A serial killer is murdering women in San Francisco and videotaping the horrific acts. The killer's latest victim, though, isn't quite dead. The injured woman, found barely clinging to life, is rushed to the hospital where emergency room physician Dr. Vivian (Vivi) Dexter treats her before surgery - but Vivi's not hopeful the victim will survive.
Meanwhile, Vivi's Aunt Fen, who raised Vivi and her sister JC, has a little adventure of her own. It's a stormy night and a man named Alex crashes into a tree near Fen's house and knocks on her door for assistance. Though Fen is suspicious of Alex at first, she tends to his wounds, gives him dinner, and lets him rest up. Alex is 'a younger man', but Fen is strongly attracted to him (why not, right? ha ha ha).
Alex isn't quite available though, because his girlfriend was a victim of the serial killer - and Alex is determined to find the villain.
Vivi, who's been in a romantic slump since she broke up with her fiancé, is soon being pursued by two men: Detective Brad Merlin, who's heading the hunt for the serial murderer;
and Dr. Ralph Sandowski, a psychiatrist who (unofficially) profiles the killer.
Vivi's life gets even more hectic when her sister JC - a kind of 'wild child' - shows up on her doorstep.
To top it off, Alex seeks treatment at Vivi's hospital and makes it his business to get acquainted with her.
Before long all these people - Vivi, JC, Brad, Ralph, and Alex - are going for drinks and dinner in various combinations. Dr. Ralph even offers JC a job in his side business, an antique store. There are also a couple of dog characters in the story: Aunt Fen's 12-year-old pooch Hector; and Brad's pink poodle, Flyin' Fool - inherited from his former wife.
The story alternates between the main characters and the serial killer, who's decompensating and behaving recklessly. The killer's thoughts reveal his ultimate goal - to kill Vivi. (dum dum dum dum!!)
On the plus side this is a mildly taut psychological thriller. And I like Detective Brad Merlin, who works hard to solve the case and eats a lot of dim sum.....as does his poodle. (When you're chasing a murderer you gotta grab food when you can. LOL).
On the down side:
1. There should be more suspects to rev up the suspense and the main characters should be more endangered.....to keep the readers on the edge of their seats.
2. The tangled romantic overtures among the characters, many of whom seem to flirt with each other, is confusing. At one point it seems like Fen and JC are after the same guy (not cool).
3. For Dr. Ralph to hire JC, who knows nothing about antiques, to sell the merchandise in his store is ridiculous. You have to be an expert to sell antiques.
4. The book doesn't end when the killer is revealed but goes on and on with 'romance stuff.' This part is tiresome and expendable.
I'm not a big fan of romance stories so - for me - this book was just okay. Fans of romantic mysteries, though, might really like this book.
Rating: 3 stars
Tippi Hedren grew up in a loving family in Minnesota and was always encouraged to follow her dreams. Tippi - a pretty, green-eyed blonde of Scandinavian descent - became a fashion model in her teens, then moved to New York to further her career.
When Alfred Hitchcock spotted Tippi in a TV commercial in 1961, he brought her to Hollywood, gave her a (very expensive) screen test, and signed her to a five-year movie contract. Thus began some of the best and worst years in Tippi's life.
Alfred Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren
Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, taught Tippi the nuts and bolts of acting - and Tippi expresses gratitude to them for this. Moreover - though Tippi thought she'd get a bit part in a Hitchcock film - the director offered her the starring role in his upcoming movie, "The Birds." Needless to say Tippi - a single mother - was thrilled to have a steady, good-paying job in glamorous Hollywood.
Unfortunately Tippi's rise to stardom was marred by Hitchcock's obsession with her. Hitchcock showed his interest by buying Tippi expensive gifts; constructing a back entrance to her dressing room - and visiting her often; arranging private meetings where he served wine and food; watching her constantly; forbidding actors to touch her; propositoning her for sex; and more. When Tippi didn't respond like Hitchcock wanted he punished the actress by making her work extra-long hours and - at one point - staging a movie scene where Tippi was pecked by live birds for hours, leaving her an exhausted bloody mess.
In time Hitchcock lost all control and tried to force himself on the actress. Tippi fought the director off.....and told him off. Afterwards, Hitchcock was Tippi's enemy for life. Though she starred in his next film "Marnie", the rest of Tippi's movie career was (somewhat) thwarted due to Hitchcock's enmity.
