5 stars out of 5
During all of my years at a public school in rural southwestern Ohio in the 1950s, it was a man's world. I don't recall learning a thing about any women who made history other than Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (well okay, maybe Betsy Ross, who earned 13 stars for her work). Once I got out and about, graduated from college and joined the ranks of the feminist movement, though, that changed. The area to which I moved (and have spent the rest of my life so far) boasts stops on the Underground Railroad, and I soon became familiar with other suffragette names like Harriet Taylor Upton and Harriet Tubman (notably, the Upton House, her home from 1887 to 1931 and now a museum, is in Warren, Ohio - just a few miles from my home).
Given that proximity and my longstanding commitment to women's rights, then, I was delighted to have an opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I knew a bit about Tubman's work with the Underground Railroad; but until now, I had no clue as to her very important work as a spy for the Union Army. In fact, as detailed in this book, Gen. David Hunter put her in charge of directing and leading the largest plantation raid of the entire Civil War. Reluctantly, she had left her husband and child to carry on her mission, even while knowing that what the future held was nothing short of daunting. Known far and wide as "Moses," she already was a wanted woman who no doubt would be put to death if captured; nonetheless, she was determined to get behind enemy lines to set bondsmen free and recruit them to fight for the Union cause.
The research it must have taken to even begin pulling together a book like this is amazing to me (and as a journalist, I've got more than a passing acquaintance with the process). Turning that mountain of information into an educational yet highly readable format makes it all the more special. Although it is based on facts, it is a novel; the author does an outstanding job of adding details and emotion-filled dialogue that bring the story to life and make it far more interesting than a dry rendition in a history textbook.
In short, well done and highly recommended.
The Tubman Command by Elizabeth Cobbs (Arcade, May 2019); 336 pp.
4.5 stars out of 5
Five primary characters - three adults, two kids, some related to each other, some not - are at the center of this well-written, engrossing story that's full of twists. Just when I thought I had a handle on one character, poof - that handle came unglued, shattering my perspective on what was happening (or had happened previously).
The exceptionally well-developed characters really drive this complex but easy to follow story; chapters shift from person to person, with each revealing a little more about their past and present lives and how they're all intertwined. The grown-ups include Whit, the father of young Boon and his older sister Cassie. There's Sara, a mysterious young woman with a past she's trying to escape (or is it return to?) by way of the Witness Protection Program; and Hank, a retired law enforcement chief who tries to follow the disappearance of children amid nearly debilitating emotional issues of his own. Even more interesting to me is that most of the action takes place on the North Carolina Outer Banks where my husband and I spent time just about every summer for 27 years (someone down there once told me that Ohio visitors there rank second only to North Carolinians in number, and even if that's not true, I know we've had plenty of Buckeye company).
Cassie is what I'd not so affectionately call a little snot, sassing her parents and, most times, bullying her timid little brother. Whit and his wife, Diane, are ostracized by their community because of something Diane did that put him in the hospital. They're living at The Paradise, the same motel in which Sara has been placed by the Feds to start her new life (and clearly isn't happy about it). Hank lives next door to the motel and pops in now and again.
Suddenly, all their lives are threatened by an oncoming hurricane - a regular occurrence in this neck of the woods to be sure, but this time it's rolling in amid dire predictions and a rush to evacuate. Whit heads for the mainland to help his aging parents, with the intent of returning in a few hours to pick up the kids. But the storm takes a nasty turn, putting the motel squarely in its sights. Feelling sorry for the kids, Sara - who's also eyeing a possible escape - puts them in her clunker of a car and heads for the bridge to the mainland - becoming the last car to be allowed to cross as the wind picks up steam and the water rises. Electricity and cell phone service are sketchy at best, so communication is virtually impossible (for Sara, a good thing; for the kids and their dad, not so much).
From this point on, I can't say more without spoiling things for others - so you'll just have to read it for yourself. The epilogue, I admit, left me with too many unanswered questions for my liking, but that didn't take away from the rest of the story. Highly recommended, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
The Liar's Child by Carla Buckley (Ballantine Books, March 2019); 288 pp.
4 stars out of 5
This is the 20th book in the author's Tea Shop Mystery series, and since it's the first I've read, I was a bit concerned that I'd be at something of a disadvantage. Happily, I was not; no doubt some of the characters would have made more of an impression if I'd known them better, but this story stands alone well and, in fact, is quite enjoyable.
