there is a formula, but the formula is good, light, and fun. Grover Gardner's narration is excellent. Rosenfelt is a consistent hit for no brainer entertainment.

Among Thieves by David Hosp

OK book about a lawyer who takes on a client who turns out to be involved in trouble between Boston gangs and the IRA.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The plot is interesting, the characters are interesting, and the 1897 details about daily life are fascinating. There appear to be lots of metaphor and underlying themes, but even without them this books is a lot of fun.

Strip by Thomas Perry

I think this was the best book of the year. I really enjoy Perry's style and the narration was spot on. Perry sometimes misses because he stretches his characters and plots, but he's on the money for Strip.

Star Island by Carl Hiaasen

Hiassen can write as funny a book as anyone and my all time favorite character, Clinton Tyree, shows up - this had a recipe for success. But the ending was a dud, like the author just decided to wrap it up and close shop. You could see the characters and the plot converging for a fun ending, with characters that you were interested to have meet and interact - but it never happens. The ending is uneventful and unfulfilling. But if we're lucky enough to have another Hiassen book, I'll get it in a heart beat.

The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

This classic was written in 1886 and still is a fun read. The plot is serious but somehow Stevenson is whimsical. Like the Sherlock Holmes stories, I got this from Lit2Go and have really enjoyed them.

Rules Of Prey by John Sandford

This is the first in the Lucas Davenport series and it's entertaining. There are at least 15 books in this series and you can see how Davenport became so popular with readers. This story pits a smart serial killer against a clever cop.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I can't enough of these stories. I wish they were infinite. Lit2Go provides free audio versions of all of Conan Doyle's work. 11 stories, including The Final Problem.

The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King

King is a fabulous writer who often goes into too much detail and stalls. The God of the Hive maintains a good pace and continues on where The Language of Bees left off. This book is much more enjoyable, I think because of the way she tells the story from Microft, Sherlock and Mary's point of view. This is the 10th book in the Mary Russell series and King's craftsmanship and care of Conan Doyal's previous work make these tales little treasures. One of the strongest in the series.

The Return Of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

13 more episodes of our beloved Holmes and Watson. Some stories are better than others but on the whole they are very enjoyable. I wish there were hundreds more.

Black by Ted Dekker

I tried to get into this story three times, but it just wasn't interesting.

Hostage Zero by John Gilstrap

Long and drawn out plot of a kidnapped boy taken to South America to hide the Secretary Of Defence's past. I wouldn't read this author again. This book should have been about 2/5 the length.

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie

Disjointed. Got a little past half way through it and just didn't want to continue.

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A collection of a dozen short stories chronicling the methodologies and cases of Sherlock Holmes from the point of view of his closest friend and ally Dr. Watson. These stories at first seems a little silly but kept growing on me so that I got to the point I was excited about the next. Very enjoyable. The Jeremy Brett representation of these tales on PBS is the best acting I've ever been exposed to, yet these short stories hold their own by capturing the details of everyday life in the late 1800's.

Mortal Prey by Greg Iles

Early 90's erotic social network is breached by a charismatic killer. As expected, Iles writes very well, and all in all it's a good read but the story is long and disjointed.

Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein

The latest in the series about Danny and his boy scout partner and probably the weakest in the series. Just OK.

Dead Center by David Rosenfelt

Typical Rosenfelt book, enjoyable, light and forgettable.

The Overton Window by Glenn Beck

Thriller that shows how marketing is used to push political agenda. Interesting concept but it was a mediocre read.

The Lion by Nelson DeMille

Good follow up to The Lion's Game. A little long, predictable and violent but an entertaining adventure. A terrorist keeps his word and returns to settle a score with the hero 3 years later.

61 Hours by Lee Child

The formula is tired and has lost some of it's shine. After 13 previous books building up this super macho character the author could back off, but instead Child continues to write such sophomoric drivel that you almost feel embarrassed for him. That said, the books are still selling and the story is mildly entertaining...but this one has such a bad ending it may dent future sales.

The Blood Detective by Dan Waddell

Just OK, probably wouldn't read this author again. In a London cemetery, a man’s body is found. During the autopsy, the police discover the body has been marked with a string of letters and numbers that appears to be the code for a particular file in the Family Records Centre. To locate the file and unearth its relevance to the murder, police engage the services of Nigel Barnes, a professional genealogist. So begins the first installment of what one hopes will be a series featuring Barnes, a wily and likable amateur sleuth. This is journalist Waddell’s first novel.

Death Benefits by Thomas Perry

This book has Perry's style and compelling characters, unfortunately after a terrific start the plot wanes and the focus shifts to less interesting material.

When a security man named Max Stillman plucks Walker out of the office pool and dragoons him into investigating a fraud against the McClaren Life and Casualty, Walker's previously safe life takes a new and potentially dangerous turn. As the pair begin searching for the missing employee, who signed off on the huge (and phony) payoff of a death claim, and follow her to a grave in a Midwestern wheat field, Walker discovers talents he never knew he had and a thirst for vengeance. With the mysterious Stillman, he tracks the conspirators to a New Hampshire village and an explosive and shocking conclusion to a fraud that's much older than either of the men might have guessed.

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt

Exactly what you'd expect from Rosenfelt, funny, light and entertaining. Andy's client is convicted of murder and the evidence is stacked against them..and they kill the actual murderer but it is inadmissible.

