'Death by Didgeridoo' by Barbara Venkataramann

Spike from 'The Screaming Zombies' is dead.  He was found in the studio of his music store of the same name by one of his students, Adam, who is being charged for his murder.

But are the police right in doing this?  

Jamie Quinn - a lawyer, and Adam's cousin - thinks they're wrong.  The main reason is that Adam couldn't possibly have done it.  Just because he was at the scene of the crime saying he was wrong and he had done it, didn't necessarily mean it was the murder he was talking about. 

Jamie's cousin is Autistic and he's a talented musician who loved Spike; they were the best of friends and Jamie knew this.  She just has to prove this the police before it went to court.

So, she hires a private detective:  Duke Broussard.  And just as his name sounds, he's from The South.  He's a charmingly sweet, womanising kinda man, but he also knows how to get the right kind of information about Spike and the rest of the band he played with - even if none of them got along offstage, and Spike himself wasn't very well-like by anyone around him.

Duke digs up a lot of things about Spike that could get him harmed or killed by just about anyone in the band - along with their spouses - but he is confident that Adam is the least of their worries, and he can prove that too; but can they find the murderer in time and catch them before this whole thing goes to court and Jamie's cousin is charged for a crime he didn't commit?

This is the first of the series of books written by Barbara Venkataramann.  Even though it's a good, old love-triangle murder, with all the usual twists and turns, those twists and turns weren't in the places I expected them to be; and this is a good thing.

I also didn't know something about America:  there are two Hollywood's.  There's the one we all know well on the west coast in L.A.  And there's one in Miami, just north of Miami Beach where Hollywood has built an entire suburb to the movie industry so movies can be made on the east coast as well!  This is something I had to Google; it totally threw me a total curve ball in the first three chapters... otherwise, after I knew this, it was fine.  I jumped straight in and listened to the rest of the book!  I'd love to read more books along this line.  

However, the characters do need more fleshing out.  I'd love to know more about their backgrounds, their lives, what they look like more, what their houses look like and family histories better.  But this, I trust, will be filled out more as the series goes on.  Well worth a read or a listen to on audio-book through Audible.  Until my next post, happy reading!

The Watcher by Jo Robertson

Kate Myers is tracking a serial killer - well, she thinks he's a serial killer.  Kate is a psychiatrist who has been tracking this guy since her twin sister was killed when she was 17 years old... when it should have been her... when she knew she should have walked their dog instead of Kassie that cold afternoon in Ohio; and their dog came home dragging its lead without her sister.

Kate Myers blames herself completely for her sister's death - simply because Kate could have fought off the killer.  Kate could have done something different to survive... 

It's been years and Kate Myers is in Northern California and she's still tracking the same killer.  He's killed another teenager and it's dredged up memories of Kassie's murder for Kate again.  This time it's in a small town where everyone know each other and the police station is smaller than it should be.
From the moment Kate walks through the doors, she's judged by all the cops - particularly Ben Slater, who doesn't like her at all.  She up tight, pushy and believes there is something out there - somebody out there - when he thinks there's no connection at all... well, that's until she gets him to read up on her files, what she had pulled together and they go and look at the files from the past where markings have been missed on the bodies and not noted down in the files but noticed in the photos.

However, the MO of the killer shows that he takes years to plan and plot his kills - that he picks his prey carefully so he doesn't stuff up.  This is until Kate and the killer cross paths by accident at a petrol station and he recognises her as Kassie, and he panics!  Did he kill her?  Did she survive?  If she did, he had to set the record straight and make sure he caught her again and ...and ... 

The sheriff goes missing - on a holiday, he said - for a few weeks suddenly from the station.  But he doesn't give a return date and leaves his office a total pig sty.  Kate notices and goes snooping around... and she starts putting things together about the sheriff - who was around at the times of the first murders years ago.  She finds cryptic notes around his office and shoves them into her handbag to look at later...

In between all this, Ben and Kate work long hours in the office and at her place over the case.  They talk well into the nights and over coffee, takeaway food and in bed in each other's arms; not expecting to fall for each other this way... harboring secrets of their own - painful, terrible secrets from their own lives - which could either make their relationship stronger or break it, shattering what they've discovered between them and within the manila file folders before the next victim is taken ... but who will that next person be?

