Friday’s Random 10 #3 God, Girls and Ghosts

Something's possessed the old music box, forcing it to spit out songs randomly about love gone wrong, love a bit too right, the love of God, and being haunted by everything from the ghost of a small boy, to your past sins. Damn spirits...


1. So Cruel by U2 (Actung Baby) “The men who love you, you hate the most. They pass right through you like a ghost…”
2. Blue Sky by The Queue (Fallout)
3. Move Me by King’s X (Please Come Home, Mr. Bulbous) “With nothing to hate, I am lonely and unholy…”
4. You Make My Heart Beat Too Fast by Buddy and Julie Miller (Buddy and Julie Miller) “You make me want your affection. We need to make a connection…”
5. I Radio Heaven by Over The Rhine (films for radio) “this song is grinning, go on and undress it…”
6.. Chance for the Chancers by Poor Old Lu (A Picture of the Eight Wonder}“before the night is thru, this is all going to make sense…”
7. Passing This Train by Lisa Cerbone (Mercy) “We've got haunted hearts, and every time I walk through yours, I just get lost in the dark.“
8. Super Girl by Michael Knott (Strip Cycle) “She Tries Everything Before It‘s In. She Want‘s You to Just Begin to Curl…”
9. Deep by Adam Again (Dig) “Girl Ghost in the stairway, she loves it when I rub my eyes…”
10. Down Goes the Day by Chris Taylor “’I’m moving on,’ said the lady to her man
time uses up the vision and the headline…”

1. Songs Without Labels: The Queue is a local Philly band. Some may remember its quirky front man, Jeff Thomas, as the man who headed The Frogs/Mightyhead. For more interesting independent music, check out Ookla the Mok, a catchy "Frogs" like Band who had an album produced by the aforementioned Jeff Thomas. Also, for any Twitchen Vibes fans, Charlie has a bunch of demos and such located here: King Bonk.

2. Percentage of the Performers I have seen live: 85%. I haven't seen The Queue, or Buddy Miller, but I have seen Julie Miller.

3. Favorite Ghostly Lyrics: There is something quite haunting about Passing the Train especially for such a quirky and catchy album, it sort of sneaks up on you.

Find out what Ghosts possessed Smedley's music box.

Summer Paperback Review

So, I’ve been falling behind on some of my book reviews. I’ve done a pretty good job posting reviews for the Hardcovers, and Trades I’ve read, but the paperbacks, not so much. So I decided to do a uber-post of mini reviews of some of the paperbacks I’ve read over the summer. Looking back over the past month, it’s been a pretty horrific month, mainly meaning I’ve read a bunch of horror novels. You know, the sort of blood and gore tomes used by Satan to send our children down the path of evil and ultimately contributing to the breakdown of society. Gotta love it. So, without further whatever, here we go:


City of the Dead by Brian Keene

This is the sequel to The Rising, one of the better zombie novels of the past few years. The Rising was an average book, with lots of borrowing from classic post apocalyptic tales. Especially McCammon’s Swan Song. Keene’s zombies are unique, in the fact that dead rise because they are being possessed by cross dimensional demon’s that were accidentally released in a failed science experiment. These zombies are relatively intelligent and able to work together. City of the Dead is an upgrade from the first book. The characters are more fleshed out, and less whiney. They’ve had the time to adjust to the new world, and are starting to figure things out. Keene takes the opportunity to look at human evil and human triumph in this tale, and expand the spiritual concepts the first book only hinted at.

Grade: B



Terminal by Brian Keene

Keene takes a shot at another clichéd story type here. That is the desperate but good man finds out he’s dying so he decides to rob a bank to leave something behind for his wife and kid. Pretty typical, but well executed with an interesting paranormal twist. Yet, what really stands out in this book is Keene’s portrayal of a dying man living within a dying Pennsylvania manufacturing town. He adequately captures the feeling of desperation and of dying dreams. At times the story utilizes some very overused literary tricks, but in the end you feel the pain of the main character, no matter how stupid he is.

