5 stars out of 5
As a long-time Grisham fan, the moment I got my hands on this book I bookmarked the one I'd almost finished reading, set aside the one lined up to be read next and got down to business. My only disappointment? That real-life business (like eating and sleeping) prevented me from polishing it off in one sitting; it was engrossing from the first page to the last.
The story outlines the efforts of nonprofit Guardian Ministries, a small, close-knit group of like-minded individuals whose mission is to move legal mountains to free wrongly convicted prison inmates. Narrated by firm investigator, attorney and Episcopal priest Cullen Post, the book primarily details the investigative and legal progress as related to two of the firm's six clients - both of whom have been serving time for years for crimes they did not commit. The primary focus is on Quincy Miller, a black man who was sent to prison for life for murdering a young lawyer in a small north Florida town.
Fast-forward 22 years, when Cullen meets with the man and, after reviewing the scant evidence that suggests Quincy was framed, decides to take on the case. Getting to the truth, though, requires hundreds of interviews, exhausting research and travel wherever the evidence leads - not easily accomplished by a firm that operates on a shoestring budget. But the more they investigate, the more convinced of Quincy's innocence they become and the more determined Cullen is to prove it (and maybe, although it's not the prime directive, unearth the real killer in the process).
Time-consuming? Obviously. Dangerous? Not so much, except when it is; not everyone is eager to set the record straight. Some, in fact, will go to any lengths to keep long-buried secrets as dead as the lawyer they murdered all those years ago - and now they've got Cullen in their sights. Will he get out alive? And if he does, will he get his client out of jail? Read it and find out - you'll be glad you did.
The Guardians by John Grisham (Doubleday, October 2019); 371 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Up front and personal opinion: This is a tough book to read - even for series fans like me. First, it's long (just shy of 700 pages); second, it draws from past books so heavily that, unless you've read and remembered all those that preceded it, you're likely to be at least a little bit lost. Although this one picks up on loose ends from 2018's series entry "The Woman in the Woods" (which, fortunately, I've read) and private detective Charlie Parker's search for a very nasty character named Quayle and potentially even nastier female partner Pallida Mors, it extends backward to other books which, unfortunately, I have not.
To be sure, I had trouble following the story early on, actually considering calling it quits at a couple of points. But honestly, great writing won out; the author is so skillful that even if I didn't always "get" where some of the extensive historical background came from, I was able to enjoy the story in the moment even if many of those moments took place a very long time in the past. The series does touch heavily on otherworldly things; Charlie himself has experienced death three times, always (so far) returning to the land of the living but with an even greater understanding of the dark supernatural that exists to threaten the hearts of man. And therein lies another issue for me: for the most part, Charlie's presence here is notable by his absence. Other familiar characters like his close friends Louis and Angel play major roles, but it's Charlie who most fascinates me - and I just didn't get enough of him here.
Still, the intricacy of the story here is nothing short of amazing - much as I always say after finishing a Stephen King novel, I simply cannot imagine a mind capable of concocting such complex and intriguing plots. As this one begins, Parker is continuing his quest for Quayle, who in turn is questing for pages that are missing from an ancient "atlas" that allegedly has supernatural powers; it can, for instance, alter itself at will. Bringing all the pages together, it seems, could alter the course of history - and definitely not the the better.
Murders also are the order of the day, most related to locations of ancient religious cults. Figuring out if, and how, they all tie together won't be an easy task, but failure to do so could condemn the world to unimaginable evil. Needless to say, I'm not about to explain more other than it's a wild ride to the finish. Many thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.
A Book of Bones by John Connolly (Atria/Emily Bestler Books, October 2019); 683 pp.
5 stars out of 5
Okay, so my request at NetGalley to read an advance copy of this book was approved. Big whoop. Now I'm finished. Another big whoop!
That first one, which was a literal shout-out that roused my husband from his recliner, came becauseI've been a fan of this series right from the start; I don't recall missing a single one, so of course I was excited. The second shout-out (prior to which I gave my long-suffering hubby a heads-up) came because, like the others, this one is very good. Main characters Dr. Alex Delaware and LAPD Lt. Milo Sturgis are in fine form with their banter (as well as their obvious respect for each other as they mesh their complementary investigative skills). Alex's main squeeze Robin gets some face time, as does their lovable pooch Blanche.
