Have Dog, Will Travel: A Poet's Journey with an Exceptional Labrador by Stephen Kuusisto - the author tells the story of his first guide dog and how that dog opened up a whole new world to him. Raised to act like he didn't have a disability, he was finding it increasingly difficult to navigate. Getting a guide dog later in life gave him a confidence he had never had. An interesting look at the process of training the dog's owner as well as the dog. He also has some thoughts on the proliferation of "service" dogs now.
4 stars
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High Treason by John Gilstrap - the first lady has been kidnapped and the powers that be don't want the nation to know for fear of panic. So Johnathan Graves and his team have been called in to do what they do best, find her and neutralize the kidnappers. But of course things are not as simple as it seems and the kidnapping plot may have been instigated at the highest level. And it might be a cover up for a terrorist plot. Lots of gun talk, I skipped whole pages of descriptions, the author does love his guns. No more character development and in fact, one major character isn't even in this book. I'm going to skip the rest of the series and read the last book, the one that interested me in the series in the first place.
3 stars
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The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - a woman is found poisoned in her locked bedroom and everyone immediately suspects her new husband. Fortunately, Hercules Poirot is in town and is introduced to the case by his old acquaintance Hastings, a guest at Styles. The story is told by Hastings and even in his telling he seems oblivious to his ineptitude. Lots of red herrings and eventually everyone is under suspicion at one time or another. One advantage of getting older is the ability to reread books without remembering the outcome. I have decided to try to reread Christie's books in order and this is the first, published in 1920.
4 stars
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The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie - two childhood friends meet by chance and since neither have any job prospects decide to live a life of adventure by offering to do unusual jobs for people. They soon find themselves embroiled in a scheme to bring down the government of England. There's a missing document, a missing girl, an American millionaire, and several shadowy characters all involved. Published in 1922, this is the first Tommy and Tuppence novel by Christie, and I do find their bright young things personas a little grating. It's very much in keeping with the times, though, and is muted by the effort of trying to figure out who the elusive Mr Brown is.
4 stars
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Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie - Hercules Poirot receives a letter from a man in France begging him to see him as he is in great distress and fear for his life. When Poirot arrives, the man is already dead and authorities are on the scene. They are awaiting the arrival of one of France's greatest detectives. It's amusing to see this man and Poirot spar knowing that Poirot sees the true pictures. The usual red herrings and tangled love stories.
4 stars
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The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie - after her father dies, Anne Beddelfield goes to London in search of independence and adventure. When a man falls to his death on the train line she's more interested in the doctor who seems to be searching him rather than helping. A slip of paper leads her to take a ship to South Africa and she is suddenly in a mystery with death and missing diamonds. Just a thought on reading the first four books: people either fall in love with astonishing swiftness or come to an agonizing and thick-headed conclusion that they are in love. I don't remember ever reading this book. I may have missed it in the days before Google and the internet.
4.5 stars
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