When Tippi's contract with Hitchcock ended she continued her acting career, but didn't get any more blockbuster roles. A few years later Tippi and her then husband, Noel Marshall, decided to make a movie about lions (which morphed into a family movie about all kinds of wild animals). The tale of making this movie - a task that spanned eleven long years - constitutes most of the book.
Tippi Hedren and her husband Noel Marshall
To make a long story short, Tippi and Noel constructed their own animal habitat - The Shambala Preserve - in California, and filled it with lions, tigers, leopards, panthers. elephants, and more. At first, when there were only a few lions, the animals lived in Tippi's house. They strolled around, lay on the beds, shredded the sofas and rugs, swiped food from the dinner table, and so on - just like pet kitties.
Tippi Hedren and her daughter Melanie Griffith at Shambala
Tippi Hedren got very cozy with the animals at Shambala
Later, when the couple built a REAL animal preserve, family members and preserve employees would just stroll around among the animals - petting them, feeding them, playing with them, and so on. This is almost unbelievable to me.....and it was very dangerous. Over the years - before, during, and after production of the movie - the workers, actors, and family members experienced numerous serious injuries, and almost had their own wing at the local emergency room. During one hospitalization Tippi sustained a freak head injury that left her unable to smell or taste anything ever again.
Tippi writes a great deal about making the animal film, called "Roar", including specifics about financing the movie (very difficult), the cast, the crew, the sets, distribution rights, animal training, animal births, animal illnesses, animal deaths, animal attacks, etc. She also details how she acquired and cared for all the exotic creatures, which eventually led to her continuing work as an animal activist.
Tippi is also an ardent human rights advocate. She often traveled with USO shows and participated in many overseas trips to assist refugees from war zones. Tippi also made it her business to help immigrants in the United States. I was interested (and surprised) to learn that Tippi was the inspiration for the nail salons that are so popular today. After the Vietnam War, Tippi visited a Vietnamese refugee camp in California. Noticing that the Asian women loved her long manicured fingernails, Tippi arranged for her personal manicurist to teach the ladies 'the art of the nail'.....and an industry was born!
Tippi Hedren is a human rights advocate
Tippi also talks about her personal life, including tidbits about her parents; her husbands and boyfriends; her daughter - the actress Melanie Griffith; her grandkids; her homes; her friends; her interest in fashion; her travels; and more.
Tippi Hedren's daughter, the actress Melanie Griffith
I'll admit I read this book because - having read a biography of Hitchcock and seen the movie "The Girl" (about Tippi's relationhip with the director) - I wanted to hear the 'true story' from the horse's mouth. And I wasn't disappointed with that part. However the long narrative about making "Roar" wasn't that compelling to me. It included too many repetitive details and could have been shortened considerably in my opinion.
Still, Tippi seems like a lovely, caring person and I'm glad I got to know a little more about her life and good works. I'd recommend the book to fans of celebrity memoirs and readers interested in animal rights.
Rating: 3 stars
In this 17th book in the 'Hannah Swensen Mystery' series, the baker/amateur sleuth is arrested for homicide. The book can be read as a standalone but the main characters have an arc over the course of the series.
*****
Hannah Swensen and her bakery partner Lisa are riding in the bakery truck when hazardous weather leads to an accident.
Turns out Hannah has struck and killed a man on the side of the road. The dead man has no ID but his nice clothes and the diamond in his tooth indicate he's not an itinerant drifter. An autopsy reveals the man was beat up before his death, but Hannah's truck actually killed him.
Before long Hannah is arrested for vehicular homicide by her brother-in-law, the sheriff (only doing his job).
This causes a ruckus among some of Hannah's family and friends, who are angered by the arrest. Not sure how to help herself, amateur detective Hannah makes it her mission to find out who the man is.
Her investigation reveals the dead man had unsavory connections and a disreputable job.
Meanwhile, Hannah's mother Delores is preparing to marry her fiancé "Doc" (the medical examiner).
Delores allows her three daughters to make most of the wedding plans....but not really. Delores nixes everything the girls suggest, changes her mind every five minutes, can't decide on the dresses, colors, food, flowers, desserts, etc. It's a nightmare!
