440. Scandal (Pamela Britton)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Charles Reinleigh Drummond Montgomery, sixth earl of Sherborne, who earned disfavor from his late uncle by accidentally running over the old man's vicious dog, is now heir to the family fortune. However, the will has one condition: Rein must live anonymously, and without financial aid, among the common people for one month. Orphaned Anna Rose Brooks lives with her grandfather, an eccentric, penniless inventor, and Rein literally falls head-over-heels for her when her kite crashes into his head. Feeling obligated to see to his wound, she takes him home, where he cleverly negotiates room and board. Rein soon discovers that her "kite" is really a unique sail designed to win the purse in a prestigious fastest boat contest, and he develops enormous admiration for her intelligence and ingenuity.

My rating: 2 stars

439. Seduction In Mind (Susan Johnson)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Alexandra Ionides, who occasionally poses as a nude model and also paints, supports her scandalous pastimes with her inheritances from her two deceased husbands. Her lush beauty and unusual lifestyle captivate Samuel Lennox, Viscount Ranelagh, a renowned rogue, lover and high-stakes gambler. Determined to own one of Alex's risque portraits as well as the lady herself, Sam interrupts a sitting with the famous painter Frederic Leighton in order to make his intentions perfectly clear. As a rule, Alex dislikes men of Sam's ilk, and she rejects his advances even though she finds herself fiercely attracted to his self-assured, sexy demeanor. Sam is persistent, however, and, within a matter of days, Alex is lodged in his bed and deep in his heart.

My rating: 2 stars

438. Sarum (Edward Rutherford)

Synopsis from Amazon:
A first novel, Rutherfurd's sweeping saga of the area surrounding Stonehenge and Salisbury, England, covers 10,000 years and includes many generations of five families. Each family has one or more characteristic types who appear in successive centuries: the round-headed balding man who is good with his hands; the blue-eyed blonde woman who insists on having her independence; the dark, narrow-faced fisher of river waters and secrets. Their fortunes rise and fall both economically and politically, but the land triumphs over the passage of time and the ravages of humans.

My rating: 2 stars

437. Time of the Twins (Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman)

Source: www.mattstawicki.com

Synopsis from Amazon:
Sequestered in the blackness of the dreaded Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas, surrounded by nameless creatures of evil, Raistlin Majere weaves a plan to conquer the darkness -- to bring it under his control. Crysania, a beautiful and devoted cleric of Paladine, tries to use her faith to lead Raistlin from the darkness. She is blind to his shadowed designs, and he draws her slowly into his neatly woven trap. Made aware of Raistlin’s plan, a distraught Caramon travels back in time to the doomed city of Istar in the days before the Cataclysm. There, together with the ever-present kender Tasslehoff, Caramon will make his stand to save Raistlin’s soul. Or so he believes.

My rating: 4 stars

436. Loving Julia (Karen Robards)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Fate brings cockney commoner Jewel Combs to the mansion on Grosvenor Square to face the icy demeanor of Sebastian Peyton, Earl of Mooreland. She doesn't know why blue-blooded Sebastian accepts the sudden challenge to transform her into "Julia Stratham" -- to turn a diamond in the rough into a glittering gem -- but she knows his plans will give her a home where she will never be hungry, shivering or frightened again. And "Julia" has a little surprise of her own in store for this breathtaking man: she'll show him that although she isn't a lady, she is all woman.

My rating: 4 stars

435. A Well Pleasured Lady (Christina Dodd)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Powerful Sebastian Durant, Viscount Whitfield, has good cause to hate the Fairchild family, so when his godmother requests Sebastian's help in regaining an incriminating diary she believes to have been stolen by the Fairchilds, he welcomes the opportunity to exact revenge. Lady Mary Fairchild, though estranged from her family for 10 years, is loath to aid the Viscount. Unfortunately, her loyalty to his godmother, and the knowledge that Sebastian is privy to the dark secret she hides from the world, compels her to cooperate. The handsome Viscount and the beautiful Lady Mary pose as engaged lovers, and their charade soon becomes reality as they untangle a web of lies, theft, and betrayal that threatens their very lives.

