Book Review: Barcelona Skyline

Get to know David C. Hall on Friday!!!

By: David C. Hall

From the Back Cover:

Chicago restaurateur Elso Bari specializes in locating those who don’t want to be found, but in the shadowy worlds of private security and organized crime, it can be hard to distinguish the hunters from the hunted.

Elso Bari runs a restaurant in Chicago, and a sideline in private investigation. A stylish connoisseur of fine wines and gourmet cuisine, he’s also no stranger to the seedier side of city life. His debt to a powerful organization obliges him to investigate the suspicious death of one of its employees, a man with ties to international art trafficking. The trail leads Elso to Barcelona, where he becomes entangled in the hunt for a female contract killer who uses sex as a weapon—and is too smart to be tracked down by just anybody. Elso is comfortable moving in the shadows, but the deeper he delves into the criminal underworld, the harder it is to know whom he’s working for and whom he’s seeking, let alone why. Award-winning author David C. Hall navigates the murky waters of morality and transports the hard-boiled American thriller to the Mediterranean, giving a cosmopolitan twist to this action-packed tale of murder, sex, and betrayal.

My Two Cents:

If someone had told me prior to reading this book that I would become enthralled in a mystery surrounding art trafficking – I would have told them to stop drinking.  Okay, I may have first queried whether there was such a thing...but then I would have laughed. Once I began reading, I was thoroughly sucked into the art underworld right along with Elso Bari.  I loved straight-forward, edgy Elso – the mercenary with a heart. He was just the right balance of caring and hard ass. Mr. Hall brought Barcelona alive, with his knowledge of the good, bad, and ugly of the Mediterranean hotspot.  It was a page-turner from start to finish, and the suspense never waned. The ending left open the possibility of another adventure with Elso, which I am eagerly awaiting.

I give it     and a

Stop by Friday and meet the author, 

David C. Hall!!

Updated Book Review: DEAD WRONG - Just Released!!!

By: Connie Dial

From the Back Cover:

Captain Josie Corsino has selected Kyle Richards, a trusted and talented sergeant, to supervise a burglary task force in Hollywood division.  While working that special detail, Richards is involved in a fatal shooting.  He's reluctant to be candid about his relationship with the man he killed and that leads not only to uncovering his mysterious past but exposing Josie's division to notoriety and a fiery assault.

As detectives investigate the shooting, Josie's loyalty to her sergeant is second guessed by her bureau chief, civil rights activists, and even a few of her police officers.  Was the shooting justified or did Sergeant Richards have another reason for killing the unlikely burglary suspect?  Before that question can be answered, there's a brutal murder in Hollywood in which Richards appears to be the most likely suspect.  Josie wants to support her supervisor but finds herself questioning his actions and his motives.

Josie joins forces with Detective Red Behan and Lieutenant Marge Bailey to help solve the murder and determine if there is a link between the man Richards shot and the homicide victim.  The trail leads from a boxing gym in East LA to LAPD's office of the chief of police and finally back to Hollywood where Josie discovers corrupt cops thriving within her police station.

At home, Josie is becoming impatient and distant with her husband and her son who continue to make demands on her time.  She also finds herself drawn to Sergeant Richards, creating even greater domestic turmoil.

My Two Cents:

Strong female cop in charge, works hard to exonerate a fellow cop while struggling to believe he did not intentionally shot another cop, all the while fighting the urge to have a fling with him.  I liked the mystery, but was able to figure out the 'whodunnit' as the key players were introduced.  The ending was more of a "I knew it," and less "wow, that was a cool twist."  The relationship between Josie and her husband, Jake, was very touching, and I got the sense of a lifelong commitment, and the struggles that come up in any marriage. The love triangle never really materialized for me, and seemed underplayed.  I never really got the sense that Josie was all that close to crossing the line.

A good summer read, with an interesting mystery.

I give it    and a 

The Most Amazing Thing

Every once in a while you come across a person that makes you smile…all the time.  They have an unlimited amount of charm, ooze personality, with the ability to turn even the most mundane into “laugh out loud” moments.  

I met that person 14 years ago today…

She was ready to enter the world, and waited for no one – not even her doctor.  She decided not to put her mother through the rigors of a long labor with hours of pushing (for which I am eternally grateful).  I was told to push, then immediately to hold my breath, and then introduced to 8lbs of pure joy – Courtney had arrived.

To say she has always been sassy is like saying women sort of like chocolate.  No matter what she was wearing, the girl would stand with her hand on her hip and a butt cheek hanging out of her diaper.  
No. Matter. What. 


Over the years, I became accustomed to people telling me Courtney was as sweet as honey, with a certain sparkle in her mischievous brown eyes.  Nothing could have prepared me for the end of her first week at preschool, when we walked in to a chorus of children singing, “COURTNEY!” and running towards us, all trying to be the first to give her a hug.  My generous little ringlet covered girl had a smile for every one of them.

Not much has changed…she held the title of Little Miss Personality for many years, and has now exchanged that for Miss Social Butterfly.  She is taking many upper level courses in school, but has already completed her degree in texting with a master’s in social media.  

I often wonder what tomorrow will bring.  I am so looking forward to first dates, prom, graduation.  And while all of that is great – I am sometimes melancholy wishing time would slow down so I can have my little girl for a while longer.  She is growing into such an amazing young woman…but I miss my sassy little hipster that was so proud of her butt… 

Every once in a while your life is touched - perhaps only for a brief moment - by someone who brings joy with the simplicity of a dimpled smile.  I have been blessed with that joy every day for the past 14 years…how lucky am I?