Finished Rough Weather by Robert B. Parker. This is the latest book in his long-running series about Boston private investigator Spenser.

In this one, Spenser is hired to attend a wedding. Good thing, since armed men storm in, shoot the groom, and kidnap the bride. Although he can’t prevent the kidnapping, Spenser vows to get to the bottom of things, especially since the kidnappers are led by his old enemy the Gray Man.

I’ve read all the Spenser books and reviewed so many here on the blog that it’s hard to find something new to say. Parker delivers his usual snappy dialogue and fast narrative. There’s also a lot of action at the beginning, which really pulled me into the story. I did guess the Gray Man’s motives toward the end of the book, and I thought one person’s involvement in the kidnapping was extremely transparent.

Still, this is one of the best Spenser novels that I’ve read in a while. If you’re looking for a quick, easy read, this one won’t disappoint. Thumbs up.

Up next: No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole.

Books in my TBR pile: About 20.

Finished Now You Die by Roxanne St. Claire. This is the third and final book in a trilogy (and sixth overall) in her Bullet Catchers romantic suspense series.

This book finally answers the trilogy’s overall question of who sent an innocent woman, Eileen Stafford, to jail for a murder she didn’t commit and why. It also features the romance between Lucy Monroe, the head of the BCs, and Jack Culver, a former BC that Lucy fired for lying to her.

I’ve been looking forward to Lucy’s story for a while now, as she has been such a strong character in the other books. For the most part, I was pleased. Lucy remains just as strong and capable in this book as she has been in the others, even while she’s falling for Jack. We also learn more about Lucy’s background, including the tragic loss that drives her.

However, I didn’t think Jack’s character was quite as strongly developed. Or maybe that’s just because I haven’t been reading about him for six books now. Still, I thought he was a good match for Lucy.

As for the murder mystery, I liked the way that St. Claire wove everything together from the first two books, like the tattoos on the adopted babies and Eileen’s memories of the murder. It all fit together nicely. Although I did guess the “big twist” and who the murderer really was about halfway through the book. And I did enjoy the big showdown at the end.

Overall, this was a nice conclusion to a solid trilogy. Thumbs up. There’s another BC book due out later this year, and I’ll be reading it.

Up next: Rough Weather by Robert B. Parker.

Books in my TBR pile: About 20.

Finished Then You Hide by Roxanne St. Claire. This is the second book in her Bullet Catchers romantic suspense trilogy (and fifth BC book overall) about the search for three sisters who were given up for adoption 30 years ago.

In this one, potential BC and sharpshooter Wade Cordell is sent to the Caribbean to track down Vanessa Porter, who is one of three sisters the BCs are looking for in order to find a bone marrow match for their dying, imprisoned mother. Wade thinks the job — getting Vanessa to come back to the States and have a bone marrow test — will be easy. Until he meets Vanessa and realizes what a dynamo she is. Vanessa is searching for her best friend, who abruptly resigned from his job and claims to be enjoying life in the tropics. But Vanessa is suspicious and rightly so, since people she know keep ending up dead …

I have to say that Vanessa is one of my favorite BC heroines thus far. She’s smart, tough, and doesn’t take crap from anyone — not even Wade. She’s a driven, selfmade woman who loves her job and is totally committed to it. I also liked the fact that Vanessa was the one who had commitment issues and more casual attitudes about sex than Wade. The role reversal was a nice chance of pace.

I would say that this book leans more toward the suspense end of the scale than romance. In addition to Vanessa’s search for her friend, we also get several scenes about the overall mystery — who framed Eileen Stafford for murder and fathered her children. But I enjoyed the emphasis on the mysteries, and the villian in regards to Vanessa’s arc was completely surprising. St. Claire throws in a nice twist there.

Overall, a good continuation of the overall plot of the trilogy and a nice, main mystery to try to puzzle out. I’m looking forward to finishing the next book. Thumbs up.

Up next: Now You Die by Roxanne St. Claire.

Books in my TBR pile: About 20.

What about you guys? What are you reading in the new year? Share in the comments.

Finished First You Run by Roxanne St. Claire. This is the fourth novel in her Bullet Catchers romantic suspense series and the first in a BC trilogy that came out in 2008.

In this one, hunky Australian BC Adrian Fletcher is sent to track down Dr. Miranda Lang, who may be the daughter of Eileen Stafford, a woman wrongly convicted of murder. Eileen gave up her baby some 30 years ago and is now dying in jail from leukemia. A bone marrow transplant is her only hope, hence the search for her daughter.

But Miranda has her own problems. She’s written a book on the Mayan doomsday prophecy, and someone is trying to silence her – permanently. Good thing Adrian’s around to offer his professional help. Too bad he’s lying to Miranda about his motives and is on the verge of falling for her …

This book is a little different than the other BC titles in that it’s part of a trilogy within the series, and the plot cuts back and forth between Miranda and Adrian and former BC Jack Culver, who’s trying to prove Eileen’s innocence. But I enjoyed the two overall plots and thought that they were nicely balanced.

St. Claire brings her usual dose of sass and suspense to this book, as Miranda and Adrian fall for each other and try to track down who wants to hurt Miranda and why at the same time. I thought the romance was well done in this one, although the suspense part of the plot (and the bad guy) wasn’t quite as good as in previous BC books, especially Thrill Me to Death.

But overall, another solid entry in the series and the start of a promising trilogy. Thumbs up.

Up next: Then You Hide by Roxanne St. Claire.

Books in my TBR pile: About 20.