My rating: 4 stars

434. More than a Mistress (Mary Balogh)

The Burr-Hamilton Duel -- the most famous duel in American history?

Synopsis from Amazon:
When Jane Ingleby tries to stop a duel, Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, is wounded. So it's surprising that she ends up employed as his nurse ... and ultimately his mistress as well. But as their relationship blossoms, Jocelyn commits the unpardonable sin of falling in love. In this refreshingly unconventional romance, which boasts an outspoken, memorable heroine, the author again pushes the edges of the genre.

My rating: 4 stars

433. Honor's Splendour (Julie Garwood)

Synopsis from Amazon:
In the feuding English court, gentle Lady Madelyne suffered the cruel whims of her ruthless brother, Baron Louddon. Then, in vengeance for a bitter crime, Baron Duncan of Wexton — the Wolf — unleashed his warriors against Louddon's main. Exquisite Madelyne was the prize he catured ... but when he gazed upon the proud beauty, he pledged to protect her with his life. In his rough-hewn castle, Duncan proved true to his honor. But when at last their noble passion conquered them both, she surrendered with all her soul. Now, for love, Madelyne would stand fast ... as bravely as her Lord, the powerful Wolf who fought for ... Honor's Splendour.

My rating: 2 stars

432. Menage (Emma Holly)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Philadelphia bookstore owner Kate comes home from work one day to find her two flatmates in bed together. Joe -- a sensitive composer -- is mortified. Sean -- an irrepressible bad boy -- asks her to join in. As they embark on a polysexual menage a trois, Kate wants nothing more than to keep both her admirers happy. However, things become complicated. Kate has told everyone that Sean is gay, but now he and Kate are acting like lovers. Can the three of them live happily ever after -- together?

My rating: 4 stars

431. Towards Zero (Agatha Christie)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Neville Strange, his wives (past and present), friends, and family converge for a late summer weekend. When two seemingly unrelated murders occur, it's up to Superintendent Battle to go back twenty years to uncover the truth.

My rating: 4 stars

Publication information:

• 160 pp.
• 8vo.
• Bound in original red cloth
• Title stamped in black on spine
• London: Crime Club / Collins
• 1944

430. Gallows Thief (Bernard Cornwell)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
It is Britain in the 1820s. After the wars with France, with unemployment high and soldiers paid off, the government lives in mortal fear of social unrest. The solution is draconian punishment for any crime, and thousands die on the gallows. But despite this, it was possible to petition the King and instigate an investigation. Cornwell's new hero Rider Sandman is a hero of Waterloo struggling to repay his family debts when he becomes involved in the case of a man waiting to be hanged in Newgate prison. Given the job by the Home Secretary of investigating the man's guilt or innocence, Sandman finds himself knee-deep in labyrinthine plots involving bribes, sedition and a massive conspiracy of silence.

My rating: 4 stars

429. The Codex (Douglas Preston)

The ruins of Palenque

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Greetings from the dead," Maxwell Broadbent declared from the videotape he left behind after his mysterious disappearance. A notorious treasure hunter and tomb robber, Maxwell accumulated a priceless collection of rare art, gems, and artefacts before vanishing completely -- along with all his riches. At first, robbery is suspected, but the truth proves far stranger: as a final challenge to his three sons, Maxwell has buried himself and his treasures somewhere in the world, hidden away like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. If his sons wish to claim their inheritance, they must find their father's concealed tomb. Furthermore, Maxwell's priceless possessions include a codex-an ancient Mayan manuscript that contains all the lost arts of Mayan herbal medicine, secrets that have the capacity to revolutionize pharmacology. The codex is worth billions, and one pharmaceutical company CEO has sent mercenaries after it with orders to kill anyone in their way, including the beautifully enigmatic woman accompanying one of them. Now the race is on, with more and more people competing for the treasure -- including some who will stop at nothing to succeed.

My rating: 4 stars

428. A Death in Vienna (Daniel Silva)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon is sent to Vienna to discover the truth behind a bombing which killed an old friend -- a Nazi hunter. While there he encounters something that turns his whole life upside down. Each fact he uncovers only leads to more questions until finally a picture emerges which is more terrible than he could have ever imagined -- a portrait of evil stretching across 60 years and thousands of lives into his own personal nightmares.

