5 stars out of 5
In the interests of full disclosure, it's not often that I accept an offer to read a book that comes directly from the author. For the most part, that's because I've been burned in the past, and I have zero confidence that anything in the pages has ever seen the eyes of a proofreader. And as a professional writer/editor (nonfiction only), finding more than handful of errors - even in a pre-publication copy - is enough to make me apoplectic. It is - and forever will be - my belief that anyone who doesn't have the rules of grammar and punctuation down pat has no right to call him- or herself a writer.
That settled, something told me this one would be different (the fact that the author's email message to me was totally coherent went a long way toward convincing me of that, in fact; you wouldn't believe the grammatical awfulness of some of the requests I get).
And guess what? I'm delighted to report that this book is a gem well worth reading. Ms. Potts, thank you for giving me a few hours of reading pleasure - truly, I didn't want the experience to end.
The beginning happens in 2007 with the tragic death of Rebecca Brown's parents in an auto accident. At age 4, she and her older brother Austin and sister Colette were sent to live with their grandparents in northern Scotland. But their lives are mired in secrecy; the siblings are all but confined to a falling-apart home with little outside contact, under the thumbs of two people who are for the most part caring but refuse to allow questions about anything that happened in the past.
In 2021 "across the Pond," as we Americans like to say, is another family of sorts. Keller Baye, the son of a man convicted of a terrorist-type crime in North Carolina, watches as his imprisoned father is given a lethal injection (as an aside nitpick, I've been to the North Carolina Outer Banks something like 27 times and as far as I know there is no hotel on Bodie Island). By this time, Rebecca is a grown woman - albeit with understandable issues - and a relatively successful standup comedian, drawing heavily on her life experiences for material.
From that point on, chapters flip from Keller's life to Rebecca's, with each adding details about how the two characters are connected. To be honest, this then-and-now is a technique with which I've grown quite weary, although I must say it's done quite well here - and upon more reflection, it's most likely the only way this complex story could have been told (all of which is my convoluted way of saying hey folks, it works).
It is, of course, that connection that makes the story intriguing and hard to put down. As Keller leaves the United States for England with a new identity, it's clear he intends to find Rebecca (and slowly, his reason is revealed, heightening the thrill factor). Why, exactly, is Keller so intent on finding Rebecca? And what will happen if and when he does? Most of the loose ends are tied up by the final pages, although a few are left to readers' imaginations at the rather abrupt ending.
So what's next? A sequel might be in order, or not. Whatever is in store, I'll be eager to read it. As for this one, well done!
Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts (Cahoots Publishing, February 2018); 258 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Another book by this author, Dead Gone, I read a while back and liked it a lot. So when I got the chance to read an advance copy of this one (thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley), of course I jumped at the chance. It's No. 6 in the author's North Country series and I haven't read any of the others - but not to worry; it stands alone just fine.
At the heart of this one is finding what may be a serial killer before he (or she) strikes again. Early on, a child services worker in Lake Haven, New York, is found dead in her car in the agency parking lot - the victim of an unusually brutal knife attack. No evidence was left behind, but co-worker Bobbi Noelle has reason to suspect that she may have been the killer's real target (they look somewhat alike, drive similar cars and the victim had been covering for Bobbi the night she was murdered). Local and state police detectives Mike Nelson and Lena Overton begin an investigation that includes Harriet's no-good estranged brother and Bobbi's ex-boyfriend Jamie, but with almost no clues to work with and a ton of different characters (which, BTW, made it a little hard for me to keep track as well), identifying the culprit seems hopeless.
The chase gains some legs when Mike and Lena learn of another caseworker who went missing, but the trail of that decade-old case has long gone cold. Maybe, just maybe, the killer has a "thing" for social services workers; but in any event, time is of the essence. Will they find the killer in time, or will Bobbi be the [ahem!] next to die?
Nope. No way will you get the answer from me. Good story, good writing, good book worth reading.
Next to Die by T.J. Brearton (Bookouture, February 2018); 364 pp.
