RED VERDICT

4 stars out of 5

Ever since I started my working life 60-plus years ago as a legal secretary (for a whopping $250 a month), I’ve had a keen interest in the law. Never wanted to be a lawyer, mind you – it was the research side that called out to me. That career never happened, but even after many years as a print journalist, legal matters (and of course, books that included courtroom strategies), have remained a priority. What I’m saying is that it’s really hard for me to get bogged down in trial goings-on, but I felt that way a couple of times in this story (apparently the judge in the depicted trial did as well, admonishing attorneys for both sides to get a move on more than once). Mind you, that didn’t much dampen my personal enthusiasm for the book – I’m simply pointing out that this series entry is a bit more technical than its predecessors.

This is the fourth book featuring Nora Carleton, assistant district attorney for the Southern District of New York; I’ve now read – and recommended – all three. Every one has been an interesting, intriguing story (and, of course, scratched my legal itch).

As it opens, a frequent diner at a New York restaurant is fatally stricken during his meal. An astute hospital doctor suspects he was done in by a hard-to-detect nerve agent popular with Russian assassins. Not long after, other diners succumb to the same thing; quick action saves their lives and confirms the suspicion that the original victim had, in fact, been targeted. Nora and her long-time FBI Special Agent Benny Dugan (the latter married to Nora’s mother) begin an investigation, only to learn somebody messed up big-time; the dead guy isn’t the one they were supposed to eliminate.

Still more investigation points to someone close to the victim as being the intended target, and meetings with other agencies that have enough acronyms to make your head swim determine that the real target – and perhaps the victim himself – are Russian spies and that something went wrong. That, in turn, prompts visits to a private residence in Las Vegas reminiscent of a Jeffrey Epstein getaway (complete with young victims and links to at least one highly placed Washington, D.C., government official – who, understandably, will do what he can to make sure the public doesn’t start demanding to see files).

Finally, there’s that detailed trial – interesting in and of itself. But that’s not all Nora has on her plate; In the midst of everything job-related, she must deal with her beloved daughter, Sophie, who lives with her father during the week and is going through some issues of her own. None of the details are mine to share, of course, but I can say there’s never a dull moment (well, except when the trial attorneys get a little carried away). Everything gets resolved at the end, though, making for an entertaining and fast-paced adventure. My thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get my latest legal “fix” by way of a pre-release copy. Well done once again!

Red Verdict by James Comey (The Mysterious Press, May 2026); 352 pp.

ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE DEFIANCE

5 stars out of 5

Finally, Matt Damon has left the building. As recently as last year's Bourne Sacrifice, he was still on my mental radar as I thumbed through the pages of my ebook reader after seeing so many of the Bourne motion pictures (one reason I hate reading books after I see the movies instead of the other way around). This time, though, his image was far less noticeable. The story, though, was every bit as exciting as last year's book - and for me, the thrill of a book beats that of watching a big screen every single time.

As expected, this one's another nail-biter that pits Bourne against Lennon, his one-time friend who turned out to be a Russian agent and superbly talented assassin. As the story begins, Bourne is living in Paris with his lover, writer Abbey Laurent - and still trying, on behalf of his employer Treadstone, to nail Lennon (preferrably alive so he can be questioned). Then in Juneau, Alaska, a Treadstone hacker is inexplicably murdered, but not before he sends a crypic message to his Treadstone handler, Nash Rollins: Defiance. As Bourne later learns, that hacker is just one of several Treadstone agents who have been targeted for death. But who's behind it and why?

The answers to those questions takes up the rest of the book, sending Bourne on the chase of his lifetime. It's a complex plot with a ton of characters and can be a little hard to follow, although I'm happy to say, I guess, that I correctly identified the person behind the murder and mayhem fairly early on. The story goes off in so many directions that I can't provide more detail without giving away too much, but suffice it to say there are a couple of unexpected murders and an ending that's truly bittersweet (though not entirely unexpected) that leaves the door open for the next installment. All told, it's another great adventure, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Defiance by Brian Freeman (G.P. Putnam's Sons, July 2023); 384 pp.

THE NAMELESS ONES

5 stars out of 5

I swear that every time I read a book in the Charlie Parker series - this is the 19th - my jaw drops open early on and doesn't close till I get to the end. The writing is almost mesmerizing - not an easy accomplishment given the complexity of the plots - the detail is mind-boggling and every sentence is precisely crafted. This one, like the others, absolutely blew me away.

It's not like the others, though, in a way some readers may not appreciate: Charlie himself is almost nonexistent, except for a couple of brief phone conversations and equally brief in-person encounters. Front and center this time are Charlie's gay-couple friends Louis and Angel (mostly the former, an accomplished assassin) - actually fine with me because I love both characters. Accompanied and on occasion assisted by Angel, Louis is out for vengeance; in Amsterdam, the patriarch of a family of four - a man who was a close confidante of Louis, have been tortured and killed (the other three in the family, a young man and two women, for no apparent reason other than to make a statement). The two main killers are brothers and Serbian war criminals who hope to return to their native soil.

Louis, of course, has other ideas, but executing them (pun intended) proves more than a little challenging. In fact, he's gunning for five Serbian criminals; little does he know there's a sixth out there gunning for him. There's a lengthy cast of characters, all with names unfamiliar to me from countries even less familiar, but it all begins to make sense in fairly short order. There's even a supernatural element involving two young girls - a one who consorts with the brothers and seems to be in a sort of dead-but-still-living state similar to Charlie's late daughter Jennifer, who also makes a few appearances. 