My rating: 4 stars

427. The Defection of A. J. Lewinter (Robert Littell)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
A.J. Lewinter is an American scientist, for years an insignificant cog in America's complex defence machinery. While at an academic conference in Tokyo, he contacts the KGB station chief and tells him he wants to defect. He tantalizes the Russians with U.S. military secrets he claims to possess, but is his defection genuine? Neither the Russians nor the Americans are sure and Lewinter is swept up in a terrifying political chess-match of deceit and treachery. Each side struggles to anticipate its opponents next move and the superpowers are locked in a deadly contest that exploits friendships, destroys loyalties, and manipulates human beings as expendable pawns.

My rating: 4 stars

426. Travels with My Aunt (Graham Greene)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Henry Pulling, a retired bank manager, meets his old aunt for the first time in over 50 years. She persuades him to travel with her. Through his aunt, a veteran of Europe's hotel bedrooms, Henry joins a shiftless, twilight society coming alive after a dull suburban lifetime.

My rating: 4 stars

Publication information:

• 1969
• Penguin Books
• 272 pp
• ISBN 0-14-018501-1

425. Dragons of Spring Dawning (Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman)

Source: www.mattstawicki.com

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Finally armed with dragonlances, a group of heroes, composed of a knight, barbarian, dwarf, and half-elf, face a deadly showdown with the evil dragons and Takhisis, the Queen of Darkness.

My rating: 4 stars

424. It's in His Kiss (Julia Quinn)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Gareth St. Clair is in a bind. His father, who detests him, is determined to beggar the St. Clair estates and ruin his inheritance. Gareth's sole bequest is an old family diary, which may or may not contain the secrets of his past ... and the key to his future. The problem is -- it's written in Italian, of which Gareth speaks not a word. All the ton agreed: there was no one quite like Hyacinth Bridgerton. She's fiendishly smart, devilishly outspoken and -- according to Gareth -- probably best in small doses. But there's something about her -- something charming and vexing -- that grabs him and won't quite let go .... To Hyacinth, Gareth's every word seems a dare, and she offers to translate his diary, even though her Italian is slightly less than perfect. But as they delve into the mysterious text, they discover that the answers they seek lie not in the diary, but in each other ... and that there is nothing as simple -- or as complicated -- as a single, perfect kiss.

My rating: 3 stars

423. The Stargazer (Michele Jaffe)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
A tale set in Renaissance Venice. Bianca is the brilliant, beautiful daughter of a renowned docter. Ian Foscari is a handsome aristocrat notorious for his romantic conquests. Each has reason to suspect the other of a deadly crime. To prove their innocence they join together to find the killer.

My rating: 4 stars

422. How to Trap a Tycoon (Elizabeth Bevarley)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
The author of a bestseller on marrying a millionaire, staid sociology professor Dorsey MacGuinness transforms herself into a sultry bombshell to do research on the topic, never expecting to fall in love with one of her subjects.

My rating: 2 stars

421. Slightly Wicked (Mary Balogh)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Lord Rannulf Bedwyn is a hard man to resist. To Judith Law, Rannulf is simply a dream come true, a heroic stranger with whom she will allow herself one night of reckless passion before she must settle for the dreary life of companion to her wealthy aunt. However, a shock is in store for her when that same stranger arrives at Harewood Grange to woo her cousin. Judith holds firm against Rannulf's advances, both honourable and otherwise. But then, scandal rocks the household and threatens her name and her very liberty, and it is Rannulf who rides to her rescue. But can true love grow out of something ever so slightly wicked ...?

My rating: 3 stars

420. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
There was a time when reading Joseph Heller's classic satire on the murderous insanity of war was nothing less than a rite of passage. Echoes of Yossarian, the wise-ass bombardier who was too smart to die but not smart enough to find a way out of his predicament, could be heard throughout the counterculture. As a result, it's impossible not to consider Catch-22 to be something of a period piece. But 40 years on, the novel's undiminished strength is its looking-glass logic. Again and again, Heller's characters demonstrate that what is commonly held to be good, is bad; what is sensible, is nonsense.