3.5 stars out of 5
If you're looking for what I'd describe as a cute, almost-cozy murder mystery with some quirky characters, you might want to give this one a try. Where else will you find a borderline elderly retired costume designer with a nose for adventure who's moved to Sicily for the sole purpose - at least initially - of drinking herself to death?
Meet Auntie Poldi, officially Isolde Oberreider. Despite her penchant for wearing askew wigs, she considers herself to be attractive to the opposite sex and moved to a new country after her husband died - finding a rather unkempt house overlooking the sea not far from her sisters. Narrating the whole thing is Poldi's nephew, a would-be writer in the throes of writer's block who's hoping, I suppose, that documenting his aunt's adventures will kick-start his creative juices.
And find adventure she does. After a young man to whom she took a fancy turns up dead on a beach, she turns into an almost frenzied amateur investigator (much to the dismay of local authorities, in particular hunky detective Vito Montana). Once she gets going, a missing sculptured lion comes into play as she tries to connect the dots to a wealthy landowner she suspects may be up to nefarious activities.
Her adventures and attempts at solving the murder are documented in fine fashion - sometimes with a bit of humor - right up to the end. Admittedly, while I do love headstrong women, she proved to lean a little more in that direction than I'd like to meet in person; still, there's no getting around the appeal of her rather off-the-wall character. The ending suggests that more installments will come in the future (and notably, this is the author's first book to be translated into English).
In the interests of full disclosure, I won an advance copy of this book (in paperback format) at Bookish First in exchange for an honest review.
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 2018); 352 pp.
5 stars out of 5
What makes a winner in my book? One way I can tell is when life intervenes - like fixing dinner or putting laundry in the machine - I'll do whatever it takes to keep on reading, if only for a few more minutes. That certainly happened here. If you don't believe me, just ask my husband, who's rather hungry by now (on second thought, don't; my "Just one more chapter, hon" defense is starting to wear thin).
Not only is the book very well written, but it's reminiscent of another of my favorite series: J.D. Robb's "Death" series that features life-scarred Lt. Eve Dallas and her hunky Irish husband Roarke (the latter near the top of my all-time list of favorite book "heroes," BTW). Here, it's the debut of Detective Rachel Prince, with a hint of romance-to-be from another Irish hunk she works with on occasion from a neighboring law enforcement agency in England.
Rachel may not be as emotionally damaged as Eve, but she's every bit as irascible and dedicated to her job. She bristles when things don't go her way, banters with her partner Mark Brickell and fights on through injuries that would put me in a hospital for months. Here adventure begins with the disappearance of Lola Jade Harper, a 6-year-old whose mother insists was abducted by the girl's father (from whom she's estranged). Although he strongly denies any involvement, the belief that he's the culprit intensifies when he suddenly disappears.
As the investigation continues, though, Rachel's nose keeps twitching; clues just aren't adding up right. Then, a local woman with possible ties to the abduction is murdered - followed by the abduction of another young girl. In between, subplots of a drug ring investigation, career-threatening actions by Rachel's partner and the dogged appearance of a person of interest from Rachel's past are interspersed, adding to the interest.
As a devout champion of women's rights, I admit I was less than happy with Rachel's handling of the issue related to her partner's possible job loss. But that doesn't change my love of the book as a whole - nor my eagerness to read more in this series. Reportedly, next up is Unlucky Ones - and I'm hoping to see it soon!
The Missing Child by Alison James (Bookouture, February 2018); 315 pp.
4 stars out of 5
The first book in a new series never fails to be exciting for me - especially when I get to the end and am disappointed that I don't have the next one at hand. Such is the case here, and I'm already hoping the author is well into the writing of book No. 2.