Grade B



The Darkening by Chandler McGrew

With a name this corny, it has to be good! Right? Nah, not really. The book is an interesting psuedo-religious twist of the rapture theme (mass disappearances) with elements of secret society paranoia. The book starts out developing the two main characters that unknowingly are destined to save the world. There are some interesting religious themes developed here, but this is far from a christian book. While the characters are interesting and well thought out, the action scened get bogged down and confusing and the thrills and spills become a bit mundane. It’s worthwhile reading, and at times an interesting story, buit don’t expect great literature here.

Grade: C+



Symphony by Charles Grant

Another on my list of Post Apocalyptic tales, Symphony is the first book of a four part series dealing with the four horsemen of the apocalypse. While the characters are interesting, the story is filled with subplots and tangents that just go nowhere. The writer has a penchant for placing characters in interesting situation, then leaving you to assume you know what happened. Yet, at many times, you guessing, which is not good. Grant takes an interesting course with humanizing the horseman, this time War, but this was done much better in Gaimen and Pratchett’s Good Omens. Here, it basically humorless. The book’s ending is ambiguous at best, and while this may be OK for some series, here it just makes you want to avoid picking up the next installment.

Grade: C-



Time Storm by Gordon R. Dickson

I found this 70’s science fiction tale among the crowded stacks of of my favorite used book store. It’s theme of mass disappearance of humans due to a disruptions of time interesting, so I grabbed it thinking it would be nice light reading. Well, it’s far from light. Here Dickson takes us on a 70’s head trip of physics and philosophy. Ther first half of the book is a strong Post Apocalytic tale of a man, a teenage girl and a leopard traveling through a broken, disjointed land where Time Storms have switched large chucks or land with land of the past and the future, and where traveling Mistwalls threaten to displace the travelers themselves. The second part of the book is hard science fiction where the main character battles the very physical forces of nature which are causing these problems. In the end this book is a tale of love, and finding what’s inside a person by stepping out of their own body, and their comfort zones and looking at things in a way one would never conceived. Beware of some weird 70’s new-age corniness, but enjoy.

Grade: B+



Nature’s End by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka

The writing team that brought you the classic Post Nuclear psuedo-autobiography Warday, team up again to tackle another potential disaster, this time it’s pollution gone wild. In this ecological disater tale, Strieber and Kunetka use some of the devices they used during Warday, particularly Government Reports, Newspaper Articles and witness interviews to give the feeling your reading a true story. Yet, unlike Warday, this not a “fake documentary” but a good, action filled story with so very well drawn characters. I’m not sure of the science behind the whole situation that the writers use, or whether this cautionary tale is even remotely likely, biut as a story, it works. Here they uses some classic science fiction themes reminiscent of Phillip K. Dick, and they do it well.

Grade B+



One Rainy Night by Richard Laymon

Blah… I don’t know why I keep reading Laymon. He has intriguing ideas, but then it basically turns into teenagers groping each other, an obsession with breasts, and people getting stabbed, shot, impaled, eaten and raped. If you like that kind of stuff, without anything deeper, go ahead. This is basically horror for horror’s sake, soulless and shallow.


Grade: D


One More Sunday by John D. MacDonald

Even if I found the Travis McGee series a bit trying at times, I always believed that the late John MacDonald was one of America’s finest mystery writers. Some of his stand alone books, especially Condominium and The Executioners (the novel Cape Fear was based on) were top notch action packed tales. In One More Sunday, MacDonald takes on a new target, the Mega-Church. While uncovering the sexual escapades, hypocrisy and financial misdeeds of his characters, he also paints a portrait of many good meaning and faithful people who truly have the best intentions, but get carried away in there execution. Religious figures can be easy targets, but MacDonald looks beyond the bad to show you both sides.

