Breakout Books

Diane Mott Davidson Crunch Time

After a two-year hiatus, culinary mystery author Diane Mott Davidson is back with her latest release Crunch Time. In Crunch Time, everyone’s favorite caterer Goldy Shultz is back in full form when she tries to help a friend and fellow caterer who house burns down. To make matters worse, the person they move in with is then murdered forcing them to move in with Goldy, teenage son Arch and police sergeant husband Tom. Things take a sinister turn when trouble soon turns up at Goldy’s house after a break in. The question is what criminal is bold enough to break into the house of a police sergeant?
For those who have never ready any Diane Mott Davidson books, you are in for treat with delicious recipes sprinkled through the pages that your family is sure to love. While this installment has far more twists and turns than usual, long time Goldy fans will find comfort in returning to Aspen Meadows, Colorado, where people seem to die anytime someone fires up the stove.
Other Diane Mott Davidson books include:
Catering to Nobody
Dying for Chocolate
The Cereal Murders
The Last Suppers
Killer Pancake
The Main Corpse
The Grilling Season
Prime Cut
Tough Cookie
Sticks and Scones
Chopping Spree
Dying for Chocolate
Double Shot
Dark Tort
Sweet Revenge
Fatally Flaky
Crunch Time

If you love reading culinary mysteries and trying out recipes, here is a list of other culinary mystery authors, including Joanne Fluke and J.B. Stanley that will make your mouth water.

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Crunch Time

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Crunch Time

Wicked Appetite Janet Evanovich

The new Janet Evanovich book Wicked Appetite, released on September 14, 2010, starts off a new series for the writer with this one set in spooky Salem Massachusetts.

The storyline focuses around main character, Lizzy Tucker, a former culinary school graduate who has recently left the hustle and bustle of New York for the supposedly quieter lifestyle of Marblehead, Massachusetts.   By day, she works in a Salem Massachusetts bakery, making cupcakes and other treats

Then, enters a mysterious man in black named Gerwulf Grimoire, who can leave burn marks with his touch. Before Lizzy can figure out if he’s the devil, in walks anther stranger named Diesel who is in search of Wulf. The reason for Wulf’s appearance is that he is in search of seven stones, which are reported to represent the seven deadly sins. Somehow he believes the stones have found their way to Salem and thinks Lizzy can lead him to them.

As Diesel and Lizzy go on a quest to find the Gluttony stone before Wulf can get it, a hilarious and intriguing plot unfolds. Wicked Appetite is an enthralling read, with the many mysterious and witch references that one would except from a setting like Salem.

Although Wicked Appetite involves different characters than other Janet Evanovich books, it is written in the same funny, quirky style that quickly draws the reader in.

Read an excerpt of Wicked Appetite and other Janet Evanovich books.

Visit the Janet Evanovich website: : http://www.evanovich.com/

Kathy Reichs Spider Bones

Kathy Reichs has released the latest book involving her ever popular character Temperance Brennan. The newest book Kathy Reichs book, Spider Bones, is the 13^th in the series and Reichs has clearly not lost any steam. In Spider Bones,  Brennan is called in to investigate the death of a recent drowning victim. Although the death is recent enough that fingerprints easily identify the victim, as always there is a major problem. The fingerprints belong to a man who died in the Vietnam War in 1968. Thus, Temperance must determine if the original bones buried in the grave really belonged to someone else and if not, then what is the true identity of the newest victim?

For those unfamiliar with the Bones book series or Kathy Reichs novels, it follows forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, also called Tempe, as she investigates mysterious deaths by examining the bones for cause of death. Brennan’s cases have run the gamut from decades old mass graves to more recently discovered deceased victims.

The story is based loosely on the actual life of Kathy Reichs who herself consults for the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale in Quebec Canada. The Bones book series is also the inspiration for the popular Bones television show that runs on Fox.

Here is a list of all previous Kathy Reichs novels in the Bones series, in the order of publication from first published to the most recent published:

Deja Dead

Death Du Jour

Deadly Decisions

Faal Voyage

Grave Secrets

Bare Bones

Monday Mourning

Cross Bones

Break No Bones

Bones to Ashes

Devil Bones

206 Bones

As a side note, the 6^th season of the Bones television show premiers on September 23, at 8.00 on Fox, so be sure to tune in.

