Under the Dome by Stephen King

     Under the Dome by Stephen King takes us to the smallish town of Chester's Mill. When an invisible barrier crashes into existence around the town, its residents find themselves trapped and under the eventual, horrifying understanding that the barrier is an impenetrable dome.

     The town takes no time at all in falling into panic and irrational behavior with large thanks to the ignorance and thirst for power of one of the town's selectmen, Big Jim Rennie. Rennie has no intention of attempting to get rid of the dome and is prepared to murder anyone who stands in the way of him and the realization of his dream for complete control. To ensure he continues to hold executive (and exclusive) control of Chester's Mill, he manipulates the town's residents and incites fear to produce a false trust in his leadership. As long as the dome is up, he can do whatever he wants.

Author Stephen King

     There are, of course, those who oppose the leadership of Rennie. These characters become the minority in the town as Rennie singles them out as internal terrorists, blames the dome's existence on them and even throws in his personal underground meth lab industry for good measure. In short, most of Chester's Mill believes Rennie that these "rebels" can't be trusted and is prepared to murder them "for the good of the town". 

     Under the Dome boasts a phenomenal wealth of characters. We, as readers, are taken from one perspective to another and back again to put together the pieces as the residents of Chester's Mill are. The suspense between personal accounts is wildly breathtaking at times and leaves you burning through the pages to get to each resolution and the final, epic conclusion. 

Television Mini-Series on CBS and Amazon

     No one is safe inside the dome over Chester's Mill. Find out what happens by checking out Under the Dome from your local library. You can also purchase it from Amazon for your kindle, as a hardcover, paperback or audiobook.

     Also be sure to check out the television mini-series (on CBS or free with Amazon Prime) based on the book for a significantly different, but just as engaging story-line of what happens when the mysterious dome closes over Chester's Mill.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)

     The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (a pseudonym of J.K. Rowling's) is a tale of the suspicious suicide of famous model Lula Landry. Cormoran Strike, private detective, is hired by Landry's brother John Bristow three months after Landry's fall to her death. With occasional assistance from the newly engaged Robin, his temporary secretary, he's to determine whether or not Landry's death was, in fact, suicide or murder. Strike is a war veteran, rough around the edges and hard on his luck but very real and easy to relate to.

     From homeless acquaintances to superstar model coworkers and clothing designers, we're meeting characters, suspects and witnesses from all walks of life. It would seem every character has something to hide or that they'd rather not say regardless of how helpful it would be in the investigation of their former friend or family member's death. Most interesting of all are the people who are afraid of being reprimanded for crimes or scandal unrelated to the suicide/murder but whose true details and admissions stand in the way of Strike's successful investigation. What will it take to get them past their barricades and speaking the truth so necessary for justice?

Author J.K. Rowling

     Throughout the novel it's up to the reader (and Strike) to take everyone's account, decide what's true and what's false and how exactly everyone's story plays together. In a most delicate case seeming most like suicide, we're along for a ride of mystery, excitement and scandal. If you're like me, you won't have an easy time of putting the book down as things come together. During the final hundred pages or so, I felt as if I were flying with an ever-increasing momentum towards a stunning conclusion.

     You can check out The Cuckoo's Calling from your local library. You can also purchase it on Amazon for your Kindle, as a hardcover or audiobook. Don't forget to follow J.K. Rowling on Twitter (@jk_rowling)!

Kill Your Darlings by Max Allan Collins

 

     A mystery author at the gloomy end of his career, or so it seems, is ironically found drowned in his hotel bathtub the night before the 1984 Bouchercon, or Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Convention, in the grand city of Chicago.

     Having personally been in Chicago on holiday for approximately the last ten chapters (of nineteen) in this book, I supremely enjoyed being able to visualize the locations and venues described in the book. The main character, a mystery author from Iowa named Mallory, has a certain clumsiness about him I find endearing. His idol, the possibly murdered but nonetheless drowned, Roscoe Kane created a macho detective named Gat Garson who Mallory is accused of wanting to embody on several different occasions. However Mallory's lack of impulse reactions and too-perfect timing bring him short of that prize...thankfully.

Author Max Allan Collins

     It was refreshing to read a novel from the perspective of a character who was far from perfect, who was honest with himself and aware that there were talents far beyond his own. He simply loved writing and the world of mystery - and certainly found himself enveloped in his Chicago adventure. 

     Kane kept quite the company, making several possible suspects in the drowning that was made to look accidental. An obnoxious, large and loud ex-wife, a weak, over-dramatic widow, a gay son who only recently made amends and, of course, the greedy publisher seeing little more than dollar signs at every corner.

     I won't spoil or give away any clues, but I will say the book ended with a bang! I thoroughly enjoyed the pace and excitement of the conclusion to this enthralling mystery.

     Check out Kill Your Darlings by Max Allan Collins from your local library or find it on Amazon for your Kindle (Prime members borrow for free), as an old-fashioned book or audiobook.