Crime

My favourites, if you like to follow characters:
1. Worth Dying For by Lee Child (The 15th book in the Jack Reacher series)
2. 9 Dragons by Michael Connelly (The 15th book in the Harry Bosch series)
3. Storm Prey by John Sandford (The 20th book in the Lucas Davenport series)
4. Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais (The 11th book in the Elvis Cole series)
5. Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen (the 8th book in the Rizzoli and Isles series and now a series on TV!)
6. Long Lost by Harlan Coben (The 9th book in the Myron Bolitar series)
7. Broken by Karin Slaughter (The 7th book in the Grant County series)
8. 9th Judgement by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro (The 9th book in the Women's Murder Club series, also a short lived TV series)
9. Cross Fire by James Patterson (The 17th book in the Alex Cross series)
10. Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb (The 38th book in the In Death series)
11. Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs (The 13th book in the Temperance Brennan series, also known as the TV series Bones)
12. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (The 21st book in the Kinsey Milhone series)
13. Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen (The 9th book in the Eve Duncan series)
14. Kill Chain by Meg Gardiner (The 5th book in the Evan Delaney series)
15. The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver (The 9th book in the Lincoln Rhyme series)
16. To Dream of the Dead by Phil Rickman (The 10th book in the Merrily Watkins series)
17. The First Rule by Robert Crais (The 2nd book in the Joe Pike series)
18. The Reversal by Michael Connelly (The 3rd book in the Mickey Haller series)
19. The Silent Hour by Michael Koryta (The 4th book in the Lincoln Perry series)

And for something zany:
20. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich (The 16th book in the Stephanie Plum By the Numbers series - It will make you laugh out loud! Soon to be released as a motion picture starring Katherine Heigl. Hard to imagine the movie living up to these fantastic novels but can't wait to see.)

Just Watch Me by Peter Grimsdale

I discovered this author by chance and this is only the second book by Peter Grimsdale. I haven't read his first book Perfect Night but if its anything like this one it would be worth a read!

Just Watch Me tells the story of ex army sniper Dan Carter who, after witnessing a terrorist attack, is placed in the Scheme, a type of Witness Protection program, with his new wife Sara. Four years on they plan their first family holiday with their twins. Just as they are about to board the plane Dan discovers his passport is missing, but he encourages Sarah and the children to go ahead and he will follow. Shortly afterwards he hears that their plane has gone down. This leads Dan on a search for answers where he will need all of his military training to get to the truth.

This is a great thriller with a surprising plot which will keep you guessing until the very end.

White Thorn by Bryce Courtenay

I recently ran out of my usual thrillers and in desperation read this book by Bryce Courtenay which someone had given to me but I had never got around to reading. Surprisingly, I was pretty much absorbed into the story and read the 600 plus pages over a couple of days. Bryce Courtenay can definitely tell a story!

The story is set in Africa and follows the life of Tom Fitzsaxby, from his beginnings in an orphanage, the Boys Farm, and culminating in his working as the prosecution lawyer in a murder trial. The story shows how Tom survives a lot of racial hatred and revolves around his getting justice for his friend Mattress, a Zulu who had befriended him as a child and was wrongly accused of sexual assault and subsequently murdered . For those of you who haven't read The Power of One this will be an amazing story, but for me I kept seeing the similarities to the main character, Peekay, from The Power of One. I cannot recommend The Power of One highly enough. It is definitely a must read!

Worth Dying For by Lee Child

Definitely worth waiting for! I can't get enough of Jack Reacher. This is the 15th book in the series and whilst the relationship started in the previous book didn't eventuate (as yet anyway) this was probably the best Reacher novel to date for me. I just loved it. This time Jack gets involved with a small town devoid of any police presence and run by the Duncan family. Add in a missing child, terrifed townsfolk and the quarterback enforcers and you have a situation that only someone like Jack Reacher can fix.

Shattered by Karen Robards

Lisa Grant, a lawyer now working as a research assistant to the DA Scott Buchanan, is sent to the basement to help organise the cold case files, as punishment by her disagreeable boss. What she finds there sets her on a dangerous path because the woman in the cold case file, who went missing 30 years ago, looks just like her!

What a fantastic read this was. A great story that actually keeps you guessing. Whilst this is not my usual kind of read, I could not put the book down. It's a fast paced, light read, that is mainly a thriller, but also has a touch of romance.

Hell Gate by Linda Fairstein

For those of you who, like me, like to follow characters, here is Book No.12 in the Alexandra Cooper series. Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper and NYPD colleagues Mike and Mercer are called to assist at a shipwreck. The story has an intricate plot involving human trafficking, murder and an adulterous congressman. Always a fascinating, believable read, but for the first time I found the banter between Mike and Alex a bit irritating. Despite this, it is an enjoyable story.

Linda Fairstein writes as only someone with experience running the Sex Crimes unit in the New York DA's office can.

61 Hours by Lee Child

I've just finished 61 Hours, which is Book No. 14 in the Jack Reacher series, by Lee Child. I'm absolutely addicted to this series. Jack Reacher is an ex-military cop, now a bit of drifter, who does not actively go looking for trouble but cannot stand to see innocent people being trampled on. This loveable tough guy is a loner with some amazing skills, thanks to his military training. What a great paced book. You would think that by Book 14 some of the appeal and excitement would have waned, but it hasn't. For the first time there is a teaser at the end of the book saying "To be continued" in late 2010. I hope this means that Reacher will be catching up, in person, with one of the main characters that helped him out in this novel. A must read series for crime/action lovers.