DEADLY CROSS

4 stars out of 5

Psychotherapist and FBI/D.C. Metro Homicide consultant Alex Cross never left - this is the 28th book in the series; but somehow, it feels like he's back - to basics, that is. It's pretty much a straightforward police procedural interspersed with interactions among, and impact on, Alex's wife, kids and indefatigable Nana Mama. And from my perspective, that's a good thing; I like everyone in Alex's inner circle, but I prefer that the main be on detective work.

As this one begins, Alex's police commissioner wife, Bree Stone, calls to ask for his help on a brand-new murder case: the bodies of a man and woman found in a convertible near a charter school. Complicating matters is that both victims were high-profile community personalities - one very much still married to another woman and the other the ex-wife of a high-ranking government leader. In the midst of all this, there's a serial rapist and murderer on the loose; Bree's boss is not happy with the progress of the investigation, making her rethink her own priorities.

At one time, the car victim (Kay) was Alex's patient, and she has a storied history of mental issues. Alex's Metro partner, John Sampson, is dealing with serious personal issues, so Alex and FBI Special Agent Ned Mahoney set out to learn more about Kay's Alabama background. Back home, Sampson begins to follow a few leads on the serial murder investigation that just may signal light at the end of that tunnel. 

Everything comes together in the end, bringing a couple of surprises - one of which, no doubt, will take future plots in a new direction that could be the jolt that this series, while still enjoyable and by far my favorite of all the Patterson offerings, needs to get back to firing on all cylinders. Fingers "Cross"ed!

Deadly Cross by James Patterson (Little, Brown and Co., November 2020); 416 pp.

BAG MAN

5 stars out of 5

Whining about a witch hunt? Pleading innocence while claiming fake news? Circumventing (or outright ignoring) the U.S. Constitution and attempting to obstruct justice? Hmmmm - has a familiar ring. But in this case, we're not talking about current events; rather, it was in the early to mid-1970s, and the person saying and doing all those things was President Richard Nixon's vice president Spiro Agnew - who was being investigated for a slew of crimes including bribery and extortion.

It's a story that brings back memories; as a relatively young wife and mother, I watched as Agnew's predicament unfolded - for the most part overshadowed by the concurrent unfolding of the Watergate scandal that ultimately brought down Agnew's far higher-profile boss. It was meaningful to me in another sense; what Nixon and Agnew did, I believe, marked the beginning of the end of my many years of staunch Republicanism. I'd never really paid a lot of attention to party affiliation - my focus was more on platforms, and my votes went to those with which I most agreed. On the other hand, I happily voted for Richard Nixon - not once, but twice - an admission I was now embarrassed to admit.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm now a left-leaning moderate, huge fan of Rachel Maddow and long-time career journalist whose blood boils when I hear those who unfairly (IMHO) call mainstream media "corrupt." So when this book came along, everything sort of came together as a story I wanted to learn more about - so I set aside my customary fare of free-for-review police procedurals, thrillers and blood-and-guts murder mysteries to give it a go. And by golly, it's a well-written, well-researched gem that's both informative and entertaining. Much of the overall story is familiar because, well, I lived through it. But the devil is in the details; especially surprising were a few involving former President George H.W. Bush and, to a lesser extent, crooner Frank Sinatra. Also of note are the "heroes" - those prosecutors and legislators who, unlike most of today's crop, were willing to put the Rule of Law above party politics.

The rest I'll leave for you to read. If you're a fan of the current (as I write this) administration, be forewarned that you'll run into a few spicy comments that mirror the kinds of things DR. Maddow says on her TV news show. Overall, it's a totally satisfying and easily digestible way to pack in some history that's relevant to the times in which we live. Kudos!

Bag Man by Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz (Crown, December 2020); 304 pp.

PRODIGAL SON

5 stars out of 5

Better late to the party than not at all was my thought when I neared the end of this, the sixth installment of the author's Orphan X series. So enjoyable was the adventure that I almost resented having to put it down long enough to open Christmas gifts.