My rating: 5 stars

Publication information:

• 1961
• Simon and Schuster
• 443 pp
• ISBN 0-684-83339-5

419. Slightly Dangerous (Mary Balogh)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Balogh's fans have longed to see Wulfric, the imperturbable duke of Bewcastle, fall in love, and Balogh has created the perfect heroine to fell him — Christine Derrick, a lively but lowborn young widow who has a habit of getting herself into very improper situations. The two meet at a sedate house party, where Christine accidentally spills lemonade on the duke and then dares to laugh at him. Wulfric disapproves of Christine's working-class background and unladylike manners, but he can't help being enchanted by her effervescent personality. For her part, Christine disdains Wulf's icy, superior attitude, but she's drawn to him physically. As fans of the genre will anticipate, opposites attract no matter how hard the hero and heroine fight against it, and an unplanned sexual encounter complicates their feelings even further.

My rating: 3 stars

418. Only You (Elizabeth Lowell)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Made desperate by poverty and loss, Evelyn Starr Johnson sees a golden opportunity to win back her lost status by recovering the treasure map stolen from her murdered foster parents. And with nothing left to wager but her innocence, the beautiful card shark stares coolly at their killers across the poker table -- then stacks the deck and deals the winning hand to a handsome, unsuspecting stranger. When the exquisite temptress he won at a card game runs off with rest of his winnings, sharpshooter Matt 'Reno' Moran vows to hunt her down -- never dreaming it is his destiny to join forces with the thieving female on a dangerous search for hidden gold. But, come hell or high water, Reno is determined to reclaim everything that is rightfully his -- including the tempestuous woman who calls herself 'Evening Star', who Reno dares not love, but desires with all his soul.

My rating: 4 stars

417. Kiss and Tell (Cherry Adair)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Setting: Mountains of northern California, present day
Sensuality Rating: 9
Newcomer Cherry Adair takes no prisoners with her sexy romp of a novel, Kiss and Tell. Deftly combining suspense, romance, and humor to can't-put-this-book-down effect, Adair introduces readers to Marnie Wright, a computer analyst in the midst of a career crisis, and Jake Dolan, a top secret military agent running for his life. Jake's heavy-handed attempts to intimidate Marnie into leaving the mountaintop retreat where she's contemplating her next career move don't faze Marnie, whose four overprotective older brothers have left her testosterone-averse--unless of course the commands are issuing from the most sensual pair of lips she's ever clapped her blue eyes on. It's lust at first sight for the mountain man who has no time for blondes, no matter how nubile, and for feisty Marnie, who aggravates Jake even as she saves his bacon when the bad guys come after him.

My rating: 4 stars

416. Potent Pleasures (Eloisa James)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
When the young Lady Charlotte Caverstill attends a local masked ball while on holiday in the countryside, she has no intention of dishonoring herself. But a handsome man ignites an unknown passion in her, and she finds herself willingly following him into the shadows of the garden. Before the night is over, Charlotte has surrendered her heart, as well as her virginity, to this man whom she doesn't know. Though Alex McDonough Foakes spends the entire summer trying to track down the mysterious maiden from the masquerade ball, he cannot find her. Sent to Italy, he seeks solace in an ill-fated marriage, and returns years later a father, a widower, and a pessimist in love. When Alex meets Charlotte, he falls madly in love with her -- despite his inability to recognize her -- and proposes. She refuses. How can she marry a man who does not remember her after such an intimacy? And if she does, how can she explain her lack of virginity?