The Sheriff?

Kate?

Another high school student?

Or...

All three...? 

Michael Connelly's Black Box

I'm a big fan of winning fun stuff... and it's happened again!  I won something very cool, and unexpected.  

Okay, I'll start at the beginning:

A few weeks ago, I entered a competition on the Good Reading website/blog for a Michael Connelly book; not thinking much of it.  I don't usually win things on this blog or online, so I didn't think I'd win one of 30 books they had up for grabs.

Anyway, about two weeks later, I received an e-mail informing me that I had won one of Michael Connelly's books!  Yay!  I sent in my details and they told me the publisher would send on the book to me.  No problems!

A week passed by... and nothing in the mail showed up.  So, I phoned Good Reading in Sydney and the publishers hadn't received my address via e-mail.  Whoops!  Well, they jumped right on fixing that up for me and yesterday, 'The Black Box' by Michael Connelly arrived!  I'm so stoked!  

Well, okay, the book was published a couple of years ago, but his new book 'The Burning' is about to be put out in the bookstores for sale... and so the book before it makes a great prize to win; so I can read it then get in and read the new one when I want to, just in time for the New Year.  Have you won anything cool online lately?  If so, let us know and we can share the joy!  Until my next post, happy reading!

Instore or Online

Recently, I was online looking at what some of my writer friends overseas had published and asked Chuck Wendig which of his books would be the best to start with in reading - as I didn't want to buy one and find that I had come in halfway through a series if he was writing his books this way.  He recommended 'The Blue Blazes' and 'Blackbirds'.  So, I jumped onto the QBD site and found his books were there! Yay!  But... when I found myself at the Garden City branch of the store the next time I was up there, they told me that I could only order his books off their online store; damn!  
There was another way:  I could order them instore but they could take up to 3 weeks to arrive; due to them being an overseas order.  Hey that was cool... I mean, I didn't mind waiting for that long.  So, I paid a deposit on the books to make sure they arrived, and then waited about 3 1/2 weeks for them to arrive today!  Very cool!

Now, I do this a lot. I look around online for things I want, then go out and find them instore.  And if I can't get them instore, I ask if they can order them in for me.  A lot of the times the store can get them in but it does take time and a small deposit.  

So, do you do this kind of thing?  Or do you do you most of your shopping online for your books, e-books or other products?  Seeing I don't have a debit or credit card, I like to go out to the shopping centres and take the time to enjoy the social aspect of book-shopping.  It's fun; and makes book-shopping very interesting too as you never know what you're going to find.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Code Name: Millicent by Bryon Williams

Millicent is a highly-trained cat who works for the CIA (Cat Intelligent Agency) and has been sent on a mission by her boss - Tom - in Canberra to investigate and infiltrate the growing drug problem in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales in the town of Nimbin.  While there, Millicent meets King - a very dashing and mysterious Burmese; a character in himself.  But is he a distraction, or is he in on the operations?  Her assignment becomes extremely dangerous when the investigation takes a cat-astrophic turn and unexpectedly leads her into intrigue and murder.  For Millicent, the somewhat quiet inland town of free love was beginning to turn into something she didn't expect; especially when another attractive ginger Tom shows up on the scene to help with the investigation... someone she has never heard of from inside the CIA.

I've had a great time reading this book.  From the very beginning I began laughing my way through; on the second paragraph of the introduction actually, and the adventures don't stop there.  Whether you enjoy cats or animal stories, this is a must-read for anyone who has had these interesting and humourous animals in their lives at some point or another.  And being a person who is horribly allergic, I've enjoyed the company of quite a few cats with the problematic reactions that go with them.

Bryon Williams is an ex-actor, script writer, stage and television producer and director, and recently turned novelist, is settled in the beautiful Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia. 

His previous novels 'Grumpy Old Withered of Oz' and 'The Twilight Escort Agency' were published in 2009 and enjoyed by a very successful launch and reader response.  His next two novels 'The Tourist From the Light' and 'The Burning Boy' are to be published in the near future.

Illustrated Thrillers for Kids.