It took a few chapters for me to really get into the swing of it as chapters shifted back and forth in time, but that actually helped bring someone like me who didn't read previous books up to speed in short order. In the here and now, Evan Smoak has retired from his job as a government assassin in the Orphan program, which carefully chooses and trains orphaned children like him. He remains at the ready, though, billing himself the "Nowhere Man" who is willing to help those in desperate need.

At an impound lot, his mentor is murdered, and the lot attendant, Andre Duran, manages to escape the same fate. Then Evan gets a phone call he'd never have expected - from a woman who claims to be his mother. He's both upset and reluctant to meet her (after all, it was she who gave him up as a baby), but curiosity wins and he heads for Buenos Aires for a face-to-face. There, she remains tight-lipped other than to ask him to help a man named Andre Duran.

With more than a few misgivings, he agrees; but when he gets back to the States and finds the man's house, let's just say it becomes clear that the man will need any help Evan can give. I could spend an hour writing about what comes next, but doing that would spoil it for others, so I'll say only that he seeks help from old friends - at least one of whom has a grasp of technology seemingly far beyond any mortal human - characters who I assume will be familiar to loyal readers. The action is nonstop and the aforementioned technology, especially when it comes to weaponry, is mind-blowing.

I was also struck with an overall feeling of sadness; when I read about the characters' backgrounds and why they've turned out the way they are, at times I almost got tears in my eyes. It was educational as well; not counting some very unique technological advances that, if they aren't already available, soon will be, I picked up on tidbits like this: There's enough iron in the human body to make a three-inch nail. Who knew?

Be forewarned: This one ends with the mother of all cliffhangers. All the more reason to anticipate the next one, I'd say - I'll be watching! Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for offering me an advance copy to read and review.

Prodigal Son by Gregg Hurwitz (Minotaur Books, January 2021; 432 pp.

DAYLIGHT

5 stars out of 5

When it comes to series characters from this author, military investigator John Puller earns top honors as far as I'm concerned - with FBI agent Atlee Pine a fairly close second. Bring them together, and, well, I'm in character heaven. Officially, this is the third in the Pine series, and she's still doing her darndest to find her twin sister, Mercy - who was kidnapped some 30 years earlier and hasn't been seen since. At the moment, Pine is taking a few days away from her remote Arizona base to follow a trail to Georgia, where she learns the name of her sister's kidnapper.

The follow-up puts Atlee and her capable assistant, Carol Blum, in Trenton, N.J.; there, she locates a relative of the kidnapper and hopes he's got some beans to spill. But in a fluke, he runs away - and Pine runs smack dab into Puller, who was there to arrest the same guy in connection with a drug ring. After she explains what she was after, she and Puller pay a visit to the runaway's father, who's in jail - only to have the interview inexplicably cut short. When other avenues of investigation - of both Pine's sister's disappearance and Puller's drug case - are slammed shut, they realize that some kind of cover-up is happening at the highest levels of government. 

Needless to say, that only makes them more determined to ferret out the truth, and Puller enlists help from his very capable Air Force brother, Robert. Only one thing is certain: the two cases share commonalities, which means Pine and Puller jointly commandeer a substantial portion of the book (Puller makes so many appearances, in fact, that it took the ending, which focuses more on Pine, to remind me whose book this really is). But that's a plus for fans of both series, who I expect will enjoy the interaction between two top-dog characters as much as I did.

Most everything gets resolved in the end, but not without plenty of action, losses of life and near misses thereof. What isn't, I presume, will become the premise of the next book - to which I am, of course, looking forward. Just as an aside, though, I will advise those who haven't read the other two Atlee Pine books to start at the beginning; I'm sure I was able to hit the ground running with this one simply because I was familiar with her story. Overall, though, I don't hesitate to call this one another winner.

