THE LAST ORPHAN

5 stars out of 5

Well, wow. Just when you think a series can't get any better - well, let me amend that; every single one I've read has been impossible to top, and 5 stars is the highest rating I can give. So let's just say that this, the eighth book featuring "Nowhere Man" Evan Smoak (a.k.a. Orphan X), is every bit as good as its predecessors.

After taking his once government-sanctioned assassin talents private, Evan and the government powers-that-be have honored a truce of sorts - although it's no secret that those powers would capture him in a heartbeat if they could. And one fine day, they do. As a condition of his release and possibly an official pardon (or at least looking the other way), none other than the U.S. President offers him a "job": kill a man she claims is so dangerous that his continuing to live and do his dirty work threatens the very fabric of the country. Evan, though, isn't convinced; after all, based on past experiences he doesn't trust the government either. Besides that, his rationalization for going private is to eliminate only those people who have done irreparable (but demonstrable) harm to others and truly, in his opinion, deserve to be removed from this earth.

In this case, the target for rubbing out is a filthy rich guy named Luke Divine who lives on Long Island in a palatial home called Tartarus. He's fond of throwing no-holds-barred parties that have, at least in one known instance, resulted in the deaths of young people. The President's concern, though, lies more in upcoming environmental legislation she favors and he does not. Not knowing who to believe - and in some respects, not caring - Evan sets out, with help from some uber-talented friends who will be familiar to loyal readers, to investigate. And it is there that my description must end if other readers are to get full enjoyment out of the book (and trust me, there's plenty to be had, plus a bit of a cliffhanger that no doubt will factor into the next installment). In short, another winner from a very talented author for which I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me the pleasure of reading and reviewing.

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz (Minotaur Books, February 2023); 352 pp.

THE SANCTUARY

4 stars out of 5

This book, the fifth in the series, begins with Danish police investigator Jeppe Korner on leave from the Copenhagen department and his partner, Anette Werner - and passing the time working in a sawmill on the nearby island of Bornholm while he tries to recover from losing the love of his life. Meanwhile, Anette is investigating the gruesome murder of a man who apparently died while being sawed in half lengthwise; one half has turned up in a discarded suitcase. The first obstacle, though, is identifying the body - which probably would be easier if they could locate his missing half. Also on the island, writer Esther de Laurenti is staying in the home of Ida Dybris, who has invited Esther to pen the biography of her late mother Margrethe, a noted anthropologist.

As might be expected, links begin to emerge between Anette's investigation and what's happening on the island, which means Anette must turn to Jeppe for help - which, at least at first, he's reluctant to provide. But even his surface digging forces him to realize that the island - and the people he works for and with - hold many secrets that some will go any lengths to keep that way. Following the story was a little hard for me just because there are a few too many characters for my mind to keep straight (even though I take notes along the way), but by the end I was "with it" enough to have enjoyed the whole thing just as I did the others in the series I've read (everything pretty much got sorted except for the meaning of the title). The ending wraps things up with a couple of surprises - one of which makes me look forward to the next book. Till then, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one. Well done once again!

The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg (Gallery/Scout Press, February 2023); 336 pp.

THREE WIDOWS

5 stars out of 5

The day-to-day life of Detective Lottie Parker in Ragmullin, Ireland, is such an unholy mess that it almost makes my head hurt, but over several books (this one makes an even dozen) I've come to love reading all about it. And this one fits the pattern perfectly. Not only must she oversee an investigation of several sadistic murders, she and her police partner and significant other, Detective Mark Boyd, must deal with the sudden and suspicious return of his ex-wife, infighting and over-the-top infatuation within the department ranks and her mother's ever-worsening dementia.

All three situations get substantial page time, but it is, of course, the murder investigation that takes center stage. It begins with the discovery of a woman's body - one that's been severely beaten (ante-mortem) and had the eyes surgically removed (thankfully after the fact).

The victim had lost her husband recently, and she'd hooked up with a relatively new widows' support group dubbed Life After Loss. Lottie's team is still working on that investigation - and Boyd is still agonizing over his ex-wife's motives for return to Ireland and Detective Kirby is still trying to make sense of his new relationship - when another woman from the widows' group goes missing. And so the cycle goes until the end, when the case is (mostly) resolved. All told, it's another engrossing and thoroughly entertaining read - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Three Widows by Patricia Gibney (Bookouture, February 2022); 507 pp.