Grade: B



The Family Trade by Charles Stross

This is the first book In the Merchant Princes Series, and while the topic has been done before, a women from our world transplanted into a new world, Stross puts an interesting new spin on it. While many have compared this to Zelzaney’s Amber Chronicles, this is more in line with Donaldson’s Mordant’s Need series, except for our heroine here is not a neurotic women with no sense of self, but a competent and strong women who knows how to handle things on her own and doesn’t need some big strapping man to give her a sense of worth. Stross, typically a Science Fiction writer, invents one of the more interesting fantasy conundrums in recent history. He installs a sense of reality based ethics into a fantasy world, and maybe not intentionally, creates a interests counterpoint to many of the financial shenanigans we see in our modern world.

Grade: A-


I’m not sure if this covers everything I’ve read this summer, but it’s most of it. Right now, my To Be Read list includes Diary by Chuck Palahniuk, Magic Time by Marc Zicree and Barbara Hambly, Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clark, and the second Frankenstein book by Dean Koontz. I was recommended The Time Travelor’s Wife by a few people, including Kim here, and I was able to snag that at Newtown Record and Books. Also, the sequel to S. M. Stirling’s Dies the Fire series The Protector War comes out on Sept. 6th, I’ll probably be reposting my review to Dies the Fire, in honor of that book, which appeared on another journal.

Book Review: Serenity Falls by James A. Moore

Originally posted as a single novel, Serenity Falls was recently released in a three volume mass paperback set. For fans of horror, especially those who enjoyed Stephen King back when he was writing books like It, Cujo and Salem’s Lot, this is definitely something you’d want to scoop up. Unlike some trilogies, especially ones that were originally conceived as a single novel, all three books of the series have a different feel to them.

The basic premise deals with the small rural New York town of Serenity Falls. While Serenity Falls may seem like your prototypical small town, it has a history of violence and death that far exceeds most small towns.


Book #1: Writ in Blood
Bob's Grade: B

Book one intermingles three tales together to set the framework for the rest of the series. Part gothic horror, part paranormal thriller Writ in Blood tells the tale of Simon McGruder, local eccentric, who decides that a complete history of the town is needed. As he starts to dig into the towns past we learn about Serenity Falls horrible past. The first tale told starts during the colonial period when the town first was founded as a supply station for England and it’s new world colonies. Albert Miles, a local man, is sent away to England on the mayor’s orders. While he was gone he wife is left alone to fend for herself. An uncommonly beautiful women, stories began to swirl, first of visits by local gentlemen, later the stories expand to that of evil and witchcraft. Eventually, Sarah Miles is put on trial for witchcraft and tortured raped and eventually killed by the town’s mayor. When he husband returns, he is obviously enraged. While the stories of witchcraft were unfounded in his wife, Albert Miles himself has a working knowledge of the dark arts. In his rage, he places a curse upon the town, written in rage and blood, that the town will never rest in peace, in life or death and that eventually, every soul will scream.

We then see how the curse has played out through the history of Serenity Falls. We see tragedies on small and large levels. We see husbands driven crazy, killing their whole family, women abducted and killed, never to be seen again, and one intriguing tale of a carnival and a few missing children. As with all tales in this book, it’s ends in death and tragedy on a grand scale.

Intertwined with the history of Serenity Falls, we follow the tales anti-hero, the other than human demon hunter Jonathon Crowley, who we first saw in Moore other book, Under the Overtree, as he is being stalked by a demon that is leading him to Serenity Falls. Crowley is your basic sarcastic, yet harsh hero. Even serving as humanities protector, he seems to have contempt for humanity and it’s vices. At times, it serves him well in this book, at other times, it’s just annoying. It seems he is more interested in passing judgment of people than doing his job. Yet, when his job comes up, and he needs to physically take on one of the many ghosts, demons and such in the book, the story just takes off. One intriguing aspect of Crowley’s character is that he is bound by certain rules that he must adhere too when dealing with both humanity and those beyond humanity. It adds an intriguing ethical subplot to the story.

