Normally, I am not drawn to vampire stories, but these are just absolutely fun to read.  Sookie narrates her adventures as a barmaid and telepath when she becomes involved with vampires who have recently "come out of the coffin".  She tells her story with a sunny outlook, Southern manners, and a sense of humor. 

The stories get more and more wonderfully crazy, but these light reads are so entertaining, I couldn't read them fast enough.  I don't want to say much more about the plot, because of the surprising twists and turns it takes,  and the very interesting characters that become a part of Sookie's  life.

If True Blood has piqued your interest (or you are a big fan), try the first book in the series, Dead Until Dark.  I bet you will have to read the entire series to find out what happens to Sookie Stackhouse, a character you will wish you could meet.

In  Death at La Fenice, it's Brunetti's task to find out, and he's an expert at detection.  At first there appears to be no possible motive, but as the investigation deepens, an array of secrets, rivalries, and intrigue is uncovered.  Was it the assistant director, hoping to eliminate a rival?  Or the soprano, who's hiding a secret only Wellauer knew, that could destroy her career?   It couldn't be his young and beautiful wife, apparently devastated by his death.  And what about the rumors that Wellauer, a German, was a Nazi sympathizer during WWII, a strong motivation for revenge?

As Brunetti investigates, we meet a unique cast of characters:  his vain, insufferable boss, Vice Questore Patta; faded opera star Santina, now living in cruel poverty; his lovely wife Paola, a daughter of Venice's aristocracy.  We come to know his family, and savor the delectable extended meals they share at mid-day.  But the most distinctive character is Venice.  As Brunetti prowls the canals, calles, piazzas, and cafes of his native town, we acquaint ourselves with this ancient and mysterious floating city.

Donna Leon has woven together a fascinating tale that's sure to please lovers of opera, Italian life, and detective fiction. This is the first novel of the Guido Brunetti mysteries; her most recent installment, About Face, is 18th in the series.  Throughout these novels, Commissario Brunetti exposes the seamier side of life in Venice, battling corruption as he brings the truth to light.

The great thing about The Closers is its complete lack of melodrama. Connelly saves the adrenalin for the last portion of the novel, and even then it's far from overblown. The main body of the book is procedural in its approach: we follow two detectives as they follow every lead, use every appropriate resource, deal with interdepartmental politics, generate paperwork, coordinate with the justice system, and perform all of the other tasks and jump through all of the other hoops that real detectives encounter in real police departments. They make mistakes and have breakthroughs and none of it seems phony or contrived. Character development, though part of the story, is understated and generally relegated to tantalizing glimpses into the character and pasts of several of the major players. Of course, much is implicit, based on the fact that this is the 11th entry in the series. Still, the story is about the case and, as such, it's handled in a very professional manner...never dry, always engaging...and this says a lot about Michael Connelly's abilities as a writer.

So if you tend to prefer "Law and Order" over "24", then definitely check out The Closers!

If you read my blog posting awhile back on In the Woods, which I'm sure you did, you will remember that I applauded Tana French's debut novel for its complexity of storylines and the multitude of characters that it blends together so successfully.  In that book, Detective Rob Ryan is the narrator.  In French's latest book, The Likeness, his partner Cassie tells the story.

Cassie started her career with the Dublin PD working in undercover as a college girl with the made up personality Lexie Madison.  Several years later, when Cassie is called to the Glenskehy murder scene, she finds a girl who looks exactly like her lying dead of a stab wound and carrying papers identifying her as Lexie Madison.

In an unconventional police tactic, and against her boyfriend Sam's wishes, she retakes Lexie's persona, infiltrates the household where she lives, and attempts to discover who is behind the murder of the dead girl and who the dead girl actually was.  Because Cassie created Lexie, she feels compelled to find the truth and yet she knows nothing of how this mystery girl portrayed Lexie.  As she gets more involved with her rather insulated housemates, the lines between Cassie and the real Lexie, whoever that is, begin to blur.

French has another winner with this novel.  Although there is less of the police procedural and more of the inner psychological drama, it will still appeal to mystery readers and police fiction readers as well as those who like a good character study.

I've always been a fan of series fiction.  If you have read many of my earlier posts, you'll know that I like novels that have a good amount of action, some kind of puzzle, and a happy ending.  I also like to get to know the characters, and that can be hard to do when they're busy figuring out whodunit.  A series lets you see the characters develop over several books, providing ample opportunity to explore their relationships.  One of my favorite series, the In Death novels by J.D. Robb, has all of these attributes, plus the bonus of being set in New York City in the not-too-distant future.

