Lavender & Coffee Stains

Dear Me,

Capping up my April update, I was able to finish three (3) books.




April 2006
. Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler
. Pacific Vortex by Clive Cussler


March 2006
. Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler

February 2006
. 4th of July by James Patterson
. 3rd Degree by James Patterson

January 2006
. Still Waters by Tami Hoag




. Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
. The Elements of Style, 4th edition by William Strunk, Jr. & E. B. White
. The Secret Language of Girlfriends by Karen Neuburger


Book Synopsis

Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler
On an isolated Greek island, a World War I fighter plane attacks a modern U.S. Air Force base -- a mysterious saboteur preys on an American scientific expedition -- and Dirk Pitt plays a deadly game of hunter and hunted with the elusive head of an international smuggling ring.

Pacific Vortex by Clive Cussler
Dirk Pitt, death-defying adventurer and deep-sea expert, is out to the ultimate test as he plunges into the perilous waters of the Pacific Vortex -- a fog-shrouded sea zone where dozens of ships have vanished without a trace. The latest victim is the awesome superb Starbuck, America's deep-diving nuclear arsenal. Its loss poses an unthinkable threat to national defense. Pitt's job is to find it, salvage it, before the sea explodes. In a furious race against time, Pitt's mission swirls him into a battle with underwater assassins-and traps him in the arms of Summer Moran, the most stunningly exotic and dangerous toward disaster, Clive Cussler plummets his hero onto an ancient sunken island-the astonishing setting for the explosive climax of Pacific Vortex.

Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler
1954. Vixen 03 is down. The plane, bound for the Pacific carrying thirty-six Doomsday bombs -- canisters armed with quick-death germs of unbelievable potency -- vanishes. Vixen has in fact crashed into an ice-covered lake in Colorado. 1988. Dirk Pitt, who heroically raised the Titanic, discovers the wreckage of Vixen 03. But two deadly canisters are missing. They're in the hands of a terrorist group. Their lethal mission: to sail a battleship seventy-five miles up the Potomac and blast Washington, DC. to kingdom come. Only Dirk can stop them.

4th of July by James Patterson
Bright, tough SFPD Lt. Lindsay Boxer is battling police brutality charges while chasing down a clan of murderers. When a botched police arrest of two gun-toting minors expands from a shaky preliminary hearing to what promises to be a nerve-rattling jury trial of Lindsay, she flees the pre-trial media frenzy for the serene
haven of sister Cat's house in Half Moon Bay. But instead of finding relaxation and romance with her Homeland Security beau, Lindsay becomes embroiled in the ruthless crimes of a troika of killers who've been slashing and flogging victims all over town.

With surprisingly little aid from the Murder Club, Lindsay performs her detective handiwork (and steps on the toes of Half Moon's police chief). As more bodies surface, sketchy suspects like a smitten grease monkey and a slimy porn star emerge, then the murderous threesome set their sights on Lindsay.

3rd Degree by James Patterson
While jogging with her dog, Lindsay witnesses a bomb explosion that levels a house and kills several people inside. A group calling itself "August Spies" takes credit for the blast.

Lindsay learns the August Spies have a horrifying agenda, using gruesome homicidal acts to target corporate greed. They must be stopped before the world’s high-profile economic leaders meet in San Francisco for the G-8 conference.

Still Waters by Tami Hoag
The deepest waters hide the darkest secrets.
Life's a bitch and then you die.

When Elizabeth Stuart starts looking for a new home for herself and her son, somewhere she can recover from a particularly bruising divorce, Still Creek seems the answer to her dreams. Hidden in the lush Amish farmlands of Minnesota, Still Creek offers a sanctuary to the splintered family who look forward to settling down there. But on their arrival the locals are distinctly cool to the newcomers. And when Elizabeth becomes involved in a murder case, she realises that there is a lot more to life in Still Creek than meets the eye.

(this entry was supposed to be posted last night)

Dear Me,

I have another insomnia attack and obviously, I am still up. Besides, my sister is still out there in the streets and it's past midnight already. Apparently, she attended somebody's despedida party.


**********

I'm really into this song: Sway by the Pussycat Dolls.



