Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - four young people, different nationalities, are thrown together in a desperate rush to get to a seaport ahead of the advancing Russian army. But even refuge on a ship doesn't bring safety. Told from all four viewpoints, you gradually get to know and care about them.
5 stars
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First Degree by David Rosenfelt - the second Andy Carpenter book and the smart mouth has been dialed down. Possibly because this time it's Andy's girlfriend who is being framed for decapitating and burning her former police boss. But before the framing even takes place, Andy is cleverly set up. Liked this better than the first, I think this will be a nice, casual series.
3 stars
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Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt - a serial killer is taunting the police by using a newspaper writer to talk about his crimes. Until the police decide it's all a ruse by the writer and arrest him. That's where Andy Carpenter steps in. He thinks the case is hopeless but takes it because it's important to his friend. But then he becomes convinced of his client's innocence. A little twisty in the plot. But I'm enjoying the fact that Andy and his client from the first book have started a no-kill dog shelter named for his dog.
3 stars
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Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt - Andy Carpenter has just stepped off a plane when he's called to a police standoff at a pro football player's home. The player claims that when he got home he found the body of a friend in his closet and when the police arrived he panicked. Of course Andy takes the case. I always enjoy the courtroom scenes. Andy's girlfriend drops a bombshell and I'll have to read the next book soon to see what happens.
3 stars
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Dead Center by David Rosenfelt - Andy takes a case in Wisconsin involving one of my least favorite plot devices, the weird cult church group. A young man has been accused of murdering two girls from the group but of course Andy thinks there's been a mistake. Not enough court scenes and too much talking about his sex life. Also, don't become a new friend of Andy, it's like wearing a red shirt on Star Trek. I'm going to have to give this series a rest for awhile.
2.5 stars
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The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson discovers one of the reasons he's always in so much trouble is that he's not an ordinary boy. He's a half-blood, offspring of one of the Greek gods. But which one is his father? Suddenly he's caught in a quest to prevent a war among the Olympian gods. I've read the author's Tres Navarre series, for adults, many years ago. Now I'll try some of his YA stuff.
3 stars
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Sunday, April 9, 2017
April 2 - 8, 2017
Fatal by John Lescroart - when her friend of 20 years confides to Beth that she's thinking of having an affair, Beth strongly discourages her. As a police detective she's seen first hand the fallout an affair has on more than just the two people involved. Six months later, Beth and her partner catch the homicide of a man found in San Francisco Bay. It takes awhile for her to discover he's the man her friend was attracted to. Lots of twists and turns with a somewhat unsatisfactory ending. I like the relationship Beth and her partner have. Also her relationship with her teenage daughter. I would like it if this became a series.
4 stars
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Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt - lawyer Andy Carpenter has been asked by his father, a former D.A., to take on the appeal of convicted murderer Willie. When his father dies soon afterward, Andy discovers an old secret that seems to have ties to the murder. I didn't like Andy at first, he's a little too smart mouth. But he really digs in for his clients and loves his golden retriever, Tara. I also enjoyed the courtroom scenes. There is too much sports talk for my taste so I just skipped over it. Published in 2003, this is the first in what is now a 16 book series. I'll read a few more to see if the dog appeal can overcome the smart mouth.
3 stars
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Coffin Road by Peter Mays - a man comes to on a beach in the Hebrides with no idea who he is or how he got there. His confusion is almost overcome by a feeling of dread. Has he done something horrible? A policeman investigates the death of a tourist at a lighthouse with it's own unexplained mystery. And a teenage girl is still struggling to come to grips with the suicide of her father two years ago. All of this melds together in a satisfying way with an exciting conclusion. I enjoyed trying to figure things out. A few unnecessary sex scenes. Language, especially from the teenager.
4 stars
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A Separation by Kate Kitamura - a young woman, separated secretly from her husband, is asked by his mother to go to Greece to find him. He's not answering his phone and his hotel doesn't know where he is. She agrees to look for him only because she has decided to ask for a divorce when she sees him. An oddly written book, an almost continual dialogue only by the woman. And with the modern lack of punctuation. I kept waiting for something to happen and when it finally did I didn't care by that point.