Now, I love to find new books for any age group of any genre.  However, when I received a phone call from my Mum on Saturday, she told me there were a collection at the Springwood Community Centre not far from her home called the 'Illustrated Classic Editions Thrillers'.   I asked what they looked liked.  Well, she said she'd get them and bring them to me.

That night, she brought them over to my house and showed them to me and I found they were large print and for kids.  I had the impression they were graphic novels.  However, they weren't.  There are six in all and all of them are written by the most classic writers around from the twentieth century and adapted for children between the ages of 9 and 12.  There are 'Tales of Mystery and Terror' by Edgar Allan Poe, 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson, 'The Invisible Man' by H.G. Wells, 'The Time Machine' by H.G. Wells and 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley.  All these books are in my shelves however these particular ones are adapted from the adult versions and put in to larger print for young minds to grasp quickly and have great illustrations.  Well worth looking for. 

Horrific Reading Time!

I find that I read a lot more towards the end of the year; and this year is no acception.  This is especially in October when All Hallow's Eve is around, and my selection of reading become a little darker.  I tend to get my nose into horror, suspense and vampire romance just for kicks.

This year, I put my name down for a book spiral.  This is where I'm sent a whole series of books to read in one hit; then I pass them onto the next person on the list on Bookcrossing it's such a great thing to get into and a wonderful way to get yourself reading a lot of books without having to search your Mt To Be Read for inspiration.  And this book spiral is called 'The Midnight Breed' spiral; a vampire romance one, with a bit of action kicked into it for a change.  It's hot and saucy, but it's got the violence that's expected from the traditional vampires with their own kind of legend spun in for fun.

Another book I may get my nose into is 'Spooky South' a collection of short stories that have been collated and retold by an author from the Southern States in America.  What a great book this will be for Halloween too.

So, what kind of spooky reading to you get into at this time of year?  Or do you stick to your normal reading routine? 

Adding to the Collection

In the last few days, I've been helping my Mum with sorting out her books.  Well, okay, just recent ones she's received and hasn't found a place for yet.  So, on Friday, while I was over their way to see some doctors, I helped her go through her Bookcrossing stuff and books that she had packed up and scored a book or two.

The first one was one I had lent her from my birthday; but she hadn't gotten around to reading.  It's called 'Spooky South' by S.E. Scholosser.  It's a re-telling of the old campfire stories from the Southern States in the USA.  I love these kinds of stories; they are the kinds that become legendary.  And I do look forward to finally reading this one (there are quite a few I haven't read yet from my birthday last year as I received over 20 books from across the miles as a birthday bomb that Mum organised through Bookcrossing... it was so much fun!).  

The next book was from Mum's birthday last year; which I've had my eye on since she received it.  It 's called: 'An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England' by Brock Clarke.  It's a mystery novel with a funny twist to it.  And I love the read books that are based on writers and have that twist to it that pulls the reader in.  So, I'm looking forward to getting my nose into this one too.

So, these to are going to my ever-growing Mt To Be Read ... to be guarded over by Clifford.  He is getting concerned around being pushed off the shelf.  But I know he's got nothing to be concerned about.  I will read a few more books soon and he'll have more space to stretch out on.

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

It's 1985 and there's somebody out there killing off the masked heroes from the 1960's. One by one they're dying off from either cancer or are being murdered in cold blood. But who is doing it? The police are at a complete loss and the others who haven't been targeted yet are in hiding. There haven't been great heroes like these people since a law was passed that it was illegal to be a renegade. So, some of the retired ones are determined to find out who is killing off their friends - even if they don't socialise with them anymore - because they are the only people they can reminisce with about the good, old days when they kicked butt.
However, there's something else hovering on the horizon. This something is a war. Not the one in the Middle East that the government is concerned about; the one that is going to be waged against the population of New York... and the Earth. But can the remaining heroes figure out who is behind both the murders and the war in time to save mankind?

I have been a very big fan of graphic novels for a long time. However the ones I've read are somewhat thinner than this one; and they were sold monthly. This is one novel that I held out for to read instead of seeing the film all because I know it was going to be better than what Hollywood was going to pump out.