When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more

Like a flower bending in the breeze
Bend with me, sway with ease
When we dance you have a way with me
Stay with me, sway with me

Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway I go weak

I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now

Sway me, take me
Thrill me, hold me
Bend me, ease me
You have a way with me

Sway (sway)

Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway I go weak
I go weak

I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Sway me
Sway me
Sway me now

**********

Last week, I was so bored that I ended up with something to do. I was trying to locate my father's kinsmen online. Well, what I was doing was only partial since I didn't have the luxury of time to delve more into it. I'll try to finish the partial outcomes tomorrow.

**********



I love to travel. I do. I also love to meet travel buddies. Hopefully, we can all meet soon. =)

Gonna start that profiling volunteer job asap.





**********

For the first time, I took the risk of gambling 100 credits in BE's Battle of the Blogs .

I won.

I was so surprised. The highest number of credits I can gamble is 65 minimum.

So, how does one acquire credits? One way is to surf blog sites of the members. That's what I usually do. There are other ways, too. But I prefer to surf because I have fun time browsing other people's blogs.

Through surfing, I earn credits. Once I earn credits, I gamble them through battles. No big deal if I lose but if I win, I earn more credits. How? If you take on a challenger, you level the credits he/she is betting in that battle. "This means the winner will win 75% of the combined credits wagered. The remaining 25% of the total credits wagered will be split between the 15 members who have voted on your challenge."

With luck on my side (hehehe), I won 75% of the total credits wagered and the remaining 25% of the credits have been split equally 15 ways to the people who voted in the challenge.

I won 150 credits out of the 200 credits wagered and have been added to my account.

**********

NBA vs PBA? Yes, the NBA legends will play against our very own PBA standouts at The Bad Boy Tour, which happens today in Cebu and on Monday, here in Manila.



The Bad Boy Tour.

Dear Me,

Let me welcome my newest BE renter on the block, Utenzi. He is currently blogging at Utenzi Blog.

Utenzi is a science researcher (thus, his love for scie&tech) at North Carolina, USA. He loves reading and indulging himself in baking and cooking. Aside from that, he engages in kayaking when he has free time to spare.

You know what to do. Just click that little blue box in the right sidebar and tell Utenzi that I sent you. =)

Dear Me,

I am really eager to see the Da Vinci Code fire up the local movie screens here. Yes, one (1) more month and I will be one of the thousands of people queuing up at the box office.

Dan Brown's book has been controversial ever since. The contents of the book have spawned great curiosity and confusion over its fictional and factual nature. Proof of the growing curiosity amongst the readers are the increasing number of daily visits to the Louvre Museum to view the Mona Lisa painting. Da Vinci Code has also stirred sentiments among the people involved with the book, the Catholic Church and the general public. The Catholic Church even come up a set of their books to counter-attack Dan Brown's books. Intellectual people remarked that there was no need for the Catholic Church to come up with books of their own just to negate Brown's. After all, the Da Vinci Code is not entirely based on facts. I'm not a Catholic but I guess Dan Brown's book created negative implications to the beliefs of the foundation of the Catholic Church. *okay, stop. I don't want any debate with reference to the last sentence.*

The controversy did not end there. A British lawsuit was filed against Brown, charging him with plagiarization. Michael Baigent and co-author Richard Leigh claimed that the Da Vinci book is a plagiarized version of their book, "Holy Blood, Holy Grail." If I am not mistaken, the case against Brown was dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Brown's and Baigent's rivalry even escalated one notch up. Now, both authors are gunning each other in the bestseller lists. In the battleground are the Da Vinci Code (Brown's) and The Jesus Papers: Exposing the Greatest Cover-up in History (Baigent's). The latter (book) supposes that Jesus never died on the cross and that he was alive. He and his wife had traveled and probably reached France.

To know more about the Da Vinci Code as explained by the author himself: please visit this site.

The forthcoming movie version of the book is being awaited by a lot of people. I just hope that Tom Hanks will deliver a convincing role as Robert Langdon. I am still working my grey cells thinking who's the best actor to play that role. Hmm. Maybe in 2 weeks' time. :)

I am planning to re-read Da Vinci Code this week. Meantime, Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler will be on standby.

I got an email message in my inbox. Music Inspired By DaVinci. Soundtrack clips from the upcoming movie:
http://www.musicinspiredbydavinci.com/en/discography.php.

By the way, the Da Vinci Code movie will be shown simultaneously worldwide. Here in the Philippines, it will be on May 18 - Thursday.

