ALL IN

4 stars out of 5

Ex-Army Ranger Travis Devine heads Down Under for most of this action-packed adventure, bumping heads with a super-wealthy and powerful family that makes a couple of notables in the United States seem like paupers. Not that he really wants to go; after leaving the Army as a Ranger, Travis went back to school to earn an M.B.A. and spent time on Wall Street. There, he became a suspect in the murder of a woman he’d dated at his firm, after which he avoided prison by reluctantly accepting a job offer from retired Army General Emerson Campbell to join him in the Office of Special Projects in the Department of Homeland Security (whew!)

That means Travis is pretty much at Campbell’s beck and call, and this time the call comes after noted investigative journalist Theresa Lee is shot and left for dead on a New York City street and a man she’d just met with, Bill Walker, apparently is kidnapped. Walker, it seems, had been an analyst at Five Eyes, an alliance of five countries that includes the United States. Walker also was divorcing his wife, who just happens to be the daughter of the aforementioned billionaire whose wife (her mother) was murdered some time ago but the crime was never solved.

While the woman languishes in the hospital with her life in the balance, Campbell insists that it was Walker, not her, who was the intended target. Whether or not he likes it, that means Travis is headed to Australia to get better acquainted with the Five Eyes alliance and get an up-close-and-personal look at the filthy rich Woolwine dynasty – hopefully connecting the dots in the process. Oh, and while he’s there, he must put his considerable education and hands-on military expertise to work trying to avoid the fate of the original victims.

Although I’d love to share more juicy details with readers, it ain’t gonna happen; suffice it to say that while this isn’t my all-time favorite Baldacci novel, it was hard for me to wait each day till my designated reading hour (or two) arrived each evening and take me closer to the finish line. I’m done now, so it’s your turn – and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this one by way of a pre-release copy. On to the next (soon, please)?

All In by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2026); 448 pp.

THE HOLLOW

5 stars out of 5

At 75, retired Los Angeles Police Department detective Harry Bosch is about three seasons away from a spring chicken (if nothing else, as evidenced by the fact that this is the 26^th book in which he’s got the lead role and he’s nursing an age-related knee replacement). But that doesn’t stop him from remaining on the prowl; as this story opens, he’s trying to nail Gregory Talbot, a man Harry is certain murdered his wife Jennifer 25 years ago but never was able to prove it. At the outset, he’s watching the guy at his late wife’s cemetery plot.

Nothing viable happens there, so Harry hobbles to his car and heads for home, where his half-brother (and star of a different series by this author), and attorney Mickey Haller is waiting. Harry, he explains, is due to receive a substantial payout as a result of a class-action lawsuit against a state-run home for underage orphans – a home to which Harry was sent (and escaped from more than once) after his mother was murdered when he was kid.

Money isn’t everything, though, especially for a man like Harry. In fact, Mickey’s news brings back awful memories of Charles Lamb, a.k.a., “Chops,” a much-bullied kid who Harry befriended back then but who later was found dead in an under-the-stairs hideaway. Most likely, whoever killed Chops is long dead, but Harry’s memories are very much alive. He becomes obsessed with finding the truth – someone, somewhere must have some clues as to what really happened, even after six decades. To that end, Harry begins what will be an exhaustive (both physically and mentally) investigation into a past he’d rather forget.

Progress on both investigations quickly escalates into a tangled web, with danger lurking at just about every turn of the page. All I’m willing to reveal, though, is that despite all the twists and turns, everything gets straightened out in the end – and the whole thing makes for a great read I heartily recommend to others (especially fans of Harry and Mickey, though the book stands on its own well). All I’ll say beyond that is a big thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to catch all the action by way of a pre-release copy.

The Hollow by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown & Co., October 2026); 352 pp.

HER LAST KISS

5 stars out of 5

I’ve been a fan of Denton, Pennsylvania, police detective Josie Quinn from the beginning, and 24 books later, I’m still eagerly awaiting the next one. But until the author finishes it, I’ll have to “settle” for this, the 25^th – which, like the others, I enjoyed it very much. Part of the attraction for me, admittedly, is that the Keystone State is about a 15-minute drive from my across-the-border Ohio home, so some of the settings ring familiar bells.

This time out, the past returns with a murder reminiscent of a years-ago serial killer. The victim? Sylvia West - the only one who got away from the so-called Last Kiss Killer after he had her in his clutches. That was 13 years ago, but just recently, the long-silent and reclusive Sylvia agreed to tell her story. Now, her silence will be forever. But despite a near-identical crime scene – including the tell-tale lipstick smear on the victims’ mouths - was she a victim of the same person? And if so, how did he know she was about to spill the beans?