Alan Moore was born in Northampton in 1953. He was the oldest son of a brewery worker and a printer. Moore's childhood and youth was influenced with the poverty of his family and environment. After being expelled from a conservative secondary school in 1971, he was unemployed with no job qualifications. Moore began working with Embryo a magazine he and his friends began publishing; which led to his involvement in the Northampton Art Lab. In 1979, Moore began working as a cartoonist for the weekly music magazine Sounds. Moore decided to focus his efforts on writing and less on arts.
In 1982 and 1983, Moore had The British Eagle Awards for Best Comics Writer. His exceptional writing skills won him his first American series Saga of the Swamp Thing. In addition to this series, he also penned several other DC titles such as Tales of the Green Lantern Corps, Batman Annual and several Superman titles. In 1986, Moore came out with Watchmen when DC was reconstructing their comic's universe.
Currently, Moore has his own imprint, America's Best Comics (ABC), under which he's once again paving new territory with several new series: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Promethea, Tom Strong, Tom Strong's Terrific Tales, Tomorrow Stories and Top Ten. Moore's other projects include CD's and a book or two…in addition to his desire to become a magician.

Dave Gibbons, born April 14th in 1949, has been playing a major role in the world of comics for over 30 years now. He began his comics career in 1973, when he started to contribute to the magazine 2000. Since then he has drawn and written for all the major publishers in North America and his home country Great Britain. His work has been and still is published all over the world. He has depicted the adventures of SUPERMAN, BATMAN, DR WHO, DAN DARE and GREEN LANTERN, amongst many many others.He co-created the long running ROGUE TROOPER for 2000 A.D., where he also worked on HARLEM HEROES In 1982, he began drawing the 'Green Lantern' series for a memorable run. Real big success came when he collaborated with Alan Moore on the famous'WATCHMEN' for D.C. comics in 1986/87, for which he got an Hugo award.
With Watchmen coming out as a major motion-picture from director Zack Snyder ("300") with designs tightly based on Dave's work in the comic, Dave has a book called "WATCHING THE WATCHMEN" coming out (detailing the origin of the comic, including script pages, breakdowns, early designs and lots more).
His contributions to comics are just too numerous to mention them all here, go look at the checklist to find out about all of his work. He currently lives in Britain with his wife and son and you can see him frequently at conventions there.

Check out these guy's fan sites I've put on the sidebar for more info!

Spooky October Halloween Reads!

In the last month, I've gotten my nose into a few really great reads; and not just any reads, spooky reads. I thought to share with you these titles as good or bad recommendations. So, here goes:

'Twilight' by Stephenie Meyers was my first read. I began it in late September and finished it in a week. I found it very light on, but still an interesting look into vampire lore; with a different take on how they act and what they are all about. Some of the older lores have been brought into it, yet some of the ones she wrote about are newer. A good light read for a teenager or Young Adult. My second book was the next book in the series: 'New Moon'. This one is thicker and has a few more story twists. The way she has established Bella's depression in the early stages of the book was brilliant; how the chapters didn't have to be written and they just had the month names on them was well-done. It took me a little longer to get into though as new characters were introduced and themes from the first book were being brought forward.
'Single White Vampire' by Lynsay Sands. Well, I've just written a review about this below. So, I won't say too much about it; except that it's typical Lynsay. It's funny, romantic and darkly wonderful all the way through. It also points out the dangers of being a vampire loving a human.
'Bloodline' by Maggie Shayne. I received this book from a friend of mine in Bookcrossing when I met up with her and her Mum here in Brisbane. However, I have never heard of this author; and so was willing to give this one a try. The storyline was great, the subplots were good enough to make this book stand alone and I enjoyed the way it bounced from first person to third quite easily without confusing me too much. However, it was Lilith who was the downer. She pulled the story down with her internal thoughts and groanings about everything from not trusting Ethan to The Farm. If you can put up with this in a character, by all means, read it, if not, well, I'd skip it.

So, there they are, my Spooky Reads for October. Join me next year around this time when I'll be reviewing another lot of spooky reads again. And next month, I'll try and read more different books to pick up the pace and feel of the book reviews.

