hearts February 2006 Large Print Bookshearts

Blue Smoke

BLUE SMOKE by Nora Roberts
“Romantic suspense queen Roberts (Blue Dahlia, etc.) lights up Baltimore's Little Italy with this appealing story of love, family, food and arson. Eleven-year-old Reena Hale, watching her family's restaurant go up in flames decides to become an arson investigator. The fire shapes another child's destiny, too, as Joey Pastorelli sees his father go to prison for setting the blaze. . . Well-sketched supporting characters with potential subplots of their own suggest that the prolific Roberts will put her feet to the fire again.” – Publisher's Weekly
Christ the Lord

CHRIST THE LORD: OUT OF EGYPT by Anne Rice
“A novel with Jesus of Nazareth as the narrator from the author who has spent decades writing about vampires may strike many as strange, but Rice brings the same passion to her colorful account of the young Jesus and his quest to understand his strange powers (turning clay pigeons into live birds, bringing a dead child back to life). As in her other books, Rice has extensively researched the historical context in which she writes, here drawing on the Gospels and respected New Testament scholarship. . . In her attempt to breathe life into a historical religious figure, Rice's superb storytelling skills enable her to succeed where many other writers have failed. . . Highly recommended.” – Library Journal
Color of Law

THE COLOR OF LAW by Mark Gimenez
“First novelist Gimenez draws on his experience as an attorney in this taut legal thriller that echoes To Kill a Mockingbird. With fast-paced and edgy prose, dramatic tête-à-têtes between attorneys, and an explosive courtroom conclusion, Gimenez effectively weaves elements of race, class, and justice into a story of a lawyer who rediscovers the difference between doing good and doing well. Strongly recommended.” – Library Journal
Comfort and Joy

COMFORT & JOY by Kristin Hannah
“Things aren't going well this holiday season for librarian Joy Candellaro. It was bad enough that her husband cheated on her with her own sister, but discovering that the couple is expecting a baby and receiving an invitation to their wedding sends her over the top. She flees to the airport and on a whim catches a charter plane to the Pacific Northwest. When the plane makes a crash landing, Joy survives but is left stranded at an old fishing lodge, where she meets the proprietor, a handsome widower, and his young son. She finds herself unexpectedly falling in love with both the precocious boy and his gruff father. Come Christmas Eve, Joy must decide if she can stand up to her real life or get lost in a dream world. This tale of magic, love, and fantasy will appeal to Hannah's many fans.” – Library Journal
Frankenstein

DEAN KOONTZ’S FRANKENSTEIN: BOOK ONE, THE PRODIGAL SON by Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson
“More than 200 years after the creation of his first monster, Victor Frankenstein, a.k.a. Victor Helios, is in New Orleans, manufacturing an army of creatures intended to take over the world. No longer bumbling giants cobbled together from cadavers, the new, improved race is biologically developed, intellectually programmed to follow orders, and externally indistinguishable from humans . . . Koontz and Anderson create well-rounded characters, then add plenty of suspense and action in a fast-paced plot.” – Library Journal
No True Glory NO TRUE GLORY: A FRONTLINE ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE FOR FALLUJAH by Bing West
“The most hard-fought campaign since the invasion of Iraq by coalition forces in April 2003, the battle for Fallujah seems here to embody most every facet of the American military experience in that country--inordinate courage by the fighting men and their immediate superiors, indecision and contradiction by U.S. leaders from the top down, a disconnect between military will to succeed in Iraq and a lack of dollars and troops to support it, and a treacherous relationship between Fallujans and those Americans who would do everything to "help" them . . . Appearing neither pro- nor antiwar, West simply delivers a remarkably detailed, vivid firsthand account of the American military experience, 2004-05, in a highly combustible part of Iraq.” – Booklist
*Note: The book is scheduled to be the basis for a motion picture starring Harrison Ford.
On the Run ON THE RUN by Iris Johansen
“A single mom and gifted horse handler, Grace Archer goes on the lam with her equally exceptional eight-year-old daughter, Frankie, after a Middle Eastern magnate named Marvot kills the owner of the Alabama horse farm where they have been hiding under the watchful eye of Grace's former employer, the CIA. Johansen (Firestorm, etc.) blends action, suspense and family values as Frankie's father, ex-CIA commando Jake Kilmer, comes back into Grace's life to protect her and the child he has never known. . . The Johansen formula works so well in this novel that readers may expect a sequel.” – Publisher's Weekly
Pale Horseman THE PALE HORSEMAN by Bernard Cornwell
“Like its predecessor, The Pale Horseman offers an unvarnished portrait of a world in transition, moving from the endemic savagery of the Dark Ages toward the more cohesive -- and civilized -- society that Alfred and his descendants will gradually create. Thus far, Cornwell's narrative has covered only a small part of this vast historical enterprise, so Uhtred's memoirs are likely to continue for quite some time. (A third volume, tentatively titled The Lords of the North Country has already been announced.) Given the quality of the opening installments, this is a welcome prospect indeed. Historical adventures as smart and vigorous as Cornwell's are in short supply. It's good to know that more are on the way.” – The Washington Post