You'd figure that anyone who is out prowling the streets every night looking for murder and mayhem would have to be some sort of cold-blooded ghoul. But for the heroine of John Sandford's novel, "The Night Crew," this routine is just an average day on the job.
Sandford, the pseudonym for Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist John Camp, is the author of countless best-selling books, including the eight books from his "Prey" series ("Rules of Prey" and "Shadow Prey") featuring Minneapolis cop Lucas Davenport. With "The Night Crew," Sandford introduces a whole new cast of characters involved in a entirely different kind of adventure.
"The Night Crew" tells the tale of Anna Batory, a tough farm girl from Minnesota who runs the night crew - a family-like group of video freelancers that roams the graveyard shift on the streets looking for good footage to sell to television networks. Common events including accidents, crimes, demonstrations and murders keep Anna and her crew on their toes, and money in their bank accounts.
The book begins with a night on the job not too far out of the ordinary, when the night crew is able to capture a raid put on by animal activists and later, a suicide jumper. But after taping the jumper falling five stories to his death, one of Anna's cameramen, Jason, appears strangely affected.
When Jason turns up murdered the next morning and coincidences and clues linking the suicide with the killing begin to turn up, things in Anna's life soon become bizarre. Before she knows it, Anna is being stalked by an obsessed psychopath, and her survival depends on how quickly she can solve the mysteries surrounding the deaths close to her.
Sandford is adroit at maintaining a quick pace with the novel and providing some occasionally thrilling moments. The plot often unfolds like a suspense movie, complete with ominous shadows and strange people jumping out of dark corners. But "The Night Crew" is more like a made-for-TV movie, with so many things not adding up.
The rich and intriguing characters make up for the novel's lack of suspenseful spunk. Each character is carefully sculpted and uniquely realistic. Nobody is excessively beautiful or too Rambo-ish, making the story feel more authentic.
Most interesting is Sanford's in-depth description of life working with a freelance video crew. The problems with the police, the difficulty in finding and getting access to footage as well as the complications that arise when dealing with cutthroat television executives are all told in a fascinating manner.
But even with great characters and fascinating descriptions of their lives, the contrived suspense of the chase for the stalker is much too convenient and unsatisfying.
"The Night Crew" would have been a spectacularly exciting documentary-like drama, but instead, Sandford choose to turn it into a mediocre thriller. "The Night Crew" is a fairly enjoyable read, but after finishing it, you can't help but think about how much better it could have been.
- Julia Shih
Warner Books
What Maggie Bradford needs is a good matchmaker. And one who can find her a husband who isn't afraid of her morbid track record. Because Maggie isn't like other women. Now standing trial for the murder of her third husband, soccer superstar Will Shepard, she is suddenly realizing that her life has not been as perfect as it had originally appeared.
"Hide and Seek" is the newest thriller by up-and-coming suspense writer James Patterson. Filled with mystery and deceit, this novel provides some fast-paced and intense reading.
The book's main character is Maggie Bradford, one of the music industry's biggest stars. But behind the hit songs and beautiful singing voice is a dark past from which she will do anything to escape.
Once the battered wife of an alcoholic military officer, her marriage was brought to an abrupt end when she killed her husband in self-defense. She was never brought to trial, and escaped to New York with her daughter shortly after the incident to start a new life.
But many years and one husband later, she crosses paths with the handsome and famous soccer player, Will Shepard - a man who also happens to be one of her biggest fans. His persistence and charm eventually wear down her guard, and she allows herself to be drawn into a storybook marriage.
Unfortunately, behind Will's good looks and charisma lies something darker than anyone could imagine. As Maggie is slowly immersed in Will's psychotic fantasies, her basic instinct is to fight for survival - an instinct which could easily lead to her death.
"Hide and Seek" is an interesting book in many ways, as it does not merely create a web of intrigue and suspense that is entertaining but easily forgotten. It devotes a great deal of time to exploring the nature of Will's psychosis, as well as weaving a tale about a woman's struggle to rebuild her life. All these aspects give this novel a great deal of depth found lacking in many other suspense novels.
Another interesting thing about this book is that the two major characters involved in the struggle are both high-profile characters. It almost feels that, if this story were to take place in real life, we'd surely hear about it firsthand from People or the tabloid magazines.