My rating: 3 stars

415. In My Wildest Dreams (Christina Dodd)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Beautiful 17-year-old Celeste Milford is only the gardener's daughter, but she falls madly in love with the younger brother of the very rich and powerful Garrick Throckmorton the Third. Lady Bucknell, proprietress of the Distinguished Academy of Governesses and a family friend, assesses the hopeless situation and graciously offers to enroll and train Celeste as a governess at her academy. So Celeste leaves for London and Paris, protesting loudly. Four years later, Celeste returns to Blythe Hall a poised, well-traveled, independent woman experienced with the intrigues of politics after a stint as governess to the children of the Russian ambassador. Hired by Garrick to be governess to his motherless daughter and niece, Celeste has a not-so-hidden agenda, for she plans to charm Ellery Throckmorton away from his fiancé. Garrick has no intention of letting Celeste's plans come to fruition and sets out to monopolize her time and seduce her away from thoughts of Ellery. Much to his surprise, Celeste enchants him, fills him with lust, and destroys his famous self-control. Celeste is equally stunned to find herself drawn to Garrick -- and she begins to see Ellery in a less flattering light. But Garrick doesn't believe in love, and when Celeste's appeal threatens to overwhelm him, he's determined to send her back to Paris. Before he can do so, however, he'll have to resolve the question of who's leaking information about his spy activities. Could it be Celeste? And just how does she know so much about spying, anyway?

My rating: 3 stars

414. Prince of Fire (Daniel Silva)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Silva's latest novel to feature art restorer/Israeli agent Gabriel Allon (after 2004's A Death in Vienna) is a passionate, intelligently crafted entry that cements the series' place among today's top spy fiction. The structure is classic -- the semireluctant spy, Gabriel, is pulled from his cover to hunt down terrorists who have committed a horrific crime, in this case the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Rome. The mastermind behind the bombing is French archeologist Paul Martineau, aka "Khaled, son of Sabri, grandson of Sheikh Asad. Khaled, avenger of past wrongs, sword of Palestine." Orphaned as a child after his father is killed by the Israelis, Khaled is also the adopted son of Yasir Arafat, who has now activated Khaled to wreak vengeance on his mortal enemies. Gabriel assembles a team of crack young agents and sets out to find when and where Khaled will strike next. The determined team tracks down the terrorist, but when Gabriel goes in for the kill the plot takes a stunning twist; the lives of all, plus hundreds of innocent bystanders, are threatened. Gabriel is a complex character with a rich past. His wife, Leah, is confined to a psychiatric hospital in London, mentally damaged and physically disfigured from the bombing that killed their son. He lives with the beautiful Chiara, whom he can't marry out of loyalty to Leah, even though she seems to barely know him. Silva hints at further entries in the series in which Gabriel must step up and assume new duties: "Gabriel, you are the mightiest," his former mentor tells the agent. "You're the one who defends Israel against its accusers. You're the angel of judgment -- the Prince of Fire."

My rating: 4 stars

413. The Heartbreaker (Carly Phillips)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Of all the bars in Washington, D.C., Sloane Carlisle happens to walk into the hole-in-the-wall where Chase Chandler is nursing a Miller draft. Avowed singleton Chase needs a cold one after overdosing on the marital bliss of his younger brother, Roman, and Roman's pregnant wife, Charlotte. Sloane has come in search of scotch straight up to recover from shocking news: she's not the biological daughter of Sen. Michael Carlisle, whose dead first wife, Sloane's mother, grew up in Yorkshire Falls, N.Y., where Chase is publisher of the local paper. Furthermore, Sloane has learned, two Carlisle staffers may be plotting to kill her real father. Chase knows none of this -- only that here is "a vision in a dress so pink, so short, so bare, it ought to be illegal." And Sloane has no idea that Chase has come to Washington hoping for a scoop on Senator Carlisle. Nevertheless, one smoldering glance is enough to seal the couple's fate.

My rating: 3 stars

412. The Third Secret (Steve Berry)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
In 1917, the Virgin Mary revealed herself to three children in Fatima, Portugal, disclosing three secrets to the eldest, Lucia, who shared the first two secrets soon after their revelation but left the last to be disclosed upon her death. This third secret was released to Pope John XXIII in 1960 and made public by Pope John Paul II in 2000 ... or was it? The novel's stolid protagonist — Msgr. Colin Michener, longtime secretary to Clement XV, the novel's near-future successor to John Paul II—has reason to doubt the accuracy of the public version of the secret. Beleaguered by radically dogmatic cardinals and bishops, the embattled Clement XV also appears distressed by recent knowledge of secret documents regarding the Fatima messages. Before his inexplicable suicide, Clement sends Michener to Romania in search of a Father Tibor, who translated the third secret for Pope John XXIII and may hold the key to its mystery. Also on the case, if a step behind, is the ambitious and traditionalist Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Valendrea, with an eye on the papal throne.