James Patterson Daniel X: Demons and Droids

The summer of James Patterson books continues on July 26^th with the release of a new James Patterson book entitled Daniel X: Demons and Druids. The book is the third Patterson’s Daniel X series, following The Dangerous Days of Daniel X and Daniel X: Watch the Skies.

The series features main character Daniel X, who has physic powers, can control most animals with his mind and can also move objects around psychokinetically. Did I mention that he can also shape shift? Daniel has proclaimed himself defender of the earth and is on a constant quest to defend it against alien invaders. But he only goes after the criminal aliens, which basically makes him an alien bounty hunter.  This latest book, adds a new twist to the Daniel X saga as he also travels back through time in an effort to prevent his latest alien nemesis from even coming into existence.

For those who have already been bitten by the Daniel X bug, you can also read the Daniel X graphic novel called Daniel X: Alien Hunter.  In addition, there is a Nintendo DS game available called Daniel X: The Ultimate Power.

For those who want to catch up on the previous books on their eReaders, browse through t list of affordable Daniel X eBook titles for Amazon Kindle.

James Patterson Dangerous Days of Daniel X

James Patterson Daniel X Watch the Skies

Daniel X NintendoDS

Private by James Patterson

It’s only been two months since James Patterson released the 9^th Judgment, the latest in his Women’s Murder Club series, and now readers have a new book to look forward to. The new James Patterson book is entitled Private and is set to be released on June 28, 2010. The book was co-written with Maxine Paetro with whom he also wrote Swimsuit.

Private is the first title in a new series for Patterson featuring ex CIA agent Jack Morgan who now works as a private investigator. His agency, appropriately named Private, is a global company which according to the excerpt on Patterson’s website is where people turn when they need …”maximum force and maximum discretion”.

Private opens with Jack’s agency investigating a series of murders involving young girls as well as trying to solve a NFL gambling scandal. However, it soon turns personal when Jack’s ex girlfriend is murdered and he is determined to find her killer.  It also just so happens that his ex girlfriend is married to his current best friend, which provides for interesting personal interactions.

This new James Patterson book series starting with Private promises to live up to the intriguing and plot-twisting writing style of Patterson’s other books.

Read an excerpt of Private on James Patterson’s website : http://www.jamespatterson.com/books_private.php#excerpts

Private by James Patterson

Swimsuit by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Sizzling Sixteen Janet Evanovich

The latest Janet Evanovich book has been released. Sizzling Sixteen is now available in bookstores and for download on eReaders such as Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Amazon’s Kindle.
For more information on Sizzling Sixteen read this previous Sizzling Sixteen review.
Janet Evanovich Book Signings
For readers who live in New Jersey, be sure to stop by the Barnes and Noble Bookstore on June 22, 2010 located at 765 Route 17 South, Paramus, NJ. This is first Janet Evanovich book signing of the Sizzling Sixteen tour and starts at 6 p.m.

Other scheduled appearances by Janet Evanovich are listed below as taken from the author’s website.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 – 6 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
4801 Bethesda Avenue
Bethesda, MD

Thursday, June 24, 2010- 6 p.m.
Borders
7836 Rea Road
Charlotte, NC
Friday, July 23, 2010 – 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Comic-Con
San Diego Convention Center
Dark Horse Signing Booth
San Diego, CA
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 24, 2010 – 2 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
Mira Mesa MarketCenter
10775 Westview Parkway
San Diego, CA

Catherine Coulter Book Whiplash

Catherine Coulter’s new book Whiplash has been released and is the 14^th book in her FBI series.  The series follows husband and wife FBI detectives Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock as they investigate both perplexing and sometimes humorous occurrences.

In Whiplash, the team is called in to investigate the haunting of a U.S. senator by his dead wife. Savich and Sherlock aren’t convinced that the haunting is entirely paranormal and begin looking at a more plausible explanation.  The storyline also includes a devious international plot by an overseas pharmaceutical company that intentionally withholds medications in order to drive up drug prices.

You can read an excerpt from Whiplash on Catherine Coulter’s website.

