HELLO, TRANSCRIBER

4 stars out of 5

My nutshell analysis? Five stars for creativity (how many books have you read in which the main character is a crackerjack professional transcriber of police reports?) and four - once in a while, three - for execution. Overall, that's not a bad score, and I'd call this a pretty good book. In fact, it was the transcriber part that got my attention in the first place; I really warmed up when I learned that Hazel Greenlee could type more than 100 words per minute virtually error-free. That's because, back in the day, I could do the same (on a manual typewriter, no less). 

Hazel and her husband, Tommy, have moved to a duplex in a backwoods place called Black Harbor. Here, Tommy can practice his survivalist skills, drink beer and gaslight Hazel to his heart's content. But Hazel's heart isn't content at all; she'd love to ditch the town - and maybe Tommy with it - but she settles in by handling transcription duties on the night shift while she tries to write the novel that she hopes will be her ticket to freedom. 

Soon after she starts the job, a man confesses to putting the body of a young drug overdose victim in a dumpster - a death police believe is connected to a local drug dealer known as Candy Man. The lead detective is Nikolai Kole, a local "boy" who's developed a reputation for stepping too close to the unethical procedures line at least once too often. Hazel is intrigued - at first because she's trying to follow the "write what you know" maxim and everything that's happening is providing fodder for her novel - and later because Nik himself is an irresistible temptation. 

Hazel is, however, walking a dangerous tightrope; she's got a secret that, if revealed, could result in losing her job. And here's where the "you've got to be kidding me" moment hit: there's no way Nik's investigation - assuming he's doing it properly - wouldn't discover it right away. For that matter, anybody in the police department would know unless she lied on her job application.

As all this is going on, Hazel is helping her sister Elle - a popular "influencer" (seems like every book I've read this year has a character in this relatively new profession) - get ready for her engagement party and wedding. Details of Elle's life come as a big reveal late in the story, but I honestly wondered why it was even there - it's not like it was posing any problem for anyone in the book, including Elle. But it is a timely topic, so maybe it was just to show that someone can go through what Elle did and have a successful life.

As tensions between Hazel and Nik and Hazel and Tommy heat up (for different reasons, of course) the body of another young person is found, followed by the murder of someone that hits closer to home. As she tries to decide where her own life is headed, Hazel begins to suspect that some people aren't who they seem. In her mind, she's become the victim, and the only thing that really matters is getting out of the mess she's helped create for herself.

Overall, it's an intriguing premise and an engrossing story. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. 

Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey (Minotaur Books, November 2021); 304 pp.

THE JUDGE'S LIST

5 stars out of 5

This one, IMHO, is the author at his best. Loved it, hated to put it down and was upset that keeping my husband fed and the need for sleep got in the way of polishing it off in one sitting.

It's actually the second in a series featuring attorney Lacy Stoltz, but it stands alone quite well. I say that because although I read the first book, The Whistler, it was so long ago (2016) that I don't remember a thing except that I thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Here, Lacy is working for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct, which investigates allegations against members of the judiciary, and has an FBI boyfriend named Allie Pacheco. Their relationship is serious, but so far it hasn't progressed to a ring-on-the-finger stage. 

One day, Lacy gets a call from a woman who calls herself Margie; she wants Lacy's agency to look into a judge she insists murdered her father years ago, when the judge wasn't even on the bench. But wait, there's more; Margie - real name Jeri Crosby - claims to have some evidence that her father isn't the judge's only victim (far from it, in fact). Even though Jeri says several other victims had unsatisfactory interactions with the judge, thereby providing him with motive, Lacy is skeptical (lawyers, after all, rely on actual evidence, which is noticeably missing in all these instances). Lacy also makes it clear that if evidence is found, her agency will have to turn the case over to the police and/or FBI - and Jeri's identity, which she's intent on keeping private for fear of her life - most likely would be revealed.

