TOM CLANCY DEFENSE PROTOCOL

5 stars out of 5

After reading several of these books, the Jack Ryan family - Jack Sr., his wife Cathy, and children Jack Jr. and Katie - almost feel like family to me (and it doesn't hurt that I'm married to a guy of the same name). But I look forward to reading them because they never fail to disappoint - and this one's no exception. Actually, Jack Jr. doesn't enter the fray here except in the occasional mention of his name - he's got his own series going now - but rising Navy officer Katie sure does. It's fun to watch as she starts to sound and act more like her father - now the President of the United States - every single day. 

This time out, the story involves an attempt by the greedy and corrupt leader of China to attack and take over Taiwan - a headline ripper if there ever was one. But of course, it can't be seen as an outright act of war; the Chinese need to pass the blame on to someone else and have concocted an elaborate plan to accomplish that. But early on, Chinese defense minister Qin Haiyu realizes the damage such an act will cause to their own people - a fact the current leader is choosing to ignore - and surreptitiously passes a message to an American ambassador to sound the alert (silently, of course). It's an act of courage that easily could backfire if if the ambassador doesn't realize what's going on or believes it's some kind of scam - and heaven help him if he's caught. But the man has put his very life on the line, as well as those of his wife and two children, who are enjoying a vacation in the Maldives.

The message was received, but the intent wasn't very clear until Katie offers her insights - demonstrated to be spot-on in a previous book, the powers that be in the United States - including the President and his trusted director of national security, Mary Pat Foley - buy in. Collectively, they lock into the need to get Qin out of China and his family out of the Maldives - as quickly as possible. Given China's nearly impenetrable internal defense systems, accomplishing that is next to impossible; exfiltrating all four puts the U.S. teams in nearly unsurmountable danger. Without help from an internal spy - a woman known as the Night Spider - either or both missions likely will end in failure. But first, they have to get a message to her - and doing that alone could get everyone, including her, very dead.

The rest of the book centers on the details of  both exfiltrations, with chapters shifting from China to the President's office to Katie's latest assignments as well as the Chinese efforts to run up a false flag in the Taiwan takeover effort. As always, it's all very exciting - holding my attention from beginning to end. Also as always, the devil is in the details, but those you'll have to read for yourself. I'll just thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy. Well done once again!

Tom Clancy Defense Protocol by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson (G.P. Putnam's Sons, December 2024); 512 pp.

ROBERT B. PARKER'S HOT PROPERTY

4 stars out of 5

Ah, Spenser. The Boston private eye has held the No. 2 spot on my Top 10 list of book heroes since, well, forever. And after original author Robert B. Parker's death in 2010 at the age of 77, my favorite takeover author - by a country mile - is the author of this guy (Mike Lupica). Why? Well, I've been impressed with his sports knowledge for many years. But more to the point, besides making Spenser seem like Parker never left the building, he's the only one so far who, in my eyes, has been able to put realistic dialog into the mouth of Spenser sidekick Hawk (who would be on my Top 10 list of heroes except that he's a sidekick).

This one begins with a snowstorm of epic proportions, followed by the unwelcome news that Spenser's old and dear friend, hotshot attorney Rita Fiore, has been shot. With her very life hanging in the balance, there's no shortage of possible suspects. In fact, she'd just come off of a trial defending TV anchorman Brian Tully, who ultimately was acquitted on charges of sexual harrassment by fellow TV journalist Shannon Miles. She - and many others who are upset with Rita for "unjustly" freeing someone they consider guilty as sin - have plenty of motive for making sure she never sees the inside of a courtroom again.

But thinking isn't proving; Spenser and Hawk have a lot of investigating to do before the person who put Rita in ICU can be held accountable. The chase leads to a local hot-shot politician and friend of Rita's, some prominent and well-connected real estate developers vying for a lucrative project and even some of the mobsters with whom Spenser has had run-ins (both bad and good) over the years and who will be familiar to regular series readers.

The thrill of the chase remains a thrill here, especially since Spenser gets some help from a couple of old friends from Paradise, Maine, who as good luck would have it happen to be friends of Rita as well. It's wonderful to see them all together again, and I think long-time readers of Parker's various series will agree. At this point, all I can say is more, please - and thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. 

Robert B. Parker's Hot Property by Mike Lupica (G.P. Putnam's Sons, November 2024); 352 pp.

