Two more: Someone else's love story and the absent one

A thoughtful book, but mostly because Carl Mørck is a thoughtful man. Intuition plays a large part in his police work, examining the dead cases files, but so does intelligence, and observation. He thinks not just outside the box, but perhaps outside the entire room. In this second installment of the Department Q series, Mørck is still combating the elements that broke him just prior to solving the first dead case, still building his department, and still trying to regain his rhythm in life. His investigation of a 20 year old case of the murder of a brother and sister is complicated by several things. First of all, the case is not open -- there was a confession and conviction, and second, there are big players who do not want the investigation reexamined.

I'm liking this series a great deal.

Joshilyn Jackson seems to have a knack in drawing quirky, but realistic characters, in quirky, but realistic situations. This story of tangled lives that become even more entangled after a robbery at a Circle K, had a lot of the good stuff I look for in a book I read for relaxing. I'd just come off of two more serious (and for me sad/depressing) books so this was a welcome balm. Loved the love the characters have for others, as well as the hurt, mistrust, and misunderstandings they have as well. Set in Rural Georgia (and Atlanta), the area I was when reading the novel, was also a treat. Plot summary available elsewhere, but I think I shall always adore Shandi for recognizing the specialness of her son (who reminds me of a kid I know) and the wonderful way William has learned to deal with his world perceptions (his Au-tastic nature, as his best friend says.) The virgin birth (which was documented in a different way than the last virgin birth I read about in a book) was a really fine touch, too.