As the story progresses, readers also get a glimpse into what the judge himself is up to, and one thing is clear: He's guilty as all get-out. Unfortunately, he's also smart, manipulative and has no intention of stopping until he makes his way through the list of people he believes have wronged him over the years. 

As circumstances in Lacy's agency open up new possibilities, she agrees to at least look into the case with help from her task force members Darren and Sadelle. Once they start delving into past murders (all with at least one common M.O.) and the victims' connections to the judge, it becomes clear they're dealing with a serial killer. Now, they must collect enough evidence to file a formal complaint on behalf of Jeri (under a fictitious name). But that also will mean the judge knows they're on to him, raising the question of how far he will go to avoid charges and protect his good name. In fact, it's a pretty sure bet it will be far enough that lives that aren't on the judge's original list find themselves on it now.

The Judge's List by John Grisham (Doubleday, October 2021); 359 pp.

ROBERT B. PARKER'S BYE BYE BABY

5 stars out of 5

Yes! Although I've read and enjoyed all the Spenser book written by this author since original author Robert B. Parker's passing, there always seemed to be something missing. For one thing, the "voice" of Spenser's pal Hawk never seemed quite right (and too often, he didn't get enough page space for my liking - he's a favorite recurring character). Well, I'm delighted to report that both my complaints went down the drain in this entertaining adventure; both Spenser and Hawk sound very much like they used to, and Hawk appears enough to keep me satisfied (well, almost).

To be sure, the topic is timely as well; asked by her chief of staff to help with protection, Spenser takes on guardian duties of Carolina Garcia-Ramirez, an incumbent congresswoman of color who's in the middle of a reelection campaign. In the primary, she's trying to hold off one of the "establishment" - meaning an old white man. Problem is, she's been getting death threats that her chief of staff thinks she isn't taking seriously enough. Carolina doesn't believe she needs extra protection and Spenser isn't sold on the job, but his longtime squeeze Susan Silverman is a huge fan of the congresswoman so offers some encouragement. 

Just in case (and because he can't be everywhere at once, Spenser brings Hawk into the security detail - and later, another familiar character, Zebulon Sixkill, a brute of a guy who got his training courtesy of Spenser and Hawk. The whole thing turns deadly serious when someone tries to run down Carolina and her boyfriend; Spenser's team, and the FBI (who, needless to say, aren't thrilled that Spenser is on the case) chalk up most of the threats to a group called The Minutemen - white supremacists at their finest led by a Harvard grad turned gun-toting anti-establishment guru.

A few other characters from previous books will be familiar to fans as well, including the late Joe Broz, with whom Spenser had a sort of hold hands to keep from fighting relationship. This time, though, he tangles with the gangster's wayward son, Gerry - whose hand Spenser has no intention of holding. And in the midst of all this, Hawk asks Spenser for a favor that no doubt will make its way to the next book and beyond.

Spenser's usual humorous banter seems even more on target than usual (I hope the line about '50s heartthrob Pat Boone stays in the final version - it's a hoot, so watch for it). The most recent incarnation of Spenser and Susan's dog, Pearl, adds a bit of fun to lighten the story's darker side. All told, this one grabbed and held my attention throughout - so much so that I polished it off in a single day (which, of course, made me sorry the next day that I hadn't tried to make it last). Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. 

Robert B. Parker's Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins (G.P. Putnam's Sons, January 2022); 320 pp.

LAST REDEMPTION

5 stars out of 5

My guess is that every avid reader has a series (or two, or three) that never fails to be a sure bet for an entertaining, comforting go-to. I know I do, and  this one isn't all that far from the top of my favorites list. This entry - the eighth - certainly doesn't disappoint; in fact, it just may have moved the series up a notch or two.

At the outset, Rick's life is something of a roller coaster; happily, he's going to be a father as his fiancee, interior designer Leah Landingham, is in the early stages of pregnancy. Not so happily, he's been diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, for which the prognosis is early death (and meantime, he's experiencing brief lapses in memory). He plans to tell Leah, and his sometime P.I. partner and best friend, Moira MacFarlane, but the time just never seems right.

