DEADLOCK

5 stars out of 5

If I knew "gatekeeper" Desmond Aloysius Limerick personally, I'm sure I'd be smacking him upside the head at least once an hour. He's so used to being physically bashed about that he wouldn't feel anything, of course - and he's so amiable that all he'd say in return is something like, "Aye, love - ye caught me nappin' on that one!"

And also of course, I'd forgive him for whatever transgression he made and we'd start the cycle all over again, just because he somehow manages to be so endearing (and funny enough to make me giggle) while irritating the heck out of everyone around him - at least when he's not beating them to a pulp, blowing them up, or outright killing them. I fell in love with the guy in The Gatekeeper, the first book in the series, and if anything, I love him more after reading this one.

Basically a retired mercenary who's loyal to the core and has a side gig as a musician, Dez is now in Los Angeles and basically retired. But when he gets a call from old friend Raziah Swann claiming her reporter sister Laleh is in trouble (in fact, she's in the hospital after being attacked), he heads north to Portland to offer assistance. There, he learns that Laleh was writing a story that involved a local technology company - second in size and influence only to Nike - called Clockjack. Could that somehow be related to the attack? 

Dez sure thinks so - but suspicion and proof are two different animals. But it seems the powers-that-be at this behemoth company, including an influencial female CEO, have more than enough power to put the cabosh on formal investigation by all federal agencies. If Dez is going to get to the truth and, if necessary, bring down the bad guys and gals, he'll have to go it alone (well, with some help from old friends and yes, even enemies).

There's no shortage of murder and mayhem here, much of it coming by way of Dez himself (yes, he rather often exceeds the limits of human capability, but then that's half the fun - apparently, for him as well as for readers). The ending is satisfying and leaves fodder for the next book, for which I'm already chomping at the bit. At any rate, this one is a hoot and a half - and once again, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the privilege of reading and reviewing a pre-release copy.

Deadlock by James Byrne (Minotaur Books, August 2023); 359 pp.

THE COLLECTOR

4 stars out of 5

Mind you, I'm not offended when an author incorporates his or her personal opinions into a plot. But for the sake of potential readers, I must say that at times it felt as if the plot was written to showcase political viewpoints rather than a story that called for explanations of political implications now and again. That said, it's still an exciting, fast-paced story and I remain a dedicated fan of both the author and his multi-skilled, intriguing character, former Israeli spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon. This is, for the record, the 23rd book in the series, and I doubt I've missed a single one.

Now living out of the Office with his beautiful wife Ciara and their twins and working - essentially for Chiara - at the profession he loves, Gabriel is less than thrilled with an official "request" to go to Amalfi to authenticate a stolen Van Gogh painting that's been recovered. Turns out that was only the tip of the request iceberg; a wealthy man has been brutally murdered at his ostentatious home, where it seems what may be the world's most expensive painting has disappeared. The only clue is that he had dinner earlier in the evening with a beautiful woman - one believed to be the art thief and possibly the killer.

Gabriel enlists the help of a friend to help find the woman - one of the enjoyable aspects of this book is, in fact, that Gabriel gets to interact, albeit sometimes unwillingly, with some of the memorable characters from previous books. Anyway, the plan is that once the woman is found, Gabriel will get to return to his wife, kids and a relatively normal life. Well, cue Michael Corleone's famous line in The Godfather: Part III ("Just when I thought I was out...")

That's because learning who and where she is isn't an end, but rather the beginning of awareness of a top-secret plan that could mean nothing less than the end of the United States and a reordering of world dominance. Can Gabriel and his team save the day? Of course, I won't tell, but since most readers including me expect (hope for) another book with Gabriel in it down the road, figuring that he, at least, makes it out alive won't exactly be a surprise. But the devil is in the details - of which there is an abundance in this never-a-dull-moment book. Go get it. It's good.

The Collector by Daniel Silva (Harper, July 2023); 414 pp.

GONE TONIGHT

4 stars out of 5

When I started this book, I was thrilled with the unique plot potential. Catherine, a recent nursing grad who's headed for a new job at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, lives with her mother, Ruth. Their relationship leans toward dysfunctional - to say Ruth is overprotective would be an understatement. But Catherine's attitude softens quite a bit when she learns that her mother most likely has early-onset Alzheimer's (and Ruth confesses that her own mother had it as well). As a many years long-term care ombudsman who spent considerable time with residents in various stages of dementia, I was super-interested and considered that to be a great angle for a psychological thriller. I even made some guesses as to how that might play out as the story progressed. 

But quite a few chapters later, plot shifts left me very disappointed (to avoid spoilers I can't explain that any further). That's because thereafter, the plot became not too different from many others I've read; one character can't (or doesn't think she can) reveal past experiences to the other, with both constantly on the run because the secretive character fears that those experiences will catch up to them in a very not good way. And of course, the character from whom those secrets have been withheld begins to catch on - unbeknownst to the other one.

