Weekend Reading

Be sure to pick up RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL by Chicago author, Jamie Freveletti. I'm a little bias as Jamie is a friend and colleague, but I wouldn't recommend something that isn't good. RUNNING is a balls-out action thriller that is easily read in one sitting. Ultra-marathoner Emma Caldridge's plane is downed in the jungles of Columbia and it is her athletic prowess that allows her to escape. While there is the immediate conflict (how will she make it out alive?) there is also the underlying puzzle of why this plane was hijacked and what the hijackers want with Emma. This debut novel was chosen as the May Indie Notable Book.

In the mood for something slower paced? I recently finished Richard Price's LUSH LIFE, though I should have read it ages ago when it first came out. Price has always been a master at capturing setting, but he has outdone himself with this depiction of New York's Lower East side. The novel contains a large cast of characters and it's almost as if they're passing around video camera, each having an opportunity to tell their story. LUSH LIFE may be a slower read than most mysteries, but the writing is just as gripping.

Since SANCTUARY by Ken Bruen releases next week, #7 in the Jack Taylor series, I'd spend this weekend reading CROSS, which is #6. Ken Bruen is a talented writer and Taylor is a great series character. If you're not familiar, start at the beginning with THE GUARDS.