It's also a cozy, and I was delighted that main character Theodosia Browning, proprietor of the Indigo Tea Shop in historic Charleston, South Carolina, is neither a wishy-washy wimp nor one of the more commonly written-about busybodies who plunges ahead devil-may-care despite dire warnings from everyone around her to butt out. She's likable, although she doesn't hesitate to speak her mind. Another player here is a character I've come to think is a cozy requisite - the irascible police detective who's constantly annoyed at the heroine's interference with investigations; but in this case, he seems to have genuine respect for her sleuthing talents. One character almost totally missing throughout this one is Theo's main squeeze, detective Pete Riley, who's off to a training conference (I mention this for series followers who might be expecting to see more of him - he sounds like a pretty cool dude).
The story opens with a bang - literally. Theodosia and her resident tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are riding high amid a rally of hot-air balloons. Out of nowhere, a drone appears, giving their balloon an evil eye before heading toward another. That one, however, doesn't fare so well; the drone rams the balloon, causing an horrific explosion that kills everyone aboard. Among the victims is the CEO of a local technology company who'd been accused of "misplacing" some $5 million in company money, raising the probability that he was the target. As a side venture, the man was in the process of selling an extremely valuable Revolutionary War flag, with several rival bidders queuing up for the win. Just what, if anything, that might have to do with the murder remains to be determined.
Early on, the primary suspect is the fiance of one of Theo's friends, the owner of a local B and B. Not only does he own a drone, but he works for the tech company and recently blew the whistle on what he believed was a defective product. In part wanting to help her friend, who refuses to believe her fiance is involved, Theo begins to investigate - in between running her successful tea shop, hosting a couple of high-profile tea events, judging a decorative teacup contest and getting soaked in the ever-present rain everywhere she goes.
History buffs will get their fill here by way of prolific descriptions of older sections of Charleston. I'm really not one of them, but I admit that exploring all those nooks and crannies was enticing (although the thought of all that rain put a damper on my enthusiasm and made me wonder how they ever found a day to get those balloons aloft). Also worthy of note for those who enjoy baking are the at-the-end recipes for some of the tasty treats mentioned throughout. All in all, this is an easy-to-read, entertaining book, and I thank the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read and review it.
Broken Bone China by Laura Childs (Penguin Group, March 2019); 336 pp.
4 stars out of 5
There's not quite enough here of Lt. Eve Dallas's hunky husband Roarke for me to put this one - the 48th in the series - on my short list of favorites. Besides that, both Eve and Roarke seem a little lackluster - almost as if they'd rather be anywhere other than in this story - and the setting amid rival gangs isn't quite as attention-holding for me personally as are other scenarios. Otherwise, though, it's got all the goodies I've come to know and love. Eve bickers with Roarke's majordomo Somerset, plays it cool with her stylish friend and competent co-worker Peabody, programs her personal Auto Chef to deliver great coffee (the year is 2061, after all) and Roarke is continuing, for the most part, to resist trying to run every aspect of Eve's life like choosing the clothes she must wear each day (for the latter, thank you, God).
This one begins as Roarke is about to open a sort of haven for wayward young girls called An Didean and hires child psychologist Rochelle Pickering to run it. Rochelle's brother, Lyle, is living with her while he gets his personal house in order; he's a recovering addict and has refused to rejoin his old local gang, the Bangers. Before Rochelle can start her first day on the job, though, Lyle is found murdered in her apartment; early evidence shows he'd apparently returned to his drug habit and overdosed. Devastated, Rochelle insists that her brother would not - and had not - strayed. Her boyfriend, Crack, tags Eve's 'link, asking for her help.
Their more in-depth look determines that Lyle's death was a murder, so now they set out to find the killer or killers. When a witness who lives in the building provides a description of what went on, they strongly suspect it was a gang-related hit. Needless to say, Eve's team, with a little bit of help from super-tech-friendly Roarke, delves into the gang world both electronically and in person.
As I said in the beginning, this is not a world of which I want any part, not even to read about - so for me it leaned a tiny bit toward ho-hum, which is an unusual pronouncement for me to make of this series. Still, the plot is well done well and held my attention and the characters both familiar and fun - and of course, I'm already waiting for the next one.
Connections in Death by J.D. Robb (St. Martin's Press, February 2019); 365 pp.
4 stars out of 5
In the end, I very much enjoyed this book; in the beginning, I wasn't so sure. The "thrilling" action really didn't pick up until the last quarter or so; after that, my eyes were glued to the Kindle pages and I didn't put it down till I'd reached the last page.