To add to Hannah's troubles a local girl, Jennifer - who ran away from home many years ago - has returned. Jennifer's mother is thrilled but her sister suspects an imposter, and confides this to Hannah.
While Hannah's dealing with all this she hosts a couple of dinners at her home and bakes a lot of cookies - recipes included. In fact there are so many recipes that the book feels like half mystery, half cookbook.
Hannah also starts using an exercise machine in her bedroom, and in some of the cuter scenes in the book Hannah's cat Moishe takes to doing some exercise himself.
Hannah's complicated love life - which has frustrated readers for years - seems to be heading toward resolution in this book. Hannah has apparently given up Mike (the detective).....
.....and settled on Norman (the dentist).
But who knows if this is permanent. Another quibble I have with this series is that Hannah's sister Michelle, who's in college, never seems to be at school. She's 'visiting home' in every story, ready to contribute cookie recipes and assistance with investigations.
The book ends in a cliffhanger as Hannah's trial for vehicular homicide is delayed until the next book, as is Delores' marriage.
In the end this book didn't really feel like a mystery as no 'culprit' was uncovered. However, readers who enjoy visiting with the characters and reading about the cookies will probably like the book okay.
Recipes in the book include:
Blackberry Pie
Graham Cracker Cake
Fettucini Porcini
Lime Bar Cookies
Bacon, Egg, and Cheddar Cheese Toast Cups
Treasure Chest Cookies
Rating: 3 stars
This is book six in Tana French's 'Murder Squad Series' but can easily be read as a standalone.
As the story opens, a glamorous young woman named Aislinn Murray is found dead in her house and - since it appears to be a domestic dispute - the investigation is assigned to Murder Squad newbies - Detectives Antoinette Conway and Steve Moran.
Conway is the only woman on the squad and has been having a rough time with the guys, replete with disrespectful behavior, practical jokes, swiped case files, etc. Conway is determined to show her mettle so she's especially irked when senior investigator Breslin is assigned to 'help with' the case.
When Conway and Moran talk to Aislinn's friend Lucy, they're told the dead woman has been dating a bookstore owner named Rory Fallon. According to Lucy, Aislinn liked Rory but made it a point to play 'hard to get.'
The detectives also learn that Aislinn's father vanished years ago, never to be heard from again. His unsolved disappearance shattered Aislinn and her mother, and changed the course of their lives. Moreover it was only a couple of years ago - after her mother died - that Aislinn dieted, got a makeover, bought new clothes, and transformed herself into a beauty.
The detectives question Aislinn's boyfriend Rory, and the bookstore owner admits he was invited to dinner at Aislinn's on the night of the murder. He says he arrived right on time but Aislinn didn't answer the door or respond to his texts. Because Rory acts squirrelly during the interview he becomes the number one suspect. Still, Conway and Moran aren't sure Rory's guilty and want to investigate further.
Breslin, on the other hand, pressures the duo to arrest Rory and close the case.....to get kudos for the Murder Squad.
Conway and Moran continue their inquiries and get a whiff of another boyfriend in Aislinn's life, a mysterious man who might be a gangster. The partners also get the feeling that certain members of the Murder Squad are trying to derail the investigation.
Could there be corruption in police ranks? Maybe even gang ties? The partners plan to find out.
Most of the action in the book revolves around questioning witnesses. There are long interrogation scenes during which the police use various strategies to get the witnesses and suspects off-balance and talking. These techniques - especially those devised by Conway - are described in great detail.
There's a good bit of suspense as Conway and Moran try to find Aislinn's killer.....and events take some unexpected turns.
I like Tana French's books but this wasn't one of my favorites. For me the numerous extended interrogation scenes became tiresome. I also found the atmosphere in the Murder Squad troubling, with the male detectives hassling Conway: spitting in her coffee, peeing in her locker, stealing her witness statements, etc.
This kind of thing is unacceptable and Conway should have done something about it.....especially since she's pretty badass in other areas of her life. I was happy, at least, that Conway didn't buckle to pressure from Detective Breslin.
Overall, this is a good story that leads to a satisfactory climax. I'd recommend the book to mystery readers, especially fans of the Murder Squad series.
Rating: 3 stars
