2008 Book 90: The Last Templar

Book #:	90
Book Title:	The Last Templar
Author:	Raymond Khoury
Publisher:	Penguin Group
Pub. Date:	2005
Pages:	404
Started:	October 8, 2008
Finished:	October 11, 2008
Time to Read:	4 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"In a hail of fire and flashing sword, as the burning city of Acre falls into the hands of the West in 1291, The Last Templar opens with a young Templar Knight, his mentor, and a handful of others escaping to the sea carrying a mysterious chest entrusted to them by the Order's dying Grand Master. The ship vanishes without a trace. In present-day Manhattan, four masked horsemen dressed as Templar Knights emerge from Central Park and ride up the Fifth Avenue steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the black-tie opening of a Treasures of the Vatican exhibit. Storming through the crowds, the horsemen brutally attack anyone standing between them and their prize. Attending the gala, archaeologist Tess Chaykin watches in silent terror as the leader of the horsemen hones in on one piece in particular, a strange geared device. He utters a few cryptic Latin words as he takes hold of it with reverence before leading the horsemen out and disappearing into the night. In the aftermath, an FBI investigation is led by anti-terrorism specialist Sean Reilly. Soon, he and Tess are drawn into the dark, hidden history of the crusading Knights, plunging them into a deadly game of cat and mouse with ruthless killers as they race across three continents to recover the lost secret of the Templars."
Stars:	*****
Review:	This book has been on my "must read" list for awhile, so I was thrilled that it was among the lot of books I got for my birthday. What a fabulous read! This story expertly jumps back and forth between the Middle Ages and today, develops terrific characterizations for the main characters, and has a storyline that resonates. Now...some parts of the story requires a suspension of beliefs...but all in all, this is a terrific read that you need to pick up today!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 89: Blue Screen

Book #:	89
Book Title:	Blue Screen
Author:	Robert B. Parker
Publisher:	Penguin Group
Pub. Date:	2006
Pages:	306
Started:	October 6, 2008
Finished:	October 8, 2008
Time to Read:	3 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Buddy Bollen is a C-list movie mogul who made his fortune producing films of questionable artistic merit. When Buddy hires Sunny Randall to protect his rising star and girlfriend, Erin Flint, Sunny knows from the start that the prickly, spoiled beauty won't make her job easy. And when Erin's sister, Misty, is found dead in the lavish hoe they share with sugar daddy Bollen, there doesn't seem to be a single lead worth pursuing. But then Sunny meets Jesse Stone, chief of police in Paradise, Massachusetts, under whose jurisdiction the case falls. It immediately becomes clear that Jesse and Sunny have much in common. While searching for the killer, they learn an awful lot about each other - and themselves. Tracking Misty's murderer reveals a host of seedy complications behind Erin's glamorous lifestyle as well as Buddy Bollen's entertainment empire, made up of shady film deals and mobsters out for revenge. But in a world where there's little difference between the good guys and the bad, exposing a killer could prove to be Sunny's undoing."
Stars:	**
Review:	Did you read that overview up there? Ok, that's the entire book. Seriously. The book is about as fleshed out as the overview. Slightly interesting story, stereotypical characters, gratuitous sex and conflicted adults acting like children...it could almost be an episode of a reality show. This is light, easy reading...don't go looking for any deep stories here, however.

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 88: Cross

Book #:	88
Book Title:	Cross
Author:	James Patterson
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Pub. Date:	2006
Pages:	296
Started:	October 5, 2006
Finished:	October 6, 2006
Time to Read:	2 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Alex Cross was a rising star in the Washington, D.C. police department when an unknown shooter gunned down his wife, Maria, in front of him. Alex's need for vengeance was placed on hold as he faced another huge challenge - raising his children without their mother. Years later Alex is making a bold move in his life. He has left the FBI and set up practice as a psychologist once again. His life with Nana Mama, Damon, Jannie, and little Alex finally feels like it's in order. He even has a chance at a new love. Then Cross's former partner John Sampson calls in a favor. He is tracking a serial rapist in Georgetown, one whose brutal modus operandi includes threatening his victims with terrifying photos. Cross and Sampson need the testimonies of these women to stop the predator, but the victims refuse to reveal anything about their attacker. When the case triggers a connection to Maria's death, Alex may have a chnace to catch his wife's murderer after all these years. Will justice be served at long last? Or is this the culminating scene in his own deadly obsession?"
Stars:	**
Review:	This is typical James Patterson fare - moderately interesting story line mixed with a jumpy outline and barely fleshed out scenes that skip around and around and around. I'm pretty much done with Cross books, but this was part of a large lot I got and so I pushed through reading it. If you're a Cross fan, this is the book for you. If you're tired of Patterson's writing, move on. Personally, I only like Patterson when he's writing inspirational, like Sam's Letters to Jennifer.

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany