Romantic Mysteries -- or Mysterious Romances

I've noticed that there has been quite a lot of cross-over between the Romance and Mystery genres. Nora Roberts even brought in a trace of Science Fiction when she set her . . . in Death series in the near future of 2050. Now don't get me wrong, I really like good character development and nothing helps this along better than showing us the relationships the character has developed in his or her "life". But, the books I'm talking about are those that include a couple of steamy scenes which can sometimes border on the edge of pornography.

Early Saturday morning, I finished reading Flashpoint by Suzanne Brockmann. I had picked the book up at my local Public Library, deciding to check it out based on the description on the slipcover. It turned out to a very enjoyable read, even though there were some rough spots in the writing. And, it certainly fit into the category of a Romantic Mystery.

Lead character Tess Bailey is a computer expert and support specialist who wants to be a field agent. She's completed all the training and passed all the tests, but it looks like she's never going to get a chance to be an agent because she's so good at her current job. Quitting her job with the Agency, she travels to the headquarters of Troubleshooters, Incorporated, a private covert agency for an interview. There, she finds former agents and parters Lawrence Decker and Diego/James/Jimmy Nash. She's immediately hired and sent to earthquake-ravaged Kazbekistan in a team posing as relief workers to try and locate a laptop rumored to contain al-Qaeda plans.

Before Kazbekistan and before Decker and Nash leave the Agency, Tess helps Nash extract Decker from an undercover operation gone wrong. Nash winds up going home with her that night for a steamy one-night stand. There are a couple of problems, though. First, Nash is aware that Decker is very interested in Tess. And, although he thought it was only going to be one night, Nash found himself falling for Tess -- hard.

Cut to Kazbekistan. The romantic triangle produces lots of tension, particularly since Tess and Nash are posing as husband and wife. Add in the culture of rabid Islamic customs, a fugitive American woman, and a ruthless local warlord and the stage is set for action, adventure, and not a small amount of sex.

Okay. I liked the book. I'll probably read more by Brockmann. I even stayed up late so I could finish the book in time to return it to the Library by the due date instead of renewing it.

The Books of April

These are the books which I completed during April. I didn't get many reviews written here. And, as you can see, I'm not doing much better with May's books. Links here lead to Amazon.com.

1. Every Boy's Got One by Meg Cabot
2. The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd
3. Flinx's Folly by Alan Dean Foster
4. Second Glance by Jodi Picoult
5. Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff
6. Double Homicide by Jonathan and Faye Kellerman
7. The Exploration Chronicles: Signals by Kevin D. Randle
8. The City of Ember by Jeanne Deprau
9. Fifth Quarter by Tanya Huff
10. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Andrew McCall Smith
11. The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King
12. Truesight by David Stahler, Jr.

Fifth Quarter

I have now completed the second of the books in Tanya Huff's fantasy series about the Kigh. Fifth Quarter tells the story of Vree and Bannon, brother and sister, assassins, and forced to share Vree's body when Bannon's is stolen by Gyhard, a rogue soul over 100 years old.

Gyhard is one of only two or three who know how to manipulate the kigh which constitute the Fifth Quarter. Until this time, the bards have been able to communicate with kigh of the Four Quarters: air, water, earth, and fire. The presence of a Fifth Quarter has long been suspected, but none of the bards trained at Bardic Hall have been able to provide it existed. Karlene, a bard stationed in the Havalkeen Empire meets the joined Vree/Bannon character and learns how to communicate with the two kigh within.

Maybe it was that simple after all. Maybe the bards had never needed to learn to Sing the fifth quarter because they couldn't not Sing it. Every time they touched an audience, or one listener, or one hundred, they were Singing the fifth quarter.

The books of February and March

I let myself get so busy doing miscellaneous things that I haven't kept up my usual postings to my blogs. So, better late than never, here are the lists of books read in February and March this year.

February

1. Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
2. The Grey King by Susan Cooper
3. Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper
4. Dragon's Kin by Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey
5. Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
6. High Five by Janet Evanovich
7. The Wailing Wind by Tony Hillerman
8. Hot Six by Janet Evanovich

March

1. Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
2. The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lillian Jackson Braun
3. The Visitor by Sherri S. Tepper
4. Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich
5. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
6. Miss Julia Meets Her Match by Ann B. Ross
7. Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
8. To the Nines by Janet Evanovich
9. The Bishop at Sea by Andrew M. Greeley
10. Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich
11. Hard Truth by Nevada Barr
12. Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich

Sing the Four Quarters

With this book, I begin a brand new fantasy series by Tanya Huff. The setting is somewhat midieval—so much of fantasy is—in a world where individuals born with certain musical talents can communicate with the spirits of the four elements. The "kigh", as these spirits are called, inhabit air, water, earth, and fire and have the attributes of their respective elements. Sing the Four Quarters tells of a bard named Annice who has the rare talent to be able to Sing to the spirits from all four of the elements or quarters.

Annice is not only an extremely talented bard, she is also the youngest sister of King Theron. Ten years earlier, she forfeited her royal privileges to begin training at Bardic Hall and she has been estranged from her family since that time. In retaliation for what he perceived as her abandonment of her duties to him and the kingdom, her brother's first pronouncement as King was to forbid her to marry or to bear children without his permission. As the story begins, Annice discovers that she is unexpectedly pregnant. She wants to carry the baby to term, but that would constitute treason—which is punishable by death.

Dance of the Dissident Daughter

I have to say that finishing The Dance was difficult. I started this book in January with a great deal of enthusiam. After I had read 40 pages or so, I called Beth to tell her about the book. Sometime in mid-January, I put the book down and didn't pick it up again until late February. (Of course, Beth finished the book long before I got started reading again.) I read with eagerness, glad to follow Sue's journey from dissatisfaction into awakening. And then I bogged down again. It's been almost a month since I had last opened the book, but I threw it into my carry-on bag for today's flight to Cleveland.

And finished it around 22:20 CDT.

I have to agree with the woman who recommended this book — it's probably the most significant book I will read this year. I will now re-read the book and mark those passages which speak to me most loudly.

Every Boy's Got One

Meg Cabot has once again created a rollicking good story. I don't think it's quite as zany as The Boy Next Door, but Every Boy's Got One is quite funny with just enough improbable situations to keep your attention.

And, when you've finished the novel, there's an addendum by Meg Cabot which tells you that much of the book come from her own experiences trying to get married in Italy. I very much enjoyed the book and am hoping to get my hands on Boy Meets Girl fairly soon.