TO DIE FOR

5 stars out of 5

Any book by this author is sure to be a treat for me, and this - the third in the series featuring ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine - certainly doesn't disappoint. This time out, he's been called to Seattle to protect 12-year-old Betsy Odom, who recently lost both her parents to drug overdoses. He's a bit reluctant to become a glorified babysitter or do anything that puts him in a spotlilght, especially since his recent encounter in Switzerland with the "girl on the train" that nearly cost him his life.

But duty calls (or more to the point, his boss, so off to Seattle he goes. Betsy's long-lost uncle, Danny Glass, wants her to come live with him. But despite having more riches than King Midas (or maybe because of it), Danny is under FBI investigation for RICO violations that could put him behind bars for a very long time. The FBI has an agent on the scene guarding Betsy, but there's reason to believe Betsy may not be safe so they're hedging their bets by having Devine run interference.

Almost from the start, though, Travis senses something's wrong. To begin with, Betsy - who was with her parents when they suddenly convulsed and died - insists they never did drugs. Further, the official record notes that Betsy herself administered Narcan to try to save them - a claim she disputes as well. The police in the tiny town in which the parents died, though, insist they investigated thoroughly and indeed, drugs were involved. But after meeting with a couple of the Odoms' friends who are hanging out in their house, Travis is even more convinced that some kind of cover-up is in place - perhaps an extensive one that reaches far beyond the local cops and might even (gasp) put him in the crosshairs of that mysterious girl on the train once again.

All told, it's quite an intriguing adventure, and now that it's over, I'm once again hoping the next installment will come sooner rather than later. Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. 

To Die For by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2024); 424 pp.

AN INSIGNIFICANT CASE

4 stars out of 5

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of the author's books featuring former MMA fighter and current attorney Robin Lockwood, so when I got the chance to read this standalone book, I jumped at it. The lawyer here is Charlie Webb, an "average" guy who through no fault of his own got accepted into law school and passed the Bar. Living in Oregon, most of Charlie's clients are in the local Barbarian Motorcycle Club, just because he treats them right (and for the most part wins their court cases).

Charlie is also an old friend of sorts of a man who calls himself Guido Sabatini, a painter by profession. He recently sold one of his paintings to a woman named Gretchen Hall, who hung it on the wall in the office at the restaurant she owns. That, alas, really annoyed Guido, who was mightily offended that it wasn't on display where diners could see it. To rectify the situation, he broke into the office and stole the painting - along with at least one item from Gretchen's office safe.

That, of course, is a big no-no from a legal standpoint; Guido definitely will find himself in a court of law (as he's done in the past) - but not before he convinces Charlie to defend him. Unbeknownst to both of them, though, Gretchen is a suspected ringleader in a group of rather nasty folks who traffic young girls. And as luck would have it, the item Guido stole from that safe is a flash drive showing living proof that the police suspicions are right on the money.

That, needless to say, puts Guido - and everyone associated with him - in the crosshairs of those who are desperate to keep that video from ever being seen, even if murder is involved. So Charlie and his friends must be vigilant to the nines if they even hope to make it to Guido's trial, much less get him acquitted. More than that I can't reveal except to say it's quite an adventure. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me a pre-release copy to read and review.

An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin (Minotaur Books, November 2024); 304 pp.

BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT

5 stars out of 5

Last year, I read the author's Her Deadly Game, which featured attorney and grown-up chess prodigy Keera Duggan. At the time, I hoped she was destined for a series but wasn't sure - and by golly, here she is again. This second installment is better than the first.

Living in the shadow of her hot-shot attorney father, Patsy, Keera has a place in his Seattle law firm along with a couple of sisters. Three year ago, her father successfully defended health-care entrepreneur Jenna Bernstein when she was charged with the murder of a potential whistle-blower. Now, Jenna's former company partner and lover has been murdered as well, and the evidence points to Jenna as the killer (if you haven't already guessed, the resemblance to a similar real-life incident that topped the national news in the United States is inescapable). Because of the earlier success, Jenna and her parents again turn to Patsy's firm to defend her.

Patsy, though, is fighting his own battles with the bottle and not actively participating in the firm's business. That leaves the defense job to Keera, but there's a hitch: Keera is well acquainted with Jenna from childhood, and let's just say Jenna is far, far from an upstanding, honest and trustworthy individual (the term sociopath is a more appropriate description). If Keera takes the case, she knows she cannot trust anything that Jenna says or does.