So it is that Catherine, who has always wondered about her mother's background, begins to dig around and unearths facts that contradict what Ruth has told her all these years. Why, Catherine wonders, have we moved around so often and so hastily? How much of what my mother has told me is the truth, if any - and why has she withheld it? For the most part, Ruth is oblivious to Catherine's investigations, continuing to stick the story she's told in the apparent belief that she's doing it all to protect her precious child.

For her part, Catherine suspects far more sinister motives; and the more she digs, the more the trust gap widens between the two and her actions threaten their very lives. Toward the end, of course, those threats turn into reality. There's no shortage of action throughout the whole thing, and it all comes to a bang-up end (just not one that involves what I'd hoped it would involve). Still, it's a solid and entertaining book, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen (St. Martin's Press, August 2023); 337 pp.

DEAD AND GONE

4 stars out of 5

There's certainly no shortage of crimes to investigate in this, the third book featuring Chicago police detective Annalisa Vega. Nor is there a lack of trauma in her personal life; overlap, then, is to be expected - and needless to say, it happens, whether it be with former husband and police partner Nick Carelli, her beloved niece Quinn or her semi-estranged family.

The action begins with the death of Sam Tran, a former Chicago police officer turned private eye. On his chest is a handwritten message that suggests his death wasn't an accident, so Annalisa's instincts kick in, making her suspect his killer is associated with one of the cases he was investigating.

She then learns that her brother Vinny has a stake in one of those cases - he hired Sam to track down whoever's been stalking female students at his daughter Quinn's college. Meantime, readers see the story from Quinn's perspective, which is, shall we say, a bit different. Also meantime, Nick and Annalisa have been trying to identify, and capture, a thief known as the Chicken Bandit (you can probably guess why, but you'll have to read the book to find out if you're right).

Speaking of guessing correctly, fairly early on I thought I'd nailed the campus stalker - an obvious culprit in my eyes - but turns out I wasn't even close. But with or without my obviously wrong insights, everything works out in the end, though not necessarily smoothly; there's at least one other murder, and a couple of other characters narrowly escape the same fate. The ending brings a major new development - maybe two or three - that I assume will carry over to future installments. Actually, there's another biggie that happens early on that affects Annalisa and Nick's newfound (re-found??) relationship, albeit not nearly as much as I expected it would. 

All things considered, I enjoyed this one - I remain a big fan of both Annalisa and Nick - so I'm more than ready for the next. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to once again read and review a pre-release copy of this one. 

Dead and Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen (Minotaur Books, August 2023); 332 pp.

TO CATCH A STORM

4 stars out of 5

If I'm honest, I have to say I enjoyed this book more than I should have; it lacks flow, is more than a little disjointed, making reading somewhat of a slog. Still, the plot is clever - despite some shredding of the credibility line - and two of the main characters were quirky enough to make me want to read about them again (which it seems may be possible since I've read this is the first of a series).

University of Iowa physics professor Eve Roth is knocked for a loop when she learns her husband's car has been found abandoned and consumed by fire - in the middle of a snow and ice storm, yet - but her husband (a currently suspended chemistry prof at the same university) is nowhere to be found. Not long afterward, a desheveled man named Jonah Kendrick shows up, claiming he's "seen" her husband Matthew - he claims to be a psychic detective. Eve's "prove it" mentality, though, won't allow her to believe a thing Jonah says.

Acting as a sort of middleman is local police detective Max Sanderlin, who's back on the job after being injured during a confrontation that involved a rather freaked-out Jonah, who's now persona non grata with the department and, for the most part, Max. For her part, Eve reminded me a bit of a combination of Patricia Cornwell's Dr. Kay Scarpetta and her helicopter-flying niece, Lucy). Jonah is pretty much odd man out; his behavior is erratic and sometimes annoying, but his visions - while freaky - usually are spot on. He's not so much consumed with helping Eve as finding his missing niece - and he's pretty sure the two cases are somehow connected.

As the story progresses, it comes as no surprise that Eve begins to see things through Jonah's visions and begins to apply her more rational thinking to the whole situation. That, in turn, leads to more trouble - and an exciting, and surprising, wrap-up (with a few loose ends left for the next adventure). All in all, a good effort, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get in at the ground level by way of a pre-release copy.

To Catch a Storm by Mindy Mejia (Atlantic Monthly Press, August 2023); 352 pp.

NIGHT CANDY

4 stars out of 5

This is the fifth book in the series featuring ex-con Colleen Hayes, who's now out of prison - convicted of killing her husband - and working as a private eye (albeit unlicensed). It's also the first one I've read, but it certainly won't be the last; I'm intrigued by Colleen's rather unconventional approach to her work - sort of the means-justifies-the-end attitude. Often, ethics is far less important than outcome.

She does not, for instance, feel remorse for the murder she committed; he was, after all, seriously abusing their daughter Pamela, with whom Colleen is trying to reestablish a working relationship (with mixed results; not long ago, Pamela once again disappeared from Colleen's life). A bit of remorse there? You bet.

