Buried Prey - by John Sandford

Buried Prey represents the 21st volume of Sandford's Lucas Davenport series.  The bodies of two young girls who were killed back in the 1980's are unexpectedly unearthed when a house is demolished.  Back then, as a young uniformed patrolman, Lucas's involvement with the case launched his career as an investigator.  He considers the mistake he made on it, however, the worst in his career.  Now he must find out the truth.

While I have only read a handful of the "Prey" series, I really appreciated the background provided by young Lucas's "temporary assignment as a plainclothes homicide detective.  This was also the beginning of his relationships with supporting characters we have grown to know and love such as: Sloan and Del Capslock.  When he brings the murder mystery to the current day, John Sandford mixes some revenge motivation into the search for this sexual predator and killer that slipped through the system all those years ago.  The result is a murder mystery page-turner that I would definitely recommend.

Ahead of the Curve - by Philip Delves Broughton

After ten years as a journalist, as Paris Bureau Chief for the Daily Telegraph of London, the author decided to break from that career path and attend Harvard Business School (HBS).  He pursued a coveted Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from a venerable institution that produced some of America's greatest business leaders.  In this book, he shares this experience with his readers.

I have never really considered a formal business education.  I do not have the academic credentials to qualify me for graduate admission to an Ivy League school.  For me, then, this book provided me a glimpse into a world I would never experience on my own.  In a story-telling fashion that is both entertaining and insightful, Broughton shares his experiences and impressions.  He is very upfront about the fact that his writing reflects his experience, which may not necessarily mimic that of his peers.  For me personally, I really valued the chance to envision what it might be like to attend an elite MBA program like that at HBS.  This is not simply a clinical narration, however, but rather incorporates both his philosophical perspectives and his wit.  If the study of business is of interest to you, I would recommend this book.

The Affair - by Lee Child

If you're a Jack Reacher fan and have ever wondered how it all began, this volume in his series (#16) explains the story leading up to the end of his career as a military cop, his separation from the Army, and the start of his "wandering" ways.

In this story, Major Reacher is given an undercover assignment to monitor the local law enforcement response to a rape and murder in Carter Crossing, Mississippi. There are potentially serious political implications to the Army, as Senator Carlton Riley, the chair of the Armed Services Committee has a son at nearby Fort Kelham with possible ties to the victim. Reacher matches wits with and is attracted to Sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux, a beautiful former Marine MP.

If you're a Reacher fan, this is a must-read, as it fills in some of the back story of the quirks and nature of the character you've come to know.  If you've never tried a Jack Reacher novel before, this might be a good book to start with.

Nine Dragons - by Michael Connelly

This is a novel in the Harry Bosch series (#15), although his half-brother, Mickey Haller, also makes a minor appearance and reporter Jack McEvoy is mentioned.  In this novel, a murder case in South Los Angeles becomes personal and Bosch must go to Hong Kong to try to rescue his daughter.

I previously read "The Drop" and "The Fifth Witness," so this novel filled in a little of Harry Bosch's more recent background that I had already glimpsed in these sequels.  Harry is a no-nonsense detective.  In this book (as in others), he shows that while he may make some mistakes, he is a take-charge guy, who trusts his instincts and is comfortable being in control of his destiny.  In this book, he races against time to find clues and follow the evidence, but all is not always what it seems.  I like Connelly's writing and this story did not disappoint me.

Lullaby Town - by Robert Crais

This is another early Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novel (third in the series - published in 1992).  In it, Peter Allen Nelson, a high profile Hollywood director, hires Cole to find his ex-wife and the son that he abandoned on his rise to fame.  When he tracks them down on the east coast, however, he uncovers an unexpected mob connection and things get complicated.

I liked this better than "The Monkey's Raincoat," but its not close to being my favorite book that I've read thus far in the series (I absolutely love the later ones).

The Monkey's Raincoat - by Robert Crais

I am a fan of Robert Crais and, especially, his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels.  Therefore, when I saw "The Monkey's Raincoat," (the very first of the series) at the library, I had to read it.  In this installment, Cole is hired by a seemingly helpless wife to find her missing husband and son.  Things quickly get complicated and the story is fairly fast paced and action packed.

I'm not sure if it is because the book is dated (published in 1987) or if it is because I am being introduced to Elvis and Joe after knowledge of them as more fully developed characters in later stories, but I did not enjoy this as much as many other Crais works.  It won the Anthony and Macavity awards and was nominated for the Edgar and Shamus awards.  The story was engaging.  I didn't find Elvis and Joe as interesting and likable, however, as I usually do.

All said, I wasn't blown away, but I'm glad I read it.

iWoz - by Steve Wozniak

Steve Wozniak is the computer wizard best known for co-founding Apple Computer, back in the mid-1970’s, with the late Steve Jobs. It was the legendary Apple II computer that he designed way back in 1977 that launched the personal computer industry as we know it and put their upstart company at the head of the pack. This memoir also gives glimpses into his childhood and stints as a student, a concert promoter, the creator of the Bay Area’s first Dial-a-Joke hotline, a San Jose philanthropist, the inventor of the first universal remote control, a stay-at-home dad, and a fifth-grade teacher.

Wozniak claims that one of his drivers behind the book is to set the record straight. He says that much of the information out there about him is wrong. For instance, he and Steve Jobs were not high school classmates (they were years apart), he and Jobs did not co-design Apples first computers -- they were engineered by Woz alone, he did not get kicked out of the University of Colorado, he did not drop out of school, and he did not leave Apple because he was unhappy there - he stated some concerns but stressed that they were not why he left (technically he has been continuously employed by the company at a minimal salary).

I am myself a geek and lived through the era his story is set in (went through engineering school about a decade after Woz started). Therefore, I have a profound appreciation and deep respect for Woz's passion about electronics, engineering, and innovation. I found his explanations interesting. His sense of humor is a little different than mine, but his stories made me appreciate his personality. His recounting of various relationships (business, personal, and family) seemed genuine and reinforced his image as a good and caring person. I will warn you, though, if you have little interest in the technology explanations incorporated throughout the book, have little patience for unsophisticated and direct prose, and cannot relate to being a geek or nerd, you may not appreciate this book nearly as much as I did.