December 09 reads

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Believe it or not, this is the first book I have read by Brown. I have seen The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, but have not read the books. After reading The Lost Symbol, I am certainly going to go back and read the first two novels. Excellent book! Very intriguing - grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. Well, close to the end for this book. I could have done without the last couple of chapters, but I suppose they were necessary to completely answer questions raised earlier in the novel.

The Lone Texan by Jodi Thomas
The latest in the Whispering Mountain series, this novel focuses on Sage, younger sister of Taegan, Tobin, and Travis McMurray. Sage is returning from Boston to her home in Texas when she runs into Drummond Roak - a young man that swore that he would be Sage's man many years earlier. Sage still sees Drum as the rogue kid that caused so much trouble earlier in her life. But when Sage is kidnapped, Drum comes to her rescue when no one else can. Drum continues to try to convince Sage that they belong together, but Sage just doesn't see it. Or does she? Another great story from Jodi Thomas!

Dying to Call You by Elaine Viets
Third in the Dead-End Job Mystery series and a good read! I like the main character - Helen - but I sure don't want to work with her. People always get murdered at her workplaces. :) This time around Helen, who is working as a telemarketer, hears a young woman murdered. She calles 911, but no one believes her. It's interesting to see how the whole thing plays out - with other young women dying- and the connection to her employer.

Kiss River by Diane Chamberlain
Many years ago I read The Courage Tree by the same author and LOVED it! She is a very talented author, building very believable characters that just come to life from the page. Gina is on her summer vacation from teaching in Washington state in search of the Kiss River lighthouse on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. She is devastated to find that the lighthouse was destroyed by a storm several years earlier, but she is determined to find a way to have the lens raised from its resting place in the sea. Why she is so determined to do this, and why the chapters are interspersed w/ writings from a teenage girl that lived in the Keeper's House during World War II certainly keeps the pages turning in this book! Gina's growing relationships with Clay and his sister Lacey are also quite intriguing. Excellent!!!


Death Swatch by Laura Childs
I have waited seemingly forever for this book to be released in paperback! I considered it an early gift to myself when I found it in Barnes and Noble just a couple of days before Christmas! :)
Carmela and Ava are hot on the trail of Jean Lafitte's treasure after the murder of ArchieBaudier, the neighbor of Carmela's close friend Jekyl Hardy. While Jekyl works fervently to finish the floats for the Mardi Gras parades, Carmela and Ava dealve deep into the history of the local bayous and plantations searching for clues. Detective Edgar Babcock continues to warn Carmela away from her sleuthing, but he is also warming up to her! Finally! :)