AUTHOR REVIEW: Victoria Alexander

It is no secret that my “drug of choice” is a Regency Romance. The Regency era in England was the time of Jane Austin, so keep Pride and Prejudice in mind. Some of today’s authors can hold their own with the highly regarded Jane. As in any genre, there are some good writers and there are some bad writers. From my vast years of experience, I have narrowed the field to a choice few; Mary Balogh and Mary Jo Putney are standouts. I am here this week to introduce you to a new favorite, Victoria Alexander.

Strictly speaking, Ms. Alexander sneaks out of the Regency time period and has been known to visit Victorian England as well, but that is fine with me; I am not a purist when it comes to my drugs. I just want them to be good as well as entertaining.

I will warn you that her titles are provocative and sometimes misleading. The Virgin’s Secret is a good example. (It deals with an archeological study of an ancient society and the goddess that was worshipped). Now this is not to say that her books do not contain romantic scenes that can be a little sizzling, but they are always romantic.

The Regency and Victorian periods were very restrictive times for women. Alexander’s heroines are always independent and willing to fight the system. Frequently, the heroine of the book is a widow; this gives her more freedom. I just found out that Victoria Alexander’s husband is named Charles. This is important because in each book the widow’s husband, if it was a happy marriage, is named Charles. 

 

This is an author who can do variations on old themes. At times it is easy to recognize classic favorites. In an Alexander book the girl loses an earring in the bed, not a shoe on the palace steps.

You get the idea. This is a charming series of books and worthy of a rainy afternoon by the fire with a cup, or glass, of your favorite beverage. You will not cry at the ending; you will not be ready to go out and change the world. You will, however, be reassured that there are happy endings, romance is still alive, and there are authors who have an intelligent sense of humor.

If romance novels are not your “drug” you may still want to give Victoria Alexander a try.  Find out more about Victoria Alexander on her website:  http://www.victoriaalexander.com/

BOOK REVIEW: The Twelve

To say that I have been eagerly waiting for the sequel to Justin Cronin’s The Passage would be a gross understatement, so I am happy to report that THE TWELVE is here. Now all I have to do is tell you about it. This will be no easy task!

First of all, do not try to read THE TWELVE if you have not read The Passage. In fact, you might want to refresh your memory of characters if it has been a while. That proved to be a problem for me. My brain needed some time to keep everyone straight. Both books are fairly long, so be prepared to make a commitment.

The original story followed a group of people in a world made almost uninhabitable by a government experiment that went horribly wrong. By trying to find the secret to longevity, twelve virals with vampire characteristics have been created. One hundred years in the future, man has learned to live in well protected camps with daily survival a hardship, not to mention the horrors of the night when The Twelve’s ever growing band comes out to feed.

THE TWELVE opens with the introduction of Lila, a doctor and expectant mother, a teenage girl taking care of her younger brother, a young man who is very proud to be a school bus driver, and a man who is known as “The Last Stand in Denver”. Each of these people is trying to understand how his world has fallen apart, but finding each other gives them at least a chance.

The story then picks up characters from the end of The Passage. I have to admit that I had to do some re-reading of the first book to help get names straight. The author did include a list of dramatis personae, but I wish that it had given some information on their earlier involvement with each other. I refuse to mention who was important in this section for fear of spoiling your enjoyment of the earlier book. Some of the questions that I had were answered, but I guess we have to wait for the third book in the series for a good conclusion……….or so I hope!

It was a little difficult to keep some of the time lines straight. Even though the action takes place one hundred years after the virals escaped the laboratory, there are some flashbacks to that time. I also felt that my “voluntary suspension of belief”, necessary when reading this type of book, was strained at times. Admittedly, Cronin does a great job of tying ends together and then leaving some threads dangling keeping the reader intrigued.

So far this has been a great read. I love the story, the characters, and the author’s fast pace. I would warn the faint of heart that some of the scenes are violent and you will mourn the death of some favorite characters. Also, do not read these books out of order and, if you have my problem of keeping names straight, you might want to wait and read all three books together.

BOOK REVIEW: Gone, Girl

It is unusual for me to enjoy a book that includes few, if any, likable characters. GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn is definitely full of nasty, even repugnant, people; I could not put it down. It is one of those books that is on your mind while you are doing something else, such as cooking dinner.

On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne discovers that his wife, Amy has gone missing. The evidence points to abduction, but the police are certain that the scene has been staged and, naturally, the husband is always the first suspect. The reader has been with Nick throughout the early investigation and we are positive of his innocence.

The second chapter is the entry in Amy’s diary from the day that the couple had met. The book continues in alternating chapters. As Nick continues to claim his innocence, Amy’s diary tells of the beginnings of abuse in the relationship and of her growing fear for her life.

The story line is well plotted, full of twists and surprising characters. I have to admit that though I did not like most of the characters, each was true in his or her motivations, sick though they may be. Flynn’s psychological insight is sharp and she never hits a wrong note in their personality developments.

This is a story of a marriage that went wrong in ways that will cause readers to wonder if we ever know another person. Amy’s parents are clueless about their daughter and her husband. Everything is so happy in their world. Nick’s twin sister Margo is loyal, even throughout the mounting evidence and her own doubts and disappointments. Actually, she was one of the characters that I liked.

GONE GIRL was much more than I expected. So many “Best Sellers” are written by authors who have found the right formula to keep their audience coming back. (Not always a bad thing for fans). Gillian Flynn is a new author for me, but if this is formula writing I would be surprised. I guess that means another author has joined my shelves.

BOOK REVIEW: True Evil

Greg Iles does “Evil” as well as any author. His books are filled with people who are so vile and yet so cunning that the reader has trouble believing that such a character will ever be caught and it is possible that Iles may have a different ending in mind. After all, his heroes are not always perfect either. His TRUE EVIL lives us just the right mix of these characters.

Lawyer Andrew Rusk has come up with the perfect way to get his clients out of a marriage without going through a messy divorce. Do it his way and there is no question about child custody or paying large amounts of money in support. You may have to spend some time, maybe as much as a year, watching your spouse die, but you will never be a suspect.

Special Agent Alexandra Morse has reason to believe that her sister had been murdered and that her nephew’s life is in danger. During her investigation she sees the wife of a prominent physician leave Rusk’s office. Knowing that Doctor Chris Shepard is going to be the next victim, she tries to warn him. Believing that his marriage is so perfect, Chris almost throws Agent Morse out of his office.

Morse has had trouble getting any one to believe her. If these cases have been murder, why have the autopsies uncovered no evidence of foul play? Somewhere out there is a brilliant, merciless killer. Not even the clients who have used his services, nor the lawyer who acts as the go between, know who he is. As the reader gets to know this twisted man, we see the very essence of evil and the killer’s motivations become deadly clear.

Most of the action of TRUE EVIL is set in Natchez, Mississippi and some of the background characters are familiar from earlier books by Iles, but this is in no way a sequel to anything else that he has written. Again his characters are well drawn, his plot full of twists, and his action non-stop.

There is always the fear that you will tire of hearing about some of my favorite authors in this blog, but this is one author who will be included regularly, as long as his books are available. Greg Iles has to be one of the supreme masters of the suspense novel being published today. I look forward to what he has in store for us next.