Dear Everyone,

I got this from my inbox. If you guys are into diving or you have friends who are totally in it, please contact Ms. Melrose. :)

From: "EDA Admin"
To: ivan_manalansan@______
Subject: wanted: a filipino diver
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2006 08:49:13 +0400

hello!

i got your email address from your old email
(regarding a dive expo) in my inbox while i
was still subscribed to mfpi.

i used to be a mountaineer back in the philippines
but i am now here in dubai, currently working in
emirates diving association, the umbrella organization
of all dive centers/retailers in the UAE.

i am not sure if my friends from my mountaineering group
posted my email in the mfpi yahoo groups about the need
of a dive center here for a filipino diver.

anyway, i am writing you if you can help me spread this
message to the diving community.

the dive center needs the diver to be, at least,
a dive master and has boat-driving skills.
the dive center is willing to pay for the
diver's ticket and visa.

pls. ask those interested to email me their CVs and
diving certificates so i can forward it to the dive center.

by the way, this is not part of my job but i'm doing
this as a filipino who wants to help a fellow filipino.

thank you.

best regards,

Melrose A. Valencia
Admin Assistant
Emirates Diving Association

Tel #: +971 4 3939390
Fax # : +971 4 3939391
Email: diving@emiratesdiving.com
Website: http://www.emiratesdiving.com

Dear Me,

I was supposed to indulge myself in 2 day treks during the holy week. Unfortunately, the comforts of soft fabric, the lure of heavenly slumber undermine my inner convictions. :) And so, I stayed at home.

Aside from doing the necessary chores, I engaged in a watching marathon of some sort. While my sister and brother watched lengthy episodes of 7th Heaven in Studio 23, I indulged myself watching these:

Goal: The Dream Begins: When you dream, dream big. Aspire for greatness and act on it. Santiago Munez (Kunio Becker) proved how it is to pursue one's dreams. This is a movie with a heart.

I don't know why but I perceived that the Mexicans are like the Pinoy peepz. Same as us, they believe and practice what it is to be a close-knit family, being God-fearing people and pursuing our passions in life.



Desperate Housewives Season 1:
I am beginning to like this one. It's getting interesting episode by episode.



Lassie:
I always love watching movies about dogs. Dogs have this kind of charm that's quite hard to resist. Since time immemorial, these four-legged beings have been considered as man's loyal friend.






Rent: I didn't expect this one to be boring.





few episodes of 24: I can't wait for the succeeding episodes. Can you believe that it's President Logan who's behind the grand terrorist scheme being played in his own territory? Can you also believe that he isn't dumb at all? It's up to Jack Bauer to figure that out.


few episodes of CSI New York: Oh, yes. CSI New York now comes in second for me, after CSI Miami. Before, I did not prefer to watch CSI NY because I am having a hard time liking the play of colors. I think it's called 'tinting' the film stock to achieve a desired mood in cinematic terms. CSI NY was previously tinted blue to elicit moods of sheer seriousness and professionalism. For me, the episodes were dark and boring despite the interesting episodes. Well, those were all changed now. Gone are the all-blues from the color of their attires to the film tint, their standard blue professional suits, etc. I really like it. :)

Dear Me,

I was reading some papers from nowhere and I came across some techie stuff. For a non-techie like me, learning a simple, relevant process is simply a joy. It's not big stuff but proves to be 'handy'.

To delete previously visited websites in the address bar in the Internet Explorer:

Click Start and hit Run.
Type Regedit in the Run dialog box.
In the Registry Editor, click HKEY_CURRENT_USER
then Software > Microsoft >
Internet Explorer > Typed URLs
then delete the URLs.
Close the browser and re-launched it.

I tried doing this and it worked. Now, I know. Hehehe. I remembered an old experience while I was still a part-time staff in the med school. I used this computer to do my work but somehow the lure of the internet was too much to be ignored. I was having a fun time browsing sites and one of the bosses came back early. Goodness. I could still feel the anxiety and jitters of being caught in the act. Hahaha. I even asked my partner how could I removed the website I had browsed to prevent myself from being castigated. Unfortunately, she had no idea how. Fortunately for me, I was never caught. :)

Dear Me,

I really have a soft heart when it comes to pieces like this. I feel too heartbroken and I really cannot help but cry. I feel very guilty because I am like the person who wrote this.

My parents are nearing their retiring age. I can see from their faces and bodies how they aged through the years. Gone are the agility and the energy they used to have then. Now, I can see those gray hairs turning white, wrinkles marring their skins. They easily get tired and I can see how they try to hide the pains of old age.

They are still healthy in a way but who knows what may happen tomorrow.