2 stars
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Mister Memory by Marcus Sedgwick - Marcel Despres can remember everything that he's ever seen or has happened to him. Not until he's an adult does he realize this is unusual. He manages to make a living working in a cabaret in 1899 Paris and marries Ondine, a dancer there. When he finds her with another lover, he shoots her and then falls into a catatonic state. He's sent to the hospital for the insane. But the policeman assigned to the case finds it odd that Marcel is sent there before he's even been assigned the case. Something seems to be going on at a higher level. I loved the writing of this. But the subject matter is sometimes brutal.
4.5 stars
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True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner - the title says it all, this isn't about Maura Murray, it's about the author. He leaps from theory to theory. And one way he investigates is to set up a webpage and let people speculate on it. I'm frankly surprised he's still married and would love to hear this story from his wife's viewpoint.
1 star
4 stars
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Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt - lawyer Andy Carpenter has been asked by his father, a former D.A., to take on the appeal of convicted murderer Willie. When his father dies soon afterward, Andy discovers an old secret that seems to have ties to the murder. I didn't like Andy at first, he's a little too smart mouth. But he really digs in for his clients and loves his golden retriever, Tara. I also enjoyed the courtroom scenes. There is too much sports talk for my taste so I just skipped over it. Published in 2003, this is the first in what is now a 16 book series. I'll read a few more to see if the dog appeal can overcome the smart mouth.
3 stars
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Coffin Road by Peter Mays - a man comes to on a beach in the Hebrides with no idea who he is or how he got there. His confusion is almost overcome by a feeling of dread. Has he done something horrible? A policeman investigates the death of a tourist at a lighthouse with it's own unexplained mystery. And a teenage girl is still struggling to come to grips with the suicide of her father two years ago. All of this melds together in a satisfying way with an exciting conclusion. I enjoyed trying to figure things out. A few unnecessary sex scenes. Language, especially from the teenager.
4 stars
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A Separation by Kate Kitamura - a young woman, separated secretly from her husband, is asked by his mother to go to Greece to find him. He's not answering his phone and his hotel doesn't know where he is. She agrees to look for him only because she has decided to ask for a divorce when she sees him. An oddly written book, an almost continual dialogue only by the woman. And with the modern lack of punctuation. I kept waiting for something to happen and when it finally did I didn't care by that point.
2 stars
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Mister Memory by Marcus Sedgwick - Marcel Despres can remember everything that he's ever seen or has happened to him. Not until he's an adult does he realize this is unusual. He manages to make a living working in a cabaret in 1899 Paris and marries Ondine, a dancer there. When he finds her with another lover, he shoots her and then falls into a catatonic state. He's sent to the hospital for the insane. But the policeman assigned to the case finds it odd that Marcel is sent there before he's even been assigned the case. Something seems to be going on at a higher level. I loved the writing of this. But the subject matter is sometimes brutal.
4.5 stars
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True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner - the title says it all, this isn't about Maura Murray, it's about the author. He leaps from theory to theory. And one way he investigates is to set up a webpage and let people speculate on it. I'm frankly surprised he's still married and would love to hear this story from his wife's viewpoint.
1 star
Saturday, April 1, 2017
March 26 - April 1, 2017
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden - a re-imagining of a Russian fairy tale. Vasalisa lives in a remote part of Russia where winter lasts a long time. Even though her father is a wealthy man, winter is very hard for everyone. It becomes even harder when he brings home a stepmother who doesn't want to hear anything about the old fables. But the fables prove to be strong and Vasalisa fights to keep her family safe against forces they know nothing about. Beautiful storytelling, very atmospheric. I felt cold just reading this.
4.5 stars
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Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb - the 44th Eve Dallas book and the series is starting to feel it's longevity. It's only a couple of weeks since the last book when Eve and Roarke are on their way home from a party. A young woman stumbles in front of their car, obviously traumatized. She's been the victim of a home invasion and her husband lies dead. What follows is so rote I feel I could write one of these stories now. I used to like them for the character development but some of the people seem to be devolving. And the stories seem to get more violent. And I absolutely shouldn't feel this way but I'm so tired of Eve reliving the trauma of her childhood.
