THE SENTINEL

3.5 stars out of 5

I'm a longtime fan of the Jack Reacher series - heck, I've even forgiven the 2012 movie that cast diminutive Tom Cruise as Goliath-sized Reacher. Based on his physical stature alone, it wasn't a good fit.

And this book isn't the best fit for the series, either. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be contrived; it seemed as if the intent was to identify a couple of in-the-news hot topics and then try to fabricate a story around them. The dialog seemed forced as well; granted, Reacher is a loner and a man of few words - and that's true here, in spots. But in others, he spouts lengthy and intricate explanations of computer functions which, coming from a guy who needs help operating a smartphone, just didn't quite, well, ring true. Time will tell, I guess, if that's the result of the author's collaboration with his younger brother Andrew to write this book (the person he's chosen to carry on the Reacher series in the not-too-distant future).

All that aside, it's an intriguing story that held my interest throughout - but then, I admit to having a computer geek side. Hiking out of Nashville to anywhere else, Reacher gets a lift from a guy who's headed in that direction - namely, to a much smaller town in Tennessee. Not long after he's dropped off, Reacher's killer senses kick in and he saves local guy Rusty Rutherford from an apparent kidnapping. Not that he'll be thanked anytime soon, mind you; Rusty is despised by just about everyone for the role they think he played in the recent disastrous crash of all the town's computer systems and phones. 

Rusty, though, insists he's totally innocent; in fact, he was trying to keep that from happening. Now a pariah and, more importantly, out of a job, he and a former FBI friend are hoping to salvage a program they wrote to protect the town computers that could make them very wealthy. For his part, Reacher takes pity on the two (plus he figures the would-be kidnappers aren't likely to stop at a single attempt) and agrees to stick around for a bit.

From there on, the plot gets pretty complicated - even to the computer geek side of my brain. There are Russians who may not be Russians, undercover FBI agents and physical attacks from all corners of the town - leading to the usual blowout fights in which Reacher is outnumbered and must reach to new levels of his considerable pugilistic abilities to survive. Confusion over who's who and what's where leads Reacher down a back alley (or two or five) until near the end, when it's time to put up or forever be shut up. 

Conclusion: Fast-paced and action-filled, this may not be the best entry in the Reacher series, but it's still Reacher and anything Reacher is still worth reading. Bring on the next one!

The Sentinel by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Delacorte Press, October 2020); 352 pp.

FRANKLIN ROCK

5 stars out of 5

Despite a few misgivings about starting this book - it's clearly outside of my usual blood-and-guts, head-games mystery/thrillers - I dug in just because it was offered to me by the publisher. Now that I'm done, I'm having a little trouble describing it. While I think more about how to proceed, I'll say this: It was entertaining, enlightening and overall, a true "feel-good" delight that, as the official description suggests, is reminiscent of Forrest Gump.

Basically, the story follows the title character, a gifted college undergrad student, as he tries to figure out his purpose in life - especially meaningful since he experiences flashes of being "transported" to other times. Early on, he gets help from mentor and professor Charles Niemeyer who, when he dies, leaves Franklin only with a mysteriously blank book titled Franklin Rock: The Man Who Fixed the World.

So it is that Franklin sets out to try to find his destiny, not knowing whether he'll find it in his "real" world or through sudden meetings with notable characters from other generations. He gets more help from an elderly cancer patient, college bookstore manager Lori Constantine and a rather strange character known as Govinda, who seems to understand what Franklin is all about and is willing to guide him in his journey.

For the record, I admit I had a few reservations along the way. Would the story, I asked myself, end up taking on a decidedly religious bent? After all, anytime you pair time travel and parallel universes with the possibility of "we'll all be together again" and guidance from some sort of supreme being, it's not unreasonable to think that's where it's headed. To be sure, that's hinted at here and there, but the author does a great job sidestepping any commitment thereto and leaves those kinds of decisions up to the reader (and Franklin). If nothing else, the whole thing was food for thought presented in a tasty manner - not a bad thing as we all head into the Christmas holidays amid a devastating and seemingly relentless pandemic.

In short, I'm glad I read it - and I don't hesitate to recommend it to others (yes, even to my blood-and-guts loving friends). Well done!

Franklin Rock by Mark E. Klein (Greenbriar Publishing, January 2021); 352 pp.