Josie’s personal life has changed considerably over the years, of course; she and husband Noan Fraley, a lieutenant on Josie’s investigative team, are guardians of 14-year-old Wrenn McMann. Josie’s twin sister Trinity Payne is still a hot-shot TV journalist in New York, and she and her husband-to-be, Drake Nally, visit Denton whenever they get the chance. In fact, Trinity is here now because she’s the one who convinced Sylvia to speak up in an exclusive up-close-and-personal interview.

Sylvia’s two sons are around as well, though not so happy that mom is about to talk to the press. They’re even less happy – as is Josie – to learn that the killer (or perhaps a copycat) is at it again; at least three more bodies have turned up. Still more questions hasten the need to bring the investigation to an end – and things pick up steam when an injured Josie mysteriously gets the lipstick treatment while in the hospital and Wrenn goes missing.

Clearly, time is of the essence – but sorry, I’m not going to save any of it for other readers by revealing anything more. Bottom line? Another action-packed adventure you won’t want to miss. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on it by way of a pre-release copy. Good job!

Her Last Kiss by Lisa Regan (Bookouture, October 2026); 387 pp.

SPLIT SCREEN

5 stars out of 5

Los Angeles County Detective Eve Ronin is less than thrilled to have her professional life story revealed to the world via a successful TV series, but since both her father and mother are involved in the production, she’s reluctant to rock the boat. She’s even more reluctant to have Erin Casey, the actress who plays her on the show, tag along on her investigations for a week, supposedly so she can better identify with her character. As usual, Eve’s instincts were spot-on; at one stop, a shooter takes Erin down for the count (though not out; she’ll be hospitalized for a while but is expected to return to her small screen role).

Meanwhile, back at the office, Eve’s partner Duncan Pavone is on career hold while his previous actions are being investigated. There’s even a new sheriff in town – Waylon Gifford – who’s angling for a big-time political career and wants to use Eve’s media popularity as a catapult. Eve, though, manages to take most of it in stride as she tries to find out who shot Erin. That is, until the truth hits: Erin wasn’t the real target – she was. Whoops – back to square one.

Needless to say, nothing is that simple; this isn’t the only storyline in the book. Along the way, Eve discovers she has a half sister she never knew about – and worse, the girl is mixed up with some very nasty people but refuses to believe it. Eve decides, albeit reluctantly, that she has a responsibility to get her out of harm’s way. In the midst of all that comes tension between Eve and her boyfriend, forensic anthropologist Daniel Brooks, and she must deal with at least a couple of other murders. The subsequent investigations bring in two of my other favorite characters from another favorite series – arson investigators Walter Sharpe and Andy Walker, plus a couple of other familiar faces from other books.

Does it all get a little bit confusing? It’s all a little bit over the top, yes, but also great fun to read (especially for loyal readers who have followed this author’s books religiously, though I’ll emphasize that this one stands on its own just fine). And I assure you all those loose ends get tied up at the end, albeit with a few unexpected twists. The bottom line? Another don’t-miss installment for which I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the pre-release copy to read and review. Now go get your own!

Split Screen by Lee Goldberg (Thomas & Mercer, October 2026); 297 pp.

CHAIN REACTION

5 stars out of 5

Reading as many for-review books as I do each year – hovering around 100 – it’s always a special treat to dive into one I know I’m going to enjoy. Sometimes, it’s by a tried-and-true author; other times, it’s a character (or characters) I’ve come to know and love. The best times happen when those two come together – as in the Jack Reacher series (I’ve lost count of how many of the 30 others I’ve read over the years, but I know I’ve missed fewer than a handful, if that).

So it was that I started this one with high expectations – and while I won’t say this one has the most interesting or unique storyline (I “get” that data centers are the topic du jour these days and for rightly so, but personally I’ve grown a little weary of reading so many books this year with that as the focus). I did love, though, that usual lone wolf Reacher got back in touch with a special person from previous books – now a General, Susan Turner – who somehow managed to track him down when he stopped at a bank in Arlington, Virginia, to pick up his renewed ATM card.

The good general, it seems, lost one of her best men – killed in a rather remote spot in Colorado when he was sent there on a mission related to possible cybercrime. The murder happened in a rather dingy bar – not the kind of place her guy was known to frequent – so she’s afraid he’d been targeted. And if that’s true, it likely means she’s got a mole on her top-secret team. She needs someone who can separate truth from fiction – hopefully without getting killed in the process – and that means her old pal Reacher. His initial investigation – which early on doesn’t end well for a couple of bad guys – suggests ties to a large law firm based in San Francisco and some mysterious massive data centers he found in that remote location.