I really want to make it up to both of them. I was never a good daughter to them. It's high time that I become one. I should spend more time with them while they are still well and alive. I should find the time to include them in my schedules. After all, they found the time to raise me well. I owe it much to them.

To Mamu and Papa, I never ever have the courage to say upfront how I care and love you both. But I really do.


********************

My mother has Alzheimer's disease. I find clothes neatly folded inside the refrigerator, as if it were a bedroom closet. I catch her sprinkling Tide on her toes, as if it were baby powder. I am now used to answering the same question over and over again at five-minute intervals. She claims she just talked to my dead grandmother or dined with my father who passed away when I was still in college. She looks for her puppy under the bed. That puppy was her dad's gift to her on her 10th birthday. She is 80. I used to enjoy talking to my mom. Being the youngest child and only girl, I wore clothes of the same design and print that she did. We were inseparable. When I started working, I'd treat her to Shakey's on weekends. We watched Vilma Santos movies together. On Sunday afternoons, we'd snuggle in bed reading magazines. We took turns feeding our cats and dogs.

Then I became too engrossed in my work and spent less and less time with her. On weekends, I'd sleep the whole day. Since we live in Novaliches, I had to leave early for my eight o'clock job and got home late - too tired to chat with her. But she understood and was always supportive of my job. For 14 years, she was left alone at home while I was at the office. But she did not mind. She had her plants, our pets, and her sewing machine to keep her busy. Her kingdom was our house. In fact, she felt proud of all the tasks she accomplished each day.

I am now a freelancer. I have all the time to spend with my mom. We can chat for hours now, go on vacations out-of-town, watch movies, horse around like we used to.

But it's too late.

She now has her own little world. She can't understand what I say. She can't appreciate my achievements anymore. She can no longer empathize with me the way she used to. She is obsessed with her odd collection of empty plastic bottles, cereal boxes and tin cans. She collects what I discard - germs and all! I have to scold her for she won't listen to my gentle reminders. She insists on going home to a house in Binondo where she was born, grew up and fell in love. But that house is long gone. And so is my grandmother - her mom. She does not believe me when I try to explain these things. She throws a tantrum instead. She thinks I am deceiving her. It breaks my heart. And this happens every single day! I feel like I'm going out of my mind. I
feel like a prisoner in a German camp. Now I know what mental torture a mere leaking faucet can induce.

It is ironic that while I can now enjoy being with my mom and talking to her for as long as I want, I'd rather not. I have discovered that it is better to just keep quiet and silently watch her.

I used to hear stories of how hard it is to take care of aging parents. They say it can really test your patience. It can suck out your time and energy, not to mention money. I'd like to think that I am better off: my mom is not bedridden. Neither does she make a mess of herself – yet. She still walks around our garden, eats by herself, enjoys our pets and tinkers around. But I now realize that it is harder to watch your mom gradually drifting into her own private world. I try to catch the fleeting moments when she still knows that she is my mother. I know that one day she will ask who I am. I dread that day.

Many times as I watch her sleeping peacefully like a child, I scold myself. Though I showered her with material gifts when I still had a regular job, I deprived her of so much: my time, my presence, my attention and in a way, my love. I feel guilty for the stories I did not share with her, the advice I did not ask from her, the secrets I did not confide to her, the activities I did not enjoy with her. It's sad that when I gained new friends and discovered new horizons in life, there was very little space left for her in my heart.

For those out there who still have your mom - sane and sound - always set aside time for her. Grab every opportunity to bond and show her your love. And let her love you too. Let her continue being a mother to you. Seize the time. One day, she might still be around but you would have already lost her.

Dear Me,

When you're just staying home the entire workweek and you're not in the mood to leave the comforts of the house, what else can you do besides doing minor household chores and reading books? You can see those borrowed DVDs scattered all over your room so you grab them and take them all up and plug the tv and the dvd player. First things first, you open the fridge and look for something to eat and drink. There you are, ready to sit that ass and watch.




Just Like Heaven: I am beginning to love Reese Witherspoon here. I found the plot of the movie sweet. Elizabeth was in a coma and her spirit was up and about. Her spirit was in and out of her apartment and she met David, the man she was supposed to meet before her accident. In the end, David was the guy she was supposed to fall in love with. By the way, I saw the alternative ending and good thing they didn't use it. The movie was good but having the alternative ending would make Just Like Heaven a feel-bad movie.