WE HEAR VOICES

 5 stars out of 5

Back in my younger days, I ripped through sci-fi books with a passion - I think it was largely because technology, and all the possibilities it brings, has always been a fascination (probably because my formative years were spent using a crank telephone on a party line and getting news and music from a floor-model radio, so Sony's Walkman was enough to blow my mind). But my tastes these days lean more toward mysteries and thrillers, so when I was offered a pre-release copy of this book, I was a bit hesitant.

I needn't have been. It was, literally, hard to put down. And while I won't describe it as anywhere near terrifying or horrifying, it was totally engaging - and eerily familiar because it takes place amid a pandemic, climate change devastation and people hopeful of a new beginning on a different far-away planet. Elsewhere, a mega-developer has created a highly regimented, communal living/working utopia with Big Brother overtones and a doctor is secretly trying to rehabilitate children who recovered from illness and suddenly began hearing "voices" in their heads.

The pandemic has taken the lives of thousands of earthlings, and many, many more have contracted and recovered from the J5X virus. One of those is Rachel's young son Billy, and although her life is far from perfect, she's grateful that his life was spared. She's even willing to overlook his newfound imaginary friend Delfy, who appeared in Billy's head shortly after his recovery. But her acceptance doesn't last long; soon, Delfy seems to have taken control - telling Billy to say and do ever more frightening things. Billy realizes what's going on, but he claims he's powerless to stop Delfy or ignore her commands.

Meanwhile, Rachel has two daughters - Nina, who is in school and hoping to be on one of the rockets that will take people to start a new world - and Beth, who, amid all the chaos, is almost the perfect baby. Rachel and her partner Al have been barely able to make ends meet since she stopped working to care for Beth, but both are resolute in their refusal to sign up for the communal work/housing program. But then Delfy starts commanding Billy to do decidedly unchild-like things.

As readers will suspect early on, these seemingly separate things - the space program, the work-life community and the doctor's hideaway - may be intertwined, and finding out how and why is what keeps the book a mind-grabber. The ending, while not a total surprise, wraps things up yet leaves future possibilities up to the reader's imagination. All told, very enjoyable and thought-provoking.

We Hear Voices by Evie Green (Berkley, December 2020); 384 pp.

BONE CANYON

5 stars out of 5

The first book in this series - Lost Hills - didn't disappoint, and neither did this one (in fact, I think it's better). Los Angeles Sheriff's Department homicide detective Eve Ronin isn't perfect - nor is she likely to become besties with most of her department colleagues - but she gets the job done even if she has to step on some really big toes to do it.

It begins as Eve and her almost-retired partner, Duncan Pavone, are called to investigate human remains discovered in the rubble of a wildfire in the Santa Monica Mountains. As it turns out - with help from hunky and single forensic anthropologist Daniel Brooks - the tidbits belong to a woman who went missing several years ago not long after she'd reported a crime to police that somehow, in intervening years, got lost in the system.

That, of course, makes Eve's ears perk up and her nose twitch. Despite warnings to cool her heels from a few of the aforementioned colleagues - most of whom are convinced she got her homicide job by grandstanding - she plods on with the help of Duncan, who says he has nothing to lose by ruffling a few feathers. Good thing, because some of those feathers not only get ruffled, but totally bent out of shape.

The investigation goes slower than Eve would like - patience isn't one of her virtues - with roadblocks coming from unexpected places that bring a whole new meaning of dead end. The conclusion brings a twist; I was expecting one that I hoped was wrong, and, happily, I was (sorry, my lips are sealed). All told, another winner, for which I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for a pre-release copy.

Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg (Thomas & Mercer, January 2021); 287 pp.

GERMANIA: A NOVEL OF NAZI BERLIN

4 stars out of 5

Bleak. And, oddly, both enlightening and engrossing: Those are my reactions after reading this book. It was not, at least to me, an easy book to read. First of all, my coming of age happened on the lower cusp of the "Make Love, Not War" generation; I don't like the thought of war, much less reading about one. As for World War II, near the end of which this story is set, my earliest recollections, somewhere around age 4, is hiding with my mother while my father - an air raid warden in our small Indiana town - hit the streets to make sure all the residents had their lights turned off (in later years, though, I did wonder whatever possessed my mother to think we'd be safe hunkered down in an upstairs bedroom - but that's a story for another day).