My rating: 2 stars

411. With This Ring (Amanda Quick)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Beatrice Poole, a young widow writing under the alias Amelia York, suspects her uncle of being murdered for his role in the search for a fabled treasure, the Forbidden Rings of Aphrodite. Seeking out an antiquities expert, Beatrice finds herself allied with Leo Drake, a mysterious, sexy widower who may be her perfect match.

My rating: 3 stars

410. The Water Nymph (Michele Jaffe)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Like the Scarlet Pimpernel, outrageously handsome and brilliant Crispin Foscari, the earl of Sandal, who first appeared in Jaffe's The Stargazer, has carefully built a wastrel's reputation while making quite another as Phoenix, invaluable spy for her majesty, Queen Elizabeth I. Now, however, he is in a spot: he has been given only a little more than a fortnight to find the person who's accusing him of treason. Meanwhile, he is investigating a beautiful and brilliant woman, Sophie Champion, who is suspect in Elizabethan England because she has seemingly endless resources, is a heroine to the street people and may have had something to do with her godfather's death. Crispin is smitten, however, and Sophie assures him she is neither a murderer nor any kind of malefactor, but she cannot be sure that he is above suspicion.

My rating: 5 stars

409. I Got You, Babe (Jane Graves)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Set in Tolosa, Tex., this rollicking romantic comedy explodes off the starting block as beautiful Renee Esterhaus, a self-made woman with a lengthy juvenile rap sheet, jumps bail and tries to flee the state after being falsely accused of armed robbery. To escape a smarmy bounty hunter who is hot on her trail, Renee walks into a country diner and promises John DeMarco a night of mind-blowing sex if he'll take her to his cabin pronto. John, a cop on a much-needed vacation, senses that something is amiss, but his instincts take a backseat to his hormones the minute he sizes up the blue-eyed blonde propositioning him. Instead of the sex he was promised, however, Renee flees, courtesy of John's car and cash. When John catches her in a McDonald's drive-thru, he plans to turn her in, but something about the way she behaves and the stories she tells leads him to lock her in his house instead of the slammer. While John searches for a way to clear her name, he begins to realize that he's falling in love.

My rating: 4 stars

408. Mr. Commitment (Mike Gayle)

Synopsis from Amazon:
At 28, Ben Duffy still lives with his friend in a slovenly London flat, temps at an office while trying to launch a sputtering stand-up comedy career, and sits idly by as his relationship with Mel remains stuck in neutral. To Duffy, everything is perfect, but then Mel proposes marriage, and Duffy (for once) must make a decision: Grow up or lose the love of his life forever. Duffy, naturally, decides to lose Mel forever. He agrees to marriage, but during a trip to IKEA, Duffy's ambivalence toward the impending nuptials is exposed, and Mel stalks off -- for good. On Duffy's journey back, he discovers the value of commitment and the inevitability of change and also has a brief love affair with "TV's Hottest Totty."

My rating: 4 stars

407. e (Matthew Beaumont)

Synopsis from Amazon:
A fast-paced, wickedly funny tale of office back-stabbing and corporate intrigue that unfolds in a succession of escalating e-mails.

My rating: 4 stars

406. An Unwilling Conquest (Stephanie Laurens)

Synopsis from Amazon:
A successful horse breeder and self-proclaimed rake, Harry Lester samples women like wines. But after having his heart trampled upon by someone he actually loved, he has no intention of falling for a woman again, let alone be ensnared by the trap of marriage. Now, with a large inheritance to his name, Harry knows that he'd best start running from London's matchmaking mothers and widows. Harry heads for the racing town of Newmarket, only to encounter Mrs. Lucinda Babbacombe, a beautiful, independent widow. And before he knows it, Harry vows to protect Lucinda from the town full of lonely gambling men, despite her refusal to accept his countless offers of help. Lucinda is extraordinary -- an intelligent, tender, marriage worthy woman -- but will Harry let himself be taken prisoner in this most passionate of traps?

