What's this? Kim only read four books this month? The truth is that I began the Pulitzer Prize winning "John Adams" near the beginning of the month and got bogged down in it. It is a fantastic book, but it is dense, and I needed to take a break. Here are the other books I read.
The Flower Master by Sujata Massey (1999) -- Mystery, 3rd in the Rei Shimura series; this book explores a murder in a Japanese ikebana (flower arranging) school. Unforeseen murderer with fascinating details of Japanese flower-arranging culture made this book enjoyable.
To Wed a Wicked Prince by Jane Feather (2008) -- Historical romance; after two weeks of John Adams I needed something light--this was light, but unsatisfying because the plot of an English girl being pursued by a Russian prince for political and personal reasons was shallow and hard to follow.
Moment of Truth by Lisa Scottoline (2000) -- Legal suspense; rookie lawyer takes case of a man so determined to plead guilty to killing his wife that the lawyer and detective start to look for reasons he must be innocent. Engrossing mystery with a few minor flaws, but well-defined plot.
Paradise Lost by J.A. Jance (2001) -- (New author for me) Mystery; 9th in the Joanna Brady series, Brady is a sheriff in Arizona dealing with a dead body found in the desert by her daughter on a Girl Scouts camping trip. The cleanest mystery I've ever read with a simple plot and emotional, feel-good female detective work--a little dull.