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

4 stars out of 5

This is the third in the series featuring LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan; having read and enjoyed the first two, I was happy to be approved for a pre-release copy of this one. My initial reaction after finishing it is that I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the other two, but the difference is negligible and I'm pretty sure came simply because there's a bit of an overload of characters in this one.

Tapping into technology trends, highly successful actor Evan Hobbes, who has been "outed" as a pedophile in a deep fake video, is found at the bottom of a rockslide in Malibu. Conventional wisdom says an accident or even suicide, given the fake video's damage to his career, but closer investigation reveals that murder goeth before the fall. His agent, Seth Lehman, is shattered by Hobbes's death, but he's too busy fighting with his over-the-top witchy agency boss, Rebecca Wodehouse. All of them, plus a glamorous movie star, were at the posh home of a Disney exec when Hobbes went over the hill, and while everyone, including the exec's wife, seem distraught, Nolan and her competent and very likable partner Al Crawford are pretty sure the killer came from their ranks. Complicating matters is that just about every character is connected to another one (or two, or three) - Lehman, for instance, is the brother of the Disney executive's wife; as for who's sleeping with whom, well, I pretty much lost track after awhile.

Meantime, a side story follows happenings in the life of Nolan's friend Sam Easton (familiar to those who have read previous books), who still suffers from PTSD but is getting his life together and even considering a job with the LAPD. Nolan's case heats up when a second character turns up dead (with an M.O. similar to the Hobbes case). The case sends Nolan and Crawford all over their not-so-little section of California to find pieces that hopefully will come together to make the puzzle whole and makes her yearn for Remy, her own person of interest, who's away to take care of personal business. All in all, a never-a-dull-moment story that ends with a twist. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done!

The Devil Your Know by P.J. Tracy (St. Martin's Press, January 2023); 304 pp.

HER HUSBAND'S LIES

3.5 stars out of 5

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed two other books by this talented author, so I was looking forward to this one - but alas, it was a little disappointing. While the plot itself is well-written and drew me in, I just couldn't get excited about the characters - especially Callie Sanderson, whose husband Abel is in a coma as a result of an auto accident she's convinced wasn't an accident as the police investigation concluded. The main reason she's convinced is that she was told by a "psychic" named Althea that he drove into a tree while trying to get away from someone.

Honestly, I'm not opposed to the notion that there are folks who "see" things others don't, but Callie's determination to go off on her own despite good advice from people to whom she should listen - i.e., the police - was a turnoff (the main objection I have to the female leads in cozy mysteries, BTW). But not only did she - a grown-up with a college-age son - not listen to reason, her on-my-own sleuthing never once, as far as I could tell, turned up any facts the police didn't already know. Finally, there's that title thing; all the way through, I kept waiting to find out what "lies" her husband told. And for the life of me, while he didn't always spell out in detail what he did and where he was every minute of every day - who does? - I couldn't find a single time in which he told an actual untruth.

All that said, the story itself held my interest throughout (I just sort of ignored Callie's relentless questioning of her own thoughts and actions and those of everybody else) and focused on what was actually happening. It seems that two young girls recently went missing and haven't been found - and little by little, connections between the girls and Abel come to light. Is it possible her beloved husband had something to do with their disappearances? After all, he did go out a few times without telling her specifically where he'd been. Still, Callie can't believe he's involved, but the plot thickens as she digs deeper, egged on by Althea's newfound but incomplete remembrances. Neighbors in the rather remote area of the Adirondacks become suspects just because of something they said (or didn't say); even Abel's estranged brother Garr, who suddenly turns up, isn't immune from her suspicions. Meantime, the police, led by detective Footman, continue to work the case despite Callie's constant harping about issues they've already investigated.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book I think most readers of this genre will enjoy. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for offering me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Her Husband's Lies by T.J. Brearton (Joffee Books, December 2022); 316 pp.