He's also trying to get comfortable working behind a desk rather than in the field, where danger lurks at any given moment (and has resulted in injuries that no doubt contributed to his brain condition). That switch in focus, he says, he owes to Leah - and his intense desire to become a first-time dad. His resolve gets set aside, however, when Moira calls to say her son Luke is missing - not long after his girlfriend Gabrielle took out a Temporary Restraining Order against him. Moira, needless to say, is frantic with worry, although she refuses to believe that her son did anything to warrant the TRO, much less anything worse.

But spotting Luke at Gabrielle's condo building - but going into an adjacent unit - hints at a different story that spirals into a scenario immediately calling to my mind the currently (as I write this) in-the-news trial of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the much-hyped but ill-fated blood testing firm Theranos. In any event, it's a plot that ultimately puts Rick in serious danger almost from the git-go (and for those who might care, some of what happens gets a little cringe-worthy in spots). 

The ending wraps things up nicely, with one exception that no doubt will play a role in the next installment - to which, needless to say, I'm looking forward. Meantime, thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to enjoy a pre-release copy of this one. Great job!

Last Redemption by Matt Coyle (Oceanview Publishing, November 2021); 352 pp.

ICED

4 stars out of 5

If you're a confirmed reader of this author's books - and/or those of his late father, Dick Francis - do not expect this one to be another standard issue. In fact, it's noticeably different; but once I stopped wondering when the pace was going to pick up and someone was going to get bumped off (somewhere around the 30% mark), I realized I was getting into it anyway. And that continued right to the end, after which I shut down my Kindle and said to myself, "Self, that was very well written and a darned good story."

Basically, it's a canter through the life of Miles Pussett, son of beloved champion steeplechase jockey Jim, who died in a car accident by literally taking the brunt of the crash to save his young son. Miles followed in his father's footsteps as a steeplechase jockey, but due to circumstances mostly beyond his control - including unfavorable comparisons to his late father - he quit. But the thrill of the chase hasn't deserted him; now, he gets his kicks on Switzerland's Cresta Run, where he barrels headfirst down a nearly mile-long ice chute at close to 80 miles an hour with little protective covering.

The story is a little hard to follow in that it shifts in time from his steeplechase time seven years ago to the present, focusing on events that shaped (and continue to shape) the person he's become. And clearly, he's carrying some serious emotional baggage with which he continues to deal. The two periods in his life collide when his former boss Jerry Dickinson cajoles him into helping out by taking one of his two horses for a run and saddling up the other before a race. After the race is over the the horse expected to win doesn't, Miles questions the result and doesn't like the answer he finds, but he also isn't sure what to do about it (if anything).

Mixed in between is a look at Miles's ongoing internal struggles - which includes self-medicating with alcohol - that is handled quite well and puts a spotlight on the important issue of mental health. Miles doesn't always make the best choices, but given his life circumstances, he's doing the best he can. In the end, everything comes full circle that really isn't very surprising (well, the "who" of it isn't - the bad guys and gals are pretty easy to spot early on - but the "how" is creative and, in some respects, downright fun.

So IMHO, it's another one well done - maybe more so because it isn't just another formulaic entry into a series. Definitely worth reading!

Iced by Felix Francis (Simon & Schuster, August 2021); 384 pp.

THE WIDOW

5 stars out of 5

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed many books by this prolific author- so much so that I keep coming back for more. No disappointment this time around, either; she's whipped up another winner in my book.

Kate and Michael are the happy parents of 6-year-old Tansy; their daughter is best friends with Kate and Michael's best friends Donna and Paul (the latter of whom is something of a philanderer). For several years, Michael has worked as the property manager for major landowner Irene Waldbridge, an elderly widow in her 70s with health issues. New to the village is a Polish immigrant Suzy Baros, a single mom who is glamorous and secretive. One tragic day, Michael - who's been acting a bit strangely of late - jumps in front of a lorry and is killed.

