I am slowly but surely approaching the point "Stop the schedule, I want to get off!" followed closely by "I'm convinced that the terrorists are using the constant playing of'' Frosty the Snowman' to bring us to our knees!" Certainly, I'm not implying that I am anymore harassed than anyone else, at this time of year, but I do deplore the constant barrage of catalogues, special offers at food chains, and pleas for financial help for not only well-known charities but those who only come out of the woodwork at Christmastime!

Today, as I'm writing this, it is a lovely, sunny day with 67 degrees of pleasant warmth, but, as I was told when I moved out here as an astonished bride--"Wait 15 minutes and it'll change!"--so, tomorrow it will probably snow. Bought all your presents yet--or are you still hiding under the bed, sucking your thumb? Come on out and get busy and picture the smiles on the faces of those who will receive a remembrance from you. One of my best friends told her husband, "No more jewelry!" I think she should get a psychiatric evaluation and I certainly won't let HImself hear that! 

Speaking about Himself, a retired lawyer, one of the several best-known authors of fiction is a former lawyer--Jefferey Deaver--and his newest does not feature the paraplegic, brilliant criminologist, Lincoln Rhyme, but a new protagonist, Brynn McKenzie, and her nasty adventure in "The Bodies Left Behind."  One word is said over a cell phone--"This--"--and the line went dead, so Brynn is sent, by her boss, Sheriff Tom Dahl, to go "check it out" and she obediently leaves her mom, son, and husband for a simple check up call --probably for nothing, right?

Wrong!  "Brynn stumbles onto a scene of true horror and narrowly escapes from two professional criminals---she and a terrified visitor to the weekend house, Michelle, flee into the woods in a race for their lives." They are diametrically opposed--Brynn is a tough, no-holds-barred law enforcement deputy and Michaelle is--well, a city/society girl--and they learn--quickly--to trust each other and use their wits and courage to outwit and outrun two real nasty guys! Brynn's disappearance brings her new husband and her son in on the chase as the two women head for the deep woods in a race to stay alive.   Deaver is known for --and delights in--devious twists and turns and writes a wonderful hard-to-put-down story.

Another excellent  storyteller is Deborah Crombie, a resident of McKinney, Texas when she isn't researching her novels in Scotland and England (where they're set) and she always garners raves for her who-dun-its--the latest being " Where Memories Lie". Gemma James and then-inspector Duncan Kincaid have long been partners and very good friends--Gemma got promoted, they married, children are in the picture and Genna is now Det. Inspector.

Her neighbor, Erika Rosenthal, while being a good and friendly neighbor to Gemma has always been very secretive about her past, other than telling Gemma that she and her long-dead husband, David, came as refugees from Nazi Germany. But now Erika needs Gemma's professional help.  A very valuable and unique jewelry piece was stolen from her years ago but now has "mysteriously turned up at a prestigious London auction house" (think Christie's). The strong possibility, in Ericka's mind, is that the theft is entangled in the web of facts of her husband's death, "which had always been assumed a suicide." 

There are many threads in this story--Gemma's mother being diagnosed with Leukemia, her relationship with her dad, Erika's story of the Nazi's terrible "Night of Glass", detectives trying to identify all clues, the emotions of Kit, Gemma's son and Toby, the youngest and Kincaid's son, and the fate of the people in Ericka's story--past and present. We all, like Erika, erect barriers and shells about us, to shut out what's unpleasant and even unbearable. You'll be in admiration for all the people in Crombie's story, so come in and take it home.

Michael Connelly is, indeed, on of this country's greatest Fiction writers, according to a lot--a lot--of expert literary minds--and Gentleman's Quarterly (now, there's a literary board of contributors) calls him "The Best Mystery Writer in the World"--so, here's a chance to read him again and decide for yourself. "The Brass Verdict" features, essentially, two brilliant, eccentric loners who have to team up to bring justice--Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch--"flip sides of the same coin, Haller and Bosch rarely see eye to eye on the law" but as the danger, red level rises, it occurs to them both that they will have to be a team.

Haller's former colleague is murdered and he, Haller, now has the task of defending Walter Eliot, a producer who's accused of murdering his wife and her lover and Eliot is no help. Then while Haller has the pressure of preparing for trial, he learns that the killer of his former friend and colleague may be coming after him.  (Tends to raise the  anxiety level when your life may be next!)  Well, Bosch wants to find Vincent's killer--Haller's former colleague--and is thinking maybe it's a good idea to use Haller to smoke him out. The dialog is excellent between the two, Bosch's now-separated -from wife and his daughter bring a very human element to the grim story, and do they catch the killer? Get the book and find out--you'll enjoy it and, remember, I'm never wrong! 

Let me put in a quick "plug" for our Large Type books--well-known authors, varied plots or, in the case of non-fiction, titles you will recognize, and the wonderful large print that, at the very least, makes the book "go faster"! 

Steve Berry is the superior author of stories that are predicated from actual ancient maps and writings that most of us have never read or seen, nor will be likely to. "The Charlemagne Pursuit " is his newest and it's excellent!  There are many different elements in this story of family, Aryan ancestry, Charlemagne's treasure, Germany, twin sisters on a mission from their mother and hating each other, and the last voyage of their submarine captain father.

There are deadly actions taken and a lot of family and country history injected into the drama. "As a child, former Justice Dept. agent, Cotton Malone, was told his father died in a submarine disaster in the North Atlantic and he wants the full story." He does get the files and learns that his father's sub was nuclear powered and was lost and never recovered and info recovered by his father and info on the Nazis and clear back 1200 yrs. ago crosses the radar of the ambitious admiral who is out to make wrong use of all the facts gathered.  From a German cathedral, to a French citadel to the icy, implacable Antarctica, this adventure story plays out in one of the Fall season's most exciting adventure stories.

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous, today is absolutely miserable with wind, snow flurries and scraping windshields--ah, well, as I said at the top of this column, wait 15 minutes and it'll change! Next time you read a column from me, I will be doing it from Kerrville, Tx. and it will be in a temp of around 72 degrees--and no snow--so there. This will be in January so, please, have a great holiday season and know that I'm thinking of you and wishing you a very Merry Christmas and lots of interesting things in your stocking--surely you don't deserve lumps of coal!  Make sure your animals stay fed and warm, give simple gifts from the heart, and remember all those many people who are less fortunate than you are--there, but for the grace of God, go any of us at any time.  Himself and I wish you warmth and kindness given and returned and a candy cane (and certainly a cup of hot tea and a good book to read!) Bye!