BABY X

5 stars out of 5

What a treat to read! If they're done well - and this one certainly is - nothing is more entertaining to me than a tale set in the future with the requisite bells-and-whistles (and only dreamed about in my life) technology. Add in a plot stolen from the headlines - IVF facilities and the uses/misuses thereof - and I'm hooked. Suffice it to say I stayed that way from page one to the end.

An act passed by the government in the late 2030s green-lighted the right to reproductive autonomy; now, a would-be parent or parents could choose a child by desired genetic characteristics, and in vitro storage and implant labs are in high demand. They also bring the potential for crime, such as stealing DNA from selected individuals. That's a big concern for superstar singer Trace Thorne, who seems to be the target of one of the black market mills called the Vault. In fact, he's had to ante up ransom money to get his removed, and he's had it; to prevent it from happening again, he hires Ember Ryan, a self-styled bio-security guard. She seems to be doing a great job - that is, until a very pregnant woman and surrogate mother named Quinn Corrigan shows up to claim he's the father. Oops!

The story shifts from the perspectives of Quinn, Ember and a young journalist named Lily; the latter is a bit different from her peers in that she's not one of the in-vogue "selected" babies; her parents had her the old-fashioned way. Now, she's trying to make a byline for herself by writing a story detailing some of the evils of the IVF process by using her own parents as examples. Problem is, they aren't cooperating, leaving Lily to wonder why - and her career hanging in the balance.

It's hard to say much more without spilling too many beans, but needless to say, the action - and twists - just keep coming until a real surprise at the end. Definitely a winner in my book, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy. Outstanding! 

Baby X by Kira Peikoff (Crooked Lane Books, March 2024); 324 pp.

MURDER ROAD

4 stars out of 5

I'm a big fan of this author, and once again, she didn't disappoint. This story is a little bit ghostly, a little bit thriller and a whole lot entertaining.

Mind you, I've got to be honest; the ghostly part was a tough sell. It's not that I don't believe in "connections" with those who've gone before us; it's that this story relied a little too much on seeing things that couldn't possibly (in my mind) have been there. Still, it was impossible not to get caught up in the goings-on - especially when there are more than a few twists to keep things interesting.

Newlyweds Eddie and April Carter are off on their honeymoon (well, she hasn't had time to officially change her name to his, but she's planning to do that when they get back home to Ann Arbor, Michigan). Eddie once served in Iraq, and he still suffers from PTSD of sorts. While driving to their rental cabin upstate, he apparently misses a turn and ends up on remote Atticus Line Road. As they drive along, they spot an odd light; soon afterward, they see a body at the side of the road. It turns out to be girl who says her name is Rhonda Jean and that "He's coming!" Oh, and one other little thing: she's covered in blood. They manage to get her to a hospital, though not before a truck nearly runs them down.

But their good Samaritan efforts go for naught when the victim dies and the local police consider them the top suspects - not only for the murder of the young woman who died, but of several other hitchhiking victims who have met with foul play along this desolate road. But as they're finally in the clear - sort of - they're accosted by another victim; this one convinces them to hang around and try to find the real killer (or killers). As the story progresses, readers learn that both Eddie and April are victims of their own pasts - pasts that hold secrets they haven't shared with anyone including each other and that might hold answers to some of the mysteries they're encountering.

As I said at the beginning, it's an entertaining adventure from start to finish, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Murder Road by Simone St. James (Berkley, March 2024); 350 pp.

The #1 LAWYER

5 stars out of 5

Payback can be a you-know-what. Nobody knows that better than hotshot Mississippi defense attorney Stafford Lee Penney, when he finds himself on the receiving end after his latest courtroom win that means a suspected murderer walks out a free man. Shortly thereafter, he becomes the primary suspect in the murder of his estranged wife Carrie Ann and the man found beside her in her bed, and he has a new client to save - himself. But if he didn't do it, who did? 

Finding out is a monumental undertaking that's fraught with danger, but Stafford Lee has a great team to help him including his lawyer friend Mason Burnett and investigator Jenny Glaser. But first, he's got to get his own act together; devastated by Carrie Ann's death, his work ethic and personal life take a nosedive all the way to the beach, where he's forced to take a job as a lifeguard just to make ends meet. Along that path, he finds a law student named Rue, who's the sister of one of his former clients; she interns at his office and crashes at his place at night.

As the investigation progresses, several anomalies turn up as part of the police investigation of Carrie Ann's murder. Stafford Lee and his cohorts are threatened (and worse), and then another person related to Stafford Lee's original case turns up dead. Forget Carrie Ann, the police say, claiming they have an abundance of evidence to prove Stafford Lee is the culprit in the more recent murder. He's arrested, charged and hauled into court for what will be the trial of his life.

Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Stafford Lee, of course, doesn't buy his own guilt - nor do his office colleagues. So the race is on to at the very least find evidence that will give the jury reasonable doubt. Doing that means pretty much nonstop action, with at least one gobsmacking surprise along the way. Definitely a fun read, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The #1 Lawyer by James Patterson and Nancy Allen (Little, Brown and Co., March 2024); 432 pp.

