WHISPERS AT DUSK

4 stars out of 5

Actually, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because of originality and potential.

The concept of this new series is both original and intriguing - a special, almost clandestine FBI investigative team of agents who can "see" and interact with ghosts who, in turn, provide historical clues and other assistance that's possible coming from someone who can walk through brick walls. But the finished product reminded me of that TV ad for spaghetti sauce: It's in there. But it could use a little more blending.

What I mean, I guess, is that it just didn't "flow" - and thus really didn't grab me. Having ghosts telling tales is unique, in part because they can provide up-close-and-personal looks into the history of wherever the main characters find themselves -  but the history part was repetitive and almost overwhelmed the thrill of the chase. 

That chase, though, is one that can't help but draw readers in: Carefully laid-out bodies turn up along rivers devoid of blood, suggesting the impossible: a vampire killer is on a rampage. That's when Blackbird, a subdivision of the Krewe of Hunters, gets called in; all the members are cognizant of, and conversant with, dead folks. Two of the agents called in, Della Hamilton and Mason Carter, haven't met before; as might be expected, there's an attraction that goes beyond respect for each other's investigative skills. As partners - with help from several other police officers and agents from whatever country the leads take them - they work hard to identify the person - or persons - behind the growing number of blood-letting murders.

The trail eventually leads to the New Orleans bayou, where Della and Mason get help from a special, and quite likable, ghost who knows the area well. Things there take a turn for the worse in more ways than one, but readers are left with fodder for the next book in the trilogy. And while I had a few reservations about the book, it's good enough that I'm looking forward to what comes next. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to get in at the beginning of what I think will be a good series.

Whispers at Dusk by Heather Graham (Mira, June 2023); 311 pp.

AN EVIL HEART

5 stars out of 5

Holmes County, Ohio, has highest concentration of Amish in the world, and the largest in the Buckeye State, according to several reputable sources. Heading northeast a bit, Geauga County boasts Ohio's second largest settlement. By way of more than a nodding acquaintance in proximity to both, I was attracted to this series, which is set in Holmes County. But that was just at the outset; it's the stories that keep bringing me back for more (this is the 15th installment). For those who care about such things, I'll say that it's more graphic than the others I've read, but to me, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Kate Burkholder, who grew up Amish but officially left the fold nearly two decades ago, is the police chief in Painters Mill in Holmes County. As this story begins, she's about to be married to the guy she's been living with for a couple of years, FBI agent John Tomesetti, with the wedding held at her brother and sister-in-law's home in mostly Amish fashion. But not long before that happens, a 20-year-old Amish man is found dead along a rural roadside - shot twice with a crossbow. There's no acceptable version of murder, of course, but this was a particularly gruesome way to go. 

The death of Aden Karn is even more surprising in that he had a steady girlfriend everyone (including her) thought he'd marry, a job and an almost stellar reputation as one of the good guys. Why, then, would anyone want to kill him? Is this just a random act by a madman (or woman) who's out for no reason other than wanting to kill someone? It's a puzzlement, or at least until the investigation starts getting legs of its own; Aden, it seems, may not have been the quintessential Amish lad. Gradually, new facts emerge - some of them quite disturbing - to reveal a far more sinister side that may have sparked a motive. But getting to the whole truth also may have sparked a killer's desperate need to bring the investigation to a halt, thereby putting Kate in mortal danger.

All told, it's another intriguing and entertaining adventure that's well worth reading. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done!

An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo (Minotaur Books, July 2023); 320 pp.

FEAR THE SILENCE

4 stars out of 5

This is an enjoyable standalone novel by one of my favorite authors, although I do think it stretched the limits of human endurance a little beyond believable limits. Basically, it tracks physician Maggie Kendall's attempts to find out what really happened to her beloved husband Will, who was brought into her emergency room with a gunshot wound that turned fatal. The official word is suicide; but Maggie is convinced that something more sinister happened and sets out to prove it.

Will, a former doctor who exchanged his profession to one rooted in architecture and design, built them a gorgeous vacation "smart" home on an island off Croatia. To shore things up there, Maggie makes a visit - and receives a letter from a man who claims to be Will's solicitor (a surprise in and of itself). It's a cryptic message that, at least to Maggie, bolsters her belief that Will's death was murder, not suicide - even though it raises more questions than it answers.

Shortly thereafter, Maggie is involved in suspicious "accidents," adding more fuel to the murder theory fire and nearly ending her quest for the truth the hard way. Re-reading Will's letter, and a chance encounter, bring even more clues - and more danger. From that point on, it's a race to see whether the truth will be uncovered (and whether Maggie will live to see that happen). The whole thing is a fast-paced adventure, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a prerelease copy.

