“Killer Pancake” by Diane Mott Davidson

“Killer Pancake” by Diane Mott Davidson
1995 Bantam Books
ISBN: 0-553-09588-9

“Killer Pancake” is a terrific foody who-done-it. It’s the second one I’ve read by Diane Mott Davidson and it will not be the last.

The story opens with Goldy, a caterer living in the high mountains of Colorado, who has just married her policeman sweetheart Tom. Somehow she always seems to be in the thick of mysterious happenings and by her involvement is also thrust into very dangerous situations. Everybody has to eat and Goldy never seems to be at a loss for catering assignments. However, everybody also includes people with skull duggery on their minds.

Goldy drives her husband Tom nuts as she rolls in and out of danger helping him to solve crimes. At the same time, cooking close to her heart, recipes are included in the book. I’ve never seen a book that does that. This is really neat!

Goldy's son Arch and a young apprentice, Julian, who has fast become part of their family comprises a core group of folks. Goldy does have a heart of gold and reaches out to include as her best friend and into her family unit, Marla, the ex-wife of her ex-husband (a real nasty guy they all call The Jerk) .

This book is involved with make-up empires and how the people who run them and the people who work for them are driven to succeed. I won’t get into the story because I don’t want to give it away, but I will certainly recommend this book as a good read.

“Hot Six” by Janet Evonovich

“Hot Six” by Janet Evonovich
2000 by Martin’s Press
ISBN: 0-312-20540-6

Ah, terrific. “Hot Six” by Janet Evonovich had me in worse than stitches in the 3 days it took me to read this book. It would have been sooner than 3 days, except I had to go to work in between.

You’ve got to read this book. Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter and great lady from New Jersey is as fabulous as she’s been in the other Plum books I’ve read. I haven’t been able to read them in order and I still haven’t gotten hold of a copy of the first one, but it just doesn’t matter. These books are all terrific and, “Hot Six” is great.

You’ve got hot sex. You’ve got laughs like you won’t believe. There are some really scary characters and there are other just as loveable ones. Stephanie always gets away and she always gets her man. This is just a totally engaging story. Janet Evonovich rocks.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
2007 by Arthur A. Levine Books
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-01022-1

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling. Super. Super. Super. Super. Super. This is a really big book. It’s 759 pages long. I could hardly tear myself away from it to go to work and it was what I read during my dinner and long into the evening each night since it came in the mail last Saturday. It is the last of 7 books about Harry Potter. Will it really be the very last one? Yes, I’m thinking that it will be. The ending is more terrific than you can imagine.

As with the other books in the series Harry Potter circles with the most dangerous Lord Voldemort. The wizarding world teeters on the edge of death and disaster as he who must not be named (Lord Voldemort) grows stronger and stronger. This story shows the terrific courage of Harry, Ron and Hermione and of so many people they know as they go out into the world to destroy the evil that has come into their lives and into the lives of those they love. Good against evil. A really basic premise for a book, but hey, J.K. Rowling has spun the story out into 7 books and each one of them is terrific.

If this review catches your eye, start at the beginning and read them all in order. This is a very good project to embark upon.

Expecto Patronum

“Falling Awake” by Jayne Ann Krentz

I have never approached a novel by Jayne Ann Krentz with trepidation. Rather, it’s excitement that moves me. I know I will never come away disappointed, and I was completely delighted reading “Falling Awake”.

This is one of her contemporary novels. It deals with lucid dreamers and, in fact, there were references to Stephen LaBerge and Patricia Garfield in the book, both folks who really do write about aspects of dreaming.

This is also a whodunit and at heart a romance. Jayne Ann Krentz is an absolute master story teller. I was enthralled from the beginning to the end and I have to tell you that I’ve read this particular book at least 3 times, maybe more. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I read it either.

I get a feeling that comes over me sometimes when I’m getting ready to read one of Jayne Ann Krentz’s books. It’s hard to describe, but the closest I can come to it on a family blog is to say it’s sort of like craving chocolate. Dreamy.

You can read more about lucid dreaming at my website Talking to Spirit.

Post Script: Here is it September 25, 2009 and I just finished reading, "Falling Awake" again. I just had a craving and this fit the bill perfectly.