THE THINGS WE DO TO OUR FRIENDS

4 stars out of 5

Definitely one of the strangest books I've read in a while, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I suppose the only turn-off - and it's a slight one - is that it took longer than it probably should have to confirm what I suspected almost from the beginning.

But the learning process was an intriguing one despite almost totally unlikable, unrelatable characters - starting with story narrator Clare, a beautiful woman who appears to be in some kind of exile in Scotland to escape serious transgressions in France. In school at Edinburgh, Clare meets Tabitha, a beautiful, rich and totally annoying young woman (or was it that Tabitha meets Clare - whatever) and her small cadre of snobby friends. Clare is both repulsed and drawn to the fiercely loyal group, especially Tabitha, but for the most part her distaste turns sweet when she's admitted to their inner circle.

The bond becomes even stronger when Tabitha decides that they'll start a business - a big-money "project" that turns the group into, well, you'll have to read it to find that out. Despite misgivings all around - except for Tabitha - they all go along with the plan, because, well, what Tabitha wants, Tabitha gets. Readers, though, get only limited glimpses into their activities - I'd love to have been privvy to more - but most of Clare's recollections focus on her and her interaction with the others. Interspersed are hints as to how horrific her youthful transgressions really were and what the ending holds; those who pay attention will have a pretty good idea what that is by the time they get there. Overall, it's a well done debut novel and a treat, I think, for those who enjoy head games. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent (Bantam, January 2023); 336 pp.

HUNTING TIME

5 stars out of 5

Every once in a while you just gotta hold out for a hero - and self-described reward-seeker Colter Shaw certainly qualifies in my book. He's ruggedly good-looking, self-assured (in part by way of childhood training by his super-intelligent survivalist father, Ashton) but with a hint of vulnerability - just a hint - that adds to his appeal. This is the fourth book in the series, and I'm still wishing we could meet in person, if only for a steak, scotch on the rocks and some interesting conversation - after all, I'm old enough to be his grandmother (sigh).

Here, his considerable problem-solving skills are requested by the head honcho of a nuclear energy company in the Midwest that makes some kind of portable device that could be dangerous in the wrong hands - which it appears to be the case. Meantime, former cop Jon Merritt, who's been serving jail time for beating his now ex-wife Allison almost senseless has been sprung much earlier than expected - and apparently, he's on a mission to track her and their teenage daughter Hannah down and probably kill either or both. As fate (and the seeds of a good story) would have it, Allison is a nuclear engineer who works for said nuclear energy company - or did till she and Hannah took off for parts unknown in an attempt to stay safe. Needless to say, Colter ends up trying to protect them from harm. But first, of course, he has to find them, while hoping her ex-husband and a couple of professional hit men don't get there first. Who emerges triumphant in that race you'll have to find out by reading it for yourself, and plan on a twist or two in the process. All told, another good entry in this engaging series.

Hunting Time by Jeffery Deaver (G.P. Putnam's Sons, November 2022); 431 pp.

THE HUNTER

4 stars out of 5

This book actually caught my eye because it's set at least in part in territory familiar to me - Ohio - but the concept resonated a bit as well. Hotshot New York Detective Leigh O'Donnell returns to a sort of hole-in-the-wall police department in the Copper Falls after pulling some kind of stunt involving a gun that landed her on the indefinite suspension list in New York. Besides her job, her interracial marriage to her NYPD captain is going down the tubes (partly because what she did - and I'm still not totally sure exactly what that was - was something he was unable to excuse either personally or professionally. When she made the journey to her hometown, where she hadn't been in 14 years, she took their young daughter Simone with her; they'll stay in the huge family home with three of Leigh's uncles and her brother and police officer Ronan. It was Ronan, in fact, who enticed the former homicide detective to come "home" by pointing to the recent suspicious deaths of three young men.

Leigh, needless to say, brings all kind of mental baggage to her former hometown - a place that has nasty secrets of its own that, if discovered, threatens its very being. There's also a sort of supernatural thread winding through the story, mostly in and out of caves that lurk behind the town's waterfall. And that, I must say, was my first sort of disillusionment; given that Ohio's tallest waterfall - which is in the general vicinity where this story takes place - is only 65 feet tall, it was a little hard to believe there'd be room for all those caves. Then again, the town is fictional so why not the topography - and in this case, both are central to the story so I went with the flow (so to speak).