This one begins with a scene that unsettles just about everyone who views it, including Alex and Milo: Four very dead bodies are found in a limousine; the three passengers, two men and a woman, have been covered with blood (apparently after the fact) and posed in a very suggestive way. Other than the driver, identifying them all takes quite a bit of doing; but accomplishing that is followed by the even bigger challenge of determining the connection among the victims that could unearth a motive and the identity of the killer (or killers).
The nooks-and-crannies investigation, which I'm not about to detail here, takes Alex, Milo and his very capable team into a dark world of art (a nod to the book title) as well as the dark streets of the homeless and forgotten. If I have a "complaint," it's that the cast of characters is a rather large one, making it a little hard for me to keep all the names straight. In the end, though, no matter; this one kept me entertained from the first page to the last. Well done! And please, sir, may I have some more?
The Museum of Desire by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, February 2020); 368 pp.
4 stars out of 5
By now, the 19th book in the series, the members of the self-described Women's Murder Club seem like old friends to me: San Francisco Police Department Detective Lindsay Boxer, attorney Yuki Castellano, medical examiner Claire Washburn and crime reporter Cindy Thomas. As usual, Lindsay's escapades take center stage in this one, with Yuki and Cindy getting some page time as they deal with inequities in the U.S. immigration system (a timely issue for sure). Claire shows up only a couple of times - seems she left town over the Christmas holidays to teach college students.
It all begins with all four women hoping for a carefree Christmas holiday with their significant others. Then readers are backtracked to a time when Lindsay and her partner Rich (Cindy's beau) chased down a street thief. He spills the beans on a really bad guy who's holed out in a hotel; the FBI is called in and a shootout ensues. Yuki and her sweetie Brady are prepping for a pre-Christmas dinner with the district attorney (Yuki's boss) when Brady gets called to the hotel scene. From that point on, it's mostly Lindsay and Rich investigating leads that suggest something big-time is going to go down with an eye toward prevention and apprehension. Concurrently, based on Cindy's research that suggests an innocent immigrant man may be languishing in jail too long awaiting trial, Yuki gets involved with trying to get justice for him as Cindy hustles to make her story deadline.
All told, it makes for an enjoyable adventure that won't tax your brain - great for curling up next to a cozy stocking-hung fireplace with a mug of hot mulled cider.
The 19th Christmas by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown and Co., October 2019); 368 pp.
4 stars out of 5
I'm a fan of this series and of Timber Creek Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo. While I enjoyed this one, the fifth, I have to say not quite as much as the predecessors. That is, I think, because of heavier focus on Mattie's romantic life and all the baggage she brings into her budding relationship with local veterinarian Cole Walker - I prefer reading about her relationship with Robo. As for Cole, I do have to wonder when he actually practices his trade given that he's always helping Mattie and her department, taking care of his two daughters and/or trying to cope with his ex-wife, Olivia, who suffers from serious depression.
All that aside, though, the actual story is both intriguing and fast-paced. It begins as Mattie is called to the scene of a burning van. One man has been shot dead and another has been taken to the hospital. The dead man was well known - married to the daughter of an elderly landowner couple - but he was well liked and a motive isn't easy to nail down, at least at the outset. As the investigation progresses - helped along by Robo's considerable tracking skills, of course - a few suspects emerge. But just as one rises to the top, he, too, turns up dead. Clearly, these aren't your garden-variety killings; in fact, they have more to do with the vast forests that surround Colorado's Timber Creek region. And Mattie, Cole and Robo soon learn that there's an even bigger danger than they thought in them thar woods; will they all manage to escape unscathed?
Well, of course I'm not going to answer that - go read it for yourself. The ending also sets the stage for what I expect will be a theme of the next book - one that could alter the course of Mattie's life. Needless to say, I'll be in line to get a copy. Meantime, I enjoyed this one and thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima (Crooked Lane Books, November 2019); number of pages not listed.
