BONE HOUSE by Brian Freeman

  It took me longer than usual to read this book due to circumstances that left me with very little time to read. BONE HOUSE is a "Stand Alone" novel as they say in the business of publishing. Mr. Freeman's protagonist, Jonathan Stride, plays no part in this mystery. Unlike many novelists who write an occasional "Stand Alone" novel within their genre, there is no link or mention to his series or characters therein. I found this very admirable while somewhat sad as I kept hoping for at least a cameo role for his well-loved hero.

   BONE HOUSE is at times very well-written, other times,not so much. Occasionally I felt as if the author was "dialing in" the dialogue and descriptions and losing the thread of the plot. The characters are,for the most part, fleshed out to a good degree. While I generally enjoyed this book I was a bit frustrated that I had figured out  "whodonit" long before the book was finished. I would definitely recommend Brian Freeman's books. I would recommend BONE HOUSE despite it's lapses in constructing a more difficult plotline. I would guess the majority of people,who do not read and study plots as I am prone to do,would very much enjoy this book.

 It has been several weeks of mind-numbing and back breaking work as I am preparing to move in two weeks. Downsizing by 3,000 square feet so my review is probably not as detailed as it should be. I will,in my next review, be writing about a novel not in the traditional Mystery genre.

MIND SCRAMBLER by Chris Grabenstein

    This novel by the very talented Chris Grabenstein was somewhat disappointing. His previous mysteries featuring John Ceepak and Danny Boyle have taken place in Sea Haven, New Jersey while this one sent them out of their (and the author's ) comfort zone to Atlantic City. This book was a little less tongue-in-cheek and the plot line was entirely too dark for the characters I have come to know. I felt like the author could not decide from one chapter to the next whether he was trying to write in his usual vein or if he was trying to delve into a deeper,more complex and disturbing social issue. Frankly, it did not work. For me, it was patently obvious fairly early on who the the "bad guys", murderers, and criminals were. The red herrings,as they say in the mystery writing world, were anything but; the smoke and mirrors used by the characters were as see through as saran wrap. While I would highly recommend Mr. Grabenstein's books to everyone this one fell far short of the mark. It just did not captivate me and I had a difficult time finishing it. I am going to give this book a "MEH" rating. Read his other books, you will not be disappointed.