Daylight by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, November 2020); 416 pp.

SILENT VOICES

4 stars out of 5

Finally, Detective Lottie Parker seems to be getting her life back together - in a few days, she'll marry police colleague Mark Boyd. Her kids like him. He likes them. He's recovered well from a recent bout with leukemia. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, if you've been reading this series, you already know something will. And it does - starting with the grotesque murder of a young woman whose body is found by her twin sister. That's followed in short order by another murder with the same M.O., making Parker's boss unhappy at the investigative team's lack of progress (and because someone in the department snitched about the corners she's been known to cut, Parker is already on her boss's bad side). Meanwhile, Boyd befriends a teenage girl whose life is, shall we say, less than pleasant - so he goes out of his way to help.

Clues lead to a restaurant-opening bash the night before the first victim was found, but at first there seems to be no connection between the party and the second murder. Then a third body turns up - you guessed it, same M.O. - leading to more digging that not only unearths links that go back to years-earlier events, but threatens not only Parker and Boyd's nuptials, but their very lives as they finally begin to connect the dots.

Overall, this is a fast-paced thriller that kept me turning the pages right to the end. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Silent Voices by Patricia Gibney (Bookouture, February 2021); 450 pp.

DARK SKY

 5 stars out of 5

This is the 21st book featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, and I don't think I've missed a single one. This one, happily, came as a pre-release copy through NetGalley, thank you very much - and even though I diligently go through my stack of to-be-reviewed books in order of publication date, it took me all of 30 seconds to move this one to the top of the list. And I think it's one of the best in the series.

In large part, that's because it's more of a plain old, relatively uncomplicated story that's fast-paced and easy to follow. There are two parallel plots, the first of which puts Joe in charge (albeit reluctantly) of an elk posse for the edification of a spoiled Steve Jobs wannabe who wants to get in touch with his back-to-nature feelings. Knowing he could lose his job if he passes on the assignment (and that the same is true if something goes awry), Joe grabs his winter gear, takes a deep breath and sets off.

No surprise: Something goes awry. This time, it's a guy who has an axe to grind against the tech CEO and who will do anything to take him out of commission permanently. That, in turn, ends up with Joe and the CEO with no weapons, no communication devices and fighting to stay alive in the mountain wilds with snow - and a potential killer - at just about every turn.

Meanwhile, Joe's former special forces friend, Nate Romanowski, has troubles of his own. Joe's daughter Sheridan, who's in training with Nate to learn the art of falconry, discovers empty nests that indicate there's a raptor thief at work. Incensed, Nate sets out to find the culprit and - just like the guy and the tech CEO - do anything to take him out of commission permanently.

Another no surprise: The two plots come together - but not before both keep readers on the edge of their seats. And the end, while satisfying, isn't complete; there's at least one wrong still to be righted, which presumably will happen in the next installment. As always, I look forward to reading it!

Dark Sky by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2021); 368 pp.

DEEP INTO THE DARK

4 stars out of 5

I've read and very much enjoyed a couple of other books by this author, so I was delighted to be approved for a pre-release copy of this one through NetGalley. And I'm happy to say it did not disappoint.

Two storylines are featured here, the first of which is catching the person, or persons, who have been racking up murder victims along Los Angeles' Miracle Mile. LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan and her partner, Detective Al Crawford - plus another notable character or two - are on the case but not having much luck. In the other, Sam Easton, a former electrical engineer who's suffering from PTSD as a result of an Afghanistan attack that killed everyone in his squad except him, is working as a bar back in a popular local pub. His wife has left him, so he's alone with his nightmares and hallucinations and has only his job for solace. But when his co-worker, Melody, gets beaten up by her snobby boyfriend, he's eager to help.

But the next day, Melody's boyfriend dies of very unnatural causes, Maggie and Al are called in and Sam quickly becomes a prime suspect - at least in Al's eyes. Maggie isn't as quick to put the finger on Sam, though; she recently lost her brother who was serving overseas, making her more sympathetic to what Sam's going through. 

