Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay

After his honeymoon in Paris, life is almost normal for Dexter Morgan. Married life seems to agree with him: he’s devoted to his bride, his stomach is full, and his homicidal hobbies are nicely under control. But old habits die hard.

The discovery of a corpse (artfully displayed as a sunbather relaxing on a Miami beach chair) naturally piques Dexter’s curiosity and Miami’s finest realize they’ve got a terrifying new serial killer on the loose. And Dexter, of course, is back in business.

I didn't enjoy this Dexter as much as previous ones. It was slow to start and a bit repetitive...Dexter doesn't feel he is human...I get it already!

Doctor Death by Jonathan Kellerman

Dr Eldon Mate, aka Doctor Death, has been the bane of the Los Angeles DA's existence, the bête noir of all opposed to assisted suicide and the angel of mercy to countless "travellers" who have found their reward via Mate's dubious vocation. He's also turned up in the back of his van, attached to his own death-dealing "Humanitron" machine and too far away from most of his blood and a certain external organ.

Enter Milo Sturgis, LA's only openly gay homicide detective and for the 14th time in 15 years (1985's award-winning When the Bough Breaks through to 1999's Monster), enter also his good friend, child psychologist and LAPD consultant Dr Alex Delaware. Unbeknownst to Sturgis, however, is a potentially case-stymieing doctor-patient conflict of interest. The mother of one of Delaware's young patients' was the beneficiary (or victim, depending upon your point of view) of Dr Death's services. The father, Richard Doss, is firmly in the latter camp, giving Delaware ample pause for reflection:

There is no shortage of suspects and the investigation goes back and forth. The sub-plot dealing with Alex's young patient and her family is another layer - did Stacy's father kill Mate? Milo thinks so. Alex thinks it's possible, but he very much much wants to think not. Over all, Alex really wears his emotions on his sleeve in this one, his own obsessiveness making him unable to let things go.

Underground by Suette Dreyfus

Here is the compelling true story of the computer underground adn the bizarre lives and crimes of an elite group of young Australian hackers who took on the froces on the establishment. They conquered and created havoc amongst some of the most powerful organisations, including NASA and the US military.

I didn't finish this book. Not because of any lack of the book's, but because it takes more concentration than I can give to it at the moment. The stories that I read were interesting, the technicalities a bit difficult at times for a non-computer person.

Girl in the Cellar the Natascha Kampusch Story by Allan Hall and Michael Leidig

It's the true story of a 10 year old girl who was kidnapped and escaped after 8 1/2 years. It is a story containing photos of her tiny underground cell plus people and places of importance. It makes my head reel just trying to imagine what that was like. She, however reveals little about her daily life. She says even less of her captor . We are left with the authors speculation.

It was a bit repetitive and there was more speculation that detail.

A Lady of Breeding by Delia Ellis

Lucy Tiversley believed her unruly red hair, freckles, outspoken nature, and lack of fortune removed her from the Marriage Mart. She thus decided her diverse education could land her a position as a governess. Unfortunately she also landed in a somewhat compromising position with her new employer, Alexander Carne, Seventh Earl of Sheldon. That gentleman vowed to protect her reputation and marry her immediately. The outrage! How dare this vile snake decide her future. But when the rakish, unflappable Alex made up his mind, not even strong-minded Lucy could change it. Their union was considered the mismatch of the ton - but no one dreamed it might become a match mad in Heaven....

A nice light, fluffy read with no surprises. Just what I was in the mood for.

Things a Killer Would Know by Paula Doneman

The crimes of Leonard Fraser, which made international headlines with the murder of a nine-year-old schoolgirl in 1999, are chronicled in this true-crime book. In April 1999, Keyra Steinhardt was beaten, raped, and murdered in a brazen daylight attack as she walked home from school in the Australian town of Rockhampton. When her killer, Leonard Fraser, finally led the police to her body two weeks later, it was the catalyst that went on to expose him as a murderous sexual predator, and in 2005 he was found guilty of the murders of Keyra and two other women, and found guilty of manslaughter in the death of another woman. The book discusses other crimes possibly committed by Fraser, as he is currently a suspect in at least three unsolved disappearances of women in Australia, though no remains have been found. He is serving four indefinite life sentences.

A very nasty man that will never get out of jail. It makes you wonder how he ever got parole from some of his earlier crimes. I didn't remember hearing anything about Keyra's disappearance at the time.

To Serve and Submit by Susan Wright

Marja, a rural girl of mixed heritage with the ability to speak to the olfs (earth spirits), is sold to Lexander and Helanas, mysterious foreigners who are in the business of training pleasure slaves to be sent to their homeland. On a visit to a nearby chieftain, Marja ends up embroiled in a tangled mess of political rivalries. Meanwhile, Marja's love for her master, Lexander, is growing, and this, too, complicates everything.

Marja has been trained to be submissive, and so in the early stages of her journey, she can be maddeningly passive. One character asks her whether she ever thinks for herself. Marja grows stronger throughout the book; while still remaining a submissive in the bedroom, she learns to be stronger and more assertive in other areas.

The sex scenes were well written, but there weren't enough of them. I would have liked to have read a lot more about her training too.