Fear the Silence by Robert Bryndza (Raven Street Publishing, July 2023); 330 pp.

FLOP DEAD GORGEOUS

4 stars out of 5

I may have come late to this series, but I've quickly become a fan; as long as uber-likable retired attorney Andy Carpenter plays a prominent role, I can't turn the pages fast enough. This one finds him back in the courtroom to defend Hollywood film star Jenny Nichols, who's been charged with murder. She's talented, beautiful and, despite Andy's love of his ex-cop wife Laurie, irresistible; after all, he dated Jenny back in high school (as he's fond of reminding anyone who's within earshot).

When Jenny returns home to Paterson, New Jersey, where Andy lives and runs the dog rescue Tara Foundation, Andy arranges a private dinner party so some of his closest friends can meet her. It's almost spoiled by the appearance of Jenny's ex-husband, a big-shot movie producer who apparently didn't get the memo that divorce means she's no longer his wife. Andy's friends save the day and Jenny, but the next day doesn't go quite as smoothly when the ex-husband turns up dead in Jenny's recently deceased mother's home, where she's staying. Jenny, of course, denies any involvement - she was the one who found his body in the kitchen, yes, but she insists she didn't do it despite a ton of evidence to the contrary.

But hey - Andy dated her in high school, remember? So he makes it his mission to polish up his lawyering skills and try his best to prove to the jury that she's innocent. Given that preponderance of evidence, it won't be easy; but Andy calls in his team of experts - including his wife - and spends the rest of the book investigating, strategizing and arguing (the latter in court, where readers get to see the "old" Andy in action). How it turns out, of course, you'll have to find out for yourself (I will say that a very early guess I made turned out to be spot on). Now I just have to wait for the next installment and thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt (Minotaur Books, July 2023); 272 pp.

CIRCLE OF DEATH

4 stars out of 5

I'll go on record as saying this one is about as implausible as they come, but it didn't take long before I jettisoned my "Awww, c'mon, you can't be serious" attitude and enjoyed the heck out of it. It doesn't hurt, of course, that I'm old enough to have been a huge fan of "The Shadow" radio broadcasts, which ran from 1937 to 1954 (never mind where I fit into that timeline). This book is the second in the series featuring The Shadow's alter ego, Lamont Cranston; it's a first for me, but it won't be the last.

The year is 2088; a lot has happened since those old radio shows came to a halt. The Shadow, needless to say, didn't; in fact, it seems he's been rather active for way longer than we ever suspected. These days, he lives as Lamont Cranston in New York with his wife, Margo Lane (remember her??), his "youngest living descendent" Maddy and Maddy's grandmother Jessica; the city is just starting to recover after devastation caused by a baddie named Shiwan Khan before The Shadow brought him down. Margo has a few powers of her own, honed from years earlier, and Maddy, well, is a prodigy. The world, it seems, is divided into two major sections, with each "ruled" by a leader. As part of New York's recovery, the city is hosting a World's Fair - a blatant attempt at boosting goodwill and good feelings amid an overall atmosphere of despair.

But the powers-that-be are so consumed with maintaining a feel-good atmosphere that they sweep some nasty incidents under the rug - incidents that don't go unnoticed by Lamont and Margo nor, when they hit "home," Maddy - a headstrong girl who's just beginning to grow into awareness of her heritage and capabilities. Beyond that, it appears there's a ne'er-do-well who seems to be trying to destroy the world as it exists - known only as Command - and it's up to Lamont to put the kabosh on his mission (encouraged by the President of the Americas). To do that, Lamont calls in the troops - descendants of his trusted colleagues from the past, like Jericho, Moe, Burbank, Hawkeye and Tapper.

From this point on, you're on your own; I won't spill the beans except to say that there's fodder left for the next adventure (but really, who knows what lurks?). I'm already salivating; meantime, I'll thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for letting me read and review a pre-release copy of this one. 

Circle of Death by James Patterson and Brian Sitts (Grand Central Publishing, July 2023); 368 pp.

DEADLY FATE

4 stars out of 5

Something like four story "threads" push the needle toward the highly entertaining end in this, the 18th book in the series featuring Detective Kim Stone. Resolutions happen by the end - well, except for one, which no doubt will be a focus in the next installment (I can't wait)!

The overarching story here is the gruesome murder of local psychic Sandra Deakin in a church cemetery. Her last appearance alive was at a "reading" for a group of women who, upon further investigation, aren't coming clean about their experiences with and feelings about the dead woman. Several other folks, in fact, are less than glowing in their description of Sandra and others who ply the psychic trade. But who among them, if anyone, would go so far as to kill her?

