DARK HORSE

5 stars out of 5

Honestly, I'm not sure how many books this prolific author (the son of another prolific author) has written featuring former champion steeplechase jockey Sid Halley, nor am I sure how many I've read. I do know I'd bet on any one of them to be a winner because I know that's a sure thing.

This one is no exception - and it's got two additional selling points: First, Sid - who lost a hand in a nasty fight and was fighting with a prosthetic model last time I tapped into his life - has had a hand transplant and once again has the real thing. Second, this one casts aside any notion that a female jockey can't hold her own with the big [little] guys.

In fact, the first half or so of the book focuses on the life of Irish professional jocket Imogen Duffy, who's trying to win her way up the ranks to become a top performer (meaning in demand and well paid). She's reined in, though, by an ex-boyfriend who's also a jockey - and one who took it way too personally when she dumped him. In retalliation, he's stalking her, making her life miserable and, many times, afraid for her life.

Then, just as she got her sights on the pinnacle of success, said boyfriend turns up very dead - with a knife bearing her fingerprints on it sticking out of his chest. Needless to say, the police aren't wont to disregard the evidence, and she's charged with the murder.

The setting now jumps to Sid, now a private investigator who would much rather spend his time with his wife Marina and their daughter Saskia. He's approached by an old friend who just happens to be Imogen's father - a man to whom Sid owes a favor. And it's not hard to guess what that favor might be: Investigate his daughter's case in the fervent hope of getting her off.

The rest of the book, of course, follows the investigation by Sid and his team as well as Imogen's trial. That, too, was interesting to me - I love to read about courtroom proceedings, even more so when they differ a bit from the rules and regulations of U.S. venues (here, it's in England). All told, it's another great romp - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to ride along by way of a pre-release copy.

Dark Horse by Felix Francis (Crooked Lane Books, September 2025); 336 pp.

PSYCHO-CYBERNETICS 365

5 stars out of 5

Observation No. 1: This is an insightful, enlightening book whether or not you read - as I did - the original
Psycho-Cybernetics that was written by Dr. Maxwell Maltz and published around 1960.

Observation No. 2: This likely will be the shortest book review I've ever written.

The first observation needs no further explanation, but the second one is a bit more complicated. As the book description says, psycho-cybernetics basically is using using self-image psychology, visualization and action to achieve your goals. That kind of thinking and acting has been a way of life for me for many, many years; but recently finding myself having to deal with a life-altering situation, I felt I could use a boost and thus was very intriged with this book (hey, even the most inner-directed and self-motivated folks can use an occasional boot in the derriere, capisce)?

What the author - president of the Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation - has done, then, is to revisit, if you will, basic ideas presented by the late Dr. Maltz and, as he puts it, lay them out in "manageable chunks" - meaning one for every single day of a year. And that's why my review necessarily is short: the chapters are brief, and trying to summarize them would leave less for readers to experience for themselves.

I am not, however, above offering a few examples, such as this one from the first day of the year: "How you see yourself in your mind's eye changes how you feel and the results you experience in life."

Or, how about, "Body, mind and spirit are interconnected. When you elevate one, the others improve as well."

Then there's one of my personal favorites: "Life is always exciting when you're involved in learning something new."

You get the drift. And if you want to improve your life, get the book. As for me, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get my head back on straight by way of a pre-release copy. 

Psycho-Cybernetics 365 by Maxwell Maltz, M.D., and Matthew Furey (St. Martin's Essentials, August 2025); 388 pp.

APOSTLE'S COVE

4 stars out of 5

It's always a treat to open a book knowing you're going to enjoy it - one of the hallmarks of an excellent series. For me, this is a perfect example. I've loved watching the main character, Cork O'Connor, as he's grown old enough to be married twice and have a grandson. And I love reading about his Native American roots and "meeting" characters who live and work on the reservation in Tamarack County, Minnesota.

This story begins as Cork's son, Stephen, calls his father. Stephen, who's in law school and helping prison inmates who believe they've been wrongly convicted, is working with an inmate named Axel Boshey. Cork gets the call for a simple reason: two decades ago, Cork was the county sheriff and the official most directly responsible for putting the man behind bars. Needless to say, Cork is crushed, so he vows to review the investigation that happened back then to see what, if anything, went wrong.