Needless to say, Kate is devastated, especially since Michael's death is ruled a suicide. What on earth would prompt him to take his own life? In short order, Kate learns that he may have had even more secrets than Suzy; in fact, he's been tied to her sudden disappearance. The local police, led by Detective Inspector Helena Price, begin to investigate, bringing even more implications that Michael wasn't the upstanding, loving husband and father Kate knew and loved.

But although Kate has many questions that remain unanswered, she vows to get to the bottom of the situation - if for no other reason than she doesn't want her young daughter to remember her dad as some kind of monster. That poses quite a challenge, though, especially since Suzy still hasn't been found and just about everyone else in the town has started shunning Kate in the belief that she somehow knew what kind of person he was all along. There's even speculation that he somehow was involved with the disappearance of Donna's younger sister several years earlier and another male Polish immigrant who's also suddenly gone missing. Mix in questions over the roles, if any, that the nefarious Paul and seemingly innocent Irene play in everything that happened and it makes for an exciting adventure I really hated to put down come bedtime (and in the end, I stayed up another half-hour or so just to get it finished). Thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Loved it!

The Widow by K.L. Slater (Bookouture, November 2021); 182 pp.

VANISHING POINT

4 stars out of 5

This is the fourth in a series featuring Detective Megan Carpenter, but it's a first for me. I had no trouble following the story, though I suppose I'd like to have learned more about Megan's deeply troubled past (which no doubt was detailed in previous books). This one begins as Megan and partner Ronnie Marsh are informed that a husband has called in to report his wife and son missing. But almost from the git-go, the husband, Ben Parker, becomes the prime suspect; he and his missing wife have a history of domestic violence (he recently moved out), and he has a beautiful girlfriend. Worse, he tells lie after lie to the police.

Therein, I think, lies my only "issue" with the story; led by Megan and Ronnie, both of whom are convinced that Ben is guilty, set out to prove themselves right rather than seriously investigating others as, to me at least, is required of professional law enforcement officers. On the other hand, almost no one else likes Ben, either - including his filthy rich father, who literally owns an entire island. When Ben's girlfriend turns up dead, well, the case against Ben grows even stronger.

As in any good police procedural, few things are as they seem - and the race to find the missing mother and son (as well as who, if anyone, kidnapped them) and whether or not, or to what extent, Ben was involved provides for an engaging adventure right to the end. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read a pre-release copy.

Vanishing Point by Gregg Olsen (Bookouture, December 2021); 341 pp.

FALLEN ANGEL

4 stars out of 5

I've read two other books in this series - this is the 13th - and enjoyed them. The main characters, Sheriff Jenna Alton and her professional and personal partner, David Kane, are likable, skilled people with intriguing, secretive backgrounds who are, well, fun to read about. So naturally, I was looking forward to diving into this one. But for several reasons, this one doesn't quite measure up.

On the plus side, the story itself held my interest from beginning to end. The setting is an expansive mountaintop resort in the middle of winter, at which a convention of current and would-be writers, agents and publishers is happening. Alton and Kane are here to follow up on a gone-missing report of one of the most successful agents; they hang around after her dead, frozen body is found in a pond near her chalet. Also onsite is another familiar character, Medical Examiner Shane Wolfe, who is accompanied by his two grown daughters Emily and Julie - both of whom play major roles this time out.

As they and other members of their team work toward narrowing down suspects - not an easy task given the well-known nastiness of the dead woman - another victim turns up in an under-construction chalet, together with a clue that ties the two murders together. Given that blizzard conditions prevent all but emergency comings and goings, it becomes clear that the murderer is in their midst; and when yet another body gets zapped, they realize they're dealing with a serial killer.

