Braille Book Review

May-June 2004
Books for Adults--Fiction

Fiction

The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession BR 13925
by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
3 volumes
Forty-two months into the Tribulation, Nicolae Carpathia is assassinated and some of the Tribulation Force are suspects. As each member struggles for survival, millions prepare for the funeral. Suddenly Carpathia arises from his coffin and pledges that his attackers have yet to endure the Great Tribulation. Sequel to Assassins (BR 13924). Bestseller 2000.

The Mark: The Beast Rules the World BR 13926
by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
3 volumes
Three days into the Great Tribulation, Nicolae Carpathia is proclaiming himself the true Christ. Yet many see him as Satan. The Tribulation Force struggles to survive, as Carpathia orders all people to receive the Mark (a visible tattoo and an implanted biochip) or face the guillotine. Sequel to The Indwelling (BR 13925). Bestseller 2000.

Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne BR 13927
by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
3 volumes
Rayford Steele and members of the Tribulation Force prepare to rescue God's chosen people. Meanwhile, followers of Nicolae Carpathia gather at the temple, where they plan to take the Mark in Nicolae's presence--and where Nicolae plans to declare himself God. Sequel to The Mark (BR 13926). Bestseller 2001.

Nine BR 14528
by Jan Burke
4 volumes
L.A. homicide detective Alex Brandon and his partner, Ciara Morton, investigate a group of vigilantes that is assassinating criminals on the FBI's most-wanted list. Evidence leads Brandon and Morton to a school for disturbed, affluent teens. Violence and strong language. 2002.

Small Town BR 14544
by Lawrence Block
4 volumes
The Carpenter, a serial killer, terrorizes Manhattan, causing its citizens to alter their lifestyles in many ways. Author John Creighton, accused of one murder, sees his book sales skyrocket, and former police commissioner Francis Buckram joins the investigation. Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2003.

The Hostage BR 14548
by Susan Wiggs
3 volumes
As fire spreads across Chicago, October 8, 1871, Deborah Sinclair pleads with her father not to force her into a society marriage. Tom Silver, seeking revenge against her father, breaks in during the chaotic night and abducts Deborah. Followed by The Mistress (BR 14549). Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2000.

The Firebrand BR 14550
by Susan Wiggs
3 volumes
A bundle falls into Lucy Hathaway's arms from a burning building during the great Chicago fire, October 8, 1871. Inside, she finds a baby, whom she raises as her own. Five years later, Lucy meets banker Randolph Higgins who discovers that the child is his. Some descriptions of sex and some violence. 2001.

Coming Soon!!! A Narrative BR 14574
by John Barth
4 volumes
An established older novelist and an aspiring web-savvy younger writer race to create a novel for the new millennium. A lighthearted autobiographical fiction in which Barth looks back at his own illustrious career and contemplates the literary future. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2001.

Kisscut BR 14576
by Karin Slaughter
3 volumes
Dr. Sara Linton and her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver of Grant County, Georgia, uncover a web of pedophilia, incest, and child pornography after a thirteen-year-old girl is killed. Sequel to Blindsighted (BR 14418). Explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 2002.

The Cranefly Orchid Murders BR 14577
by Cynthia Riggs
2 volumes
Martha's Vineyard. Ninety-two-year-old poet Victoria Trumbull discovers the body of a shady attorney on land slated for development. Victoria and her eleven-year-old assistant, Robin White, search for clues and endangered plants on the property in order to preserve its pristine nature--and solve some murders. Some violence and some strong language. 2002.

Deadly Nightshade BR 14578
by Cynthia Riggs
2 volumes
Ninety-two-year-old poet Victoria Trumbull witnesses a body being dumped in the harbor of her native island, Martha's Vineyard. Victoria's granddaughter, Elizabeth, and her boss, the harbormaster Domingo, retrieve the body. The three investigate islanders and wealthy visitors alike, but can't prevent another murder. Some violence and some strong language. 2001.

The Color Midnight Made BR 14579
by Andrew Winer
2 volumes
Ten-year-old Conrad Clay is one of several white boys in his Alameda, California, neighborhood. Con is diagnosed with color blindness, his parents' marriage falls apart, his best friend Loop rejects him, and Loop's brother loses his sight in an accident. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. 2002.