Melody's boyfriend may be out of the picture, but it soon becomes clear that someone else may be stalking her (and possibly Sam as well). Meantime, they meet up with a young and very rich filmmaker wannabe who leans toward being totally nuts - and he shows them a script he thinks would be perfect with Sam and Melody as the stars even though they have no acting experience whatsoever.

Everything comes together at the end (well, not everything; this is the first book in a new series, so bread crumbs leading to the next one are left on the ground). And therein lies one of the things I wasn't so crazy about; the main character in the series is supposed to be Margaret. But it's Sam who, to me at least, unquestionably steals this show (even if, PTSD notwithstanding, he came across as a little too "perfect"). Margaret's character, on the other hand, isn't nearly as well developed - so in the end it's Sam, not Margaret, about whom I'd love to read more (of course, who's to say he won't make future appearances - if I get a vote on that score, it's a resounding yes).

That said, the series is off to a strong start and I look forward to the next one. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Deep Into the Dark by P.J. Tracy (Minotaur Books, January 2021); 343 pp.

SAFECRACKER

5 stars out of 5

On occasion, I get an offer, usually from a publicist, to read and review an upcoming book. While I always appreciative and consider myself fortunate when that happens, unless the description is enticing, I'm likely to turn it down. This one, though, sounded appealing- and now that I'm finished, I don't hesitate to recommend it.

The book is narrated by uber-successful safecracker Michael Maven, who mostly handles jobs offered by his boss-lady, Liz. By day, he owns a Sundown Cinemas, a motion picture theater in New York City through which he passes his financial gains and, on many occasions, treats himself to a movie or two. When Liz tells him of her interest in a a very rare coin (the fifth most rare in the world, in fact), he's hot to trot and performs his usual pre-job due diligence. When he learns that the wealthy owner of the coin will be attending a splashy event, he puts his considerable expertise to use to let himself into the guy's apartment and open the safe.

This time, though, turns out to be a worst-case scenario; just as he's about to snatch the coin, he hears the apartment door open. Uh, oh, he thinks - the man has come home early. That's bad enough; but the situation quickly becomes more complicated because he's brought with him a beautiful woman. Getting out without being detected (hopefully with the coin in hand) might have been possible, but escaping the notice of two people - who have just entered the bedroom where Michael is hiding in the closet just isn't likely to be a happening thing. As Michael ponders his next move, though, the woman murders the man as he watches, horrified, through the closet door slats. When she grabs the coin from the safe, though, his terror turns to anger: How dare she take what was meant to be his?

In the process of trying to stop her, Michael - who is trained in martial arts - is injured and she gets away with the coin. Still ticked off, he puts Liz and other friends to work trying to track her down. When they meet again, it's not under the best circumstances, shall we say - and the time after that is even worse. Now, Michael is ordered by a nasty drug lord to break into the safe of his rival - the leader of a competing cartel - in Miami. It's an order he can't refuse lest members of his family and friends will die. And as if it were possible to make matters worse, he's forced to team up with - you guessed it - the woman he watched murder the owner of the aforementioned rare coin.

The rest of the book follows Michael's efforts to get the cartel guy's job done without getting himself or anyone else killed; from that point on it's anyone's guess who will emerge triumphant (although since this is the first in a series, readers certainly can expect that the hero will live to see another day, no matter what happens to him here). The devil is in the details, as they say, and how it all goes down kept me on the edge of my seat from that point on. 

Aside from being a good, action-packed story, I must say one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much is that it's highly reminiscent of another favorite series of mine: The Burglar Who by Lawrence Block. The character there, burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr owns a bookstore, not a theater, nor does he usually get embroiled in situations quite as dangerous as this book's Michael Maven. But everything else, including the writing style, brought back happy memories of the Block works - as well as happiness that I've found a new series to love. Now, I can't wait to read the next one in this series (scheduled for release next year, or so I've read). Bring it on!