The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson

Another enjoyable Walt Longmire story. Walt goes undercover in a small mean spirited town to solve a murder. No support from the town or law enforcement because someone has confessed to the crime.

Burden Of Proof by Scott Turow

The life of Sandy Stern, the lawyer Innocent and Presumed Innocent, life is laid out in detail following his wife's suicide. The intricacies and delicacies are up to Turow's high standards. I was interested the entire throughout the entire tale.

Rough Country by John Sandford

12/16 listened again, pretty good. Another enjoyable read about Virgil Flowers, a lawman who get's his man. This time the crime is set at a lesbian lodge. Sandford tells a good story and develops likable characters, but his plot and endings leave a lot to be desired.

Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow

This is an excellent book. I'd read it many years ago and it still kept me excited to return to. The prequel to Innocent, this book outshines it, and it was very good. Public Defender is put on trial for murder by his colleagues, enduring publicity and politics.

Innocent by Scott Turow

Judge who barely escaped being imprisoned for murdering a woman he had an affair with 20 years ago (Presumed Innocent) has another affair with equally disrupting results. The book is strong but peters out a little at the end. I enjoyed this read a lot.

The Black Cross by Greg Iles

This was a really enjoyable book. Wish it hadn't been so long or gone on as much as it did about holocaust travesties. Pacifist is called to action to stop Hitler from using nerve gas.

Don't Ever Tell by Brandon Massey

I could only get through a 1/3 of this book. The story was OK but the psycho ex-husband vows to toruture and kill everyone his ex cared for. I made it though the cutting up of grandma, but had enough when he tied some guy up and brought out the hot bacon grease....

Sleeping Dogs by Thomas Perry

Really enjoyed this. Retired assassin is forced to come back into the world of killing. 2nd of 3 in the Butcher's Boy series. Great Series.

Trigger City by Sean Chercover

Follow up to Big City, Bad Blood, Trigger City improves on a good start. I really enjoyed this book.

The Hunters: Presidential Agent Series, Book 3 by W. E. B. Griffin

Better than the other Griffin books I've read, The Hunters is a fun and light read. A cookie cutter plot with the lead role being the right hand man to the president, who can do everything very well including kill. But it works and I enjoyed it.

The Art of the Steal by Frank W. Abangale

A little dated and perhaps self promoting, but packed with interesting information and an easy read. The life of a con man and the cons that people play on the unsuspecting public. Some of the seem so obvious once you hear them and others are ingenious - it's often fascinating.

Open And Shut by David Rosenfelt

Light and entertaining. Lawyer takes on case that powerful people don't want him to at the request of his father.

Play Dead by David Rosenfelt

Play Dead was the second book by Rosenfelt I've read and I look forward to reading more. It's light entertainment. This story was about a man convicted of murder, whose case gets a second look when his golden lab shows up five years later.

Big City, Bad Blood by Sean Chercover

PI takes a case that mixes him up with the mob and he ends up on the wrong side of things. Entertaining enough to want to read the author again.

I, Sniper by Stephen Hunter

I liked this book and will probably read another from the Bob Swagger series. TMI on gun info, but an entertaining story.

Vanishing Act by Thomas Perry

Good writer but the story dragged on and on with too many unnecessary details.

The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson

A good story that could have been very good if it was 1/2 as long. Too many side trips about things I wasn't that interested in. CIA guy infiltrates Al Qaeda so deeply the US wonders if he's turned.

Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson

Another slow moving but good tale about the Wyoming sheriff.

Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson

The Sheriff head to Philadelphia in another solid story. Downloading the next as we er, type...

Death Without Company by Craig Johnson

Slow, drawn out and very good. Look forward to reading his next.

My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

Cheecky but some how endearing, these short stories about the famed butler are fun a little at a time.

The Cold Dish: A Walt Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson

Re-listened 2/18, very enjoyable to go back to the beginning of this excellent series. I think this is Craig Johnson's first book and I'd like to read another. Interesting characters and some fresh perspectives but a little slow and long.

Walt Longmire, sheriff of Wyoming’s Absaroka County, knows he’s got trouble when Cody Pritchard is found dead. Two years earlier, Cody and three accomplices had been given suspended sentences for raping a Northern Cheyenne girl. Is someone seeking vengeance? Longmire faces the most volatile and challenging case in his twenty-four years as sheriff and means to see that revenge, a dish that is best served cold, is never served at all.

The Hang Man's Song by John Sandford

Enjoyable read about computer hackers in a murder mystery.

Dark Of The Moon by John Sandford

Another entertaining Virgil Flowers novel but the weakest I've read so far.

Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn

Read this because the reviews were so good...but it was too slow for me. Cute, the idea of a story told from a dog's perspective works, but the story moves too slowly.

Mortal Prey by John Sandford

I enjoyed this...Years ago, Lucas Davenport almost died at the hands of Clara Rinker, a pleasant, soft-spoken, low-key Southerner, and the best hitwoman in the business. Now retired and living in Mexico, she nearly dies herself when a sniper kills her boyfriend, the son of a local druglord, and while the boy’s father vows vengeance, Rinker knows something he doesn’t ... the boy wasn’t the target--she was--and now she’s going to have to disappear to find the killer herself.

Language of Bees by Laurie R. King

King is a beautiful writer, she has created a fascinating series with Mary Russell, but she drags this otherwise interesting tale on too many unrelated and unnecessary tangents so often I almost gave up on the story several times. Holmes discovers he has a son who needs his help...