The star of this show is Josie Quinn, a detective with the Denton, Pa., police who's been put on leave following allegations of use of excessive force (where she lives is of some relevance to me since in about 15 minutes we can be in the Keystone State). There's not a lot of question that Josie did the deed; but it's also true that she had a traumatic childhood that has left her with serious emotional scars, so I suppose it's understandable that she's got a hair-trigger temper. She's still married to childhood sweetheart and fellow cop Ray, but only because he refuses to sign the divorce papers; in fact, she's now engaged to hunky state cop Luke (thus jumping from the frying pan to the fire a bit too fast for me to have much sympathy should things go wrong).
As the story begins, Isabelle Coleman, a beautiful and popular girl from town, goes missing. Not long thereafter, Josie narrowly misses being struck by a car that's occupants are being shot at - a car filled with gang-type guys and a local history teacher, the latter of whom lives long enough to utter the name "Ramona" as Josie tries to help.
Next comes another stunner: Another girl turns up, unresponsive and near death - a girl no one realized had been missing. Even more confusing, she's got a tongue piercing exactly like Isabelle's. Does that mean the two cases are related? Could Isabelle still be alive? Who in blazes is Ramona? Wondering minds, especially Josie's, want to know; but since she's currently prohibited from taking part in any official police investigation, she's got to figure out how to get away with on-the-sly sleuthing.
She does try to convince the police chief to let her work the case, but her pleas fall on deaf ears every time. So, she relies as best she can on Ray, Luke and an ethically challenged TV reporter - at least, until some buried facts come to light that change everything she's believed about the case - and about many of the people she's known and loved. Worse, what she's learned puts her square in the crosshairs of some people who will stop at nothing to keep their long-held secrets secret.
There's no shortage of action (sometimes a bit over the top), so the whole thing kept me pretty much on the edge of my seat throughout. Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review it.
Vanishing Girls by Lisa Regan (Bookouture, January 2018); 336 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Reading this book - which I thoroughly enjoyed, BTW - marks a couple of firsts for me. It's the first time I've "won" the right to read and review a book, accomplished at Bookish First after writing an initial impressions paragraph by reading just one chapter. It's also the first time in probably 10 years that I've read a real book; that's how long I've been a confirmed ebook reader. As for the latter, it's likely to be the last for another decade; the paperback had such tiny print that it was tough for my aging eyes to read even with relatively powerful bifocals.
That said, my annoyance with the fine print had no bearing on content; in fact, I've read at least one other book by this author and, because it was good, I expected this one to be the same. And quite honestly, it is.
I've read elsewhere that this is the third in the author's Finnegan Connection series; if that's true, I didn't notice any glitches that kept it from being a standalone. It's also billed as "romantic suspense" - and I'm happy to say that the romance part really didn't take center stage (I'm so not into romance novels). What's there is a bit on the sappy side, to be sure, but for the most part it didn't get in the way of the good parts. As for the suspense, there's plenty to go around, especially as the end nears.
A decade ago, a group of high school friends had a pre-Halloween adventure that would forever change their lives. When they visited one of the New York haunted houses to which they'd scored free tickets, they were greeted with horror. One of the "actors" hired to scare the wits out of guests isn't an actor at all; but for the grace of God (and one heavy duty fake sword), the teens narrowly escaped being massacred by him on the spot (others weren't so lucky). The killer, who turned out to be an escaped convict, was killed - but even though they weren't physically harmed, all the teens were left with enough mental scars to trigger a lifetime of nightmares.
Since then, the friends have scattered a bit. Most notably, Sarah Hampton and the love of her life, Tyler Grant, went their separate ways. She's back in New York now, writing science fiction novels. He's in Boston, working as a private investigator after stints in the military and the FBI. Also hanging around is Sarah's nephew Davey Cray, who has Down Syndrome and was the sword-wielding hero of that awful night 10 years earlier.
Suddenly, the past comes roaring back: One of their friends back then, Hannah Levine, is found murdered. Actually, she wasn't just murdered; rather, she was decapitated, thoroughly chopped up into parts and strewn thither and yon. Scared out of her wits because the murder style mimics those at the haunted house, Sarah contacts Tyler for the first time in 10 years, begging him to come back home and help with the investigation. He does, of course - and also, of course, they quickly realize they're still madly in love with each other.