The story centers on Marian Engstrom, who, after college graduation, applied for and landed a job working with dogs as part of a study on the impact of oil exploration on the caribou, moose and wolf populations in Canada. There, she meets and falls in love with the more experienced Tate, her supervisor of sorts. He's exciting, intriguing and helps her learn the ropes. But happiness over their professional and personal coupling is short-lived; when Tate sets off to help with another project, he doesn't return. She's devastated to learn that his mangled body - the damage apparently done by a bear attack - has been found in the deep woods
Marian is devastated, but at one point before he left, she learned about four women who were murdered over a period of six years and mentioned this to Tate. Surprisingly, he claims to been the person who found one of the bodies. As she deals with Tate's death, Marian begins to recall inconsistencies in what Tate told her about his earlier life and finding that body in particular. When she learns that some of that information wasn't the truth, she begins to wonder if Tate had another, more sinister, connection to those murders. Finding the name of a retired forensic profiler (Nick Shepherd) who worked on the cases, she contacts him. He, too, remains haunted by the still-unsolved murders, and the two begin to share information and dig for clues.
It takes quite a while for their findings come together in a meaningful way - chapters switch to before Tate's death to present happenings - but eventually a more complete picture of who Tate really was begins to form. And at that point, the picture also reveals that Marian may have taken her doubts too seriously and learned far more than someone wants her to know. That, in turn, puts her own life in danger - and brings the whole thing together with a bang-up ending.
So what got in the way of a perfect rating? It's abundantly clear that the author did far more than her fair share of research on everything from the history of animal scat to bear attacks to surviving in the wild. That's commendable (as well as absolutely necessary). But to me, research is like an iceberg; most of it can and should remain out of sight. There's just too much of it here, and it tends to bog down the flow of the story. Besides that, by the author's own admission (based on her own life experiences), the story is intended to empower and embolden women who might be dealing with similar experiences. That, too, is commendable, but some portions seemed a bit too "preachy" as a result.
Overall, though, the writing is outstanding and the story both solid and unique. I'm very glad I read it, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.
The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets (Berkley, March 2019); 352 pp.
5 stars out of 5
I'm not sure which I did more of while reading this wonderful book: chuckle out loud or wipe away tears. It helps, I suppose, that I was a huge fan of the author's long-running "Cathy" comic strip. Perhaps more important, while I'm older than she is by nine years, I, too, was a champion of the feminist movement (still am, as is she) and was for a time sandwiched in between parents and a daughter, all of whom were growing old, and up, way too fast. Sadly, my parents are gone now - and my daughter has become the "stuff" inside the Oreo of life, caught between a grown daughter of her own and her aging parents (which, Lord help us, means me and my husband).
In any event, oh, how I can relate - and I'm quite sure all but teenybopper females will do so as well. These essays were written, Guisewite says, at a time when she's trying to "declutter" her own life (hmmm, I'm pretty sure that's a word that passed through our daughter's lips last time she popped in for a visit). Feminist though she may be, Guisewite admits to feeling torn between Betty Crocker and Betty Friedan (conjuring up decades-ago memories of whipping up a casserole so my family wouldn't go hungry while I attended a Gloria Steinem lecture). I choked with laughter - and frustration - as she recounted getting "stuck" in a sports bra; as a gym newbie, I can tell you it's not fun (though worse, perhaps, is the embarrassment over having to call someone to your rescue). And before I caved and joined the gym, I, too, resisted the call to exercise, rationalizing that "I exercised yesterday and I don't look any different."
There are far too many other shared feelings and experiences to mention here (especially since I don't want to spoil the fun for other readers). In the end, she sums up the dilemma we're in perfectly: "My whole generation is reeling from the stunning truth - that we, who are way too young and hip to ever look or act old, are not too young to pass away." Aha - maybe that's why I glance proudly at the year-old Aristocat tattoo on the top of my flip-flop clad foot as I open the morning newspaper first to the obituaries pages. Torn indeed!
In short, I love, love, love this book - highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
Fifty Things That Aren't My Fault by Cathy Guisewite (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2019); 336 pp.
5 stars out of 5
I've read two of this "Brit in the FBI" series and absolutely loved them both, so when I got the chance to wade into this one as an advance review copy, I was ecstatic. And guess what? The story is a bit more "out there" than the others, but it's yet another 5-star winner in my book.