He hits his first major snag, though, with Axel himself; the man, who was shall we say impaired back when he was arrested and really didn't remember whether he killed his wife or not, still isn't totally sure he didn't. More to the point, he's now carved out a niche in prison helping other inmates and, after all these years, isn't much interested in being sprung. Compounding that is the fact that just about everyone Cork tries to speak with who were around at the time are downright adament about not speaking again - and some are openly hostile. So how on earth can he find out what really happened?

A big chunk of the book revisits Cork's initial investigation, when his first wife, Jo, was the attorney representing Axel. Then it returns to the present, focusing on his attempts to make things right with the help of his lovable grandson Aaron, better known as Waaboo, and Ojibwe Mide healer Henry Meloux.

More details, though, I'll just have to leave for others to read about, but suffice it to say it's another winner in my book. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to once again catch up with some of my favorite book characters (and, of course, a favorite author).

Apostle's Cove by William Kent Krueger (Atria Books, August 2025); 336 pp.

THE WITCH'S ORCHARD

5 stars out of 5

There's a certain comfort and satisfaction that comes with series and a character (or characters) with whom you become familiar and confident you'll be in for an enjoyable adventure every time you meet. I've got more than my share of those, I think, but I'm always up for (or "down with" as they say these days) discovering new ones. And this one just found a place on my future don't-miss list.

Series "star" Annie Gore is an interesting character in her own right, leaving a dysfunctional home to join the U.S. Air Force after she graduated from high school. Now in her early 30s and further scarred by military experiences she'd rather forget, she's finding work as a private investigator. When she's asked for help by the teenage brother of a little girl who went missing a decade ago. Named Molly, she was the third little girl apparently abducted from remote Quartz Creek, North Carolina - tucked into the mountains of Appalachia. Early on, one of the three missing girls was returned to her family, but the kidnapper has never been found. The only substantial clue is that whoever it was left a doll with an apple for a head to replace the little girls, suggesting that the same person abducted all three.

Intertwined in Annie's investigation are stories - some say folklore, others say truth - about a witch, her daughters and the crows who caw raucously and incessantly in the woods nearby. I'm certainly not a believer in such tales, but it's still pretty scary stuff (we do have a bunch of crows who regularly visit our backyard, and it's always a bit unsettling to see them swooping in). It doesn't help when most of the folks Annie must speak with are reluctant to do so, if not downright hostile. They're part of a close-knit community, have never recovered from the horror of never finding the girls and don't welcome questions from a nosy stranger. That is, all except Molly's older brother, who diligently saved up to pay for Annie's services, and a certain hunky deputy sheriff who's trying his best to run interference.

With no shortage of suspects, there are of course some twists, turns, roadblocks and dead ends, some of which are all too reminiscent of Annie's own troubled past. For readers, though, all that adds up to an engrossing story - plus, at least for me, the anticipation of reading the next installment. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for making that possible by way of a pre-release copy. 

The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan (Minotaur Books, August 2025); 311 pp.

KISS HER GOODBYE

5 stars out of 5

Without doubt, this was a thoroughly engrossing and enlightening book that introduced me to a new character (this is the fourth in a series of which I've read no others). And also without doubt, it was of the most thoroughly depressing books I've read in a while.

Enlightenment came by way of an up-close-and-personal look at the life of refugees from foreign countries - in this instance, Afghanistan - and the difficulties they face trying to learn an entire new way of life, often living among people who are, shall we say, not the most welcoming. Readers also learn the horrors they left behind, leaving them to grieve not only the loss of their beloved country, but the lives of those they were forced to leave behind.

The series features Frankie Elkin, who specializes in finding missing people - in this instance, a recent Afghan refugee named Sabera Ahmadi. She's been settled in Tuscon, Arizona, with her husband Isaad and young daughter Zahra. But she's disappeared, and her local friend Aliah contacts Frankie for help. To ease the financial strain, Frankie lands in a Tuscon mansion, agreeing to take care of it in exchange for room and board. What she didn't count on caring for, though, was a large iguana named Petunia, an even larger python named Marge and a whole bunch of baby snakes. Fortunately, the mansion also has a very competent caretaker named Daryl and an oddball cook named Genni to help her over the rough spots (usually involving some giggles and grins).

Frankie also underestimated the missing woman and her family; she fluently speaks several languages, her husband is a mathematician and their daughter has an absolutely remarkable memory. The more she learns about them, the more Frankie worries; and soon enough, it becomes clear that some very bad people want to find Sabera even more than Frankie does.