2 stars
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All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai - Tom lives in the 2016 that we imagined in the '50's - flying cars, no war, no financial worries and unlimited clean energy. But in a fit of teenage angst (and he's in his 30's), he destroys all that and wakes up in our 2016. As John. With kind of the same family, but not. With kind of the same girl he has a crush on, but not. Kind of himself, but not. Lots of sciency stuff about time travel which makes my eyes glaze over. And lots of foreshadowing. In fact it takes until about page 98 before things really get going. Tom/John is not actually very likeable. I wanted to like this book much more than I did.
2 stars
4.5 stars
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Echoes in Death by J.D. Robb - the 44th Eve Dallas book and the series is starting to feel it's longevity. It's only a couple of weeks since the last book when Eve and Roarke are on their way home from a party. A young woman stumbles in front of their car, obviously traumatized. She's been the victim of a home invasion and her husband lies dead. What follows is so rote I feel I could write one of these stories now. I used to like them for the character development but some of the people seem to be devolving. And the stories seem to get more violent. And I absolutely shouldn't feel this way but I'm so tired of Eve reliving the trauma of her childhood.
2 stars
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All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai - Tom lives in the 2016 that we imagined in the '50's - flying cars, no war, no financial worries and unlimited clean energy. But in a fit of teenage angst (and he's in his 30's), he destroys all that and wakes up in our 2016. As John. With kind of the same family, but not. With kind of the same girl he has a crush on, but not. Kind of himself, but not. Lots of sciency stuff about time travel which makes my eyes glaze over. And lots of foreshadowing. In fact it takes until about page 98 before things really get going. Tom/John is not actually very likeable. I wanted to like this book much more than I did.
2 stars
Saturday, March 25, 2017
March 19 - 25, 2017
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan - Nina loses her job as a librarian and decides to take a chance. She buys a van and turns it into a bookmobile, instead of lending books she sells them. And she does it all in a small town in Scotland, way out of her comfort zone. This is basically a Harlequin romance book with better writing. I could predict every turn. It was a nice light read.
3 stars
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Racing the Devil by Charles Todd - seven officers meet by accident right before the Battle of the Somme. They agree that if they survive they will meet in Paris and race to Nice a year after the war is over. In 1920, the Rector of a small village is found dead in a motorcar accident. A motorcar that he borrowed from one of the seven officers. Inspector Ian Rutledge suspects it was not an accident and may be a case of mistaken identity. Lots of twists and turns, more murders, and a surprise (to me) culprit. I really enjoy this series.
4 stars
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Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton - Hamish Wolfe is a charismatic serial killer locked in prison. He has many followers claiming his innocence. Maggie Rose, a lawyer and best selling author may be his ticket out if he can persuade her to take his case. This one had lots of turns and twists and just when I would think I knew what was going on I didn't. A good surprise ending.
4 stars
3 stars
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Racing the Devil by Charles Todd - seven officers meet by accident right before the Battle of the Somme. They agree that if they survive they will meet in Paris and race to Nice a year after the war is over. In 1920, the Rector of a small village is found dead in a motorcar accident. A motorcar that he borrowed from one of the seven officers. Inspector Ian Rutledge suspects it was not an accident and may be a case of mistaken identity. Lots of twists and turns, more murders, and a surprise (to me) culprit. I really enjoy this series.
4 stars
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Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton - Hamish Wolfe is a charismatic serial killer locked in prison. He has many followers claiming his innocence. Maggie Rose, a lawyer and best selling author may be his ticket out if he can persuade her to take his case. This one had lots of turns and twists and just when I would think I knew what was going on I didn't. A good surprise ending.
4 stars
Sunday, March 19, 2017
March 12 - 18, 2017
The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney - desperate to find a new flat after a break in, Emma and her boyfriend apply to live in a house with very restrictive rules - no personal pictures, no books laying around, no possessions showing. A year later, Jane is applying for the same house despite the fact there has been a death there. Told in alternating chapters, then and now, this is a very fast read. And I started out really enjoying it. But by the end I pretty much hated everyone. I'm not sure if that was the author's intent. A couple of graphic sex scenes.