3 stars out of 5
Whew! A more annoying, insufferable woman I've never encountered in a book. She's a mom who refuses to let go even though she's choking the life out of not only the daughter who left the nest for college, but everyone else around her. To that daughter, who chose a school a hundred miles or so from home, I scream, "Run, child - run like the wind. Go to Canada. To Australia. To the ends of the earth." Anywhere to get away from this hysterical woman who takes what I call "smothering mothering" to a whole new level.
In the interests of full disclosure, though, I must admit that it's virtually impossible for me to identify with Kat, mother to her "perfect" and only child Amy. When our firstborn left home for college just an hour away, my husband and I had repurposed his room before his car even left our driveway. Still, I gave Kat my best shot; but when I got to the near halfway point with nothing much happening except her incessant questioning and hand-wringing, I came close to giving up.
But I stuck with it, and I'm happy to say the story started to come alive in the second half. Not long after Amy got to college in Wales, she disappears; and because she and Kat are joined at the hip - as close to literally as humanly possible - Kat, who's already three-quarters bonkers at not seeing or hearing from Amy every single minute, goes off the deep end. Something awful has happened, Kat declares minutes after Amy's 20th text of the day is overdue. As the hours go by with no trace of Amy, just about everyone who ever knew her becomes a suspect, from her college roommates to her wayward birth father Tony to Richard, Kat's current husband and Amy's stepfather for most of her life.
After the first couple of agonizing days, it becomes clear that yes, something really has happened to Amy. For the most part, that only leads to even more hand-wringing and woeful discussions among Kat, her best friend Zoe and Zoe's daughter Jodie, who was Amy's best friend. But slowly, a different picture emerges: First and foremost, that all these characters may not be who they seem. Kat, for instance, has dark secrets all her own, mostly related to her ex-husband. As the story nears the end, secrets of those other characters are revealed, leading to a somewhat surprising conclusion that, given my intense dislike of Kat, I must say gave me enormous pleasure.
Overall, it's an emotional roller-coaster with Kat in the lead car every page of the way. Although it (she) isn't quite my cup of tea, it's definitely worth reading and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.
The Empty Nest by Sue Watson (Bookouture, November 2019); 213 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Sometimes, an otherwise intriguing, well-thought-out plot just seems to get lost in the shuffle. That happens here, with a cast of characters too large to keep straight (some of whom go by different names at different times, making for even more confusion). Mix in shifting time frames from past to present, and you've got a recipe for a story that's frankly not as enjoyable as it should have been.
But I can't overlook that great story; despite having to keep notes on who's who and when, I was captivated by it. It begins as Libby, adopted as an infant and now age 25, learns that her birth parents have left her their posh house in Chelsea that's worth millions of pounds. In that she's nearly destitute after getting out of a bad marriage, she wants to see the house, but first she must figure out how she'll pay for the trip with her two young children and a dog.
We also meet Harry Lamb, who narrates much of the book. He and his sister are the children of the house's owners, Henry and Martina. As youngsters, Harry and his sister lived a life of luxury, attending the poshest of schools, eating only the best foods and enjoying their beautiful, loving parents. Until, that is, a woman named Birdie flies into their lives - and everything goes to you-know-where in a handbasket from that point on. Early on, readers learn that 25 years earlier, Libby was found in her upstairs crib at the Chelsea home, well-fed and happy - while downstairs lay the bodies of Henry, Martina and an unidentified man (thought to be a communal suicide).
What happens at the house from that point on is detailed throughout the "then" chapters; it certainly isn't pretty - and it results in some surprises for the characters (and by extension, readers). It also brought to my mind the question of why neighbors never noticed that anything had gone awry, but then maybe residents of England - especially in such grandiose neighborhoods - prefer to keep to themselves. I'd like to think we'd fare better if someone like Birdie (and in short order, her "friends") invaded our home.
By the end, readers have learned what horrors that house held for way too many years (despite what the title implies, upstairs is only the beginning) as well as what's happened to those who managed to escape and a hint that the future could be even worse. Overall, well done - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-publication copy.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell (Atria Books, November 2019); 349 pp.
