Pennyworth Books

Nat Idle, a freelance journalist who decided after graduating from medical school that he was better suited for a career writing about versus practicing medicine, left the required residency program and never looked back. The novel opens as Nat sits in a San Francisco Cafe, reading a book when a woman places a folded note on the edge of his table, then, without pause quickly exits the cafe. He picks up the note and attempts to follow the mysterious woman outside, only to catch a brief glimpse of her speeding away in a red Saab. He then reads the note….”Get out of the cafe-Now”! It was much more than the words that grabbed Nat, it was the script – it was Annie’s handwriting. Annie, his deceased girlfriend, for whom his heart still ached. How? His swirling thoughts are interrupted, as at that very moment the cafe explodes, knocking him off…

The topics of infidelity and reconciliation resonate throughout Robert B. Parker’s 35th installment in the Spenser series, Now and Then. A client suspects that his wife is cheating on him, and hires Spenser to provide him with proof. It is not the kind of case Spenser enjoys, but he feels a kind of fellowship with the poor man, having had to deal with the issue of infidelity with his own lady love, Susan Silverman. It happened decades ago, and Spenser’s wounds have healed since then — or so he thinks.

Spenser finds out that his client’s fears are well-founded, as he acquires audio evidence of an affair. The detective also unwittingly learns that the wife appears to be part of a group that subsidizes terrorist activity. Suddenly, a simple case becomes one with tremendous implications. As Spenser does his thing — asking questions, annoying people, and generally rocking the boat —…

Jack the Ripper remains the most notorious serial killer of all time. The fact he was never caught and never identified maintains the mystery. Here is a book that purports to reveal Jack抯 actual diary. According to the writer, Jack the Ripper was in fact a cotton merchant from Liverpool by the name of James Maybrick. No I am not giving away the ending, that much is revealed on the first page. He travelled to London by train, murdered and mutilated his victims, and calmly returned home to torment his young wife.

James Maybrick was unquestionably an interesting man. He travelled to Norfolk, Virginia on cotton and tobacco business and on the boat journey home, met and fell in love with an American beauty by the name of Florence Chandler. She was 18. He was 41. It would seem that both parties imagined the other to be wealthier than they actually…

This book seemed a bit slow starting for a James Patterson book. I thought I might have read too many of his books and was expecting too much. But no, I was not disappointed. As I continued through the book, it became very interesting and exciting, right down to the last chapter and the Epilogue.

The 5th Horseman is one of the Women抯 Murder Club series that Patterson has established. Patients in San Francisco Municipal Hospital are dying when they should not be. Patients of all ages are found dead in their beds with a small coin on each eye. When a new member of The Women抯 Murder Club, Yuki Castellano, has to have her mother taken to the Emergency Room in this hospital, she and her friends have much concern. Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco Police Department takes a personal interest in these deaths now that her new…

After her award winning series as CJ Barry, Samantha Graves had established herself as an excellent Romance author. With Sight Unseen she has raised the bar and changed the rules of the romance genre. To lable this book simply a Romance title, would be a grave injustice, Sight Unseen goes much deeper than that. The adventure begins as Samantha takes the reader to the bottom of the ocean, to retrieve a medallion that was worn by 慘ing Pacal Votan the Great? Raven Callahan is a modern day treasure hunter of sorts, with a special gift that allows her to authenticate the items, with a simple touch. She and her sister, Jillian receive information from inanimate objects. The stronger the emotion of the person that owned or touched the object, the more intensely it is felt by Raven. Working for API, she recovers priceless pieces for private collectors, as well as,…

Deja Dead is the first of the Temperance Brennan novels. It introduces the flawed but brilliant heroine (Tempe Brennan) who is on the trail of a vicious serial killer. The forensic scientist finds herself up against this killer as well as colleagues and friends in this thrilling novel.

Fans of forensic crime novels won’t want to miss this well-known series. Reichs is a forerunner in the field and her expertise shines through her work, as does her skill at storytelling. (If you’ve seen the television show, Bones, which is based upon the life and writing of Kathy Reichs, definitely read these books, but don’t expect too many similarities!)

What I love about the Temperance Brennan novels is the level of realism. Not only is the science presented in a real manner, but the characters aren’t perfect and the action isn’t unbelievable. The crimes aren’t solved overnight, and Reich’s characters do normal human…

“Blood Lure” by Nevada Barr is the ninth book in her Anna Pigeon series. Anna is a park ranger with the United States National Park Service. Each book in the series takes place in a different National Park, where Anna is involved in solving a murder mystery. ?br>?br>Park Ranger Anna Pigeon is at Glacier National Park assisting in a grizzly bear DNA project. She’s hiking the backcountry with Joan Rand the biologist who is overseeing the groundbreaking project and Rory Van Slyke, a young man from Earthwatch, an independent environmental organization. They’re collecting bear DNA caught in traps, dismantling the traps and setting them up in new locations. The new traps are covered with blood and fish guts and left for a few weeks for further collection.
?br>After a grueling day they set up their tents and settle in for some shut eye but before long they’re woken by roars, thumps…