My rating: 3 stars

405. Brimstone (Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child)

Synopsis from Amazon:
As FBI Special Agent Pendergast immerses himself in the investigation of an art critic's bizarre murder, he conjures up clues pointing to the Devil as the culprit. After several killings in the same ghastly manner, similar clues are found. Pendergast teams up with Police Officer Vincent D'Agosta, with whom he had worked in The Relic (St. Martin's, 1996), and they begin a lengthy, intense, and time-driven search for the murderer. Along the way, D'Agosta becomes romantically and professionally attached to New York Police Captain Laura Hayward (Reliquary [Tor, 1998]). Their story runs parallel to the investigation and adds another layer of plot. The peculiar nature of Agent Pendergast, who always seems to get out of any kind of dire straits, complements and contrasts with down-to-earth, practical D'Agosta, and they act as catalysts for one another. The action moves from New York City to Italy and places in between.

My rating: 2 stars

My review: The murders and storyline are interesting. I liked D'Agosta and Hayward but Pendergast was a pretentious twit; I disliked him so much that, midway through the book, I skipped to the end.

404. The Murder Room (P. D. James)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Neville Dupayne, a trustee of the Dupayne Museum, a small, private institution devoted to England between the world wars, plans to veto its continuing operation. After many pages of background on the museum's employees, volunteers and others who would be affected by the trustee's unpopular decision, Neville meets his end in a manner paralleling a notorious historical murder exhibited in the museum's "Murder Room." MI5's interest in one of the people connected with the crime leads to Commander Dalgleish and his team taking on the case.

My rating: 4 stars

403. Deadly Love (Brenda Joyce)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Beautiful socialite Francesca Cahill is a determined bluestocking who prefers learning and good causes to society's dizzying whirl. As a reluctant guest at a family ball, she meets New York's handsome, young, but feckless police commissioner, Rick Bragg, while unbeknownst to both of them, a young child is being abducted next door. Soon a series of cryptic notes begins to arrive, each more terrifying than the last. Francesca jumps into crime-solving, and in the process moves from tentative friendship to passion with the dynamic but mysterious Bragg.

My rating: 2 stars

402. Stolen Magic (Mary Jo Putney)

By Domenichino

Synopsis from Amazon:
Earl of Falconer, Simon Malmain, chief enforcer of the Guardian Council, which oversees the use of magic in 18th-century Britain, has been turned into a unicorn by Lord Drayton, a renegade mage whom Simon charges with encouraging the Jacobite uprising; only a virgin can transform Simon back into human form. Luckily for Simon, animal-loving "Mad Meggie," Drayton's "servant," succeeds in doing so, while Simon breaks the spell that's kept Meg in the dark sorcerer's thrall. Allied in a "pretend" marriage, the pair pool their unusual talents in an effort to ruin Lord Drayton's plan to prevent the Industrial Age from revolutionizing England.

My rating: 1 star

401. Beyond the Highland Mist (Karen Marie Moning)

Synopsis from Amazon:
He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart -- until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length -- but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve. She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side ....

My rating: 3 stars

400. A Gentleman's Honor (Stephanie Laurens)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Penniless Alicia masquerades as the widowed "Mrs. Carrington" to launch her younger sister into the ton and have her make a profitable marriage, but her plans go awry when she finds herself a suspect in a murder investigation.

My rating: 2 stars

399. Ravished (Amanda Quick)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Hiring Gideon Westbrook, the Beast of Blackthorne Hall and a man with a scarred face and dark past, to help her guard her caves from the thieves who would use them to store their booty, Miss Harriet gets in over her head.

My rating: 3 stars

398. The Murder on the Links (Agatha Christie)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
An urgent cry for help brings Poirot to France. But he arrives too late to save his client, whose brutally stabbed body now lies face downwards in a shallow grave on a golf course. But why is the dead man wearing his son's overcoat? And who was the impassioned love-letter in the pocket for? Before Poirot can answer these questions, the case is turned upside down by the discovery of a second, identically murdered corpse.