At any rate, I've for the most part steered clear of reading books or watching movies about wars. But because this one is a murder mystery/thriller and offered to me from the publisher, I put aside my doubts and dug in. And in the end, it won me over, triggering emotions from hope to sadness to fear and giving me a unique glimpse into what it must have been like to live in war-torn Berlin in mid-1944. Honestly, I can't imagine hell being much worse.

The story centers around former Detective Richard Oppenheimer, who, as  Jew, has been relieved of duty under Nazi Germany rules. He's spared a worse fate, at least for the time being, because he's married to an Aryan woman named Lisa. They live in not much more than a hovel, which at any moment could be reduced to rubble by one of the frequent Allied air strikes. But then, his life takes a different turn: The Gestapo, it seems, need his expertise to help solve the gruesome murder of a woman whose mutilated body was laid out in front of a war memorial. He's reluctant to get involved - especially to help the people he sees as the enemy - but he also sees little choice. Soon, another body turns up in similar fashion - and now the search is for what is presumed to be a serial killer.

As he tries to skirt the uncertainties of interacting with a Gestapo supervisor (including such details as to when, or whether, he should keep the Star of David sewn onto his overcoat lapel as is normally required of him as a Jew), he becomes fascinated by the case. But many obstacles fall into his path, not the least of which is dodging the damage from incoming artillery. As all this unfolds and he's eager to nail the murderer, he tries to maintain his secret relationships with his anti-Nazi friends and keep up his hopes that he and his wife can escape to a safe country instead of being banished to a concentration camp - perhaps after the case is solved and he is no longer needed.

In between the action are extensive descriptions of what it was like to live in a war-torn city and the workings of the Nazi regime. It was to me a bit of a difficult read because scenes shift within the chapters with no warning; I lost count of the times I had to back up because I suddenly realized I was reading about an entirely different character in an entirely different setting. Still, it was overall a well-thought out, intriguing story I'm glad I took the time to read. Thanks very much to the publisher, via NetGalley, for offering a pre-release copy. Definitely worth reading!

Germania: A Novel of Nazi Berlin by Harald Gilbers (Thomas Dunne Books, December 2020); 348 pp.

THE LAW OF INNOCENCE

 5 stars out of 5

With the end of a mostly shut-in year looming, I've managed to read about 120 books - far exceeding the goal I set at the beginning of the year. All but a few earned high marks - with several coming from authors I'd not even heard of - and that's satisfying and a real treat. Still, I have to say that opening one from a long-established author - one of my favorites - brings a special level of excitement. And when it's really, really good, as this one is, I'm over the top (and, I hasten to add, more than a little sad when I've finished).

This one puts investigation and courtroom drama to the test, and both passed with flying colors. This time, though, it's Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller who's his own client; it seems he was pulled over for a license plate violation - after which the officer found a dead body in the trunk. Because of the contentious relationship Mickey had with the victim - and because evidence was found at Mickey's home suggesting the man was killed there - the hot-shot defense attorney suddenly finds himself behind bars and facing a trial that could keep him there for the rest of his life.

Needless to say, Mickey knows he didn't do it, but he's also acutely aware of the so-called law of innocence, to-wit: "For every man not guilty of a crime, there is a man out there who is." To this end, he and his team, which includes characters from previous books including his half-brother Harry Bosch, must figure out who the killer really is - and then prove it beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury.

How that plays out - and the goings-on in the trial itself - are the substance of the book. It's a great story, made even better by references to the onslaught of the Coronavirus and not-so-sneaky references to the lay of the national political land (which, depending on their perspectives, is likely to either delight readers like me or make them grind their teeth). Terrific book - highly recommended!

The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co., November 2020); 433 pp.

THE WICKED HOUR

 4 stars out of 5

In the end, I enjoyed getting to know Detective Natalie Lockhart through this book, the second in the series. But I also know my enjoyment was dampened because I had not read the first one - and I strongly advise new-to-the-series readers to start there.
 

Natalie lives and works in Burning Lake, New York - a place that becomes a tourist mecca during its Mardi gras-style festivities at Halloween. Natalie herself is something of a heroine, following her much-publicized shooting of a serial killer sometime earlier. Apparently, she's never quite come to terms with that killing - nor with other events involving her sister and some school-age friends that are not fully explained here (I assume they were detailed in the first book). As part of her healing process, I suppose, it also seems as though she's had an affair with half of the town's eligible men (which at times tends to muddle her thoughts as well as how she does her job).

