GONE TOMORROW

GONE TOMORROW
by Lee Child
Bantam Dell
New York, NY
www.bantamdell.com
ISBN: 9780385340571

Jack Reacher, riding a New York subway in the early morning hours, notices a woman passenger acting strangely. Reacher watches her, ticking off the 12 points identifying her as a suicide bomber. When Reacher approaches her, she pulls a gun and kills herself. Since Reacher was the last one to speak to the woman, he’s taken to the police station for questioning. When the feds show up, Reacher suspects there’s more to this story than a depressed woman committing suicide. This is confirmed when he’s approached by governmental and foreign organizations wanting to know what the woman passed to him before she died. Curious about what everyone is looking for, Reacher begins his own investigation which puts him at odds with law enforcement and leads him to the White House and its past connection to the Soviet war in Afghanistan during the ‘80s.

Lee Child’s 13th offering in the Reacher series is a tense thriller with plenty of bad guys and ample graphic violence. Reacher is a dangerous man confident in his abilities and with his own sense of justice. He isn’t timid when dealing with the FBI, Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and terrorists, all of whom are after him. His brusque, at times edifying narrative, as always, carries the plot forward in an intriguing, entertaining way, and readers will root for Reacher to take care of matters in the way only Reacher can.

DEATH WILL HELP YOU LEAVE HIM by Elizabeth Zelvin

DEATH WILL HELP YOU LEAVE HIM
by Elizabeth Zelvin
Minotaur Books
St. Martin’s Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
ISBN: 9780312582661

Recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohler is taking things one day at a time with the help of his friends Jimmy and Barbara, while trying to place limits with his ex-wife who has bouts of depression and sporadically threatens suicide. Barbara, an addictions counselor, talks Bruce and Jimmy into doing some independent sleuthing when Luz Colon, her Al-Anon sponsee, is suspected of murdering her abusive boyfriend, Frankie Iacone. Frankie, a former drug dealer married to someone else, had just gotten out of rehab hours before being found dead in Luz’s apartment. Barbara hopes Bruce and Jimmy may be able to learn more about Frankie and the people he knew through their AA connections. Along with Luz, the three team up and separate and team up again as they try to unearth the murderer. Eventually they step on the wrong toes, which places Bruce’s and Luz’s lives in danger.

This, the second in the mystery series featuring recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohler, is an intriguing whodunit set against the gritty backdrop of New York City and its diverse cultures. As with the first, much emphasis is placed on the recovery process and Zelvin relays Kohler’s, as well as others’, constant battle with addiction in a realistic, empathetic manner. The plot moves at a quick pace with enough suspects to keep the reader guessing.

HOUNDING THE PAVEMENT by Judi McCoy

HOUNDING THE PAVEMENT
by Judi McCoy
New American Library/Penguin
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
ISBN: 9780451226310
Paperback, 336 pages, $6.99
Genre: Mystery

Ellie Engleman is committed to making her own way in life sans pantyhose and power suits. The first thing Ellie does after her divorce is rescue a dog from the shelter to replace the one she had to give up when she married. Ellie’s delighted to learn she can communicate with her dog and that he is the reincarnate of her former dog, who was hit by a car. She begins her own dog-walking business, where she finds herself harassed by two other dog walkers unhappy with the competition. Ellie discovers the dead body of one of her clients and quickly becomes the number-one suspect of sexy Sam Ryder, a wise-cracking detective who can’t seem to convince Ellie to stay out of his investigation. But Ellie is anxious to find her murdered client’s kidnapped dog, a Westminster champion, while clearing her name, and nothing’s going to stop her. Not even the sizzling chemistry between her and Sam Ryder.

Hounding the Pavement, the first book in the Dog Walker Mystery series, is simply delightful. Ellie is a refreshing character, a size-16 woman finished with compromising her wants and needs and determined to live life on her own terms. Dog lovers will identify with Ellie’s love for these furry creatures and will appreciate that this author is donating all royalties to Best Friends Animal Society. Readers will be entertained by the conversations Ellie has with not only her dog but other dogs who choose to converse with her. The plot is interesting and moves at a fast pace, with plenty of red herrings thrown into the mix to provide a good mystery. Excellent debut to this series.