BOOK REVIEW - Gone by Lisa Gardner

At the suggestion of another blogger Sherry. I read Gone by Lisa Gardner. I usually don't read suspenseful thrillers but I was ready for something different. The plot surrounds an investigation of a missing person who is the wife of a former FBI worker turned private investigator. She is held for ransom by a sadistic killer who keeps emphasizing he is not a monster but something will happen if the husband does not cooperate.
It definitely kept my interest especially reading one night till midnight to finish it. I did not know who the killer was till the end but then again I am not the type of person that reads between the lines and says "I know who did it." What was so intense for me was that there was a lot revealed about the many characters in the novel. They all had some secret thoughts being revealed about their personal lives. But Lisa Gardner had well-developed characters all except the killer. You only got to know him at the end when he was caught. Maybe that is why I never suspected that person as the suspect.

I decided to read a less intense book after this one by Luanne Rice called The Secret Hour. To my dismay this book is about a lawyer for a another sadistic killer who is sitting on death row trying to prove his mental illness appeal. I will tell you about this one when I finish it soon.

STINKY ASPARAGUS

My daughter-in-law does not like asparagus. I love it. When I was growing up I never got to eat it because my mom probably did not like it. She also did not serve gourmet vegetables, just the basics. I could not understand why my dil did not like it. I even grew it for a short time many years ago.
Well, her reason was that it makes your urine smell bad, or worse than it should maybe. I never thought about it till she told me this and it is true. I found an article in the paper not to long ago that gave me some information about it.
The odor is a result of amino acids being metabolizied from the asparagus. Asparagus is high in these amino acids. A compound called methyl mercaptan then causes a sulfur related smell. I would not describe it as sulfur like nor cabbage like, just a weird smell.
It is interesting also that not everyone can smell this odor nor does everyone produce this odor in their urine. It is genetical as to whether you do or don't.
So if you do eat asparagus this spring pay close attention to the odor after you go to the bathroom afterwards. It can take about a half hour for this to happen. I f you notice nothing strange you are on of the lucky percentage.
It only bothers me since I was made aware of the fact so now I seem to notice it more. But I still love asparagus.
You should be reassured, however, that the smell in the urine is not a sign of disease, and so it is not a reason to stop eating asparagus, which contains more folic acid than any other vegetable. Asparagus is also low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium, but rich in fibre, potassium, thiamine, vitamins A, C, and B6, and glutathione, which is a powerful antioxidant.
I am still usually blogging at my other blogs at http://www.homesteadblogger.com/abigasfarm/
or at Blessings from Abiga.