The Constant Gardener: Starred by Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes, this movie is a web of passion, suspense, conspiracy and betrayal. Watching this movie touched me and made me angry. I couldn't help but cry over the enormous pity I felt for the poor people living in Kenya and Africa. Poverty has really stomped them the right to live humanely. And I couldn't accept that rich countries are treating them like dirt, making them their guinea pigs.

This movie is also based on a novel written by suspense author, John Le Carre.

Proof: I didn't like this movie billed by Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins. I was watching this with a heavy heart with all that shouting and anger. Oh, maybe because the movie was supposed to be that way but still, it was a waste of time for me.

Yours, Mine & Ours: How can a single parent ever manage to raise up 8-10 kids all by herself? Hmm. I think I'll go nuts. But one thing I liked about this movie is the positivism it promotes about having a family and being one. :)

Walk The Line: It tells about the tale of a rising pop-rock star as he goes and battles himself during a volatile period in his life. He is Johnny Cash. By the way, I like Reese Witherspoon here. She's good. I also love the songs they sang in the movie. Does anyone know how can I get a list of the sound tracks?

Get A Clue: Hehehe. Teen flicks sometimes make me feel younger. Well, I didn't expect it to be that 'teenish' (is that even a word?) Lohan portrayed it uber. Some scenes of hers made me cringe from embarassment. Hehehe.

Pride and Prejudice: I am not really a Keira Knightley fan that's why I have put off watching this movie for quite a time. But I was taken aback. She did well in this movie and for me, it was almost perfectly done. I recommend this one for viewing.

Ako Legal Wife: This is the 4th installation of the Pinoy movie, Mano Po. As much as it was a funny movie, I would still prefer if Mano Po 4 trailed the same line as its 3 predecessors. Anyway, the movie's laughable. When I learned that Zsa Zsa Padilla will be starring in it, my brows raised a bit. For one, she doesn't know how to act. Oh, remember the movie, Amboy with that fair-skinned young actor surnamed Garcia? Padilla starred in that movie portraying as the young boy's mother. Goodness. She was supposed to be crying but she looked like she was laughing. Didn't mean to be harsh but the lady should just hold the mike rather than act. Anyway, she made me laugh with her antics.

The Count of Monte Cristo: This one is a film about betrayal, adventure and revenge. Jim Caviezel who portrayed Dantes in the movie is so dazzling and enigmatic - as the Count of Monte Cristo. Hahay. Ang guapo nya.

Dear Me,

Oh, it's kinda belated but I want to welcome my new BE renter. Her name is Lori and she blogs on Home Burrough: Residence of the Unknowable Shrone.

When I saw her site, I was thinking what does shrone means? I was about to get Mr. Webster when she explained what shrone means. Find out for yourself what the word means. Here. :)

You better check her out and click that cute little box at the top right sidebar. Tell her I sent you. :)

Dear Me,

I am hooked with this new reggae group. I chanced upon them while spending the weekend with papi at the Robinson's Galleria Mall.

Summer is in and reggae beats high up with you. Experience their tropical beats and tunes. Welcome this new high-flying reggae band in local music scene, the Hemp Republic.

Quoted from Manila Standard: The band released their first full-length album, Welcome to Hemp Republic in April of 2005. It contained ten tracks of positive music—a welcome relief from the tiresome, pseudo-emotional releases of the time. The music video of their first single, "Sabihin Mo," was released in September of 2005, followed by "Fireflies" in January of 2006.

The line-up now consists of Tonton, Bunny, Mags, Alfred, Glober, Caio (who took charge of the drums), Eggy Mallari (bass guitar) and Jeck Ceñidoza (trombone).

I have uploaded some of my favorite tracks in that album in My Music at Multiply.

Dear Me,

When I am bored or tired of doing the usual stuff, going to the usual places, I can think of many ways to enliven myself and most of the time, I drag someone with me.

It was almost Sunday dusk when I found myself craving for hopia. So, where to find the best hopia in town? There's only one place in Manila where you can be assured of having the finest-tasting hopia. Correct. It's in Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli.

Together with Papi, we took the long way there. From our place, we headed to the LRT station and boarded off to Carriedo Station. We walked our way through the long-winding street of Ongpin. There were so many stalls, shops & stores selling various merchandise (mostly jewelries) and a whole bunch of Chinese restaurants. It was like having a walking tour in one of the busy streets in downtown Manila.