I recently finished Salvation in Death, in which Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates the poisoning of a priest who may not be exactly what he appears.  The religious theme provides an interesting look at the recurring characters, including non-religious Eve; Detective Delia Peabody, who was raised in a "free-age" community; and Eve's husband Roarke, who, while not a practicing Catholic, grew up in Ireland where the culture and religion were intertwined.  The differences come into play right from the beginning, as Eve sees the church where the murder took place as just another crime scene, while Peabody struggles with her discomfort over what feels to her like trespassing in a holy place.  In a lighter example, Eve relies on Roarke, who made most of his millions in shady deals before meeting Eve, as her expert on Catholicism, resulting in some highly comic scenes.

Though the books are written by romance queen Nora Roberts and do have some spicy parts, particularly between Eve and Roarke, they are mysteries foremost.  They don't have to be read in order, but if you are interested in the characters and their relationships, that's the way to go.  The first book is Naked in Death.  Many of the titles are available in audio, and narrator Susan Ericksen is wonderful. I usually opt for the downloads from OverDrive or the pre-loaded players, so that I can listen anywhere.  With 32 In Death titles and counting, you might know these characters better than your co-workers by the time you finish them all!

Interred With Their Bones is a mystery thriller about a missing (for real) Shakespearean play, named Cardenio and a search for a missing letter that could prove that William Shakespeare was the real author of all things Shakespeare.
Kate Stanley, a Shakespearean scholar now stage director is staging Hamlet at the Globe in London.  She receives a visit from her former mentor, (they parted acrimoniously three years earlier) and Roz gives her a box with a secret and then Roz dies.  Then the Globe Theater catches on fire--whew it only has minor damage, but it was burned on Tuesday, the June 29th just like the original Globe burned down on Tuesday, the 29th of June in 1613. The secret in the box sets Kate on a whirlwind tour of England, the American Southwest, and Spain in search of the missing play.

What I enjoyed even more than the adventure in this mystery (and there is plenty of it) were the explanations of the many theories of who the real author of arguably the world's greatest plays was.  Jennifer Lee Carrell,  the author placed these theories into the story smoothly, they gave clues to the next place the heroine had to get to--in a way like a literary scavenger hunt, each clue building upon the previous one.  Ms Carrell, has a PhD in English and American literature and she has written an article for the Smithsonian Magazine, "How the Bard Won the West."   She even wove her article into the story, it was fascinating!

At first glance you might think, ohhh, another da Vinci Code wannabe.  Not so!  Interred With Their Bones is a fast-paced literary treasure hunt, with facts and fiction woven together so that everything seems plausible.  Check this out for yourself and let me know who you think wrote Hamlet.

There are several things that make Dick Francis a must read for me.  His heroes are good decent men who worry that they are doing the right thing, when they pursue a problem. They fear that the answers might be worse than the unanswered questions. Thomas wonders about uncovering the murderer and disrupting all the lives that have already been affected by it. 

Although I went through a"horsey phase" as a young girl I am not horse crazy now, but I do enjoy reading about them.  Dick Francis, since he was a jockey, has horses in every book.  In Wild Horses, the murder happened in a racing stable, and of course, Thomas's movie is being filmed at a stable and at the races.  However even people who are not fond of horses can enjoy Francis's books; any "horse talk" is easily explained as the story gallops along.  But his books aren't just about horses.  Wild Horses is about movie-making and uncovering secrets.

Overall Dick Francis writes a good story.  You care about the hero and his friends and family and there is always a rousing horse race to cheer.  So find one of his books, start with Wild Horses, and on your mark. Ready. Set. Read!

The main character, Walt Longmire, has been a county sheriff for 24 years.  Accustomed to handling drunken brawls and holiday lights, he initially pegs the death of Cody Pritchard as a hunting accident.  However, it soon becomes apparent that Cody's death was no accident.  Instead, it could be retribution for his role in a brutal crime.  Walt must figure out who is behind it before the other three young men who were involved meet a similar end.

Like a small town, this book is full of interesting and interconnected people.  Walt's deputy, Victoria Moretti, comes from a long line of cops in South Philly.  Where Walt is Wyoming-bred, mild-mannered, and popular, Vic is a foul-mouthed newcomer who sometimes rubs people the wrong way.  She's also very good enough at her job.  So good that she'd be moving toward the top of the ladder if she'd stayed in Philadelphia, and Walt has her pegged to be his replacement when he retires in a couple of years--if he can figure out how to get people to vote for her.  Walt's best friend since childhood is Henry Standing Bear, former special ops soldier and current owner of the Red Pony bar.  A supporting cast of friends, neighbors, and law enforcement personnel round out the community.

The Cold Dish is the first book in the Walt Longmire series.  The fifth installment, The Dark Horse, will be out in May, and Craig Johnson will speak and sign books at Bellevue Regional Library on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 pm.