This is no Janet Evanovich fluff piece, you’re not going to laugh out loud and you may get confused once or twice trying to figure out just who is supposed to be good and who’s bad. At one point I thought, “This is worse than a Dan Brown novel with all these double and triple crosses!” Still I enjoyed the quick pace, the thrilling show down and the ending, which left it clear we can expect more Camel Club books in the future.

The only real problem is that the “in love with two different men” trick can only carry for so long. At some point, she’s going to have to pick and a big portion of the fan base is going to be aggravated. Personally, I’m ready for her to pick one and I don’t really care which one, but I know there are millions of fans who feel otherwise (as evidenced by the cheesy stickers that come with this book – I love Morelli or I love Ranger – what is this – TWILIGHT?! Are we a bunch of 12 year-olds?).

If you love highly intelligent thrillers, like Tom Clancy, this is probably not going to do it for you. Read “Unbroken” or a David Baldacci novel instead.

Thanks to Laura F for suggesting and loaning this to me.

“Port Mortuary” is a Scarpetta novel which are always her best, clearly she’s at home with the characters. This time, she seems to take a few too many liberties with the characters, trying a looser style with the plot in an attempt to keep the reader guessing. Instead, it makes Kay Scarpetta, usually the sharpest character in the book, seem befuddled and slow to respond. Not only is that out of character, it dulls the novel. If Kay can’t figure it out, how/why should I?

That Kay’s decisions are called in to question, that Benton’s loyalties seem divided, that Marino has a big mouth, all of these are ongoing character issues that will surprise no one who’s read another Scarpetta book.

I wasn’t as disappointed in “Port Mortuary” as I have been with some of Cornwell’s other recent novels. The ending didn’t seem thrown together to meet a writing deadline. The story did move quickly, though not as thrilling as her earliest novels. If you’re stuck in an airport and longing for a cheap thrill, get it. Just don’t be surprised if you make an effort to take it back a few weeks later to get your 50% off back.

As a bonus, if you hate your in-laws, there are some fantastic one liners that you may want to practice.

It’s not a deep thinking book. The ending is a bit too abrupt and trite, and yet it’s still worth reading. If you’re into suspenseful and steamy books for the beach, this would fit the bill.

If you can’t relate at all to Hiaasen’s views, you’re probably not going to enjoy his books.  His opinions permeate every page. My favorite thing about Hiaasen is his hilarious take on villains. Most of his ”bad guys” are total idiots, almost all of them have bizarre quirks that add to their hilarity. “Puppy” is no exception and perhaps even goes TOO far into the realm of weirdness. But hey, his books aren’t supposed to be believable, just funny.

“Skinny Dip” remains my long time favorite and is perfect for a guy (or gal) in your life who has a great sense of humor and enjoys a mild mystery.

Still it has all your favorites back and in the action again – Lulu, Grandma, Morelli, Ranger and Rex. While Janet has it down to a formula, few can argue that it’s not a winning formula. Her books are easy and fun to read, they nearly always have you laughing out loud at least once, and they appeal to most any adult.

If you like Janet Evanovich, you may also like “Skinny Dip” by Carl Hiaasen or Janet’s other heroine in “Metro Girl“.

While the book got a little strange towards the end, it was a gripping tale with enough twists and turns to keep you going. If you like the old John Grisham books, you’ll probably enjoy “Taken” as well.

And in case you’re wondering, it is NOT related to the Liam Neeson movie.

I just finished “Tourist Season” by Hiaasen and while it had me chuckling once or twice, it was less than his best. Still, it wasn’t as bad as “Strip Tease” which I found to be so tedious that I never finished.

“Tourist Season” stars a poor private investigator who’s hired to find an old friend of his, who has since stolen his woman. There’s also a rash of murders of tourists by a band of lunatics, including a former NFL player. And, naturally, there is a man-eating crocodile involved.

The lead character was likable enough. The villains weren’t quite as creative as Hiaasen sometimes includes. His unlikely heroes came in the form of Shriners from out of town, which was nominally amusing, but eventually seemed to fall a little flat.

Hiaasen has a love of Florida, which is glorified in his books, particularly the Everglades. So if you live in Florida, or just love visiting there, you may enjoy that angle. His books always have a “mystery” in them, though sometimes it is bizarre or simplistic. And there’s usually a beautiful woman who is either the damsel in the distress or the villain, depending on the novel.

Still Hiaasen has a sense of humor that is both dark and sometimes deeply hilarious.

At the crux of the plot is a female director called in to a movie shoot that’s had a million kinds of bad luck. And our hero is a special forces consultant called in to help out the movie star get his stunts right.

There are some laugh out loud moments, many of which surround the references to comic book shops and Wonder Woman underwear – but you’ll have to read it to get in on the joke!

There’s a cute little kid (isn’t that a prereq anymore?), a psychotic killer, helicopters, stolen jade and a one-eyed alligator. It’s sort of like “Romancing the Stone” in book form.

You’re not going to learn anything from reading “Don’t Look Down” but it probably won’t make you stupider

For some reason, it appears that Patterson thought that by going super gruesome, he could stimulate excitement about his books again. I’m all for gruesome when it fits the story and is appropriate. I’ve read “The Hot Zone” (my review) and I like Patricia Cornwell novels and yet I would still say that Patterson pushed it too far. Boiling children alive in oil? Putting grenades in people’s orifices? Raping dead women? If you want to read the “Saw” of books, go for it, but that’s not what I’m looking for.

The villain, called Tiger, seemed like an interesting character, but he never really developed beyond a shadowy figure (cue spooky music). And the big confrontation scene ended was to simply and conveniently. Was Patterson’s deadline looming so he just threw in something?

I thought I had learned my lesson after “Judge & Jury” (my review). But then I spotted “Cross Country” and all those fond memories of the good old days with Alex Cross flooded me and I forgot all common sense, picked it up and read it. And I regretted it. Learn from my mistakes! “You’ve Been Warned” (that book is terrible, do not read it!!!!).