Finding Sabera becomes an all-consuming, and extremely dangerous task, and I'm certainly not going to spoil things by serving up details. Suffice it to say it's quite a ride, filled with humor, eye-opening revelations about the life of refugees and spine-chilling danger. I'm already eager to read about Frankie's next adventure, but in the meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. Well done!

Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner (Grand Central Publishing, August 2025); 410 pp.

GONE IN THE NIGHT

4 stars out of 5

Chicago private detective Annalisa Vega is almost an old friend by now - this is the fifth book in the series, and I've read all the others. This time out, she has a little extra to deal with: the impending birth of a new baby with her husband, police detective Nick Carelli (who she married for the second time after the first time didn't "take." She's left the police force (and working with him), but given her talent for police work and the sheer boredom of not having many clients, keeping her nose to herself is proving a bit difficult.

Although I enjoyed this one as I always have, I did have a bit of trouble keeping all the characters in this one straight - partly because it seemed as if half of them aren't who they claim to be. It makes for a complex plot for which I give props to the author, but it also meant a fair amount of flipping back to prior pages to make sure I knew who was who.

The story begins as Annalisa's brother Alex, who's in jail for murder (Annalisa played a major role in putting him there, albeit reluctantly), calls and asks her to visit. She does, but it turns out he doesn't want her help for himself, but rather for another inmate named Joe Green. The man, Alex insists, is innocent of the murder of his ex-wife's lawyer for which he was convicted.

Annalisa is skeptical, of course, but a letter from an unknown person suggests that the witness whose testimony sealed Green's fate was lying. Curious, Annalisa does a bit of digging and learns that the witness did lie about at least one crucial detail. But she also learns something even more potentially devastating: her husband was Green's arresting officer. That, in turn, exacerbates tension between the two as Nick sometimes considers his wife's no-holds-barred approach to solving crimes as an attempt to upstage him.

But of course, Annalisa forges ahead, and Nick - to his credit - for the most part realizes she's simply trying to figure out what really happened, not cut his legs from under him. As her investigation digs deeper, more murders make her even more sure sure that Green is innocent - at least of the crime for which he was convicted - and Nick concurs. It's not an easy investigation and it ends up putting Nick's life in danger, but that makes it even more of an adventure for readers. Definitely worth checking out - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to go along for the ride by way of a pre-release copy.

Gone in the Night by Joanna Schaffhausen (Minotaur Books, August 2025); 320 pp.

SMUGGLER'S COVE

3.5 stars out of 5

At the time I received an advance copy of this book for review courtesy of the publisher (via NetGalley), at least, this book was described as being in the "thriller" and "mystery" genres. Well, although I did enjoy reading the book - the first in what will be this prolific author's "Twin Lights" series - there's nothing in it, including a dead body, that to me was thrilling, and almost nothing mysterious. I can't even describe it as a cozy mystery, although a case probably could be made for that. Rather, it's just a story - albeit it an interesting one - about a brother and sister who grow up in the shadow of a father who was sentenced to 100 years in jail for bilking his financial clients out of millions back when they were barely dry behind the ears.

The "kids" are Madison and Lincoln Taylor, who starting out living and loving the good life with mom Gwen and dad Jackson. Their lives changed forever in 1996, when Madison was a junior at a prestigious fashion design college and Lincoln was in his first year of college elsewhere. Their mother called with the gobsmacking news that their father had been arrested and carted away to jail. 

Madison and Lincoln grow older, Lincoln  marries Madison's best friend and co-worker at the New YorkCity fashion magazine Madison heads up. Their father remains in jail, and they rarely speak to his brother, Kirby, who lives life along the New Jersey shores that's close to being off the grid. Then comes another smack in the teeth: Kirby dies, leaving the siblings his broken down but thriving marina in Smuggler's Cove, tucked away along the Navesink River where the infamous Captain Kidd and other pirates of the day are rumored to have buried treasure. Assuming they'll sell the property as fast as they can, Madison, Lincoln and Olivia pay a visit to check it out. During their visit, their plans take a twist when a dead body is found under their marina dock (for the record, this appears somewhere around the 60% mark of the book on my Kindle; a bit of a mystery, yes, but since there are no signs of foul play, it barely qualifies).

From there on - and there's not much left - it's more of their plans for the rest of the summer and hints of what may be in store for the next book. I can't say I'm looking forward to reading that one, especially if it's more of the same, which quickly became same-old for me. The writing is excellent, and I'd even describe the story as engrossing, but it went nowhere that I really wanted or expected it to go.

Smuggler's Cove by Fern Michaels (Kensington, July 2025); 288 pp.