Baby Be Mine by Diane Fanning

I've been a fan of true crime books for many years and have several favorites that I read. However, in March of 2006, I met Diane Fanning when I moderated a panel she was on at the Festival of the Book. To prepare for our panel discussion, I read two of her books and I was hooked. She takes the true crime book to a new level that I appreciate.

She doesn't just give the well publicized facts of the case, but she digs deeper. In Baby Be Mine, she gave a lot of information which some may consider to be unnecessary and I was a little confused at first. However, as I continued to read, I realized she was giving us information about the collateral damage that was caused by this act of violence. The repercussions were felt by many people in many areas and not just the immediate family of the victim.

I found the information she wove into the book about similar crimes to be very enlightening and it gave more depth to the Bobbie Jo Stinnett murder. For this case, murder does not seem like a sufficient description of the crime perpetrated on her. I appreciated the additional information that was included in the book and feel it made the content even more compelling. I have two other books of Diane's in my to be read pile and hope to read them soon.

Review By Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com

Cape Cod by William Martin

This is a wonderful version of the settling of Cape Cod. The story begins before the boats arrive in the New World and follows a family's struggle through the present time. The history is interwoven with his fictional town. I read this after I visited Cape Cod for the first time and loaned my copy to a friend from the area. It didn't find its way home and I bought another copy. Highly recommended. The flashback chapters which are worked into the story and the present day chapters may be confusing, but stick with it, this is a great book. My novels are set just north of Cape Cod on the Cape Ann coast and I'd love to read his take on Cape Ann.

review by Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com

Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass

I read this book because I will moderate a panel discussion with Dr Bass and Mr. Jefferson at the Virginia Festival of the Book in March 2006. I real a lot of true crime, thrillers and mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed this book. The details are incredible and the descriptions make you feel like you are bumping along the road with the doc. I'm glad to say that I didn't know "who did it" before the end. The characters are vivid and blend well with the setting for the story. The personal touches to show the expert is human were a great touch. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a well written thriller. Can't wait to meet you both in March :)

UPDATE - I just met Dr Bass and Jon Jefferson and they were great. It was a joy to be there when they talked to potential readers about their books. Its also amazing the number of questions I knew the answer to, because I'd read Carved in Bone and Death's Acre. Looking forward to the next fiction and non fiction. My parents attended the programs with me and are now interested in forensics for the first time. Great job guys :)

Dr Barbara Holstein Shares "The Truth"

I recently got a chance to read Dr Barbara Holstein's book "THE TRUTH: I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything!"

This book is centered around a ten year old girl who has some important information to share with you. Do you remember what you thought of life when you were ten? What did you expect to happen in your life? Now that you've grown up, did you reach the dreams that you had when you were ten? If not, why not?

Dr Barbara starts off in the Introduction and reminds us of how many woman are leading unfulfilling lives and who feel they have lost the feeling that they have any control over their lives. Many woman have forgotten how to laugh and are feeling depressed and discouraged with the way their life ended up.

Its never too late to take control and try to take back your life. Do you have creativity that is untapped? This could be the time to find a creative outlet. Let the young heroine of this book transport you back to the time when you were time. She will remind you of how innocent life was at that time and all the promise that was before you. It can be productive and therapeutic to go back in time to a simpler and more interesting time. Come along as our young friend tells you about her "first love", "balloons" in her father's nightstand, betrayal by her best friend and the feeling in the pit of her stomach every time her parents fight.

Dr Barbara's Contact Information
Visit her website at www.enchantedself.com/ or her blog at www.enchantedself.typepad.com/.

Review by Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com

Past Imperfect by Nora Peterson

Nora Peterson introduces us to Casey McCloud. She is a thirty something woman who is on a mission. A young woman hired a private investigation office to find out some mysteries from her past. That sounds simple enough, but the young woman dies under questionable circumstances a couple of days later. Casey realizes that something is not as it seems and decides to solve the mystery, even though the client is dead. Her quest sends her to Boston a week before Christmas. The Boston atmosphere will make you dig out your gloves and hat as you make your way through the streets with Casey as she pieces together the clues to solve the mystery. Nora Peterson will also take you from the world of high society and into the world of the homeless as a harsh winter storm heads toward Boston. I love a good mystery and Past Imperfect kept my attention and even distracted me for an entire morning while I kept reading to find out "who done it".