Everyone, including Wolfe's daughters, get their heads together to speculate on the killer's motive in hopes of preventing yet another ugly incident. As a team, they all work well together - even honoring professional responsibilities during a spat between two lovers that would make a junior high student cringe - but the killer's identity remains elusive. As an aside, though, I had to wonder why on earth Kane is sometimes called "Uncle Dave" and other times "Uncle Kane" by the girls - like, who calls an uncle by his last name)? But hey, maybe that was explained in a previous book.

In between "regular" chapters, readers get the musings from the clearly deranged killer himself (or herself - the investigative team realizes that the methods of death could be accomplished by either sex). It is here, too, that readers learn the killer has set sights not only on a select list of victims, but on a team member as well. Can the good guys and gals figure out who the culprit is before the unthinkable happens and one of their own goes down for the count? 

As this exciting race to the finish plays out, it's clear that pains are being taken to keep readers guessing whether the killer is male or female. That process, sorry to say, triggered one of my grammar hot buttons: Pairing a plural pronoun with a singular antecedent. An example (my words): "I saw someone get off the elevator, but I didn't recognize 'them'." No, no, a thousand times NO (which has to be close to the number of times it happens in the book, which is why I'm compelled to mention it; once or twice I could overlook). That took a big bite out of my enjoyment of this book, although I still recommend it to others because it's a well-thought-out, interesting story. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Fallen Angel by D.K. Hood (Bookouture, November 2021); 232 pp.

DARKNESS FALLS

5 stars out of 5

After thoroughly enjoying the first two books in this series, I was chomping at the bit at the opportunity to dive into this one (thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the advance review copy). And once again, I wasn't disappointed. Kate Marshall, who recently started a private investigation business in England, is in her best sleuthing mode, with lots of help from her personable partner, Tristan Harper. Business isn't exactly booming, so they're both delighted when they get a call from Bev Ellis asking them to tackle a cold case: the disappearance of her journalist daughter, Joanna Duncan, a dozen years earlier.

Kate also owns a bunch of caravans - which if I'm correct is what we across the Pond call trailers (as in trailer park) - that bring in some money but need to be cleaned regularly. For that, she's hoping her grown son, Jake, will take charge when he comes home from college in a couple of weeks. For now, though, she and Tristan concentrate on their new case and start looking for clues, beginning with people who might be holding a grudge after Joanna did an expose on a local government official that resulted in losing his seat. It was, after all, just a couple of weeks after that when Joanna went missing. Willing to pay for the search is Bill, Bev's rather wealthy partner for many years, with whom she's now living.

Eventually, clues - some found in evidence boxes Kate has obtained from the police from their early-on investigation - turn up some names that lead to connections to the gay community, which seems to proliferate locally, both publicly and in secret (the latter mostly among married men who frequent gay bars and hire "rent boys" on the sly). As their investigation continues, though, it takes an even more sinister direction: the possibility that Joanna's disappearance isn't a one-off, but rather another in a string of serial killings by someone who isn't a stranger to the local community.

All in all, another entertaining adventure from beginning to end with very likable characters who are easy to "root" for. Bring on the next one - I'm ready already!

Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza (Thomas & Mercer, December 2021); 304 pp.

THE ARCHIVIST

4 stars out of 5

If I had to describe my impression of this book in a single word, it would be pretentious. As a journalist/editor, I was taught never to use a $20 word when a 50-cent one would do. Right from the git-go, this rule-of-thumb got turned on its head and never righted itself throughout the 700 pages (yes, I had to look up several words, the meanings of which I couldn't discern through context alone). Also off-putting to me is the length; with the exception of the Harry Potters, a couple of James Micheners and a Stephen King or two, anything more than 400 pages and I'm inclined to run the other way.

So all that said, I was surprised at being drawn in almost from the beginning and even more shocked when my enthusiasm grew as the pages trudged on. Even before the halfway point, in fact, I just didn't want to put it down, and for a book of this length, I finished it in record time.