But alas, they and their other old friends once again have targets on their backs. For sure, the haunted house killer is dead; so who is responsible now? When he escaped prison, the killer had an equally evil partner, who supposedly is long dead as well. Or is he? Has someone else - a copycat, perhaps - taken over where those two left off? More to the point, can the culprit be captured before he (or she) wipes out all the haunted house friends, thus preventing Sarah and Tyler from living happily ever after?
The action is fast-paced and picks up speed (with a few sharp turns, only one of which I correctly guessed) all the way to the end. All in all, a solid effort and a fun read.
Out of the Darkness by Heather Graham (Harlequin Intrigue, February 2018); 256 pp.
5 stars out of 5
This is the third book in this highly entertaining Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series; I've read one other and enjoyed it, so when I was lucky enough to be approved by the publisher to read and review an advance copy in exchange for an honest review, I was a happy camper. When it turned out to be even better than that other one, well, my smile widened.
The cozy mysteries follow the amateur sleuthing of Gemma Doyle, co-owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium in West London, Massachusetts. Another of the three owners is Jayne Wilson, who also owns and operates a tea shop/bakery that's attached to the bookstore. Originally from England, Gemma has a nose for details and, it seems, loves nothing better than sticking it into the business of the local police (sometimes unintentionally, sometimes not). That both annoys and pleases police detective, Ryan - a former lover who "dumped" her and left the area for another job. Now he's back and the attraction is there, but they've since been holding each other at arms' lengths.
As this begins, the community is excited to learn that a well-known but aging stage actor, Sir Nigel Bellingham, will be in town to star in a local theater production of Holmes's The Hound of the Baskervilles. As rehearsals begin, organizers decide to hold a fund-raising English tea at the home of one of the well-heeled theater-loving ladies - and Jayne convinces Gemma that their shops should handle the catering. Gemma is less enthusiastic, but she agrees. After all, it's a private event for about a hundred local hoity-toits - what could possibly go wrong?
Make that plenty - starting with the fact that Sir Nigel turns out to be a nasty old drunk. Still, everyone expects that his professionalism will surface long enough for him to get through the play; that is, until he's found quite dead at the bottom of a cliff on the property. To make matters even worse, if that's possible, the primary suspect is Jayne's mother Leslie.
Gemma is certain Leslie is innocent, and of course, she sets out to prove it while trying to keep her poking nose out of the sight of law enforcement. That proves next to impossible most of the time, which strains the already fragile relationship between Gemma and Ryan (as well as with Ryan's partner, who has butted heads with Gemma on more than one occasion and isn't fond of her meddling).
More details I must necessarily leave for other readers to discover, but I will say that anyone who enjoys an occasional respite from heavier reading (as I do) or simply the more lighthearted approach of an interesting cozy mystery won't go wrong by picking this one. Thoroughly enjoyable!
The Cat of the Baskervilles: A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery by Vicki Delany (Crooked Lane Books, February 2018); 304 pp.
5 stars out of 5
With 11-and-a-half months to go in 2018 as I write my review, it's too early to say this - but say it I will: If you have but one book to read this year, make it this one.
Yep, it's that good. It grabbed my mind in the beginning and didn't let go till the end (and beyond - the next day as I finish my review I still feel like I've been run over with a Mack truck).
The story begins in 1996, when a teenage girl named Claire is playing with friends and her little sister Eleanor ("Lenni") on the beach near the family's Trevellin Farm on coastal England. Striving to be independent, as young children do, Lenni begs Claire to let her go off on her own to buy an ice cream cone. Caught up in the thrill of the waves, Claire reluctantly hands her some money and warns her to hurry.
But somewhere between there and back, Lenni disappears - and remains missing in 2017, when the here-and-now story kicks in. Claire still lives in a cottage on the farm near her parents, but now she's a successful realtor, married to a neurosurgeon and has two children. Her father, Patrick, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and is declining rapidly, forcing her mother to seriously consider selling the property (to which Patrick is vehemently opposed). In an effort to help boost his failing memory, Claire decides to host a reunion of the old gang of kids who used to play together. The group includes Claire's best friend Maggie, would-be restaurateur Nick and her brother, Jason, who's married to a very pregnant-with-twins wife.
