What I Read in September

I just knew if I didn't get this out today, it wouldn't happen for at least a week, so here we go.

All ratings are on a scale from 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

THE OTHER WOMAN by Hank Phillippi Ryan - 4

Disgraced Boston TV Reporter Jane Ryland is trying to rebuild your life with a job on a newspaper.  Her first assignment is to get an interview with a Senate candidate's wife.  But Jane begins to suspect there is more going on than meets the eye - like the Senator is having an affair.  Meanwhile, several dead bodies are showing up.  Is there a serial killer on the loose?  There are so many plot threads and characters that it took forever for me to get into the book.  Once I did, it was a fun ride and I couldn't put down.  Worth the effort, but it took about 100 pages to really start to click.

DEATH OF A NEIGHBORHOOD WITCH by Laura Levine - 5

Jaine usually gets along well with her neighbors, but no one gets along well with Cryptessa Muldoon the star of an old one season sitcom.  But when someone kills Cryptessa during a Halloween party while wearing Jaine's costume, she leaps to the top of the suspect list.  Can she clear her name?  As always, this is a fun and funny mystery.  I was laughing at some of the sub-plots while wondering what secret and twist Jaine would uncover next.

NERDS: THE VILLAIN VIRUS by Michael Buckley - 5

Flinch takes center stage in this fourth book in a middle grade series.  Part James Bond spoof part adventure, it's another fun ride as everyone on earth starts trying to take it over.  And the team survive a new school and figure out why everyone is turning evil and how to stop it?  I've loved all of these books so far and can't wait for next year's entry already.

FROZEN HEAT by Richard Castle - 4

When Nikki arrives at her newest case, she's puzzled by how the woman wound up in a freezer truck.  But then she finds a clue that links this woman with the cold case of her mother's murder.  Will she finally solve that mystery as well as solving this current one?  As a fan of the show, I was surprised they went here before they resolved the parallel plot on the show.  But fans don't need to worry because this book goes off in a completely different direction.  There are lots of twists to keep you entertained.  Sadly, the writing is still poor, but you can still get through it.