Bookcrossing Meet-up in Brisbane.

Today, I was in Brisbane City to meet-up with some Bookcrossers and to have a talk about books. We met up outside the Treasury Casino and - after escorting one their husbands into the place so he could play Keno - we were off to have coffee and to control release books to each other. These are the books I received.

'Angel's Pain' and 'Bloodline' by Maggie Shayne were in the books that were given to me. However, I haven't heard of the author; but I will give her a try. By the look of the blurbs on the back, they sound brilliant. Then, there were other paranormal romances/thrillers that were given to me as well, such as 'Dark Seduction' by Brenda Joyce, 'Witch Fury' by Anya Bast and 'Nekropolis' by Tim Waggoner; however, I've only heard of the latter author and I will give these others a try.

Other books I received today were 'Fatal Flaw' by Roger Maynard; which is about the 2002 murder on Norfolk Island. 'Jericho Falls' by Christopher Hyde, 'Fear Itself' by Jonathan Nasaw and 'Sovereign' by Simon Brown (this last one is a book 3 of a trilogy; so I'll be looking around for the first two before reading it). A P.D James 3-In-One book was given to me as well as 'Don't Fall Off The Mountain' by Shirley MacClaine and a short story collection called 'Seaserpants' by various authors. What a meet-up and what a great lot of books to get my nose into!

My Birthday Books!

I had my birthday on Monday; which means, I received a lot of books! Yep, my Mum organised a big surprise for me and so a lot of my online friends bought up big on my behalf and sent me plenty of books off my Wish List on Bookcrossing; and now, I have a nice collection of books to get my nose into. I thought it would be good to share some of the title with you.

'The Gargoyle' by Andrew Davidson. This is a debut novel; and what novel! I've just begun reading it and have found it hard to get my nose out of its pages! I had it on my Wish List for a long time; and am thrilled to have received it on Monday. It will be some time before I let this one out of my sight!

'The Colorado Kid' by Stephen King. I'm a very big fan of this writer; and have been since I was in high school and he was scaring the be-jesus out of me there. So, when this book came out, I really wanted to see what he could do as a crime writer. From what the critics have said on the first few pages, SK is pretty good as a horror and as a crime writer both.

'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul' by Douglas Adams is the last installation of the Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy - Trilogy In Four Parts. I've wanted to read this book for some time; but haven't been able to find here in Australia; which was unfortunate. And I also received this one on Monday.

'Swallowing Darkness' by Laurell K. Hamilton. I haven't heard of this author before; however, from the blurb on the back, I'm sure to enjoy this book. It's sci-fi fantasy, with magic, faeries, Kings, Queens, murder and mystery all wrapped up into it... hmmmm... I'll most definitely have to get my nose into this one soon!

Along with these, I also received: 'The World According to Garp', 'Dinner at the Homesick Restuarant', 'Face to Face', 'Vulture's Gate' and 'Belly Dancing for Beginners'. There are a few more parcels to arrive as some of my Bookcrossing friends got them off a little late - but I don't mind, it's the thought that counts - so I have made a thank you blog ('My Birthday Presents' blog) so that I can thank them all personally with photos and they all get a personal note of thanks and gratitude; and best of all, it's permanent. I don't intend to delete the blog after its use is over. I'll be turning it into a Bookcrossing Thank You Blog for any gifts and goodies I receive from them.

True Lies (Adapted from the Screenplay) by Dewey Gram & Duane Dell'Amico

When I go to see films on the big screen I always keep an eye out for whether or not it was a book first or not. This book was a movie first; then two guys thought it would make a great book. At first I thought it was okay to read as a light read to get through something really quick. However, as the years past, and I read it I found that it was just a cheap copy of the movie and I enjoyed watching the movie more.
There are a lot of books that are going around which are written from the screenplay and I'm afraid to say they may look good and the blurb on the back may sound as good as the movie; however they are not. The magic of the movie isn't there; the people who try to emulate the brilliance the director put across onto the big screen through a book dulls as you read the words.

I've googled both these guys and there's not much out there about them; so I can't say who they are or exactly what they do. If anyone knows more about them, drop in and leave some info or a site. Thanks guys.