Book Review: Borderline by Nevada Barr

Borderline

Title: Borderline (Annea Pigeon #15) by Nevada Barr
Published April 26, 2010; Berkley
Genre: thriller

I love reading books set in locations I've never visited. It makes me feel I'm getting something new while being entertained with a good story. This is the case with Nevada Barr's latest mystery - in her Anna Pigeon national park ranger series.

Borderline takes place in the Big Bend National Park in Texas, just across the Rio Grande River separating the U.S. from Mexico. Park ranger Anna is on administrative leave, recovering from the trauma of confronting a ruthless murderer on the Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. She and her police chief/pastor husband Paul are now on vacation at Big Bend in Texas, taking a leisurely two week rafting trip down the Rio Grande with a group of college students, led by a park rafting leader. What should have been a journey of personal recovery and tranquility turns out otherwise for Anna, however.

Things start to turn sour quickly. The group sees a starving cow stranded on top of the high cliffs in a canyon on the river and Anna is determined to rescue it; the inexperience and stubbornness of one of the college kids causes the group to lose their inflatable raft with all their equipment and supplies. Then comes a shocking discovery and bullets from an unknown assailant on the U.S. side of the river.

Anna is again in the position of leading an investigation and recovery, this time while desperately dodging death along the steep banks of the river canyon and trying to protect the people in her party. All this coincides with the highly publicized visit to the park of a mayor who supports keeping park borders closed to Mexicans across the river. and who is running for the governor's position in Texas

Description of location, plot, and character development all blend to make this a memorable and thrilling ride down the Rio Grande. Though I guessed the culprit about halfway through the book, and the motives, since the author gave us so many hints along the way, I can still recommend this as another very good mystery, with situations that reflect current social and political realities.

Book Review: Palos Verdes Blue by John Shannon

Palos Verdes Blue

Palos Verdes Blue by John Shannon, published April 7, 2009 by Pegasus
Genre: mystery

Private investigator Jack Liffey is hired to find Blue, a teenage girl missing in L.A. His investigation leads to some surprises, including a gang of rich teenage surfers, in Palos Verdes Blue, by John Shannon.

" Beatrice would have to pay in the end too, if her sister did. He stared at the classic feminist novels abandoned across her small desk - The Golden Notebook, Jane Eyre, and a couple of Anais Nins. There really are no survivors in a shattered family, he thought."

p. 23
Though the plot outline of the connections between a missing teen, illegal immigrants, and a gang of wealthy young surfers defending their beach territory is a good one, the techniques for writing the novel prevented me from really getting into the book.

There are many points of view, different stories running at the same time, and the switching back and forth from third person to first person narrations had me a bit confused. I wish I could have gotten more involved in the characters, especially private eye Jack and his daughter Maeve.

As far as plot, the book does a good job overall of presenting the problems of the California scene, particularly of young people. Health, gang warfare, undocumented workers, teen sexuality, even California mudslides are covered in Palos Verdes Blue.

Book provided by the author/publisher, for my objective review.

Book Review: Illegal, a novel by Paul Levine

This suspense thriller about the hazardous journey that a woman and her young son make to the U.S. from Mexico is as riveting and suspenseful as it is shocking, to anyone not familiar with illegal immigration issues along the border.

The harsh reality portrayed by Paul Levine in his new book makes the journeys he describes seem all too real - full of danger, despair, and death, even for some who make it across the border.

(See my fuller review with author comments dated June 13)
Illegal: A Review and Author Interview--------------------------------

The Heartfelt Blogger Award

Heartfelt thanks to Caspette of The Narrative Causality for this lovely award! It's as cute as can be!

I'm passing on this Heartfelt and Friendly Blogger Award to some of the many bloggers who share comments, and books, and hopefully they'll pass it on to others!

Jess at Barney's Book Blog
Wendi at Wendi's Book Corner
Ladybug at Escape in a Book
Phyl at Bookishgal
Dar at Peeking Between the Pages
Undine at Upside Down Duck
Popinfresh at Popin's Lair
Scattie at Pins and Needles
Jo-Jo at Jo-Jo Loves to Read
Joy at Joy's Blog

Literary Blogger Award

Thanks again!! to Missy of
Missy's Book Nook for another award! This is just fabulous!

The Literary Blogger Award acknowledges bloggers who energize and inspire reading by going the extra mile! These amazing bloggers make reading fun, and enhance the delight of reading!

I'm passing on the award to:
Sharon at A Book Worm's Reviews
Staci at Life in the Thumb
Booklady at Okie-Book Lady
Kay at Kay's Book Shelf
Carol at Carol's Notebook
Stacy at Stacy's Bookblog
Jenny at Sunny Sweet Pea

Congrats again!

Agatha Award for Traditional Mysteries, 2008

"Traditional mysteries" written in the manner of an Agatha Christie novel have been recognized in the 2008 Agatha Award competition. The nominees are:

* award winners.

Best Novel:
Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews
A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen
* The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry
I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming



Best First Novel:
Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis
Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris
* Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet
Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan

To see the complete list of winners and categories, visit The Agatha Awards.

Teaser Tuesday: Sudden Death Sudoku

Teaser Tuesday meme courtesy of MizB at Should Be Reading. Choose two sentences at random from your current read; include the title and author for those who might want to read the book.

In Sudden Death Sudoku, a mystery novel, Katie McDonald enters a sudoku challenge game and finds problems that lead up to a murder.

"Maybe Gordon was a cheater. Or maybe he was right, and there was more jealousy than truth in the accusation, which would be a shame."

(p. 32, Sudden Death Sudoku: A Katie McDonald Mystery, 2008)