And one block away from reaching a familiar landmark for me (I used to pass by this area during my commuting days in college) - intersection of Binondo Church, I got excited and went to a full feet-stop. We were standing in front of this famous Chinese Deli. I got so excited and almost left Papi outside. Hehehe.

My goodness. I couldn't think of anything but hopia. There were so many varieties that I ended up touching each of them. I prevented taking more than I could buy for fear that the Chinese woman at the counter would shout at me. Hehehe. I am always scared of old Chinese women.

Since I just had a couple of hundreds with me, I just bought a few packs of each.



After paying at the counter, we decided to have dinner since it was almost seven in the evening. I think we dined at Chuan Kee Restaurant, which was just a few steps away from the hopia shop. I'm not sure how that resto (their food is very yummy) is connected with Eng Bee Tin but they have the same color motiff. It is my favorite color. Also, the resto is selling Eng Bee Tin products at the other corner of the dining area.

I wished we had more time exploring that area. There were so many things to see. I would also like to ride a calesa.

But one thing is for sure, I will be coming back and bring back photos with me. =)

Dear Me,

When waiting for someone at the mall, the most convenient and interesting place for me to wait up is the bookstore. It doesn't matter if it's the NBS, Powerbooks or any other bookshop for that matter. I love books and these bookstores are heaven for me.

Anyway, I was at NBS recently and I wound up buying books in the end. I bought 2 English books and 1 career reference book for my youngest brother and bought one for myself.

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White is a classic reference book for English requirements. I was told that this book's a gem for every English student and aspiring writers (in my case, I'm the frustrated one). You gotta love English to appreciate this book.

Dear Me,

I've been very laxed with myself about my promise to read books. I only finished one book for the month of March.

By the way, my newest addiction is Clive Cussler's books. I just love Dirk Pitt.




March 2006
. Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler

February 2006
. 4th of July by James Patterson
. 3rd Degree by James Patterson

January 2006
. Still Waters by Tami Hoag




. The Secret Language of Girlfriends by Karen Neuburger
. Pacific Vortex by Clive Cussler


Book Synopsis

Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler
1954. Vixen 03 is down. The plane, bound for the Pacific carrying thirty-six Doomsday bombs -- canisters armed with quick-death germs of unbelievable potency -- vanishes. Vixen has in fact crashed into an ice-covered lake in Colorado. 1988. Dirk Pitt, who heroically raised the Titanic, discovers the wreckage of Vixen 03. But two deadly canisters are missing. They're in the hands of a terrorist group. Their lethal mission: to sail a battleship seventy-five miles up the Potomac and blast Washington, DC. to kingdom come. Only Dirk can stop them.

4th of July by James Patterson
Bright, tough SFPD Lt. Lindsay Boxer is battling police brutality charges while chasing down a clan of murderers. When a botched police arrest of two gun-toting minors expands from a shaky preliminary hearing to what promises to be a nerve-rattling jury trial of Lindsay, she flees the pre-trial media frenzy for the serene
haven of sister Cat's house in Half Moon Bay. But instead of finding relaxation and romance with her Homeland Security beau, Lindsay becomes embroiled in the ruthless crimes of a troika of killers who've been slashing and flogging victims all over town.

With surprisingly little aid from the Murder Club, Lindsay performs her detective handiwork (and steps on the toes of Half Moon's police chief). As more bodies surface, sketchy suspects like a smitten grease monkey and a slimy porn star emerge, then the murderous threesome set their sights on Lindsay.

3rd Degree by James Patterson
While jogging with her dog, Lindsay witnesses a bomb explosion that levels a house and kills several people inside. A group calling itself "August Spies" takes credit for the blast.

Lindsay learns the August Spies have a horrifying agenda, using gruesome homicidal acts to target corporate greed. They must be stopped before the world’s high-profile economic leaders meet in San Francisco for the G-8 conference.

Still Waters by Tami Hoag
The deepest waters hide the darkest secrets.
Life's a bitch and then you die.

When Elizabeth Stuart starts looking for a new home for herself and her son, somewhere she can recover from a particularly bruising divorce, Still Creek seems the answer to her dreams. Hidden in the lush Amish farmlands of Minnesota, Still Creek offers a sanctuary to the splintered family who look forward to settling down there. But on their arrival the locals are distinctly cool to the newcomers. And when Elizabeth becomes involved in a murder case, she realises that there is a lot more to life in Still Creek than meets the eye.