Summon the Shadows BR 14583
by Eva Marie Everson and G.W.Francis Chadwick
3 volumes
In this sequel to Shadow of Dreams (BR 14527), Katie Webster returns to New York City from her mother's home in Georgia. Her husband, Ben, is missing and presumed dead--but Katie has faith in God that he's alive. When someone starts sending her expensive presents, she hopes that it's Ben. 2002.

Short and Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected by James Mackintosh Qwilleran BR 14587
by Lilian Jackson Braun
1 volume
Twenty-seven short stories centered around the history of Moose County, popularized in the "Cat Who..." mystery series. The tales are relayed by fictional newspaper editor James Qwilleran, who collects reminiscences and tidbits about the first settlers of the isolated countryside. 2002.

The Boy Next Door BR 14590
by Meggin Cabot
3 volumes
New York journalist Melissa "Mel" Fuller pet sits for Mrs. Friedlander, an elderly neighbor who was attacked and left in a coma. When the old lady's nephew, Max, arrives to help, Mel falls in love with him. But Max has many secrets. Some strong language. 2002.

No One to Trust BR 14596
by Iris Johansen
2 volumes
Colombia. Elena Kyler, trained as an assassin, uses her skill to protect herself, Father Dominic, and her five-year-old son from the child's drug-lord father. Elena asks U.S. officials for help, but mercenary Sean Galen may not be able to save her loved ones. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2002.

The Veteran: Five Heart-Stopping Stories BR 14610
by Frederick Forsyth
3 volumes
In the title piece, a noted barrister helps to free two thugs who stomped an old man to death. But the lawyer has an ulterior motive. In "Whispering Wind," a single scout survives Custer's Last Stand. Some violence and some strong language. 2001.

The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time BR 14614
by Douglas Adams
3 volumes
Editor Peter Guzzardi pieces together what may have been the third Dirk Gently novel by the late author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (BR 14438). Includes Adams's letters, writings, and ruminations on numerous diverse subjects, including the Beatles, Monty Python, and a young, two-headed Zaphod. 2002.

Whispers at Midnight BR 14629
by Karen Robards
3 volumes
Carly Linton returns to Benton, Georgia, to open a bed-and- breakfast in the house she inherits. Someone from Carly's past doesn't want her back in town, and dangers abound. Carly finds comfort with Matt Converse, the town's former bad boy turned sheriff. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2003.

When the Women Come Out to Dance BR 14648
by Elmore Leonard
2 volumes
Nine short stories dealing with people and their choices. In the title piece, a bored Palm Beach wife with an ulterior motive hires a Colombian maid whose husband was murdered. In "Sparks," an insurance investigator questions a Los Angeles widow whose house was destroyed in a fire. Strong language. 2002.

The Art of Seeing BR 14649
by Cammie McGovern
2 volumes
As a child, Jemma watched older sister Rozzie blossom into a teenage beauty and promising actress. But Rozzie kept her failing vision a secret. Now as adults they seek to reestablish their relationship against the backdrop of celebrity. 2002.

Red House BR 14656
by K.j.a. Wishnia
2 volumes
Former NYPD cop and single mother Filomena Buscarsela joins a Queens private detective firm as a trainee. She investigates the disappearance of an illegal laborer, a shoot-out with the police, longtime squatters in an old factory, and a murder. Some cases pay, some don't. Strong language and some violence. 2001.

Bella Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall, 1818-1820 BR 14659
by Winston Graham
5 volumes
The family feud continues between the neighboring Poldarks and Warleggans while a murderer is loose in the countryside. Bella Poldark, an aspiring singer, becomes surprisingly successful in both her career and in love. Restless Valentine Warleggan, however, is not so lucky. Sequel to The Twisted Sword (BR 8679). 2002.

Spook: A "Nameless Detective" Novel BR 14661
by Bill Pronzini
2 volumes
The "Nameless Detective," last seen in Bleeders (BR 14171), is semiretired. His partners Tamara Corbin and Jake Runyon, newly hired, investigate the execution-style murder of a crazy, homeless man named Spook, whose checkered past has evidently caught up with him. Violence and strong language. 2003.

Better to Rest: A Liam Campbell Mystery BR 14664
by Dana Stabenow
2 volumes
Alaska state trooper Sgt. Liam Campbell Fire and Ice (BR 12374) and his pilot girlfriend discover the remains of a WWII plane embedded in a glacier. Campbell's investigation links recent murders with past military secrets that would be better left buried. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002.

