Justice for Sara, by Erica Spindler

There's something to be said for a simple, somewhat brainless mystery. I'm not sure exactly what that something is, but it sounded like a good way to start this review, no?

 

At the beginning of 'Justice for Sara,' we meet Katherine (Kat) McCall, referred to as the Lizzie Borden of small town Liberty, Louisiana.  (Now doesn't that just make you feel all warm & fuzzy?)  Ten years prior, Kat's sister, Sara, was brutally murdered in the little cottage they shared after the untimely death of their parents.  The teenaged Katherine was subsequently tried, and acquitted, of the murder but it's apparent that she was still guilty in the eyes of town residents. 

After making a new life for herself in Portland, Sara returns to her hometown in a final effort to find her sister's true killer, once and for all clearing her name.  When the cottage is vandalized, we're introduced to the town's acting sheriff, Luke Tanner (cue cheesy soap opera music), who just happens to be a big ol' drop of eye candy.  What a surprise!!!

Anyway, we meet the usual cast of characters for this type of book: ex-boyfriends, family members, nosy neighbors, former friends turned enemies, you get the drift.  There wasn't a whole lot of originality here. But, there was a decent amount of intrigue, and that whole 'just-one-more-chapter-and-then-I'll-go-to-bed' mentality. 

To that point, I read the book in just two days.  And not just any two days.  No sir.  These were two weekdays.  When I worked.  And cooked.  And cleaned.  And did laundry.  (Okay, I didn't really do any of those things.  I read the bulk of it on a Sunday afternoon, while my husband was engrossed in reruns of Law & Order.  Did you know the Criminal Intent episodes are the best?  So says Jim).  Anyway, I just thought it would sound more dramatic with a little embellishment.  Instead, I caved and told you the truth.  I enjoyed Ms. Spindler's novel while chillaxing in my Hello Kitty pj pants, k?  Get over it.  The book was good.  So...

 

In true whodunnit form, at some point or another, the finger of suspicion is pointed at just about everyone in the book, except for toddlers who haven't yet surpassed the Weeble stage.  (If you don't get the Weeble reference, then my old ass hates you...go google).  And, yes, I did figure out who *did* do it about halfway through the book.  You likely will, too.  But, it was still entertaining, without too much of the mush factor between Kat & Luke interfering (I hate when a mystery writer tries to write a sex scene.  seriously?  Yeah - don't do that.)

So, overall, this one was definitely worth the time.  An entertaining, fast-paced page turner that will likely get me to read more books by Erica Spindler in the future. 

 

3.5 Stars

 

The 9th Girl, by Tami Hoag

From goodreads.com:  "Kovac had seen more dead bodies than he could count: Men, women, children; victims of shootings, stabbings, strangulations, beatings; fresh corpses and bodies that had been left for days in the trunks of cars in the dead of summer. But he had never seen anything quite like this . . . "

Doesn’t that sound AWESOME (in a *not* sick way)??  I love me a good murder mystery, and this seemed like just the ticket.  Many years ago, I remember reading a few books by Ms. Hoag.  (How do you pronounce that, anyway?  Is it HOAG, as in hoagie?  Ho-Ag, which I seem to remember seeing someplace?  Or should I just keep it simple, and call her Tami Ho?  Yeah, I think that’s for the best.  She won’t mind…really.  How’s she going to know?)  Anyway, I distinctly remember reading one of her books back in high school and LOVING it.  Then, I remember reading a second one and HATING it.  Hence, I haven’t picked one up since.  God knows, it’s now been a long, long, (insert more long’s, please) time now.  But, we won’t discuss that.  Just refer to me as Grandma, and we’ll call it a day.

So, I figured xx number of years was enough time to let bygones be bygones, and I picked up Ms. Ho’s new book, The 9^th Girl.  I was sucked into the story immediately, with an easy to follow storyline, and likable, if stereotypical, characters.  You know the ones I mean - the surly, grumbly cop (Kovac); the struggling single mom trying to connect with her teenage sons (Liska).  And, how appropriate, with today’s trends, that the first victim is referred to as Zombie Doe.  Walking Dead, anyone?       

There were several different side stories going on at the same time, which could very easily have muddied the waters (particularly for this old brain).  Instead, though, they seemed to mesh and flow with one another seamlessly, resulting in a rich, robust whodunnit. 

I think it’s time to forgive Ms. Ho for previously doing me wrong.  She earned back my literary trust with this gem.  On a side note, however, I was a little bummed to find out that this particular novel is actually #4 in a series, titled (big surprise) Kovac and Liska.  It was certainly fine as a stand-alone novel, but it would’ve been nice to have a little background on the characters beforehand.  (Not to mention my OCD rearing its ugly head, screaming ‘READ THEM IN ORDER, OR NOT AT ALL!’)  Anyway, at least I now know where I’ll be heading next.  I just hope it wasn’t #1, 2, or 3 that initially turned me off the Ho to begin with.  That would just be wrong. 

4 Stars