The idea is met with enthusiasm by all, except perhaps Claire's husband Callum, but take nothing at face value: All the guests are bringing baggage beyond the cases that carry their clothing. Maggie has made a career out of hopping from one boyfriend to another, turning her daughter, Rain, into the teenager from hell. Nick, who was Claire's first love, is struggling with serious family issues as well as his upcoming restaurant launch. Jason is looking forward to fatherhood, but not to seeing his own father - from whom he's been estranged for years. That issue, Claire hopes, will be resolved at the get-together.
Interspersed throughout the book are chapters that show flashes of the past, each adding clues as to what the future may hold. But then, the unthinkable happens: Another girl goes missing. From that point on, there's never a dull moment (although in all honesty, I didn't notice any dull moments before she disappeared, either). The tension - and surprises - just keep mounting all the way to the jaw-dropping end. Whew!
Now that I can breathe again, I guess all that's left is to highly recommend this book and thank the publisher for allowing me to read it in exchange for an honest review. Did I say whew?
The Reunion by Samantha Hayes (Bookouture, February 2018); 410 pp.
3.5 stars
Teddy Fay is not a nice man. On the other hand, if you want vengeance - all the way up to and including having somebody rubbed out - Teddy's your guy. But if you need to find him, look for Billy Barnett; that's the identity he's been using ever since New York attorney Stone Barrington, his friend of sorts, finagled him a Presidential pardon for sins he committed years earlier. Billy even works at the motion picture production company run by Stone's son, Peter, with his partner Ben (another well-connected son of a filthy rich and powerful guy).
As this story begins, Billy is still mourning the death of his wife, who was run down by a drunk driver - the wife of another filmmaker, Dax Baxter, who outshines Billy in the unnice guy category. Dax also managed to use his considerable wealth and connections to protect his wife from prosecution, which understandably rankles Billy no end. As a former CIA operative back when he was Teddy, Billy is a man who tends to get what he wants - and he wants Dax's head on a platter (literally, if necessary).
Using still another identity, Billy gets hired on the set of Dax's latest movie, where he hopes to create havoc that will hit Dax where it hurts most - in the pocketbook. But Dax smells a rat, figuring out who Billy really is. Worse, he decides Billy needs to be taken out, bringing in some Russian muscle to do the job.
So since this book supposedly is about high-powered, oversexed Stone (this is the 44th book, I believe), how does he play into the story? Hardly at all, as it turns out. Mostly, he jets from place to place, talks on the phone and arranges for friends, including Billy, to stay in one of his ostentatious homes that are scattered all over the country. At least this time he settles on a single woman - a highly successful Sante Fe realtor - rather than trying to keep customers satisfied in all the cities in which he owns property.
All in all, it's not a bad story - perhaps with a bit more murder, mayhem and gore than usual - so if I overlook the fact that Stone is pretty much overlooked, I'm willing to call it a decent read (nowhere near as boring as the last few in this series, in fact). That said, I've never been a big Teddy Fay fan, and this book didn't do much to change that opinion.
Unbound by Stuart Woods (G.P. Putnam's Sons, January 2018); 318 pp.
5 stars out of 5
Murder, deeply hidden political secrets, interesting but emotionally scarred characters and a unique setting - who could ask for more? Me, actually; I'm thinking (make that hoping) this marks the start of a great new series.
The intriguing setting is Dover Air Force Base, where exceptionally talented mortician and beekeeper Jim "Zig" Zigarowski lovingly works on the bodies of fallen soldiers and not a few of the U.S. government's high-profile deaths (bringing to mind a male take on Patricia Cornwell's medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta - a long-time favorite series of mine, BTW). As the story begins, a plane has crashed in a remote part of Alaska, killing everyone on board; among the bodies identified by the government and Zig's superiors is Sgt. Nola Brown. Turns out Zig knows her from 10-or-so years ago, when she saved the life of Zig's daughter. But as he begins to restore her body to viewing order, he realizes that the woman he's working on definitely is not Nola.