Meanwhile, one of Kim's colleagues finds the dead body of a homeless man under an underpass. Natural causes or not, something triggers the thought that something's not quite right here, requiring further investigation (even if it's mostly off the books). Also meanwhile, a case involving a missing boy that's been closed for years grabs Kim's attention, and as someone always intent on finding justice, she just can't let it pass without further investigation. And as if all this weren't enough, another of Kim's close colleagues becomes the center of someone else's attention - but it's a spotlight that isn't welcome.

Needless to say, there's plenty of action in this one, and I daresay that series fans will be happy. As for me, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-release copy to read and review. Good job!

Deadly Fate by Angela Marsons (Bookouture, May 2023); 414 pp.

YOU CAN TRUST ME

4 stars out of 5

"I couldn't put it down" and "It's a little too contrived" typically don't co-exist in the same book review, but I have to be honest: Both descriptors are appropriate based on my experience. The couldn't put it down part was almost hypnotic (although not totally accurate - I did take time off to cook dinner and go to bed). But the story, and out-of-the-ordinary characters, did grab me from the start and didn't let go.

Even the main characters' names avoid run-of-the-mill: Summer and Leo (both female), an unlikely pair of friends who have bonded together while trying to escape growing-up years that were unsettling at best. They live off the grid, technically homeless and nonexistent to the "normal" world, in mostly sunny California - living on their wits and expertise with a variety of activities generally frowned upon by society, like picking pockets. Summer, the older of the two, pretty much dominates their money-making activities, but Leo is eager to even the score. It'll happen, she claims, after she hooks up with a technology billionaire and he showers her with gifts she and Summer can offload for a boatload of cash to share. Early on, she's off to a great start, using her many charms to finagle an invitation to his private island for the weekend.

Except that it doesn't quite turn out that way. In fact, Leo - who typically would be in almost constant touch with Summer - fails to check in. Worried that something's seriously amiss, Summer finds a way to do some finagling of her own - an invitation to visit the island as the guest of one of the billionaire's technology buddies. Problem is, everyone on the island - including the billionaire - deny ever knowing or seeing Leo. So what's a best friend to do?

Find her, of course - but that brings all sorts of problems since security on the island, which includes a top-secret research laboratory, may be even higher tech than what's being developed there. Cell phones are verboten, drones and human watchdogs are over and around every tree and every single person on the island has pledged undying loyalty (in some cases, dying loyalty) to the billionaire host.

Needless to say, there's more going on here than meets the eye - and if prying eyes should happen to see too much, well, there are consequences. Is Leo even still alive? If she is, can Summer find her before that's no longer true? It's a thrilling chase to the end, with a question every step of the way as to which characters, if any, will cross the finish line alive. Even with a few "you've gotta be kidding me's" along the way, I certainly enjoyed the trip, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard (Bantam, June 2023); 304 pp.

DEAD MAN'S WAKE

4 stars out of 5

Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch has become a favorite character over the half-dozen or so years I've been reading books in this wonderful now 14-book series, and this latest entry doesn't disappoint. Mike and his fiancee, Stacey Stevens, are at a lake house for an engagement party with her parents and his stepparents, when they hear a loud bang - and Mike's certain that there's been a hit-and-run accident on the lake. That's putting it mildly; when Mike gets to the scene, he finds - and carefully fishes out - a human arm. Early the next morning, that discovery is augmented by the discovery of the rest of the guy - plus a female body (both naked). That adds up to an affair gone wrong near a privately owned island in the lake.

Almost as quickly, what early on was suspected to be a gruesome accident turns out to be murder; that puts Mike, whose job it is to identify the pilot of the hit-and-run boat and follow that to its legal end, on the outside looking in while the state police take over the actual murder investigation. Not surprisingly, though, the lines tend to blur more often than not, and happily, Mike has a great working relationship with the cops (well, most of them, anyway). Keeping things stirred up in the mix - and a constant thorn in Mike's side - is a local "lake constable" who refuses to keep his nose out, constantly bemoaning the fact that he wasn't deemed qualified enough to get hired as a "real" game warden.

There's a lot of interaction between Mike and Stacey's retired game warden dad Charley - who's really more of a father to Mike than is his own stepfather, with whom his relationship is rocky at best. There's plenty of action and well-researched details (almost a little too many of the latter, in fact), and the whole thing ends with a scary yin followed by a very welcome yang that makes me eager to read the next installment. All told, well done once again, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Dead Man's Wake by Paul Dioron (Minotaur Books, June 2023); 320 pp.