All in all, Writ in Blood is a solid horror tale, full of intriguing characters. At times, the book reminds you of parts of It, especially the when King handles the history of Derry. In some levels, this first book is just an extended prologue to the tale that is to come, but it teases your interest just enough to pick up that next book.


Book 2: The Pack
Bob's Grade: B+

While probably having the worst name of the series, the second book is strongest of the series and it’s where the story truly takes off. This time the focus of the book is not on the curse haunting the town, or even out anti-hero Jonathon Crowley, who doesn’t even appear until until the second half of the book. This time the focus is on the townspeople, and even more so, the children.

The evil entity that has been slowly drawing Crowley to Serenity Falls, now focuses his energy on the town and playing games with it’s residents. Among the games he plays is possessing certain townsfolk, causing them to act outside of there character. The children themselves are tormented by ghosts and bad dreams, and one child becomes the conduit for the souls of Serenity Falls dead between this world and the world they have been trapped in since their deaths.

Yet, beyond the horror and mayhem, the true beauty of this novel is the developing the characters that were only briefly touched on in the first book. Sheriff Jack Michael’s, is more than just a loyal lawman, but a figure as tragic as the town itself. Mike Blake, the banker turn town drunk, pulls himself out of self imposed stupor since his wife died to begin once again gaining the respect of himself and his neighbors, only to have his world turned upside down in the form a beautiful, yet oddly familiar women. Deputy Victor Barnes, who we only saw as the helpful biker in the first book, becomes a main character, as a newly hired deputy who gives us an outsiders perspective on the town.

Then there is the kids. A group of misfired kids, like Farm boy Dave Pageant, feisty best friends Charlene and Jessie, and tormented Stan Long, may just be the towns only chance against the forces building up in the town. It doesn’t help that there is a pack of wild, seemingly changed dogs roaming the woods, terrorizing and slaughtering the residents of this cursed town.

Moore cleverly intermingles many horror archetypes, monsters and vampires, horny kids at make out point being terrorized, demonic possession, ghosts, and of course, the horrors of childhood bullies, yet, he understands the clichéd aspects and builds and manipulates the reader. Yet, while he has some of Stephen King’s flair for characters, he also has some of his flaws. Many scenes are overwritten and it can get hard to keep the multiple characters straight and try to remember their connection to the past. . He also uses the “hit you in the face” foreshadowing (…and that was the last time she ever saw her sister alive…) that is a literary trick, and one that becomes painfully obvious. Yet, in the end, The Pack works because the characters do. At times the story gets bogged down and confusing, but in the end, Moore it pulls off.


Book 3: Dark Carnival
Bob's Grade: B-

The third book picks up the story of the town of Serenity Falls, and builds on the characters we have met, yet, this book is mostly Jonathon Crowley’s tale. Crowley, the other than human demon hunter, takes center stage in the last segment. While many of the townspeople have suffered loss, many others have just been living life as normal. But that’s about to change, because the Carnival is coming.

Crowley still is unsure of what he it dealing with as the story starts, but he knows that the entity that has been plaguing him for a while is nothing more than a dangerous distraction from the real problems. He begins to realize that the secret to the mystery lies with the children. After dealing with the tormented Stan Long, he finds the entity had found a new host in the bodies of some of the towns children. Crowley finds this disturbing, yet also sees the possibilities that lay in this. As he lays his traps, he must also deal with his conflicting feelings for the mysterious women that Mike Blake has fallen for, one that he himself has had a past with.

While Crowley is brilliant and cunning in his deductions., the final battles he must have with the entity tormenting him and the town and the curse that is putting the bodies and souls of the town in jeopardy, turns brutally physical. Crowley, in the end, is looking for a fight and he finds one. As the carnival enters town, run by the souls of the outsiders slaughtered by the townspeople, Crowley has to put out one fire after another, before that final showdown.