But if not Nola, who? Why are the powers-that-be intent on making the rest of the world believe it's her? And perhaps more important, where is the real Nola and what is she up to? Because of his past connection, Zig is determined to find her and get to the truth despite warnings from the people he considers to be his friends.
What he first learns is that Nola held an enviable position - that of artist-in-residence for the U.S. Army. As a highly trained soldier, she goes into battle zones to create realistic and minds-eye paintings of scenes that showcase details even photographs may not reveal. Most likely, Zig concludes, it was Nola's observations in the Alaska wilderness that made her a target. Following that lead, however, puts Zig himself (surprise!) in places he probably shouldn't be, thus in the crosshairs of some very dangerous people - and conjures up top-secret historical connections between the government and the late Harry Houdini, considered by many to be the world's greatest (insert book title here). It also puts him at odds with Nola herself, who is less than thrilled at being reminded of anything from her troubled past, which readers learn about via flashback chapters.
The ending brings a few twists and offers a ray of hope that indeed, this will be a series; if so, I'll be among the first in line when the next installment is available. Meantime, many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this one in exchange for an honest review.
The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer (Grand Central Publishing, March 2017); 434 pp.
5 stars out of 5
Getting shot ain't a walk in the park; and the last time it happened to defense attorney Dismas Hardy, two bullets nearly cost him his life. So now - a year later - he's still recovering and seriously contemplating at least a partial retirement. But everyone knows what happens to best-laid plans - and hopefully for better, not worse, he finds himself trying to defend former client Abby Jarvis. Turns out she's been charged with the murder of her boss, a highly successful owner of a closely held family business. Abby was the man's bookkeeper, hired not long after she got out of jail (a shorter-than-expected stint thanks to Dismas' defense). This time, it's claimed that she was embezzling substantial funds from the company; in part because of her prior record, the police believe her boss caught her in the act and she retaliated by putting a deadly poison in his ever-present tea.
The company will continue under the leadership of the "G Team" - owner Grant Wagner's children, whose names all begin with that letter. But as the investigation proceeds, aided by Dismas' loyal private investigator, Wyatt Hunt, it comes to light that relationships among the dead guy's kids may be less than harmonious. In fact, it can be argued that each of them has reason to get rid of daddy dearest. But the question is, did one of them do the deed? And can Dismas and Wyatt get to the truth before someone else gets hurt (perhaps even Dismas or his grown son, Vincent, who has ties to at least a couple of the suspects)?
I do love this character - this is his 17th appearance - what's not to like about a guy who, when it comes to technology calls himself an "old fart?" That he reads books by another of my favorite authors, C.J. Box, endears him to me even more. And while he may be trying to wind down, he's still "got it" in my book - with the action constant from beginning to end. I won't say that the whodunit came as a big surprise - in fact, I guessed it fairly early on - but that didn't diminish my enjoyment a whit. It's a terrific book, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Poison by John Lescroart (Atria Books, February 2018); 304 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Not to sound like a broken record, but I do love a good series - especially when I'm fond of the main character. John Jordan, senior chaplain at the Gulf Correctional Institute in Florida and an investigator for the Gulf County Sheriff's Department, certainly fills that bill. He works two jobs, BTW, simply because he loves doing both and can't decide which to give up.
This is the 13th in the series; I've read several others, although I have to admit I've skipped at least two before picking up this one. No matter; I've read enough that there was no problem catching up. At this point, John has an ex-wife and child, a live-in fiance, Anna, and their very young child.
In 2005, a 21-year-old student at the University of West Florida went missing; apparently, the car she was driving crashed in a remote area near the Gulf of Mexico. According to passers-by, the woman - Randa Raffield - was very much alive when they saw her at the scene of the accident. But then, she vanished - leaving her still-drivable car locked and in a spot many miles from the place she'd told others she'd be. A police investigation ensued, but no conclusions were reached (and since she was considered to be a troubled young woman, many believed she committed suicide).
