MADreads

Underneath
A review of The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

 National Book Award finalist The Underneath by ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on August 28, 2009 | 0 comments

Unsettling times
A review of The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst

 The Spies of Warsaw covers those brief years in the 1930’s between the beginnings of the Nazi government in Germany and the start of the war in 1939. ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on August 10, 2009 | 0 comments

Nerve damage

A review of Nerve Damage by Peter Abrahams

 Imagine a world where you have a pretty good life.  You're moderately successful in the art world, becoming known for large sculptures made with scrap material.  You're living in a small New England community where pretty much everyone knows everyone, and you can still play your weekly game of hockey with friends.  You're in a relationship even though you can't quite let go of the wife who died 15 years ago in a terrible accident.  What if all those memories and that life ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on July 21, 2009 | 0 comments

All the colors of darkness

A review of All The Colors of Darkness by Peter Robinson

 In Peter Robinson's latest All the Colors of Darkness, a group of schoolboys find the body ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on June 23, 2009 | 0 comments

Thriller Shakespeare
A review of Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell

 If you are looking for a fast paced thriller built around the mystery of William Shakespeare, try Interred with Their Bones.  Kate Stanley, once a rising star in Shakespearian academic circles, looks now to the theatre world with a new staging of Hamlet at London’s Globe Theatre. ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on April 24, 2009 | 0 comments

Death in the high desert
A review of The Ever-Running Man by Marcia Muller

 In Marcia Muller’s last book, The Ever-Running Man, private investigator Sharon McCone nearly lost ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on April 6, 2009 | 0 comments

If one likes to get out into a shrubbery in fine weather...*
A review of In the Garden with Jane Austen by Kim Wilson

 ...one won't want to miss this new offering from Jones Books, published right here in Madison.  Readers of Jane Austen’s novels are familiar with her various characters' fascination or interest in gardens and the outdoors, ranging from the familiar kitchen garden found in many homes to the stately designed gardens of grander estates. That this reflected Jane Austen’s own interest as well is evident. Kim Wilson’s delightful book ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on March 19, 2009 | 0 comments

Home girl
A review of Home Girl by Judith Matloff

 As an investigative reporter for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor, Judith Matloff spent a considerable amount of time in her career in various troubled spots around the world, including Rwanda and Chechnya.  In her forties she and her husband decide to settle in one place and start a family.  She and her husband pick New York City. Even with a hefty savings, it is a hard locale to find anything affordable and desirable unless you are willing to be flexible ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on March 4, 2009 | 2 comments

Intricate and detailed
A review of A Game of Patience by Elisabeth Fairchild

 Susanne Alleyn has written two books so far in her series set in post-revolutionary France featuring police agent and investigator Aristide Ravel.  In a world turned upside down with "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" gone bad and with Madame Guillotine waiting around the corner, trust and confidence ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on January 5, 2009 | 1 comment

Fairytale turned upside down
A review of Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

I'm not generally a reader of graphic novels, though my associate at work is always trying to change that. However, I am a fan of the author Shannon Hale. So when a new book came across the desk by her ...read more

Reviewed by Liz - Alicia Ashman on October 28, 2008 | 0 comments

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