Tracking down specifics, though, quickly turns dangerous for everyone involved, but as usual, Reacher puts his considerable physical and analytical skills to get the job done. Details, of course, other readers will have to learn for themselves; but suffice it to say this is another adventure that kept me turning pages as fast as I could. Definitely recommended, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the considerable action by way of a pre-release copy.

Chain Reaction by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Bantam, October 2026); 416 pp.

BEFORE YOU WERE ANNE

5 stars out of 5

Apparently this is the second book in a series and I missed the first, but I’ll say to any other potential readers in the same boat not to jump ship. There were a few things I think I’d have understood better had I started at the beginning – true of just about any series, IMHO – but this follow-up stands alone just fine. Most important, though, is that I really enjoyed reading it.

Japanese-American Chelsey Calhoun is a homicide detective, and she lands in the middle of a case in which a Japanese woman named Ann Walker has been murdered; her 16-year-old daughter, Naomi, is missing, with clues strongly suggesting it wasn’t by her choice. The case triggers unpleasant memories of Chelsey’s own sister’s disappearance (dealt with in the first book, or so I read somewhere). She’s married to a great guy named Noah and is pregnant with their first child, a girl, which she hasn’t yet revealed to anyone else including her partner Montoya.

It doesn’t take long for the investigative team to learn that Anne isn’t really Anne; instead, she’s Rika Takayashi, who ran away from her native Tokyo years ago, apparently while pregnant with her daughter – seemingly to escape an abusive relationship. For a time, she stayed with a friend in Seattle, but after she changed her name, she managed to settle into a new life with Naomi (her name was not changed). Now, though, Naomi is asking questions Rika doesn’t want to answer, like who her father is. Unbeknownst to her mother, she sets out to find him – not realizing what the consequences might be.

The story highlights Naomi’s search for her father as well as what Rika went through to get where she is and, of course, Chelsey’s investigation into her murder. Details I cannot provide without spoiling it for others, but rest assured there are several twists, turns and surprises along the way to an ending that is, for the most part, satisfying.

All told, it’s a book well worth reading, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to tag along by way of a pre-release copy. Well done!

Before You Were Anne by Emiko Jean (Simon & Schuster, September 2026); 320 pp.

BARK HUMBUG

5 stars out of 5

I admit to being a cat person. Those other four-legged critters who bark don’t interest me in the least; I consider them like grandkids – best handed back to their owners after half an hour or so. That said, there’s something about books with dogs in them that’s simply irresistible. And this series, while really focusing on a semi-retired attorney who inevitably gets drawn back into the courtroom, is a great example of the power of the pooch.

This time out, it starts with a devious newspaper photographer, who gets dog lover, advocate and shelter owner Andy Carpenter’s attention by a way of a trick request to join a Christmas celebrity doggie feature. Andy of course takes the bait, only to learn that what she wants is him to represent her brother Jon Lowery, who’s nowhere to be found but wanted for murdering the town mayor and his associate. Andy still swears up and down he’s retired (but after this many books, methinks that he protests too much). After he learns Jon is willing to talk to him with no strings attached, Andy at least agrees to hear him out (made even easier when he finds out Jon has a dog adopted from Andy’s Tara Foundation, named for his own golden retriever).

A meet-up is quietly arranged, but when Andy and his wife Laurie Collins get to the agreed-upon place to meet, they’re accosted by state cops with really big guns. Suddenly, the situation changes – sans any kind of meet-and-greet, Andy really has no choice but to say he’s Jon’s attorney. For Andy, that’s a first; never in his career has he taken on a client with whom he’s never even spoken. All Andy knows is that Jon is a computer science expert (with a degree from Rutgers, near Paterson, New Jersey, where Andy lives and works), and, most notably, he’s an ex-Marine and accomplished sniper.

From that point on, it’s a matter of gathering the investigative team together – and that includes Laurie, an ex-cop – who will collect information Andy needs to defend Jon in the courtroom. The team also includes the usual cast of characters loyal readers have come to know and love. Perhaps the best part for me, though, is that books in this series are serious, but guaranteed to elicit a chuckle (make that quite a few, plus an outright guffaw or two). Sharing any details would spoil things for others, but I will say there’s a surprise ending that’s a doozy.

All told, it’s another totally enjoyable adventure from start to finish, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it. Since it’s got a holiday slant, it would make a great gift for someone who loves to read while sitting before a cozy fire with a pooch at their feet. Go! Fetch!

Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (Minotaur Books, October 2026); 320 pp.