It's 12 years later now, and true crime podcast reporters Merrick and Daniel are looking into the cold case in hopes of getting to the truth. They're both friends with John and ask him for help; after getting permission from the Sheriff (who has close ties to one of the reporters), he agrees. As new details turn up, though, the investigators get threatening messages telling them to back off or else. Needless to say, they don't listen - leading up to a surprise ending that's a real cliffhanger.
And that, perhaps above all else, was what soured me a tiny bit on this one - we're talking a doozy of a cliffhanger, and I'm just not enthralled with that tactic no matter who's doing the writing or how good the book otherwise is. Add in a few too many "coincidences" and an overload of praise laid on John for his wonderfulness, both personally and professionally (to the point of sappiness), and the whole thing just missed being perfectly enjoyable. But it's still well worth reading, and I've already got the next two just waiting for me to find time to read. For those who haven't read this series, I highly recommend that you go for it.
Cold Blood by Michael Lister (Pulpwood Press, February 2017); 306 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Quick: Roll up your pantlegs - it's too late to save your shoes!
I can't count how many times I've said that over the years. And I'm betting I said it at least half a dozen times during the couple of days it took to read this book. At issue, you see, is that only a ton of money - $200,000, to be exact - will save Gary Foster's wife Beth from dying (or more correctly, give her a chance of not dying as soon as she otherwise will). Beth, who's pregnant with their long-hoped-for child, has been diagnosed with a gioblastoma - the same type of brain cancer that took the life of the son of former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife and currently threatens the life of Arizona Sen. John McCain - making this a timely topic.
But alas, there's no treatment except via an experimental drug found only in Germany; while there are no guarantees, so far the trials have shown positive results. The only drawback? The exorbitant cost. Gary and Beth try everything they can think of to raise the money, but no matter what they do, it's just not enough. Enter a shady character named Otto, who somehow learns about their dilemma and contacts Gary with an offer he can't refuse: Want the money? Commit murder.
And from that point on, any sympathy I had for Gary pretty much went out the window. I had to wonder if the Fosters were subjected to the current TV commercial for one of those miracle drugs that proclaims, "Who wouldn't want the chance to live longer?" Well, don't be ridiculous; we all would. But at what cost? I know for certain I wouldn't kill someone else to get a drug that might or might not work; and if I were the patient, I also know for certain I would never try to make my husband feel guilty for not doing more to help, as Beth did at one early-on point. And right then, I pretty much stopped feeling sorry for her as well.
As one might suspect, nothing is as simple as it appears - but many of the obstacles in Gary's quest for serious cash stem from what I'd call plain old stupidity. Who in his right mind would agree to the strict terms Otto sets forth, especially when not accompanied by a hefty down payment at the very least? But agree Gary does, and from that point on no matter how fast he shovels, the mud just keeps getting deeper as new turns of events stand between him and the money he so desperately wants. Meanwhile, almost as an afterthought, we learn that the outdoor apparel shop Gary and his brother Rod operate is in serious financial trouble. But honestly, since Rod is a reformed screw-up and I just can't warm up to Gary or Beth, I found it hard to care.
There's no shortage of action, which held my attention throughout as I tried my best to figure out how the whole escapade would end. Not quite so happily, though, I also wrestled with a few other inconsistencies. Wouldn't Beth, for instance, balk at taking an experimental drug without knowing it wouldn't harm her baby? And why did an event venue operator who claimed to have no open dates for months to come offer, just a few days later, a date only two weeks away? Hmmm, guess a few folks bailed, eh?
Oh well, I'll never know. Regardless, overall this is a fast-paced adventure that I read almost in a single sitting - with, as I mentioned early on, a timely topic. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Killer Choice by Tom Hunt (Berkley, January 2018); 352 pp.
5 stars out of 5