Of all the books, this is probably the weakest, yet it is probably necessary do to the development of the story. The characters are in play, the battle has been set, and now, it just comes down to execution. I am someone who enjoys the buildup more that the actual action, so at points I found myself skimming through the brutal and garish action. While some aspects are predictable, Moore shows no fear of killing off main characters, and having things not go exactly how you would expect, Crowley is a worthy antihero, but he can become exasperating for the reader. His judgmental side attacks characters that we grow to like, and seems dismissive toward humans. Plus, he’s a bit too resourceful. Like Batman, he always has exactly what he needs to battle with the evil forces.

Yet, complaints aside, the series comes together well in this last book. While this is the final battle, the end leaves just enough ambiguity to leave the reader wanting more. I know if there is another book featuring Crowley, I’ll be reading it.

Visit James A. Moore's Website

Friday's Random 10 #2

Once again, it's time to warm up the old music box and switch on the random lever and see which devil- songs pop out. Basically, it's the Friday Random 10. Let's see what evil machinations we have for today


1. Amber Waves Goodbye by The Lost Dogs (The Best of the Lost Dogs)
2. Within Without (Rough Mix) by Over The Rhine (Besides)
3. Militia Song by Camper Van Beethoven (New Roman Times)
4. Can’t You Feel The Chains by Chagall Guevara
5. Resume by Vigilantes of Love (Welcome to Struggleville)
6. When The Water Falls by Collective Soul
7. Cabin Down Below by Tom Petty (Wild Flowers)
8. Devil’s Haircut by Beck (Odelay)
9. Burnie by Midnight Oil (Scream in Blue Live)
10. Never Gonna Change by Drive By Truckers (The Dirty South)

Well, I guess I need to discuss:

Favorite Song: Resume, one of VOL's oldies but goodies. And one that is always called for at concerts causing Bill to groan and give a dirty death stare to his audience.

Best All Around Album which never got enough recogintion: Chagall Guevara's self titled and only title. Steve and the boys blamed their lack of success on a weird name, I say that quality scares people.

Favorite Song Inspired by the Unibomber: Militia Song. CVB's reunion theme album New Roman Times was my choice for best album of 2004, and songs like this one were why!! It also has my favorite lyric of the set:
I'm the only bomber that you'll ever need
Keep the commie Californians from repressing me

I can't pick a least favorite song, because there really all very good this week. Drive By Truckers is one of my newest musical interests, and Collective Soul's self titled offering was probably my favorite of their albums. And no one sings quite like Karin Berquist.

Check Out some other FRT's especially Howard's and Kim's.

Book Review: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Quick Review:

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Published 2003
Genre: Science Fiction\Post Apocalyptic Fiction
Bob's Thoughts: A unique and off beat tale of the last human left on earth, and how he got there.
Available at Your Local Booksellers
Bob's Grade: A-



Full Review:

Sometimes a books surprises you.

I don’t mean this in a twist, surprise ending Roger Ackroydian way or even in a judgemental, be it positive or negative, sort of way. Sometimes you just come to expect certain things from a book, or books in general, and every once and a while you are thrown for a loop. Sometimes genres are bended, and characters act or just are not what you expect or even imagine. Sometimes, a book is just different and smacks your preconceived notions in the face.

Oryx and Crake is one of these books. First off, when picked up this book, I really didn’t expect to like it, for a lot of reasons. The reason I bough it is that it was on a Post Apocalyptic book list I have been working my way through, slowly but surely, with plenty breaks in between. Yet, I was trepidations. I have read her book, A Handmaid’s Tale, and didn’t really enjoy it. She is a very literary writer, which often means witty, verbose, well written and boring. I am not scared to admit that I tend to avoid that which is labeled literature, unless coerced, instead finding myself immersed in the pulp and popular fiction of the day. I also, with a few exceptions, tend to avoid books by women authors. When I read a women’s name on the title, I expect a book oriented towards women. Yes, this is probably not something I should admit, but even within the genre’s I enjoy, women authors tend to lose my interest.

