Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley - Joe King Oliver is living a bitter, defeated life 10 years after he was set up and accused of using his position as a policeman to coerce sexual favors from a woman. Then he receives a letter that changes everything. At the same time, he's asked to help a man who killed two policeman in what he says was self defense. Very gritty and dark, with violence and language. I had a little trouble keeping track of the many characters and suspects.
3 stars
*RHC - a mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ author
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When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - Dimple is going to Stanford in the fall and determined to thwart her Indian parents attempts at an arranged marriage. She has plans and they don't include the Ideal Indian husband. Rishi wants to please his parents and is excited to meet Dimple at the summer web developer program they're both attending. Except Dimple doesn't know anything about it. Of course they meet cute, get over a few bumps, and fall in love. A YA romance that didn't make me gag. Still, fairly typical, but with Indian characters.
3 stars
*RHC - a romance novel by or about a person of color
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The Day the World Came to Town:9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland - when US air space was closed because of 9/11, it left many international planes forced to land. 39 of those planes landed in Gander where they were welcomed with open arms. The story is inspiring, the writing not so much. Choppy and redundant.
2 stars
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The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George - when a man commits suicide while in police custody, Sergeant Havers and Detective Chief Superintendent Ardery are sent to make sure the subsequent investigation was conducted properly. Havers thinks it's possible it wasn't a suicide but Ardery insists they are not there to investigate that. After Havers discovers an inconsistency, she and DI Lynley begin to investigate the suicide. There are many subplots including teenage binge drinking and the resulting teen sex, overbearing mothers, and Ardery's alcoholism. When I first saw the length of the book (690 pages), I was convinced the author was padding it. But once I began I was hooked and stayed up all night to finish. If not for the irritating subplot of Ardery trying to get rid of Havers and the crude language (I don't remember that from previous books) this would have been 5 stars.
4.5 stars
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Still Waters by Viveca Sten - Detective Thomas Andreasson has a close association with the island of Sandhamm off the coast of Sweden. So when a body is found in it's waters it's only natural for him to take the lead in the investigation. At first it looks like an accident but when the victim's cousin is found dead on the island something is going on. Thomas is aided by his childhood friend Nora, a bank lawyer. This is the first in a series, with two more translated into English. I probably won't continue, I have quite a problem with Nora's jerky husband.
3 stars
Amazon World Book Day - Sweden
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Play Dead by David Rosenfelt - lawyer Andy Carpenter saves a golden retriever from death row and then finds that the dog supposedly died 5 years ago in a murder/suicide attempt that left his owner in prison. If that isn't true, what else about the case is false? Andy decides to try for a retrial and immediately his life is threatened. This is the sixth in the series and my favorite so far. Andy's smart-alecness is more tempered and the story flowed well. My suspicions proved correct but not confirmed until the end.
4 stars
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The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen - an entire family lives in a few rooms below ground. Is it because of a cataclysmic event? Everyone has burn scars except the boy who was born underground and is the narrator. His sister must wear a mask since her burns are especially hideous. But then there is a flashback and a different story is revealed. I was really liking this book and ended up hating it. The whole family was dysfunctional and hateful.
1 stars
Amaon World Book Day - Spain
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New Tricks by David Rosenfelt - Andy Carpenter is asked to negotiate the placement of a dog whose owner has been murdered and the family is fighting over ownership. But right after he picks up the dog, the house he has just left blows up, killing one of the people claiming ownership. He decides to defend murdered man's son who is accused of both crimes. Had to read another light book to take away the taste of the previous book.
3 stars
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Devil at My Heels:A World War II Hero's Epic Saga of Torment, Survival, and Forgiveness by Louis Zamperini, David Rensin - Zamperini was a juvenile delinquent with no thought for anyone but himself until he began running. He was in the 1936 Olympics. During the war his plane was shot down and he and two other men drifted for 47 days until they were found by the Japanese. he then endured terrible treatment in several different prison camps until the end of the war. But this book is also about his terrible anger and resentment and the drinking that developed in an effort to forget. When he turned to Christ his life turned around. His story is also told in the book and movie Unbroken.
3 stars
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