2 stars
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All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda - 10 years ago Nic walked away from her home town when her best friend disappeared. Now she's back to help her brother deal with their ailing father. Another girl disappears and the same cycle of suspicion begins. Told backwards, this was a little hard to wrap my head around. But you would know everything too soon if it was told in the conventional way. Once again, I found it hard to connect with the characters.
3.5 stars
2 stars
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All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda - 10 years ago Nic walked away from her home town when her best friend disappeared. Now she's back to help her brother deal with their ailing father. Another girl disappears and the same cycle of suspicion begins. Told backwards, this was a little hard to wrap my head around. But you would know everything too soon if it was told in the conventional way. Once again, I found it hard to connect with the characters.
3.5 stars
Sunday, March 12, 2017
March 5 - 11, 2017
Heartbreak Hotel by Jonathan Kellerman - the 32nd(!) Alex Delaware book. This time, instead of his usual pediatric cases, psychologist Alex is called by a nearly 100 year old woman living in a hotel. When she is found dead the day after their meeting natural causes are assumed. It proves to be murder and Alex and his friend, detective Milo Sturgis, search for who did it and why. Not the most exciting of plots but I really enjoy watching the two friends follow leads and gather clues.
3 stars
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Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonald's Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away by Lisa Napoli - a fascinating read about Ray Kroc and his wife who both came from poor beginnings to have an unimaginable fortune. Told pretty briskly, with only a few unnecessary (to me) tangents. And she really did give it all away.
4.5 stars
3 stars
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Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonald's Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away by Lisa Napoli - a fascinating read about Ray Kroc and his wife who both came from poor beginnings to have an unimaginable fortune. Told pretty briskly, with only a few unnecessary (to me) tangents. And she really did give it all away.
4.5 stars
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Feb 26 - Mar 4, 2017
The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz - the second in the Orphan X series. Evan Smoak, trained as an elite assassin, now helps people with nowhere else to turn. But when he's kidnapped by a mysterious group he's the one who needs help. Much of the book is spent with Evan trying ways to escape. I was ready for him to get away and wreak havoc halfway through. A surprising plot twist leads to the next book. Quite a bit of violence.
3 stars
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Night School by Lee Child - in the 21st Jack Reacher novel, the author takes us back to 1996, when Reacher was still an MP. He's just received a medal and then is immediately sent to night school. In other words, buried for deniable plausibility if needed. An overheard conversation has several agencies looking for "the American" who is going to receive a hundred million dollars - for what no one knows. A couple of sex scenes more detailed than previous books (yuck). The usual Reacher level of violence.
4 stars
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A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong - Rockton is a hidden city, a place where people escape their past. But people aren't always who they say they are. In the second Casey Duncan book she and another deputy find a woman who has been held captive in a hole for over a year. She's a resident of Rockton that everyone presumed had died in the wilderness. It looks like there's a serial killer in Rockton when two bodies are found. Or is it one of the people living rough in the woods? I figured this one out too early, which took away some of the suspense. And it was dark. Not as good as the first in the series IMO.
3 stars
3 stars
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Night School by Lee Child - in the 21st Jack Reacher novel, the author takes us back to 1996, when Reacher was still an MP. He's just received a medal and then is immediately sent to night school. In other words, buried for deniable plausibility if needed. An overheard conversation has several agencies looking for "the American" who is going to receive a hundred million dollars - for what no one knows. A couple of sex scenes more detailed than previous books (yuck). The usual Reacher level of violence.
4 stars
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A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong - Rockton is a hidden city, a place where people escape their past. But people aren't always who they say they are. In the second Casey Duncan book she and another deputy find a woman who has been held captive in a hole for over a year. She's a resident of Rockton that everyone presumed had died in the wilderness. It looks like there's a serial killer in Rockton when two bodies are found. Or is it one of the people living rough in the woods? I figured this one out too early, which took away some of the suspense. And it was dark. Not as good as the first in the series IMO.
3 stars
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