Although this is the latest book in the series, each of the Catherine Coulter books can be read independently without the reader feeling like they have missed something. For those who prefer to read book series in order here is the order of the Catherine Coulter books by publication, from earliest to latest.

1. The Cove
2. The Maze
3. The Target
4. The Edge
5. RipTide
6. Hemlock Bay
7. Eleventh Hour
8. Blind Side
9. Blow Out
10. Point Blank
11. Double Take
12. TailSpin
13. KnockOut

Coulter is currently at work on the 15^th book in the FBI series which is entitled Split Second and will be released in 2011. According to Catherine Coulter’s Facebook page, the next novel has something to do with Ted Bundy…hmm intriguing.

To learn more about Catherine Coulter Books, visit the Author’s website.



Dean Koontz Frankenstein : Lost Souls

The new Dean Koontz book in his wildly popular Frankenstein series is set to be released. The book, entitled Frankenstein: Lost Souls, will be published in hardback unlike the previous Frankenstein books which were all released in paperback.  The storyline of Lost Souls picks up two years after Dead and Alive left off and is now a race to save humanity.  For those who have never read the Dean Koontz Frankenstein books, this is no Halloween story as Koontz has updated the plot for modern times. Koontz’s website describes the series as using stem cells, computer circuitry, and nanotechnology, to create a race of superhumans.

In Lost Souls, the five main characters, Detectives Carson O’Connor and Michael Maddison, Erika 5, Jocko and Deucalion are back and on a crusade to defeat Victor (a.k.a. Frankenstein). For uniformed readers Erica is Victor’s estranged wife and Deucalion is Victor’s first “creation”.

Dean Koontz started the book series on 2005 with, Frankenstein: City of Night and Frankenstein: Prodigal Son, which were both an instant success.  In 2009, he released the third book in the series titled Dead and Alive, and it shot to the top of the New York Times paperback bestseller list.

For more information on the new Dean Koontz book, the Frankenstein series or any other Dean Koontz novels, visit the author’s website at: www.deankoontz.com.

The Dean Koontz novel Frankenstein: Lost Souls will be released on June 15, 2010.

Dean Koontz Frankenstein: City of Night

Dean Koontz Frankenstein: Prodigal Son

Dean Koontz Frankenstein: Dead and Alive

Stephenie Meyer - The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella

For those Stephenie Meyer and Twilight fans who just can’t seem to get enough this is definitely an interesting summer. Not only is the new Twilight movie Eclipse being released on June 30, but Stephenie Meyer has a new book release as well. Actually the book is a novella since it is only 192 pages long and is titled The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella. The novella, due out on June 5, tells the story of Bree, who was introduced in the Eclipse book in the Twilight Series.

This is an interesting introspective into a character that was short-lived in the Eclipse book, but whose story was actually detailed enough to warrant Meyer writing about more. In fact, according to Meyer, she started writing the Bree Tanner novella as a type of character description while she was still completing the Eclipse novel.

Fans should like this book because we get to see the Twilight saga from a different perspective other than Bella’s. According to a story by USA TODAY, some of plot from the Bree Tanner book has been incorporated into the upcoming Eclipse movie as well. This is a great way for Twilight fans to get a sneak peak at the movie plot before it release on Jun 30.

John Grisham Theodore Boone : Kid Lawyer

The latest John Grisham book is out but this time it’s aimed at children ages 9 to 12 and is published by Penguin. The first book is titled Theodore Boon : Kid Lawyer and follows precocious 13-year-old Theo and his dream of becoming a trial lawyer. Since Theo is the son of two lawyers, he spends a lot of time around the courthouse and soon becomes embroiled in a murder case. It’s easy for Theo to investigate on his own because he already knows all of the judges, police, and most lawyers in his small southern town. Theo is determined not to let a guilty man walk free and sets out to stop that from happening.

John Grisham is under contract to write a second book in the series that also features Theodore Boone. The second John Grisham book in the series is scheduled to be released sometime in 2011.

To find out more about Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer and to read an excerpt from, visit the official website: http://www.theodoreboone.com/

John Grisham will be interviewed by Al Roker on NBC’s Today show on May 26th in the 9 am hour to discuss the new series.

The next John Grisham book in the adult suspense genre is called The Confession and will be released on October 26, 2010.