The Lady in the Lake BR 14665
by Raymond Chandler
2 volumes
A swaggering businessman hires hard-boiled Philip Marlowe to find his wife, who has been missing for a month. When a woman's body is pulled from the lake where the wife had been staying, and the caretaker's wife is also missing, Marlowe pieces the puzzle together. Some strong language and some violence. 1943.

Dead Aim BR 14697
by Iris Johansen
2 volumes
Photojournalist Alex Graham is covering a dam break in Colorado when she discovers that it was no accident. Former CIA operative Judd Morgan from No One to Trust (BR 14596) is hired to protect Alex as the investigation leads to the highest political circles. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2003.

Birthright BR 14700
by Nora Roberts
4 volumes
Ancient bones are uncovered at a construction site in Maryland and archaeologist Callie Dunbrook and her ex-husband are asked to investigate. When a local woman claims that Callie is her long- lost daughter--kidnapped twenty-nine years earlier--Callie must search for the truth. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2003.

Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages BR 14702
by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
3 volumes
In the last year of the Great Tribulation new alliances are formed when many of the Force members die. Then the world becomes a powder keg as millions gather for war with the Antichrist in the Middle East, where they await the Glorious Appearing. Sequel to The Remnant (BR 14212). Violence. Bestseller 2003.

Whispers and Lies BR 14715
by Joy Fielding
3 volumes
Nurse Terry Painter lives a quiet life in Delray, Florida. She rents out her backyard cottage to Alison Simms and becomes friends with her. Soon, however, Terry begins to suspect that Alison and her just arrived "brother" are trying to trap her in a web of whispers and lies. 2002.

Cat Laughing Last: A Joe Grey Mystery BR 14716
by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
2 volumes
Molena Point, California. Joe Grey and Dulcie, feline sleuths, investigate a murder at the home of their human friend Susan. By obtaining evidence that only cats can gather, they must discover what links murder, the town's theater production, and local artifacts being sold on eBay and at yard sales. 2002.

A Wanted Man BR 14717
by Nancy J. Parra
1 volume
Feisty librarian Brianna McGraw needs a thousand dollars to buy the freedom of her little brother and other orphans who were "adopted" by unscrupulous Nevada miners. To get the money, Brianna sets out to collect the bounty offered for capturing fugitive Trey Morgan. She captures his heart instead. 2002.

You Are Not a Stranger Here BR 14720
by Adam Haslett
2 volumes
Nine short stories involving characters who are mentally ill and their families. In "Notes to My Biographer," a depressed old man visits his homosexual son. "My Father's Business" details a psychiatrist's attempts to treat a reluctant patient. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. 2002.

Straydog BR 14723
by Kathe Koja
1 volume
Rachel, a misfit at her high school, is teased by the other kids. She finds solace in writing and volunteering at the local animal shelter. When a feral collie is brought in, Rachel wants to save it and seeks help. Some strong language. For junior and senior high readers. 2002.

The Thorne Maze: An Elizabeth I Mystery BR 14758
by Karen Harper
2 volumes
England, 1564. Queen Elizabeth's court retires to the country to avoid the plague. After Elizabeth is attacked and others are killed in the gardens, the queen and her royal followers, William Cecil and Meg Milligrew, seek to uncover the culprit. An encounter in a watery maze leads to death. 2003.

Cold Pursuit BR 14773
by T. Jefferson Parker
3 volumes
San Diego detective Tommy McMichael investigates the murder of elderly Portuguese millionaire Pete Braga--even though McMichael's Irish family has had a longtime feud with the Bragas. As McMichael uncovers the old man's secrets, he falls in love with the main suspect. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003.

The Sinister Pig BR 14801
by Tony Hillerman
2 volumes
The FBI takes over sergeant Jim Chee's case, which began with the discovery of an unidentified murder victim at a Navajo reservation oil field. Both customs patrol officer Bernadette Manuelito and retired lieutenant Joe Leaphorn become involved before the solution is found. Bestseller 2003.

The Lovely Bones BR 14806
by Alice Sebold
3 volumes
Susie Salmon, a fourteen-year-old girl murdered by a neighbor, watches over her family and friends from heaven. While adjusting to a new habitat, she reaches out to them as she observes their struggle to survive their grief. Some descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language. Bestseller 2002.

The Alchemist BR 14874
by Paulo Coelho
1 volume
Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, dreams of riches and longs to see the world. He sails to Tangiers, crosses the desert, and eventually reaches Egypt, where he discovers his real destiny. On his journey, Santiago encounters a series of spiritual guides, including the alchemist who advises him to follow his heart. 1988.


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