"Hide And Seek" even contains short cameos by stars such as Barbara Streisand and Harry Connick Jr., to give it even more of a celebrity feel. Though these cameos are interesting, Patterson seems to use them as an excuse as to why we should really care about the characters in this book.
The story is told mostly from Maggie's point of view, but occasionally switches to Will's view for a nice contrast. Maggie's world is more grounded and realistic, but once Patterson jumps to Will's, readers are able to experience his evil distortion of reality on a closer level.
The novel occasionally falters; for example, some readers may be confused when the circumstances behind Will's death seem to defy reasoning. Also, a few portions of the book are hard to get through because they drag on for too long. But overall, this book is decent if readers can look past its faults.
"Hide and Seek" is not without its imperfections, but still provides a fascinating story. It is an excellent illustration of how a person who has been psychologically wounded can continue to make the same mistakes. "Hide and Seek" blurs the line that separates truth from deceit to reveal the nature of true evil.
- Julia Shih
By Cal Ripken Jr. with Mike Bryan
Viking
Cal Ripken, Jr. is a name that has become synonymous with baseball. Not baseball, the billion-dollar business that has consumed the national past-time, but baseball, the game that has brought so much joy and fulfilled so many dreams for people throughout the decades.
After making huge headlines by breaking Lou Gehrig's long-standing record for consecutive games on Sept. 6, 1995, the Baltimore Orioles' star speaks his soul in his wonderfully written autobiography, "The Only Way I Know."
Ripken's handsome face and physically domineering form have graced countless magazine covers and sports section front pages for more than a decade. He is known as "Iron Man," the ultimate athlete and the epitome of sports at its prime. But behind the dusty uniform, the explosive bat and the voracious glove, lies a man whose character may be the only thing greater than his skills as a ballplayer.
Ripken's "The Only Way I Know" (written with Mike Bryan) shows what is behind his image as a baseball man. Ripken explains life growing up with an extremely close family under his father, Cal Ripken Sr. Ripken was exposed to baseball his entire life and wanted nothing more than to grow up to be a ball player.
Having been instilled with a diligent work ethic at a young age, Ripken was taught to do everything to the best of his ability.
This way of thinking carried him through an illustrious baseball career as well as enabling him to break Gehrig's distinguished record æ the attitude that if he could, then he should.
Ripken writes about the trials of moving through the Orioles system, of learning the game "the Oriole Way" and how to believe in himself, before breaking into the major leagues with a bang. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1982 and then the American League MVP Award the following season after helping the Orioles win the World Series.
Each chapter details the highs and lows of each season in which Ripken played, including his triumphs and slumps.
But most impressive within each chapter is the intellect and wisdom which Ripken displays when he discusses the other aspects of life as a ballplayer.
Ripken reveals the problems that the game of baseball has encountered, as the business aspect of the game has slowly taken over. He shows his concern about the deterioration of the minor-league system as well as the need to keep the relationship between the players and fans healthy.
Throughout his book, Ripken becomes even bigger in the eyes of fans, as we can't help admiring the man for his modesty, honesty and strong belief in values.
Most inspiring is Ripken's confession on the subject of the record. Though occasional criticism gave him doubts about his validity at pursuing this record, Ripken realized that he was not playing everyday in order to break the record. He was playing everyday in order to contribute to the team, and do what he was paid to and loved to do.
Ripken tends to ramble quite often by going off subject to tell little anecdotes or sidenotes, but he usually gets back to finish his point.
He proves himself quite adept at painting the picture of baseball in all its hideousness and beauty, while inadvertently creating more admiration for himself just by speaking about what he believes in.
"The Only Way I Know" is an incredible book which teaches not only about the workings behind the game of baseball and the making of a great player, but also about what it means to have motivation, dedication and a dream. Ripken stimulates feelings of exhilaration, joy, triumph and sadness all while creating a book that is a must-read for all baseball fans and for anyone looking for some inspiration.
Though baseball has disheartened a number of people in the last few years, it is good to know that the genuine spirit of the past-time lives on in heroes like Cal Ripken, Jr.
- Julia Shih