Meantime, a serial killer known as "Night Candy" has been targeting sex workers in San Francisco in the late 1970s. It's almost 1980 now, and Colleen's cop friend Owen - in jail for the murder of his wife Alice - needs her help (his police department colleagues seem to have washed their hands of him, and their disdain extends to Colleen as well). But she's convinced that Owen was railroaded and sets out to prove it despite doubts of her friends and colleagues.

Needless to say, that puts her squarely in the sights of the SFPD as well as police departments of surrounding communities to which her investigation takes her. Fairly early on she identifies her prime suspect, but pinning down the required evidence isn't the easiest of tasks (and certainly isn't without more toe-stepping and outright danger). By the end - and at least two more murders - she's frustrated enough to throw caution to the wind (again) to bring the case to a close. It's an action-packed adventure, although a little repetitive here and there - and there's plenty left to carry over to the next installment. I'm looking forward to reading it, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Night Candy by Max Tomlinson (Oceanview Publishing, July 2023); 385 pp.

DARK CORNERS

4.5 stars out of 5

After having read and enjoyed The Night Swim, the first book in this series, I was delighted to snag a pre-release copy of this, the next installment. And if anything, I enjoyed it more.

In part, I suppose, that's because the focus is on social media influencers - a "job" that's fascinated me pretty much from the first time I learned that it not only existed, but can be quite financially lucrative. But as a writer and former journalist, I identified with - and liked - the star of the show, true crime podcaster Rachel Krall. As this one begins, she's called by the FBI to visit prisoner Terence Bailey, a suspect in the disappearance and presumed murders of six women, in hopes that she can get him to reveal something meaningful before he's released in a couple of days (he's incarcerated as a result of a different crime). Specifically, a popular influencer named Maddison Logan visited Bailey recently, only to go missing a few hours later.

Alas, Rachel's visit raises more questions than answers, so now the FBI, led by hunky agent Joe Martinez, turns to Plan B - which doesn't include Rachel. Now intrigued by the circumstances, though, Rachel refuses to go quietly; instead, she signs up - under a fake identity - for Daytona Beach's BuzzCon, a big convention for influencers. Figuring Maddison would have been there had she not disappeared, Rachel hopes she can get some scoops that will beef up her planned podcast (and perhaps help the FBI in the process).

All does not go well with that plan, though, and Martinez worries not only that Bailey may be in cahoots with a partner on the "outside" but that Rachel may become a target as well. Then, another body turns up with a mysterious snake tattoo - one that may provide the link they need. Through interspersed chapters, readers begin to see what's really going on - and begin to understand why Martinez may be spot on with his concerns for Rachel's life. From that point on, there's never a dull moment (and I learned enough about the life of an influencer that I decided to give up any notion of doing it myself). Very entertaining book with some possible carryovers to the next one, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin (St. Martin's Press, August 2023); 352 pp.

PROM MOM

4 stars out of 5

This story follows the lives of four main characters, and although the plot itself is totally engrossing and entertaining, not a single one of the four characters had any redeeming social value, at least to me. There's Joe, who abandoned his tutor-turned-lover, Amber, on prom night when his ex-girlfriend beckoned him back to her arms. There's Amber, forever to be identified a a girl who killed her newborn baby on that same prom night. There's Meredith, a reconstructive surgeon, whose troubled background makes her an uber-neurotic wife to Joe. And finally, there's Jordan, a petulant but beautiful young thing who's determined to take Joe away from Meredith and Amber.

Needless to say, all four ar
e on a collision course; but how their lives are entertwined, when those tendrils will start to unravel and what the fates have in store is the stuff of which a juicy story is concocted. 

Chapters shift in time so readers can get peeks into what conspired to tie these four together, starting with that fateful prom night when Joe abdicated his responsibility for taking care of Amber, who clearly was in distress. Sure, they weren't destined for marriage and neither realized she was even pregnant, much less about to deliver the baby (go figure - I've got no clue). But both have moved on; Joe to marry Meredith and Amber to live a relatively happy life that now includes relocating from New Orleans to Baltimore to open an art shop.

Joe, however, is miserable; his financial life in Baltimore is in shambles (mostly of his own making, and unknown to Meredith), and he still feels guilt over what happened on prom night all those years ago. To ease the troubles, none of which really are his fault, he's prone to straying to other women's beds, most notably Jordan's. Then as fate would have it, he spots Amber's art shop, and Amber, and the race to the finish begins in earnest.

What that finish will be, though, isn't known till the end, which is a doozy. No doubt readers will differ as to which of the four should have had which comeuppance - personally, I didn't like any of them, so I wasn't rooting for anyone in particular. But their trip was well worth reading about - from somewhere around midpoint on, I had trouble putting it down. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for letting me ride along by way of a pre-release copy. Good one!

Prom Mom by Laura Lippman (William Morrow, July 2023); 312 pp.