Catching Up on a Few Reviews

Before It's Too Late by Jane Isaac.  DI Will Jackman has problems of his own.  His wife suffers from locked-in syndrome (what a horror!) after a car accident; the outlook is grim, despite their daughter's optimism.  His superior is greedy for publicity, more concerned about political advancement than doing the right thing.  And Jackman suffers from guilt and grief concerning his wife's condition.  The job, however, helps keep him on an even keel.

A missing person's case involving university student Min Li, a Chinese National, quickly turns into a kidnapping case when the ransom demand is made.  Alternating chapters deal with the investigation and its difficulties and Min Li's attempts to cope with what is happening to her.

Jackman is an engaging character--strangely, he is the second character in a book recently with that last name; and what an excellent choice in this case, because whose image is immediately conjured up? Oh, yes, that other Jackman.  :)  Min Li's character is also a large part of the novel's appeal.  

You will figure some things out, but it won't detract from the novel.  Isaacs has another series that I intend to look into.

NetGalley/Legend Press

Police Procedural.  June 1, 2012.  Print length:  256 pages.

Alien Child by Pam Sargent.  A YA book originally published in 1988.  Book Description:

"A girl growing up in an insulated though pleasant environment, with a furry guardian for company, comes to realize that she must be the last human left on earth."


Interesting, but not compelling, the novel encourages an examination of what the human condition really entails:  trust, love, and humanity's history of violence and war.  Might be a good choice for younger readers, giving them a lot to ponder.

NetGalley/Open Road Integrated Media

Dystopian.  1988; 2015.  Print version:  246 pages.  




Scheduled to Die by Adam Cupp.   I've not read anything else by Cupp, but the book is the second in the Carter Mays series.  Carter's new client tells him that while on a business trip she met a charming man--who later explained to her that she had a year to live. She should make the most of it, do everything she has dreamed of, because in a year's time they would meet again...and she would die.  If she contacted the police, the end would come much sooner.  An interesting premise and a quick read, but not particularly memorable.  

Read in February.  Blog post scheduled for May, closer to publication.

NetGalley/Henery Press

Mystery/Detective Fiction.  June 2, 2015.  Print version:  252 pages.