5 stars out of 5
...You give love a bad name (said with a nod to one of my favorite Bon Jovi songs from years past) and another to the author, whose easy-to-read mysteries - and the characters in them - have become favorites as well. This one is the seventh in the "Fixer-Upper" series, which features the very capable, intelligent and never wimpy building contractor Shannon Hammer. Those qualities, nearly always lacking in the heroines of most cozy mysteries I've read, made me love her in last year's A Wrench in the Works, so I was super-delighted that my request for an advance review copy of this one from the publisher (through NetGalley) was granted.
Although Victorian restoration is her company's specialty (plus a new line of tiny houses that are becoming quite popular in the real world), it is a barn-raising that brings her to the home of filthy rich Rafe Nash, now retired and starting a foundation to help fund humanitarian efforts worldwide. She's also charged with renovating his mansion and erecting what will be called an Ecosphere, a plant-friendly tower - and most of these projects must be completed in time for Nash's upcoming inaugural Future Global Survival Con that will bring thousands to the property.
She's joined by her capable company team, her tight-knit group of female friends (which includes Marigold, Nash's soon-to-be bride), her hunky ex-Navy Seal and now best-selling writer boyfriend Mac and a few other notables such as her dad and his brother Pete. Add a cadre of "smart mice" - yes, real critters - to the mix (Shannon doesn't fear much, but if she's got a list, these rodents are at the top), and you've got the blueprint for an interesting, hard-to-put-down book.
As the conference gets under way, the barn-raising project comes to an abrupt halt when Rafe's partner in the company he just left - a total jerk - turns up dead as one of the door nails. That incident forms the foundation for the rest of the story, during which yet another body turns up, Rafe's life is threatened and Shannon tries to juggle the barn-raising and worry about her dad's newfound love life with figuring out the murderer's identity and keeping her distance from those dreaded mice. Fast-forward a few ills, spills and chills, and it shapes up to be another one well done. Kudos once again!
Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle (Berkley, October 2019); 304 pp.
5 stars out of 5
There are only two authors in the world whose books I not only willingly, but enthusiastically, open even when they're 500 pages or more. One is J.K. Rowling (long live Harry Potter) and the other is Stephen King. That's because with either author I've never, ever been sorry that I did - and I'm delighted to report that the winning streak continues with this one.
At the outset, though, I had some doubts. Oh, not about the quality of writing - that's never gonna happen with this author. But the subject matter - the kidnapping and psychological and physical torture of children - just isn't something I wanted to read about for that many pages (one or two would be more than sufficient, thank you very much). But back to that amazing writing ability: Within a couple of chapters, I'd been hooked - and the reeling in continued to the very last page (which I stayed up way past my bedtime to reach, BTW).
The story opens with the kidnapping of the precocious young Luke Ellis and, almost as an aside, murder of his parents. He's drugged, and when he wakes up he's in a room that looks just like his room at home except it's not; he's in The Institute in remote Maine. Soon, he learns that he's not the only one here; he's surrounded by many other youngsters - all with a propensity for telekinesis and telepathy or both. And before long, he learns that the future is bleak; many other kids have been here, been put through the wringer and sent to another wing of the complex - never to be heard from again.
Meantime, readers get a glimpse into the new life of former cop Tim Jamieson, who finds himself - temporarily, he expects - in out-of-the-way Dupray, South Carolina. Though seriously overqualified, he applies for and lands a job as a "night knocker," a non-cop who walks through the very small downtown to make sure all the businesses and buildings are secure.
Most of the story focuses on the treatment, and mistreatment, of the youngsters at The Institute; all would like nothing better than to escape, but most are convinced that will never happen and some are even resigned to their fate. But as expected, their story and Tim's in the South Carolina setting come together at some point (no, I won't reveal when, how or why, but I will say the journey is filled with excitement, suspense and not a few rather gory details that kept me on the edge of my seat pretty much all the way through). It's not a perfect ending, but then I'm old enough to know that it's not a perfect world. It did, however, brighten the days I spent reading it. Well done!
The Institute by Stephen King (Scribner, September 2019); 576 pp.
As a long-time Grisham fan, the moment I got my hands on this book I bookmarked the one I'd almost finished reading, set aside the one lined up to be read next and got down to business. My only disappointment? That real-life business (like eating and sleeping) prevented me from polishing it off in one sitting; it was engrossing from the first page to the last.