One of the events on Halloween night is a violin-playing contest, and this year is no exception. All goes well until it doesn't; the body of a young woman is found in a dumpster. She was one of the contestants - and, as it turns out, not the only violin virtuoso to have gone missing over the years. As the investigation progresses, a number of suspects emerge - some of whom force Natalie to question those she trusts. All this is complicated by her former relationship with her boss, Lt. Luke Pittman; she blames herself for breaking things off but doesn't know how or if they can get back to that status once again.

Woven into the story is a thread of witchcraft; it seems quite a few of the townsfolk are "into" it - some more seriously than others. There's no real evidence up front that the practice is in any way related to the young woman's death, but it's another avenue that must not be overlooked. Also woven into the story are glimpses of events from the first book, such as the sudden disappearance of one of Natalie's childhood friends who also happened to have been a budding violinist.

As I said at the beginning, I would have enjoyed this one much more had a more thorough background from the first book been provided. That said, it's good enough on its own that I won't hesitate to read the next one (the ending here, which was a bit unexpected, increased my anticipation). Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Wicked Hour by Alice Blanchard (Minotaur Books, December 2020); 304 pp.

PREMEDITATED MORTAR

5 stars out of 5

As cozy mysteries go, this series never fails to bring a breath of fresh air (albeit infused with the scent of sawdust). I've read three so far - I believe this is the eighth - and thoroughly enjoyed each one.

As this begins, building contractor Shannon Hammer has signed on to renovate and restore a wing of a long-abandoned mental hospital known as the Gables. The wing will become an upscale hotel owned by Shannon's friend, Jane Hennessey; when completed, the rest of the property will become a large retail complex that, hopefully, will attract visitors to Lighthouse Cove, North Carolina. Shannon's main squeeze, successful writer Mac Sullivan, has invested in the hotel project, so she's eager to get started.

But at the groundbreaking ceremony, her hopes are dashed a bit as a group of protesters show up to create a media circus. But wait, there's more: After the protesters disburse and she heads inside to get a better look at what needs to be done during the year-long renovation, someone pushes Shannon into a huge stack of bricks. Once she gets back on her feet - literally and figuratively - she goes back in to check out a hidden space and finds the body of one of the protesters.

From there, it's a merry chase to identify the killer that brings most of Shannon's close friends and her sister Chloe together (Chloe, for the record, has been in a serious relationship with the local chief of police). The investigation takes several turns, revealing previously unknown relationships and the possibility that the murderer might be someone close to Shannon. In between are details of the restoration project and the dark history of the mental institution - all interesting in and of themselves. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the chance to read and review another winner - and now I'm looking forward to the next installment!

Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle (Berkley, December 2020); 304 pp.

THE STRANGER IN MY BED

3 stars out of 5

If I had a quarter for every sentence in this book that ends with a question mark, I swear I'd have enough money to replace the roof on our house. Good grief!

Both Freya and her husband of a couple of years, Phil, are facing uncertainties; for personal reasons, Freya has made the decision to leave Phil - or so she says in the beginning. But then Phil is seriously injured in an auto accident that's left him with no memory of anything prior to the return from what he recalls as a happy honeymoon. As she sits with Phil next to his hospital bed, Freya starts to question her motives for leaving and whether she should give the marriage another shot. For his part, Phil seems to have undergone a personality change for the better, but as he begins to learn what he was like pre-accident, he, too, begins to question what will happen from here on out.

And question. And question. Some paragraphs, in fact, are comprised of nothing but questions as chapters switch from the perspectives of the main characters. It's a never-ending string of woulda, coulda, shoulda,  what ifs and if onlys that have no real answers until the very end, when the true story is revealed.

But make no mistake: There is a story here - quite an intriguing and meaningful one, in fact, that highlights a couple of important social issues. Readers learn that there's much more going on that it appears at first blush, with Freya, Phil and, occasionally, Freya's older sister Daisy, all of whom are frustrated to some degree or other by Phil's inability to remember (especially things that don't jibe with the way he sees himself now). But for readers - and the characters themselves - it's hard to determine who is to be believed. Each new chapter adds details that build suspense, if predictably (with the exception of one detail at the very end). 

