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Summary: The Plot Thickens....
Review: "With Child" has been my constant companion for the past several hours: it went to lunch with me, and to dinner, and spent a quiet afternoon in between. What kept me going was not the apparent plot--as I read the book, I thought there were two separate plots, the search for Dio and the search for Jules, and I found them quite loosely tied together. Then I completed the last scene and realized that this wonderful book is a web of plots, based on the them of being 'with child', of finding children on many levels. There's Jules and Dio, both lost; Lee's need to have a child despite her lesbianism and her disability; and Rosa surrounded by children. There's the search for missing children at the center of this book, and the search for love at the emotional core. It's the search for partners and for family relationships which motivates all the characters, even the most villanous, and which holds the actions together in a tightly-knit whole cloth
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Summary: ANOTHER WONDERFUL BOOK FROM A BRILLIANT AUTHOR
Review: Sensitive, intense, and at times absolutely gut-wrenching, this book, the third in the Detective Kate Martinelli series, is my favorite to date. Even more so than in the previous two books in the series, Kate emerges as a strong, complex woman who is now fighting to reclaim herself after her life partner leaves to spend some time alone. Just as Kate gets her feet back underneath herself, the special bond she has been forming with Jules, a smarter-than average twelve year old, is threatened when Jules disappears while in Kate's care. The ensuing search is surrounded by accusations and strong emotions, climaxing in a thrilling rescue attempt. I encourage fans of King's Mary Russell books to check out her present-day heroine, as well. Just a small warning--make sure you have plenty of time to read when you begin any of King's books--they are impossible to put down! The two books preceding "With Child" in this series are "A Grave Talent" and "To Play the Fool," both excellent reads.
Rating: 
Summary: More Martinelli, less mystery in this book
Review: Before I nitpick, let me say that I enjoyed reading this book. It's well written with interesting characters. It just isn't quite the masterpiece that the first two Martinelli books are. Much of this book focuses on Kate's personal life crises - Lee has left to recover with a long lost aunt and Kate doesn't know where she stands. She spends more and more time with Jules, the soon to be step-daughter of her partner, Al Hawkin. (Readers of the previous books will remember the child genius.) She spends some of the time tracking down a runaway friend of Jules. In the second half of the book, Jules disappears during a road trip to Seattle. Still, Kate isn't allowed to participate in the the active search and acts policelike only on the fringes. Bottom-line: Probably a worthwhile read for existing fans of the series but wouldn't be the best book for starting the Martinelli series (which is terrific overall).
Rating:
Summary: More Martinelli, less mystery in this book
Review: Before I nitpick, let me say that I enjoyed reading this book. It's well written with interesting characters. It just isn't quite the masterpiece that the first two Martinelli books are. Much of this book focuses on Kate's personal life crises - Lee has left to recover with a long lost aunt and Kate doesn't know where she stands. She spends more and more time with Jules, the soon to be step-daughter of her partner, Al Hawkin. (Readers of the previous books will remember the child genius.) She spends some of the time tracking down a runaway friend of Jules. In the second half of the book, Jules disappears during a road trip to Seattle. Still, Kate isn't allowed to participate in the the active search and acts policelike only on the fringes. Bottom-line: Probably a worthwhile read for existing fans of the series but wouldn't be the best book for starting the Martinelli series (which is terrific overall).
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Summary: Who-done-it fun: a great mystery novel (again) by King
Review: I first read "A Grave Talent" and couldn't wait to read "With Child". I only bring mystery books on vacation, and this was the first one I read in Puerta Vallarta over mid-winter break. Not only is it a great way to keep the sun off of your face while lying prone on a beach chair, it is an intriguing story with wonderful characters. I prefer King's American style of mystery plots compared to the traditional set-up of English writers like P.D. James. James gives you the complete cast of suspects, then slowly reveals who did it. I won't give away how King sets up this book, but it isn't the same as James! No trips to Mexico this year with a new baby on the way, but when Baby Jack is born I will definitely send my husband out to fetch me some more Laurie King mysteries to wile away the hours of nursing my newborn, lying prone on a bed this time around.
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Summary: From boring to emotionally
Review: I have to confess that the first part of the book, the story of Kate and her lover, her problems at work, at home were boring, but when you finish that part of the book is getting better and better until the end. The way she talk with Jules and the way she rescue her won't let you put the book down.
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Summary: sherylval@aol.com
Review: I just discovered laurie king this year. she is great. i love all kinds of books, although mysteries are my favorite. i rate her right up there with elizabeth george(my fav). just finished 'with child' last night and ordered her new one, 'night work' couldn't wait to find out what happens next. laurie king you are a great writer, and keep writing about kate.
Rating:
Summary: sherylval@aol.com
Review: I just discovered laurie king this year. she is great. i love all kinds of books, although mysteries are my favorite. i rate her right up there with elizabeth george(my fav). just finished 'with child' last night and ordered her new one, 'night work' couldn't wait to find out what happens next. laurie king you are a great writer, and keep writing about kate.
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Summary: Can't wait to read more about Kate
Review: Laurie King's books are a delight. The characters and their relationships with each other, in both series, matter far more to me than any plot lines. I missed reading With Child right when it came out because I was finishing up a book on donor insemination and now I read that Lee and Kate may become moms, maybe via DI - I can't wait to read of their further adventures! Carol Frost Vercollone, Stoneham, MA
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Summary: Another good story
Review: Once again, the reader is transported to the San Francisco scenes and neighborhoods travelled by Kate Martinelli. This time the story is close to home, involving the disappearance of the stepdaughter of her partner when she was in Kate's care. At the same time, her partner, Lee, has left town for a time both to recuperate and to decide about the future of their relationship. On several fronts, this is a difficult time for Kate.
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