Investigating the three recent deaths, and those of three other young men not that long ago, takes Leigh to the caves as well as into "seedier" parts of town where she and Ronan really aren't welcome (raising the question of why). All the while, Leigh is pining the loss of the love of her life - her husband back in New York - who appears to have moved on. Maybe, I thought, that's why she didn't always think things through clearly - I'm quite sure I would never have left my daughter in the all-day care of unmarried male relatives I hadn't seen for decades until I was certain she'd be safe with them. And if I were still madly in love with someone, I wouldn't be likely to get the hots for a long-ago boyfriend who conveniently shows up, in part in the hopes of rekindling a lost love.

Here and there are hints at racial tension, but that theme really goes nowhere and seemed to me to be totally irrelevant to the story. As readers might expect, there's a last-minute do-or-almost-die race to the finish (done with a totally irrational rationalization about not calling for back-up). In the end, all the lurid details are unearthed even though it appears only one of the guilty parties will pay for his or her sins - what, if anything, happens with the rest remains a mystery. Overall, the story held my attention throughout, though, and I'll call it a good debut effort that showcases the writing skill of this clearly talented author. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one.

The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera (G.P. Putnam's Sons, January 2023); 351 pp.

UNNATURAL HISTORY

4 stars out of 5

It's hard to believe this is the 38th book in this series, which has been a favorite of mine from the beginning (as far as I know, I've read - and loved - every single one). In this one, psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and his longtime friend and colleague Los Angeles Police Detective Milo Sturgis are older, wiser and perhaps a titch more cynical, but otherwise it's pretty much same old, same old - just the way I like it.

This begins with the encountering of the hysterical assistant to a wealthy photographer she's just found in bed, quite dead as a result of three bullets. His latest project involved homeless subjects - people he invited into his studio to dress up as their "dream" person. After he photographed them, he fed them, paid them rather handsomely and sent them back to the streets.

As part of the investigation, Alex and Milo must speak to the victim's family, which turns out to be a challenge. Mostly a loner, the dead guy has several half brothers and sisters with whom he has little contact (and even less in common); the father, it seems, is a serial bridegroom who abdicates both the marriages and the offspring, although he freely shares his wealth. Most of the investigation, though, focuses on the seedy side of town. Could it be that one of the subjects in the victim's photo project liked his or her brush with luxury and returned to grab a bigger share?

As always, the expansive description of characters and settings far surpasses the action, but then that's part of the appeal of the books, at least to me. Loyal readers will be happy with it, I think - certainly I am - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for once again allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, February 2023); 320 pp.

THE CABINET OF DR. LENG

5 stars out of 5

Spoiler that's not a spoiler: Prepare yourself for a doozy of a cliffhanger. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy a ride that will take you - together with mysterious FBI agent A.X.L. Pendergast, his beautiful ward, Constance Green and his occasional investigative partner Lt. Vincent D'Agosta - back to a time, and a deadly nemesis, they'd all prefer to forget.

Actually, there are two other stories here, broadening the appeal and giving extra page time to D'Agosta and Special Agent Armstrong Coldmoon, both of whom will be familiar to followers of this series (of which this is the 21st). D'Agosta finds himself cooling his heels in a New York museum, where a body was found frozen in one of the preservation rooms - clearly not an accident. Coldmoon, who transfers to the Denver office, gets called in to investigate the murder of a prominant Lakota artist on the Rosebud Reservation. Pendergast, understandably, is distraught that Constance has left him - faithful readers will recall her exit in the previous book, Bloodless - and he's painfully aware of where she's gone and why. She hasn't asked for his help - in fact, she would be irrevocably upset if he gave it - so he must proceed with caution if he proceeds at all.

The whole thing is, obviously, very other-worldly, but I'm sure those who have been following the stories will "get" it. Providing more details on what happens and how wouldn't be prudent on my part, so I'll just say it's well-thought-out and a delight to read. And oh, did I mention a doozy of a cliffhanger? Extra thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this pre-release copy. Next, please? And soon?

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Grand Central Publishing, January 2023); 416 pp.