Now, admitting I am a misogynistic literary snob, let’s move on to the book. Oryx and Crake is a tale of the last man on earth, Snowman. Snowman hasn’t always been called Snowman, before he was Jimmy, but in a new world, I guess people need a new name. Snowman basically sits around in his tree all day, drinking his last drops of pilfered liquor, attempting to keep the sheet he wears as his only clothes clean, and watching over a group of genetically altered childlike survivors, who are more or perhaps less than human, depending on you perspective. While in his tree, and later on his trip to an old compound for supplies, Snowman relives and reminisces on his life when he was Jimmy.

The world of his youth was a glimpse on the possible road we may be heading down. Raised in a protected community among scientists, like his father, Jimmy’s world is full of genetically engineered animals recombinants , like Pigoons and Wolvogs, animals combined to add to the betterment of human existence. Jimmy is immune to the real world, refered to as pleeblands. In that world, society has broken down and poverty and dystopia reigns. We follow Jimmy’s life, as he grows older, and becomes friends with the man that is to become known as Crake, a genius who may or may not be mad.

There are so many reasons Oryx and Crake just shouldn’t work. The story seems almost uneven, jumping around through the time line of events, almost willy nilly. Beyond the character of Jimmy/Snowman, the other players are underdeveloped and underused, and often quite unbelievable. The story at points goes off on seemingly unnecessary paths, that slow the story down and the ending is, at best, ambiguous. Yet, all these issues some together in just the right way to make the story work. At times, the story becomes confusing, and you’re not quite sure why the author is giving you a glimpse of this or that, but by the end, the come together like a impressionist painting, and you wouldn’t want to lose a single bit.

As a post apocalyptic tale, this book fits neatly into the genre more so along the lines of classic tales like A Brave New World and 1984, yet other sections recalls parts of Earth Abides, and Vonnegut’s, Galapagos. A time it is an absurdist comedy, at other times, a dark harbinger of science and it’s ultimate potential if it loses control, and a reminder that it most probably will. Atwood handles the issues well, yet with enough intriguing diversions, and cartoonish handlings to not leave you overly paranoid of using the latest wonder drug.

Netflix Alert!! Don't Be Left Behind!!

Before there was Left Behind there was the greatest Tribulation Series ever!!

OK, to be honest, these movies were quite cheesy, and probably not Biblically Accurate in the least bit, no matter what your religious inclination is. Which makes it eerily similiar to the whole Left Behind thing.

I just thought, if you have netflix, you should know these movies are available. They are perfect for a corny christian movie night, and if you do drink, it only enhances the fun.

Here's the collection:
A Thief In the Night















A Distant Thunder















Image of the Beast
















The Prodigal Planet: Best of the Series

Just a Bit Beyond Friday's Random 10

Of course, my good friend Howard encouraged me to do this. Hopefully I didn't violate any unwritten code of bloggers by posting this a bit late...

So the concept, is basically rack up your MP# Player/Media Player, set it to random and see what it gives you. Until recently, my selection has been too limited to even attempt, but I have enough music saved to make the attempt without it being all from the same artists. My first attempt was pretty successful, even though there were a few, let's say subtle artist repeats. See if you can catch them (Hint: One individual appears on 3 selections, yet 3 different bands)