As far as I'm concerned, what woulda shoulda happened - not long after the honeymoon - is that Freya kept that suitcase packed and carried it, and herself, as far away from Phil as she could get with no forwarding address (it was clear early on that something was amiss in their marriage). Not that she's a very relatable character, mind you - none of them is, as far as I'm concerned - but of the lot, she seemed to have the most going for her. It just took her far too long for her to come to that conclusion as well.

Honestly, this book doesn't get a really high score from me, but that's almost entirely because of those incessant questions. I'd love to see the same story told in a more straightforward manor - those above-mentioned issues deserve to be told and retold until they're no longer issues. Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it. 

The Stranger in My Bed by Karen King (Bookouture, November 2020); 295 pp.

HER SISTER'S CHILD

4 stars out of 5

Clever but complicated. The second conclusion - which happened because of the sheer number of characters, multiple identities and ever-changing time frames - almost caused me to pack it in. But the first one started to kick in somewhere around the halfway point - and from then on, I was glued to my Kindle till the very last page.

Paula Donnelly regularly visits the grave of her older sister, an alcoholic who died when she was 24 (at the time of Paula's current visit, Lizzie would have been 40). Their parents gave up on Lizzie many years ago, but Paula remains loyal. Besides that, she's convinced that Lizzie had been pregnant, and gave birth shortly before she died. Paula, now divorced with two children of her own, is intent on finding out what happened to that baby (if, in fact, there really was one).

Next up is Charlie, who is pregnant and not at all sure she really wants a baby. Still, she resists her parents' demand that she have an abortion and moves out to a flat she shares with the birth father, who's a real cad. 

Then it's back to Paula, who meets a former schoolmate at a bar she happens to visit while trying to decide how to proceed with her baby search. As it turns out, he's very willing to help - although it's questionable whether it's altruistic, or wants to curry favor with Paula or something more sinister. The plot shifts perspective from these and other characters until it finally turns enlightening - and exciting. A good bit of the tale is predictable once things start coming together, although there's one big reveal that comes as a surprise (at least it did to me).

All in all, I really enjoyed the book, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. I do advise other readers, though, to do what I always do (mostly as a memory aid when it comes to writing my reviews): Keep notes on names and relationships along the way. It's a lot easier to refer to notes, especially if you're reading on a Kindle as I do, than trying to locate the place in the book to find the character who appears several chapters later but you can't remember who he or she is. 

Her Sister's Child by Alison James (Bookouture, November 2020); 351 pp.

ANSWERS IN THE FORM OF QUESTIONS

 5 stars out of 5

Category: Entertainment

Clue: A trip down memory lane 

Answer: What is a book about Jeopardy!, my all-time favorite TV game show? 

Fact is, my husband and I rarely miss it (for the record - and the benefit of various friends and family who might wonder what happened to us from 7:30 to 8 on a weeknight - if the phone rings when we're watching we refuse to answer).

You see, we go all the way back to the 1964 debut of the show with Art Fleming as the host and Don Pardo as the announcer. The current version is far more popular with viewers, with host Alex Trebek bounding on stage at the exuberant introduction of announcer Johnny Gilbert. Neither is exactly a spring chicken; Gilbert is well into his 90s (and still, IMHO, doing a bang-up job).

Despite being ecstatic over getting the chance, thanks to the publisher, to read and review a pre-release copy of this book, I figured I would already know most of what's in it. To some extent, I was right. But truth is, I learned a lot - most notably about such things as the importance of mastering buzzer ring-in timing, the process of becoming a contestant (don't for one second think it comes easy, or cheap) and what really happens behind the scenes. On top of that come insights from former champions - almost all of whom are familiar to those of us who watch religiously. From handlebar-mustached New York cop Frank Spangenberg to quirky bartender Austin Rogers to somewhat more conventional  Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings and the phenomenal James Holzhauer, they're all in here - offering tidbits about their strategies and experiences. There's even a chapter on the show's very active Alumni Chapter and how Weird Al Yankovic influenced the show's revival (say what)?

I wish I could reveal some of the details, but doing so would spoil it for others so I'll keep them to myself, recommend that you read the book for yourself and end with this: 

Category: Adjectives

Clue: Word that best describes this book

Answer: What is delightful? 

Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy! by Clair McNear (Twelve, November 2020); 272 pp.