The story follows the investigation and trial as well as plenty of backstories about Keera, Jenna and Patsy - those who love courtroom action (like me) should be happy. It's a treat to read from start to finish, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer, October 2024); 365 pp.

THE KNIFE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

3.5 stars out of 5

Despite not being a huge fan of cozy mysteries, this series is a favorite - largely because for once the main character is a real woman, not a ditzy female who never listens to reason, and the stories always are intriguing and relatively fast-paced. This one, too, was enjoyable, but it was noticeably lacking in the usual pizzazz. 

Yes, there's a murder in the small California coastal town of Lighthouse Cove (make that two murders, in fact); but those events take up a only a few pages - the rest mostly filled with characters running around talking about how much they like (or dislike) each other. Even the relatively brief reference to a current real-life trend (a particular concern for online shoppers) ends up with a not-quite-realistic conclusion and seems more like an afterthought than part of the plot.

Shannon Hammer is an accomplished builder with her own construction firm (for those not familiar with the series, yes, that's her real last name). It won't be long till she marries her true love, MacKintyre Sullivan, who's a successful writer of mystery novels (though it's a mystery to me when he finds the time to do much writing). This book takes place a few weeks before Christmas, so the small town is gearing up for the season. That's especially true at the Cliffs Hotel, a restored Victorian mansion (much of it by Shannon and her team) owned by Bill and Lilian Garrison, who apparently have money to burn and are by all accounts the most lovable people on the planet. Bill has asked Shannon to create a "Fun Zone" to entertain locals and tourists for the holidays, and there's plenty of enthusiasm and hoopla surrounding that.

The Garrisons have three grown children, all married to other characters - some of them are perfect like the parents/in-laws, some way at the other end of the lovable spectrum. One beloved son, Logan, has been away as an officer in the U.S. Navy and just returned home, to the delight of everyone.  His wife, Randi, is one of the nasties - she can't seem to tolerate anyone except herself, and Shannon is at the top of her enemy list. Since she's married to the son of the resort owners, though, she's been given a relatively cushy job despite everyone's dislike of her (and she of them). No big surprise, then, when she turns up as the first murder victim.

At this point, I can't reveal much more without spoiling things for others, so I'll say simply that, like almost all cozy mysteries, there's a happy ending (well, except for those two dead people). If you're already a fan of this series, do read it - it may not be my favorite, but it's definitely worth it. If this will be your first, I suggest starting with an earlier book (but then that's what I suggest to all new-to-a-series readeers). As for me, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

The Knife Before Christmas by Kate Carlisle (Berkley, October 2024); 287 pp.

IN TOO DEEP

4 stars out of 5

Let me say at the outset that I've loved Jack Reacher for years (in the books, I hasten to add, of which this is the 29th). This one is not my favorite - maybe by half a country mile - but I stayed up past my bedtime to polish it off nonetheless.

Mostly, I guess, I just didn't warm up to any of the overabundance of characters - probably because it was a little hard to tell the good guys and gals from the bad. And for some reason, Reacher himself seemed a little "off" - but then, if I'd lost a chunk of my recent memory on top of trying to do my usual super-human feats with a broken wrist, I guess I'd be a little cranky as well. The wrist, in fact, is where it begins; Reacher wakes up tethered to a table in an unknown location. In typical Reacher fashion, he manages to get free - but he has no recollection of how he got to be where he is. So when a man arrives and shows him he's survived a car accident in the Ozarks during which an FBI agent was killed, Reacher decides, at least for the time being, to believe him.

But of course, not everyone is who they claim to be, and chapter perspective shifts let readers in on what's going on behind Reacher's back. Along the way, Reacher meets up with a disgraced female agent who's on the trail of the man she claims murdered her father - who, as it turns out, is directly connected to characters who are causing headaches for Reacher as well. Joining forces, then, is a no-brainer - especially since she's a computer whiz while Reacher remains a troglodyte when it comes to technology (although it amazes me how much he knows about it even though he doesn't even own a cell phone).

Needless to say, what they learn along the way turns out to be a huge threat to the American way of life, and as expected, saving our skins depends on Reacher learning the truth before the other side does. The fun - and action - is in the getting there, and trust me, there's plenty of it from start to finish. Another good installment, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

In Too Deep by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Delacorte Press, October 2024); 328 pp.