About Book Marks
Recent Reviews
Clea Simon
Positive Sun Sentinel Solid ... Simon, a former rock critic and the author of more than two dozen mysteries, perceptively illustrates the sacrifices one makes for art. Gal’s memories are tinged with the pain of lost relationships, betrayals by promoters and managers, but also the joy of performing.
May Cobb
Positive Shelf Awareness Cobb plumbs the depths of Sophie\'s ennui as she realizes that this small-town life that she craved--\'the quiet ticktock of the street\'--begins to feel \'oppressive.\' Sophie sees the manipulative Margot as a \'glamour fix,\' an outlet for her restlessness. Cobb intelligently imbues The Hunting Wives with unexpected twists, accented by witty dialogue, leading to a surprising finale ... In this intelligently plotted thriller, a woman desperate to be a part of a secret women\'s clique gets caught up in risky games.
J.P. Delaney
Rave The Associated Press ... puts — almost perfectly — a high-tech spin on the stories of Frankenstein and Pygmalion with a tinge of the Stepford wives. Delaney includes just enough technology while keeping the focus primarily on the characters ... smoothly alternates between the new Abbie’s narrative and the couple’s past ... Abbie is a compassionate character and is instantly appealing ... Delaney’s subtle approach in depicting Tim’s controlling nature, his pathological obsession with work, and his neurosis about perfection add to the tension and the possibility of violence ... The intriguing plot leads to a chilling and surprising finale that perfectly caps The Perfect Wife.
Lori Roy
Rave The South Florida Sun Senteniel ... outstanding ... quietly unnerving ... Roy wisely avoids salacious violence while showing how hate creates a never-ending circle and the havoc it can wreak on families ... Roy has established a niche for lyrical prose in a noir story. Her standards continue in Gone Too Long, a formidable history of hate.
Alafair Burke
Rave Sun Sentinel ..[an] insightful, exciting family thriller. Burke imbues The Better Sister with a sense of authenticity as each character — and their secrets and flaws — never seems false ... Burke hits the ground running with the highly entertaining The Better Sister, and the story continues to peak in one believable twist after another. Surprises lead The Better Sister to a sizzling finale.
Alex Segura
Positive SouthFlorida.com Blackout works well as a decidedly noir character study ... Segura, a former South Florida journalist, knows the region well, and he imbues Blackout with an insider’s view ... Segura is just what South Florida crime fiction needed.
John Hart
Pan The Associated Press The Hush is strongest when Hart concentrates on the evocative setting, heightened by a strong sense of place with Hush Arbor. But the magical realism aspects do not resonate and become increasingly far-fetched. The beautiful North Carolina scenery is what is remembered from The Hush, not the characters. Johnny, so well-sculpted in The Last Child, is a mere shadow of himself and Hart doesn’t delve deeply enough into his psyche
Lisa Gardner
Rave SouthFlorida.com The tense Look for Me forcefully delves into family dynamics while also exploring the failures of foster care. Gardner has never disappointed, whether she’s writing about D.D. Warren, her involving stand-alone novels or her tense Profiler series about FBI agent Pierce Quincy and Officer Rainie Conner. Gardner employs her usual solid plotting while adding surprising twists in Look for Me.
Joe R. Lansdale
Rave South Florida Lansdale’s excellent series thrives on the banter between the two men, their hatred of racism and stupidity, and their affinity for getting themselves into the worst predicaments ... Lansdale skillfully weaves racism, greed and a sense of menace into the tightly coiled Jackrabbit Smile
Brad Meltzer
Rave South Florida Brad Meltzer’s novels come with certain expectations: a plot filled with carefully researched but often obscure bits of American history and the government. Those facts may seem far-fetched but are nevertheless true and elevate the characters’ adventures ... Meltzer keeps the action crackling as he delves into the background and motives of both Zig and Nola. Each is a complicated character whose motives are realistically explored ... Meltzer makes us care deeply about both Zig and Nola and is planning for both characters to return in his next novel. Meanwhile, there’s no escaping the solid storytelling of The Escape Artist.”