My rating: 4 stars

Publication information:

• 1923 by Bodley Head in London
• Orange cloth with black lettering
• Dust wrapper priced at 7/6
  

397. Come Again (Josie Lloyd, Emlyn Rees)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Friends. You can't live with them -- and you can't live without them. Or so Matt is discovering. His best mate is getting married, leaving him high and dry. No flat-mate -- and no girlfriend. Then he remembers Helen (H to her friends). H has no life outside her brilliant career -- and all her best friend Amy wants to talk about her wedding. Which suits Stringer, because catering the wedding is his first real chance to prove himself. The last thing he needs is to fall for one of the bride's friends, Susie, particularly because she's sworn off men while she sorts out her life -- Friendship, commitment, work, lust and loyalty all come under the spotlight as Matt, H, Stringer and Susie hurtle towards the big day.

My rating: 3 stars

396. Fever Pitch (Nick Hornby)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Fever Pitch is both an autobiography and a footballing bible rolled into one. Nick Hornby pinpoints 1968 as his formative year -- the year he turned 11, the year his parents separated, and the year his father first took him to watch Arsenal play. The author quickly moved "way beyond fandom" into an extreme obsession that has dominated his life, loves, and relationships. His father had initially hoped that Saturday afternoon matches would draw the two closer together, but instead Hornby became completely besotted with the game at the expense of any conversation: "Football may have provided us with a new medium through which we could communicate, but that was not to say that we used it, or what we chose to say was necessarily positive." Girlfriends also played second fiddle to one ball and 11 men. He fantasises that even if a girlfriend "went into labour at an impossible moment" he would not be able to help out until after the final whistle. Fever Pitch is not a typical memoir -- there are no chapters, just a series of match reports falling into three time frames (childhood, young adulthood, manhood). While watching the May 2, 1972, Reading v Arsenal match, it became embarrassingly obvious to the then 15-year-old that his white, suburban, middle-class roots made him a wimp with no sense of identity: "Yorkshire men, Lancastrians, Scots, the Irish, blacks, the rich, the poor, even Americans and Australians have something they can sit in pubs and bars and weep about." But a boy from Maidenhead could only dream of coming from a place with "its own tube station and West Indian community and terrible, insoluble social problems." Fever Pitch reveals the very special intricacies of British football, which readers new to the game will find astonishing, and which Hornby presents with remarkable humour and honesty -- the "unique" chants sung at matches, the cold rain-soaked terraces, giant cans of warm beer, the trains known as football specials carrying fans to and from matches in prison-like conditions, bottles smashing on the tracks, thousands of police officers waiting in anticipation for the cargo of hooligans. The sport and one team in particular have crept into every aspect of Hornby's life -- making him see the world through Arsenal-tinted spectacles.

My rating: 4 stars

395. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (J. K. Rowling)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming -- and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page. A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way.

My rating: 5 stars

394. The China Bride (Mary Jo Putney)

Synopsis from publisher:
Born to a Scottish father and a Chinese mother, Troth Montgomery dreamed of someday traveling to Scotland, until the death of her father condemned her to a shadowy life as an interpreter in Canton. Then Kyle Renbourne, viscount and adventurer, discovers Troth's true identity and persuades her to be his guide on a dangerous journey into the heart of the Celestial Kingdom. A meeting of the minds flares into searing passion, an idyll that ends when Kyle is captured and condemned to death. A reckless prison cell marriage the night before his execution sends Troth to England, where she arrives at the estate of Kyle's brother. Though accepted as bride and widow, she is haunted by the memory of her dashing husband. Then the past reaches out to Troth, bringing passion, despair, and danger. Now she must draw on her unique heritage to save all she holds dear -- and become the woman she is destined to be ....

My rating: 2 stars

393. Lord of Scoundrels (Loretta Chase)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Realizing her attraction to the Marquess of Dain despite her opinion that he is an amoral cad, tough-minded Jessica Trent is scandalized when they are seen in a compromising position and vows to make him preserve her reputation.

My rating: 2 stars