1. Sad Face -- The Choir (Live at Cornerstone 2000)

2. Manic Depression -- King's X (Dogman)

3. Boy With the Coins -- Camper Van Chadbourne (CVB & Eugene Chadbourn Collaboration/Self Titled)

4. Disco (Love Grapes) -- Swirling Eddies (Zoom Daddy)

5. Perfect Blue Buildings -- Counting Crows (August and Everything After)

6. Po Lazarus -- James Carter and The Prisoners (O Brother, Where Art Thou Soundtrack)

7. Dixie Babylon -- Cracker (The Golden Age)

8. Sailors -- Vigilantes of Love (Summershine)

9. You Satisfy -- Lost Dogs (The Best of The Lost Dogs)

10. And So It Goes -- Daniel Amos (Mr. Buechner's Dream)

Favorite Song -- Dicso (Love Grapes): Tough Choice here, but the whole Zoom Daddy Album is one of my personal favorites.
Least Favorite Song -- Sad Face: Never Been A Huge Choir Fan, butr this one is slow and somber and slow and slow
Weirdest Song -- Boys With Coins: Camper can be Weird, yet the collaboration needs a new word to describe it's oddity.
Favorite Album: August and Everything After: Another Close One, Zoom Daddy was probably the closest, yet most of the albums on this list were not what I consider the best by that particular artist, although Dogman was definatly a great album.

Check Out Howard's List

Book Review: The Motive by John Lescroart

Quick Review

The Motive by John Lescroart
Published 2005
Genre: Mystery/Legal Thriller
Bob's Thoughts: Lescroart returns to the courtroom with another solid legal tale.
Available at your local booksellers.
Bob's Grade: B

Full Review
The first John Lescroart book I read was The 13th juror. I have always been a huge legal fiction fan, and when I saw another law of a crafty defense lawyer defending a seemingly innocent client form from an unwarranted murder charge, I got excited. Here’s another series written by a lawyer about a crusading defense attorney. I expected a series of dramatic trial stories, of the good Dismas Hardy fighting against the corrupt system, aided by his good police buddy Abe. Basically, I expected the same old legal series.

Yet, I shouldn’t had assumed anything. My first bad assumption was that Mr. Lescroart was a lawyer. This isn’t true. My second assumption was he was going to write a series where the legal system was the driving force behind the stories. Also, not true. This is much more than a tale of a lawyer. This series is character study of two friend, their families and one crazy city called San Francisco. Lescroart has taking his characters across the expected sub genre lines, at times a family tale, at time a police procedural, at times a story of corruption and intrigue, at times an action thriller, this series is never scared to take the unexpected turn or change the story up in some integral way. So, when I picked up The Motive, I had finally told myself that I shouldn’t expect another The 13th Juror.

Yet, of course, I guess I had forgotten my lesson once again. With the motive, Lescroart had gone back to what drew me to him in the first place, a good old fashion Murder Trial. Not that this was your typical tale of legal maneuvering. Lescroart starts it off proving that he knows how to do his research. A fire is ravaging a home in a picturesque San Francisco neighborhood , and the firefighters are performing their trade well. During the fight of the fire, two bodies, burned beyond recognition are discovered. They may have been just unfortunate victims of the fire, except for the bullet holes in their heads and the fact that they were drenched in gasoline.

This of course sets off the series of events that drive this book.. At first, it just looks like a murder suicide, but the victim has some high powered friends, and one of them, the current mayor calls upon Hardy’s friend, and now high ranking brass Abe Glitsky to take a interest in this case. Abe’s involvement doesn’t sit to well with the investigating detective, and things turn even more sour when Abe quickly disproves the detectives murder/suicide theory. This leads, the detective on a quest to out do his rival, and he quickly focuses his attentions on the victim’s daughter in law, a women who spurned his sexual advances. To make matters even worst, the suspect just happens to be an ex-girlfriend of one Dismas Hardy.

Such a small world.

The book then takes the predictable, yet highly entertaining turn towards the impending murder trial, with Glitsky taking heat for his unofficial involvement in the case and accusations of collusion being tossed at Abe, Hardy and the mayor. Hardy, now having to defend his ex-lover, and worrying about a secret he just can’t allow to surface seems to become more and more emotionally drained. Both he and Glitsky are desperately searching for the answers.

The Motive, while at times, a predictable legal yarn, is charged with emotion and intrigue. The plot itself almost takes a back seat to the emotional roller coaster it’s main characters are on. For fans of the series, you will once again be sucked into the lives and trials of characters that you have grown to enjoy. For others, this book offers a fun legal tale.

Check Out John Lescroart's site.