A Measure of Darkness by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman

 

A Measure of Darkness by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman - 352 pages

Clay Edison Series Book 2

Alameda County Coroner's Deputy Clay Edison's life is chaotic.  He's dealing with a suspension at work, a brother fresh out of prison, and things getting serious with his girlfriend.  Edison is called out to a house party gone horribly wrong with multiple deaths to investigate.  All the procedural details you love from a Jonathan Kellerman novel are here along with fresh characters and details from the collaboration with his son Jesse.  

The Man From The Train: Discovering America's Most Elusive Serial Killer by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James

The Man From The Train: Discovering America's Most Elusive Serial Killer by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James - 466 pages

Bill James, the famed baseball statistician, started researching the horrific murder cases in the early 1900s where entire families living near railroad tracks were being axe murdered across the country at an alarming rate.  He hired his daughter Rachel to help him with the research and together they discovered the true depth of depravities committed by "The Man from the Train" over a decade and a half.  Using modern methods and in depth investigative research the authors even believe they identified the killer a hundred years after the fact.  The case they lay out is very compelling and I for one believe they have found the culprit. 

Side note - it's kind of startling to the modern reader how common it was for axes to just be laying around in the early 1900s for wandering killers to find and use.   

Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace

Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace -- 288 pages

Can the Bible be trusted? Were the eye-witnesses telling the truth? Have their documents been reliably preserved? Wallace, an atheist, and a homicide detective, decided to investigate.

Wallace specializes in cold-cases, cases without recent evidence, cases that have gone unsolved for years. Using the methods and guidelines that he uses to solve cold-cases, he investigates the claims of the Bible.

I found this book to be very helpful, correct, and easy to read. I would recommend it to anyone.

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick - 359 pages

Ursula Kern is launching an investigation into her employee and friend's death.  Slater Roxton determines to assist her as he thinks the investigation is dangerous.  Turns out they are both right as their investigation turns up mob bosses, drugs, prostitution, and more.
I really enjoyed this historical romance by Amanda Quick (a.k.a Jayne Ann Krentz).  I think the historical romances under her Amanda Quick pen name are much better than her contemporary romances under her real name lately.  The plots are a lot more original than the contemporary books.  I also enjoyed seeing a minor character in many of her previous historicals show up in this novel.

Dangerous by Amanda Quick

Dangerous by Amanda Quick - 352 pages

Prudence Merryweather has the unusual hobby of investigating spectral phenomena.  Sebastian, Earl of Angelstone, has the even more unusual hobby of anonymously investigating crimes for Bow Street.  Now their two hobbies are meeting up in an investigation of a suicide at a country estate where is rumored that a ghost of a young woman is haunting.  Was it a suicide?  Is there really a ghost?  And who is behind the scheme to frame Angelstone's cousin for murder?
I listened to this book on audio.  I am wondering if I had read a condensed version of this book before.  Elements of the story were very, very familiar.  However, there were large portions of the story I had never heard before.  I did enjoy the story.  I would almost consider it more of a mystery than a romance.  The only problem I had is that the last CD was scratched and I was unable to listen to the final five minutes of the book.  As it was mainly the epilogue it wasn't too big of a deal.  I just wish I could have heard it to complete the story.

Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride

Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride - 344 pages

Sam's life isn't getting any better.  He's just getting used to being a necromancer with a ghost, werewolves, and a werebear as friends.  Now his mentor has been killed and it looks like another necromancer did it. 
This is the sequel to Hold Me Closer, Necromancer.  I liked this one better.  It did take the first third of the book for setup.  It jumped right into the story.  I did think the characterization of the enemy was off - especially considering his past.

Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter

Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter - 357 pages

Audrianna is determined to clear her father's name.  So she sets out to meet someone who claims to have information.  Unfortunately, Lord Sebastian Summerhays also shows up.  In the confusion he is shot and the person they want to meet flees.  Hoping to avoid some of the scandal, they eventually marry to save their reputations.  However, they are both still determined to discover the truth about Audrianna's father.
This is the first in Hunter's regency quartet.  However, it is actually the last book I in the series that I read.  I found myself continuing to read it simply because I already knew the characters.  Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have.