Safecracker by Ryan Wick (Thomas Dunne Books, December 2020); 320 pp.

THE CYCLIST

4 stars out of 5

Marked a "top pick" at Amazon for this year, the description sounded interesting so I snapped it up. It's the second in the series featuring Detective Sergeant George Cross; I did not read the first, and while I enjoyed this one and will say it stands alone fairly well, I suspect I'd have liked it even more had I read them in order. That said, I liked the character so much that I got the first (The Dentist) as well.

And it really is the character who makes the story so interesting; he has Asperger's Syndrome, which is both a curse and a blessing. On the downside, the condition means he lacks awareness of social skills (such as not recognizing when someone is joking or responding inappropriately - or not at all - to the emotions of others). Conversely, he pays great attention to detail and has an almost uncanny ability to intuit clues that lead to closure of the most difficult cases.

This one is a doozy; a body turns up in a deserted section of garages in Bristol, U.K. After close inspection, Cross notices tan lines on the body, leading him to determine that the man was a cyclist (hence, no doubt, the reason for the book's title). From there, a few other clues he unearths bring relatively quick identification. Cross is assisted by his capable partner, D.S. Josie Ottey, and it's a treat to watch their interactions as she adjusts to his condition and at the same time tries to teach him how to interact more sociably with others, including department trainee Alice Mackenzie.

Eventually, Cross and Ottey learn that the victim, part-owner with his brother of their parents' successful restaurant, has his fingers in a few other pies that aren't quite so legitimate (nor as successful). That knowledge also expands the investigation to several more suspects and a few dead ends before Cross finally ferrets out the truth and a rather surprise ending.

I do admit it took several chapters before I really got into the story -  mostly, I guess, because the writing is a little stilted (in truth, it almost seemed as if it were written by someone who has Asperger's). But once I got the rhythm, my interest started to hum along and it was hard to put it down. In short, I'm hooked - and hopefully before long I'll have time to get to the first book before the next one comes out. Good job!

The Cyclist by Tim Sullivan (Pacific Press, September 2020); 259 pp.

BLOODLINE

4 stars out of 5

Back in the '60s, when this book takes place, I'll cop to inhaling once or twice, but I never tried "acid." By the time I got a halfway through this book, though, I was imagining that this must be how it would have felt. At the very least, it's a pretty creepy story that, as I'm sure other reviewers have noted, is might be subtitled Rosemary's Baby meets The Stepford Wives.

After pregnant Minneapolis newspaper reporter Joan Harken is mugged, her boyfriend and father of the baby, Deck, convinces her to relocate to his insular hometown of Lilydale. Here, he insists, she'd be safe - and he assures her the local newspaper, although small, will give her the opportunity to earn the byline she's always craved. Despite a few misgivings about leaving big-city life, she agrees.

It doesn't take long, though, for her to realize something's not quite right, starting with the "friendliness" of all her neighbors - attention that soon begins to cross the line of intrusiveness once she realizes nothing she does or says escapes the knowledge of everyone who lives on her street (most notably Deck's parents, who are town VIPs). The situation gets even murkier when she begins to investigate the decades-earlier disappearance of a young boy; and spotting a too-familiar man from her Minneapolis past makes her wonder all the more what's really going on in this extremely close-knit town. When the townspeople begin to take unusual interest in her baby, Joan really starts to freak out.

Honestly, I didn't warm up to any of the characters (to begin with, any parents who would name their kid after their back porch have to be three bricks shy of a chimney). And although Joan has a few issues in her own past that cloud her present, she comes across for the most part as a paranoid wimp who won't stand up for herself. Still, the story is creepy and scary and I couldn't wait to find out what was really going on (hint: it's even creepier and scarier than I thought it would be). In short, it's a great diversion during these times of not being able to go much of anywhere. Thanks to Amazon First Reads for this one!

