53.
Author(s): Natalie Hevener Kaufman and Carol McGinnis Kay
Title: "G" is for Grafton
Publication: Hardback
Pages: 336
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition: purchased used
Date Completed: July 1, 2011
Rating: ***1/2

What do you get when you combine two college professors and a love of contemporary genre fiction? "G" is for Grafton. Kaufman, a political scientist, and Kay, a Shakespeare professor, are both faculty members at the University of South Carolina at the time of publication, and together they have endeavored to provide an examination of the Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton.

The result of their conjoined efforts is a blend of careful explication, analysis, and personal response that has come from the obviously enthusiastic interest in the contemporary mystery series. Treating novels "A" through "M" (the extent of the series at the time), Kay and Kaufman present an almost encyclopedic categorizing of the world of Kinsey Millhone, with some psychoanalysis for good measure.

The content of the book itself is at times dry, but for a casual fan of the series (who has, admittedly, stepped aside for quite awhile), the book proved to be a wonderful reintroduction into Kinsey's world, and helped revamp interest in the series. At times it feels as if Kaufman and Kay are attempting to write Kinsey to be the character they want her to be, but the majority of the information is no less trustworthy for this analysis, and some of the information - such as Grafton speaking of Kinsey directly - can be a real treat.


52.
Author(s): Lara Adrian
Title: Deeper Than Midnight
Publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Supernatural romance
Acquisition: preordered
Date Completed: July 1, 2011
Rating: ***1/2

The Order's fight against Dragos and his evil plans has been long and hard ... and there's no true end in sight. The evil mastermind remains one step ahead of the Breed warriors at every turn, and though they may strike out with some success, each success is met with retribution on the part of their enemy. In the latest installment it seems they are no closer to stopping the mad vampire than they were when they first discovered his existence.

The romantic focus of Deeper Than Midnight is Hunter, and his unexpected attachment to a breedmate saved from one of Dragos' labs. Together they represent two classes of victims produced by the labs - the women used for the "breeding program," and the offspring that are then raised as weapons instead of individuals. Hunter is an intriguing character largely for his past, which comes into focus in this text. While his humanizing developments happen a little too quickly and easily, this seems to be characteristic of most supernatural romances with "complicated" male counterparts.

While I enjoyed the romance aspects of the novel, I am at this point fairly frustrated with the "pending vampire Doomsday" that has been inching along, and that frustration will probably keep me from pursuing the series in the future.