At the heart of the story are two professional archivists - Nadia Fontaine and Emily Snow - both hired to organize the "papers" of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Raymond West at his alma mater, Regents University, where he's also a professor. But at different times; Nadia, who came first, drowned while surfing, deemed an accident by police. Emily followed, chosen because of her expertise and the need to finish Raymond's collection in time for the opening of the $25 million upgrade to the college library's eighth floor, where the collection will be housed (also, hopefully, coinciding with the announcement that Raymond has won the year's Nobel Prize for literature). Of even more importance, though, is that those big bucks are coming from none other than Raymond's starchy wife, Elizabeth - so stepping on toes by anyone on the library staff, in particular the Special Collections Department, is, well, frowned upon.

As Emily starts to make sense of her predecessor's work and assess what still needs to be done, though, she notices that several items that should be in the collection are missing. But why? Were they simply mislaid, and if so, where? Or were they deliberately removed, and if so, why? Aided in secret by her closest friend at the library, Joel, Emily gains access to what's called the "Dark Archives" - and tumbles headlong into evidence of a torrid love affair between Raymond and Nadia. That puts Emily in sleuth mode, trying her best to get to the truth about the missing papers and Nadia's untimely death.

At almost every juncture, she gets pushback from the library powers-that-be, all of whom seem intent on stopping her from throwing a monkey wrench into the plans for the library makeover and embarrassing the college and Raymond's wealthy wife even though they have no idea how much she's already learned. Even Emily isn't totally sure what it all means, but she's convinced that no matter how the chips fall, Nadia's story - as recorded by both Nadia and Raymond - needs to be made public despite the family's wishes. That, in turn, brings Emily's ethics into serious question and, ultimately, threatens to destroy not only her career, but her very life.

In the interest of full disclosure - and other readers' sensitivities - I will note that the book has plenty of graphic sex (culled from Nadia's super-detailed accounts of her trysts with Raymond). Also, I'll hope that Moleskine and Societe paid for the extensive product placement (if they didn't, the companies darned well should ante up for all those mentions). I'd also concede that the story could have been told in fewer pages by leaving out what some might deem irrelevant details (such as descriptions of clothing, where and what a character ate and drank). From my perspective, though, those details help shape the story and add substantially to character development (in other words, I'm fine with it). Finally, I think this could be a great motion picture or, maybe even better, a TV series.

All that comes together to make a very enjoyable, thought-provoking and at times scary tale I'm really glad I took the time to read. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Oh, and for the record (which I'm including only on my book blog here), one of the main reasons I requested this book is the author's name - much the same as when I first read the Joe Pickett series by C.J. Boxx. My maiden name is Pickett, and I have a cousin on that side of the family named Rex (different last name, but close enough for horseshoes).

The Archivist by Rex Pickett (Blackstone Publishing, November 2021); 700 pp.

TERMINATION SHOCK

4 stars out of 5

This is a book with an important message, but by no means can I call it an easy book to read. For starters, there are way too many characters, several of which go by different names part of the time, and too many different location settings to make things very confusing if you don't pay close attention. Couple that with more than 700 pages, and well, getting through the whole thing requires serious commitment.

That said, though, it's worth making the effort, especially if you have an interest in climate change. It takes place in the post-COVID but not-too-distant future, when the world is reeling from the effects of global warming. Everywhere are scenes of impending doom, like devastating, land-altering floods, superstorms and infestations of critters like feral pigs (yes, you read that correctly). The story centers around groups of people from different countries who are seeking ways to rectify (make that survive) the dire situation. At the beginning, the Queen of the Netherlands is on her way to Texas when a storm forces a crash landing of the airplane she's piloting. On her way to meet up with some kind of secret conference with a wealthy Texan who may have devised a way save humanity, she must keep her true identity secret.

The rest follows several characters on their journey toward save-the-earth enlightenment, which includes the awareness that whatever solution is found may help some, but at the expense of others. Obviously, there's much more action and food for thought going on here (at 736 pages, a lot more), but I'll keep those details to myself so other readers can discover them firsthand. My thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson (William Morrow, November 2021); 736 pp.