Bloodline by Jess Lourey (Thomas & Mercer, January 2021); 347 pp.

THE DIRTY SOUTH

 5 stars out of 5

I love this series - this is the 18th entry - but it's not just because the stories are exciting or that series headliner, former NYPD Detective Charlie Parker, is such an intriguing character. It's also because the author's writing is both eloquent and elegant and an all-around joy to read. That does, I admit, make for one issue; the books are impossible to skim through and finish in my usual couple of days. Simply put, there's just too much to be missed by doing that.

This one takes a different approach; it begins with Charlie getting a phone call out of the blue from someone in his decades-ago past - one he wasn't expecting to hear from ever again. At that point - without identifying the caller - the story shifts to that long-ago time when an in-his-30s Charlie quit his job and set off to find the man who slaughtered his wife and young daughter. One of his stops is in a backwoods Arkansas town that eschews outsiders; when Charlie makes a couple of inquiries that rouse suspicions of local law enforcement, they throw him in jail until, hopefully, he'll explain who he really is and why he was nosing around.

But then, a young girl turns up murdered - not that long after another girl was found murdered in similar fashion. Town and county officials - including a powerful family - managed to keep the first incident quiet in the fear that an outside developer with big plans for community investment might get skittish enough to take their money elsewhere. Coming so soon after the other murder, though, the most recent case makes a cover-up more difficult, and a couple of locals who were not happy about the way the first murder was handled (or, more accurately, mishandled) are dead set on solving this one no matter where or on whom the chips may fall.

When Charlie's identity and background becomes known, the local police chief not only springs him from jail but decides - reluctantly - to enlist his help. While Charlie is eager to move on, he - also reluctantly - agrees to stick around for a bit. That puts him at direct odds with the aforementioned powerful family and, not surprisingly, on the hit list of at least one very dangerous man. And that, in turn, means Charlie must turn to a couple of loyal friends who are familiar to those who have been following his adventures for at least several preceding books.

The interaction among all the characters - and the reasons thereof - add interest and intrigue to the story, and the ending brings a few surprises. All told, it's a glimpse into the story of how the Charlie Parker we've come to know came to be. Well done - again!

The Dirty South by John Connolly (Atria/Emily Bestler Books, November 2020); 448 pp.

THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE

4 stars out of 5

When I finished the first book in this series - The Tenant - I noted that Danish police investigator Jeppe Korner and his partner, Anette Werner, never seemed to really "connect" with each other. That's even more true here, when Anette, age 44, is on leave after the birth of her first child (an unexpected and, for her, not totally welcome event). Much of the book, in fact, deals with her reluctance to take on a motherly role and desire to get back into the throes and thrills of police work.

And there's plenty of work to go around, starting with the discovery of a woman's body in a downtown Copenhagen public fountain. Jeppe, fresh off a divorce and temporarily living with his aging mother, gets the case - with prodding from his boss to get it solved yesterday. Meanwhile, in another part of town - and unknown to the police - a nurse uses a syringe for what appears to be a mercy killing. 

The cause of the woman's death is exsanguination - accomplished by small cuts with an unusual weapon. Jeppe's team, which includes a co-worker love interest, are stymied - and pressure from the top isn't helping. When Anette gets wind of the murder, she looks for ways to put her investigative talents to work - all the while hoping she won't sacrifice her marriage in the process.

When yet another body turns up in a similar place and with a similar M.O., it's clear the first murder wasn't random. Are the victims connected in some way, and will there be more? That's for Jeppe and his team to find out (with a little surreptitious work from Anette that could lead to disaster). A fast-paced conclusion brings a couple of surprises as well as some tied-up loose ends, all quite satisfying to me. A solid entry in this enjoyable series - I look forward to reading more and thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me a pre-release copy for review. Well done!

The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg (Gallery/Scout Press, January 2021); 352 pp.