I was on the edge of my seat with every finger crossed except the one swiping the pages of my Kindle throughout as Louis plans his assassination strategies - often working with people he's forced to trust even though it's a pretty sure bet they're untrustworthy. One of the planned encounters resulted in one of my favorite lines from the book, coming as Louis waited for one of his targets in a hotel lobby: "He found a bench, removed a book from his pocket and commenced not reading it."

In addition to the otherworldly elements, I will note that there's an abundance of grisly murders (for the benefit of those who aren't much into blood and guts stuff). The ending, while satisfying, leaves the door open to some intrigue I predict will show up in the next book. I'm up for it - bring it on!

The Nameless Ones by John Connolly (Atria/Emily Bestler Books (October 2021); 428 pp.

TARGET ALEX CROSS

4 stars out of 5

A tad far-fetched plot, perhaps, but this story certainly serves up timely issues and, dare I say, is a very enjoyable entry in the Detective Alex Cross series (this is the 26th, and I've read most of them). Alex and his Washington, D.C., chief of detectives wife Bree take center stage throughout, with their kids and Alex's feisty Nana Mama mostly in the background - which is just fine with me (they're very cool characters, but I don't want them hogging the spotlight).

This one starts off with a bang - literally; a 69-year-old California senator is killed by a sniper's bullet. Bree is charged with finding the culprit - with the threat of losing her job if she fails. At the same time, a well-known assassin is spotted in the area, so the FBI and Secret Service start to dig in as well. The nation's new president - who took office when the former POTUS died of natural causes - asks Alex to get involved. Shortly thereafter, sniper killings take the lives of other government bigwigs, leading officials to suspect there's a far, far grander plan afoot. But what is it, who's behind it and how can it be thwarted?

The investigation leads Alex all over the place, and at virtually every stop he arrives at remarkably insightful conclusions while the baddies execute extraordinarily complex actions using intricate disguises to avoid capture. As this drama ensues, Alex is intrigued by a female private patient who intrigued me as well, but in the end she seemed to have no purpose other than messing with Alex's head (which I suspect will serve as fodder for another book). But the assassin chase is exciting, life-threatening and, as I mentioned earlier, timely - and readers get a bit of a surprise in the end (well, at least I did). All told, another solid entry in one of my favorite series.

Target Alex Cross by James Patterson (Little, Brown and Co., November 2019); 432 pp.

END GAME

4 stars out of 5

No doubt about it: Government-sanctioned assassins Will Robie and Jessica Reel have never fail to get the job done, even when it comes at great personal cost and a smattering of collateral damage. This time, though, their efforts border on overkill (pun intended).

Will and Jessica are returning to action after separate assignments that left them physically and mentally devastated. They've healed as much as humanly possible, but Jessica's mind is still reeling (another pun intended) -  leaving in limbo the "connection" they formed during a previous joint venture. They haven't seen each other for six months, but now they get called in to solve a surprising problem: Their elderly and much revered handler, known as Blue Man, went missing while on a fishing vacation in backwoods Colorado, where he grew up.

Their reunion is more or less amicable, but Will and Jessica are of the same mind when it comes to their mission - find Blue Man at any cost, including their own lives should it come to that. Needless to say, as they bump up against infestations of skinheads, neo-Nazis and other undesirables in this godforsaken territory, there's a good probability that's exactly how it will end. Throw in a few abandoned government bunkers and silos and it closes in on a sure bet.

But there's a bit of a problem, as I see it, is in the execution - and I mean that as a double entendre. Murders, quite a few execution-style, result in bodies piling up faster than pitchfork-flung hay in a mow (some of them deservedly so, others not). From a writing standpoint, the execution rather quickly dives into - and stays in - the realm of "you've got to be kidding." That Will and Jessica possess near super-human capabilities both individually and as a team is de rigueur in this series, but what they accomplish here stretches imagination beyond the limit, at least for me. But then again, in the end all's right with the world - except for a few issues that no doubt will carry over to the next book.

All things considered, if you're looking for serious kick-assction (I made that one up to avoid getting censored, so hopefully you get my drift), it would be tough to beat this book. And for sure, I'll be in line to get the next installment. 

End Game by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2017); 416 pp.

BULLSEYE

4 stars out of 5

This one falls in the bad news/good news department. If you've loved the interaction between New York Detective Michael Bennett and his ginormous family (including elderly Father Seamus and Mary Catherine, the live-in nanny), you'll likely be disappointed. I admit to feeling a bit like that, but on the other hand, I've grown so weary of the is-it-or-isn't-it-real love affair between Michael and Mary Catherine that it was good news for me to not find much of that here.

The basic story is the identification, tracking down and arresting (or otherwise taking out of commission) of a pair of exceptionally skilled assassins. Some nasty target practice, it seems, was nothing more than a warm-up for their real target - the president of the United States. He's in Manhattan for a United Nations summit (other participants include Russian leader Vladimir Putin, so it's clear something really serious is going down here). In between are the typical turf wars with the police department, the CIA and Secret Service (yawn), lengthy chases that end in almost impossible escapes and the predictable dash to beat the assassins' lethal clock.

To be sure, there's plenty of action, but most of it happens on the killer end where everything was planned to the nth degree. On the police side, not so much; that they got anywhere at all in their investigation seemed more like happenstance than professional competence.

I should mention that there is a secondary plot here that relates to family, or at least one member of the large brood (son Brian) who's made friends with another kid (Marvin) who's temporarily moved into the Bennett household but whose background is spurious. The whole situation never quite gelled for me, and I'm still not sure why it was included at all.

Overall, though, I enjoyed this book, even if it is a bit off center in comparison with the others in the series. In the end, I admit to wavering between a rating of 3.5 stars and 4, but the good writing and relatively fast-paced action won out.

Bullseye by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (Little, Brown and Co., August 2016); 339 pp.