The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen

Title: The Professionals
Author: Owen Laukkanen
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: Sept 15, 2012
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: Arthur Pender, Sawyer, Mouse, Marie McAllister, cop Stevens and FBI agent Windermere
What happens? Kids graduate from school and can't find work, decide to become kidnappers, keeping their jobs to 60k so that they stay under the radar - SPOILER they accidentally kidnap a mob guy and things go bad
How long was this?  370 pages
Did I like this?  pretty good, not great, nothing special, good job with the characters, the plot included some parts that didn't really hold
Overall grade: B+

A Quiet Vendetta by R.J. Ellory

Title: A Quiet Vendetta
Author: R.J. Ellory
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?:  Sep 8, 2012
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: Catherin Ducane, Big Daddy Feraud, Ernesto Perez, Ray Hartmann
What happens? Perez kidnaps Ducane, turns himself in, and requests Hartmann come to New Orleans from New York to hear his story
How long was this? 454 pages single spaced
Did I like this? Amazing story, incredible writer, very long winded but what a story, what history, what a plot.  Great characters too.
Overall grade: A- only because it was sooooo long

Taking the Fifth by J.A. Jance

Title: Taking the Fifth
Author: J.A. Jance
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: August 28, 2012, took a month
When was the book published:1987
Main Characters: J.P. Beaumont, Seattle cop, Jasmine Day (singer)
What happens? Guy dies of AIDS, cocaine is found in his pillow, his partner is murdered in downtown Seattle with a high heeled shoe, theatre folks get involved including reformed addict singer 
How long was this? 294 pages
Did I like this? not too much, maybe it is just the 1987 factor
Overall grade:  B-

The Renegades by T. Jefferson Parker

Title: The Renegads
Author: T. Jefferson Parker
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: Aug 28, 2012
When was the book published: Feb 2009
Main Characters: Charlie Hood, Terry Laws, Coleman Draper
What happens? Hood is riding with volunteer Laws who is assassinated, implicating a black gangster.  Laws and Draper were long time money runners for the Mexican drug cartel, Hood exposes them.
How long was this? 340 pages
Did I like this? great stuff from T. Parker, great characters including his (step son???) Bradley
Overall grade: A-

Exit Music by Ian Rankin

Title:  Exit Music
Author: Ian Rankin
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: Aug 24, 2012
When was the book published: 2007
Main Characters: John Rebus, retiring detective, his partner Siobhan Clarke, Russian mobsters and Scottish government officials, young cop Todd Goodyear, Big Gerry Cafferty
What happens?  A Russian dissident poet is murdered, then a sound recording guy who recorded his last performance.  Rebus is retiring, in his last few days, and obsessively pursues his enemy/alter ego Cafferty
How long was this? paperback, 530 pages
Did I like this? ok, some good parts, some slow parts.  would have been better if written in english.
Overall grade: B

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

Title: The Reversal
Author: Michael Connelly
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: Aug 21, 2012
When was the book published:  October 2010
Main Characters: Mickey Haller, Harry Bosch, Maggie McPherson, Jason Jessup - bad guy in jail 
What happens? Jessup gets a new trial because of DNA evidence, and Haller gets recruited to be the DA, changes sides of the fence, brings in Harry and Maggie to be part of his team.

How long was this?  389 pages
Did I like this? Top notch, connelly is the best, great story
Overall grade: A