The very likable characters, in particular special agents Nicholas Drummond and his sweetie, Michaela "Mike" Caine, are back. The two are staying with friends and other regular characters Grant and Kitsune Thornton, while Mike nurses a nearly healed broken ankle that happened during a previous adventure. Mike and Nicholas head the FBI Covert Eyes Team, while Grant runs a private security company that's been hired to protect Jean-Pierre Broussard, the founder of Galactus Industries.
In the prologue, readers learn that astronaut Dr. Nevaeh Patel was drummed out of the space program after a near-death experience during a spacewalking event, after which she claimed to have heard extraterrestrial voices called the Numen. No one believed her and most think she's gone bonkers - and thus unfit for another outer space mission. Insisting she's not crazy, Nevaeh quits the program, later hooking up with Broussard. He wants someone to take over that company while he searches the seas for the "Holy Grail" - a rock believed to have healing powers.
But Nevaeh has much more on her mind than running a company that puts small satellites in space at an affordable cost. Those voices never stopped calling, you see, and they're getting louder by the day - urging her to undertake a project that will disrupt the entire world and give them, and Nevaeh, total control. Once Mike and Nicholas learn what's going on, they have other ideas - but can they find a way to stop what she's about to make happen, even if it's at the last second?
A good bit of the almost nonstop action takes place at sea, with scenes reminiscent (to me, at least) of Clive Cussler's NUMA Files books. As the two intersecting plots on land and water begin to seriously converge, all the characters get involved in ultra-dangerous situations that call for super-human feats, and the ending is worthy of an Ian Fleming 007 novel. My verdict? Thank goodness for one of the most boring Super Bowl games ever (and I haven't missed a single one since the 1967 inaugural game) that allowed me to finish the final third of the book nonstop. And speaking of thanks, I'll send some to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review it.
The Last Second by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison (Gallery Books, March 2019); 464 pp.
4.5 stars out of 5
If you're a lover of courtroom mystery/thrillers as I am, don't miss this one. Although it's rare for me to "compare" one author's book with another's - I don't think it's fair to either writer - I must say that throughout most of this book it felt as if I were channeling John Grisham.
Most of the story happens in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the mid-1950s. Local Judge John Murray learns that Lillian Adams, who has been like a daughter to him and his wife of many years, Betsy, has been charged with the murder of her wealthy husband. Lillian, who has a history of disruptive behavior (and worse), had gunpowder residue on her hands and her late husband's blood on her clothing.
Despite the fact that he could recuse himself because of his prior association with Lillian, Murray insists on presiding at the trial. In large part, that's because the prosecutor, Haskins Sewell, is a long-time adversary who not only has his sights set on the judge's job, but is a man who will resort to shady courtroom tactics to get a win. In his heart of hearts, though, Murray hopes he can somehow turn the tide of jury favor toward a verdict of not guilty; but in his very honest head, he worries it won't be possible unless he employs some of the same underhanded tactics as the prosecutor. It helps a bit that another of the judge's friends is the defense attorney, who also wants to do everything he can to get Lillian off (and who, like the judge, detests the prosecutor).
At issue is a mysteriously appearing suicide note and suspicious blood trails, the boatload of money Lillian stands to inherit at her husband's death and Lillian's disturbed daughter Tina, who may well have had a motive (albeit misguided) to kill her stepfather. Throw all this in the mix with three legal professionals who hate each other, and you've got a whale of a well-written tale for which I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
Court of Lies by Gerry Spence (Forge Books, February 2019); 346 pp.
5 stars out of 5
If Jeffery Deaver wrote it, I want to read it. Yes, even if it's a short story - probably my least favorite form of literature (save poetry by Emily Dickinson, but that's a story for another day). It took me less than an hour from start to finish - partly because it's just 52 pages and mostly because it's totally engrossing.
The length makes it difficult to review; there's little that can be said without giving away too much. Basically, as the official description says, it's the story of seven people from very different walks of life who are "connected" in different ways - among them a near-retirement cop, a dealer of illegal firearms and a former Special Forces veteran now living on the street. That they were to meet up seemed destined from the beginning, but exactly how is threaded throughout the story but isn't fully revealed until the very end.
What happens and how it all shakes out is interesting, but what struck me the most is how willingly I bought into stereotyped perceptions of the characters. Oopsie! Bottom line? Good story. Read it.
Ninth and Nowhere by Jeffery Deaver (Amazon Original Stories, January 2019); 52 pp.