GHOST ISLAND

4 stars out of 5

The latest in the adventures of homicide detective Nessica Niemi - the fourth in the series - puts her sanity to a bit of a test. She's on leave after a devastating encounter that made headlines and her boss eager to be rid of her for a while. As luck would have it, her getaway of choice is a remote island that once housed an orphanage - and for a time, young refugees from Finland who were forced to leave their homes and families during World War II. As Jessica stays at an inn near the shore owned by the elderly Astrid and her son, Ake, some elderly guests show up; she's told they are the only ones remaining of those Finnish children - known as the "birds of spring" - who have gathered annually. At their advanced age and failing health, this may well be their last meeting.

Gradually, as Jessica's natural curiosity and sometimes schitzophrenic mind (she's long been prone to "visions") conjure up strange happenings, she learns about the local legend of Maija - one of the orphans who went to the dock and watched the water every night, wearing a blue coat. That is, until she didn't; one night, she never returned to the orphanage. But out of home doesn't mean out of sight; for years, people on the island have "seen" her at the dock.

But then, one of the "birds" is found dead - in a manner similar to other deaths in years past. Something is amiss - Jessica is sure of it - but she has no legal right to investigate, and there's another police officer who isn't exactly welcoming her help. Asking for assistance from her own department isn't really an option, either - and even if she could, cell phone service is spotty at best on the island.

Chapters shift from present to the time the children were at the orphanage, and that can be a little hard to keep straight. I'd also say I'm glad that I'm familiar with the other books in the series, because without that background, this one might be a little hard to follow. It all works out in the end, but not without at least one zinger of a surprise that pops up around the midpoint. All in all, it's a fact-paced, entertaining adventure - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Ghost Island by Max Seeck (Berkley, February 2024); 380 pp.

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE

3.5 stars out of 5

Of a similarly themed book, I once wrote that it would be hard to find more dysfunctional, unlikable characters. Well, apparently it's not that hard. 

Put another way, it took about a third of the way through the book for me to decide that it didn't matter whether any of these folks were friends or foes - I didn't want them anywhere around me, let alone held close. But that said, it was kind of fun to watch as Mary Haywood, a journalist-turned mom who's in the middle of a divorce from her needy, greedy, domineering husband George, tries to make a life in Brooklyn away from him with their young son, Alex. George, of course, isn't making things easy - and with a mother and sister too far away to help, Mary sure could use a friend. She finds one at a local park in Willa, an unmarried stepmom to a boy near Alex's age - and the connection was so immediate and strong that for way more than a New York minute I suspected they'd end up as a romantic couple.

But no; in fact, not long after they meet and seriously bond - and Mary reveals some dark thoughts about her hopefully soon-to-be ex - Willa disappears from the face of the earth; no return phone calls or texts and no park visits. Some friend, huh? But wait, there's more; not long after Mary relocates to a small town she hopes to call her new home, who to her wandering eyes should appear? You guessed it - Willa. Only now there's a complication; when Mary confronts her with the intent of learning why she was ghosted, Willa claims she's not Willa, but Annie - and she's never laid eyes on Mary before.

Mary's head was full of confusion and doubt before the encounter, but readers ain't seen nuthin' yet. Now, she's questioning her own sanity and why such a once-close friend would fail to respond. It gets worse; her husband George, who tracks her down with the intent of convincing her to return to him despite all the abuse he heaped upon her, shows up. And wonder of wonders, he's close to succeeding as Mary starts brain-waffling yet again (still). That is, until there's no more need; suddenly, George turns up dead. And now, Mary has a whole host of other issues to waffle over - like will his parents try to gain custody over their beloved grandson, or will George's nasty brother Henry try for retribution, or is Willa avoiding her because she's a murderer, or will the police, who she thinks think she's the killer, arrest her?

By now, my own head is starting to spin, so you can imagine that Mary's is whirling like a school playground merry-go-round at recess. The real happenings are eked out to readers as chapters shift perspectives and time frames from Willa to Mary - complete with little "surprises" that lead up to the big reveal (and a little bit beyond, which those who finish the book will understand). Overall, I'd call it a fun romp rather than a nail-biting journey with things working out in the end. For that, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen (G.P. Putnam's Sons, February 2024); 380 pp.

THREE-INCH TEETH

5 stars out of 5

For sure, this is one of the most violent and dark of the books in this series that I've read - this is the 24th, and I'm pretty sure I haven't missed any of them. But it all comes together to make this one hard to put down as well as introduces possibilities for new and exciting directions to come.

Early on, trouble shows its ugly face in the form of a gigantic grizzly bear - an animal not common to the Wyoming territory served by game warden Joe Pickett. The bear has its deadly way with the son of a local landowner, instilling fear in the community and sparking efforts to find the critter before it finds another victim. Concurrently, readers learn that Joe's old nemesis, former champion rodeo rider Dallas Cates, has been released from prison. Apparently, he's gathered some followers who share his mindset and formulated a plan to get even with all the folks who've wronged him over the years, with Joe and his good friend Nate Romanowski at the top of the list. Nate is, shall we say, a rugged individualist and falconer who now owns a professional bird abatement company that employs Joe's daughter Sheridan, a master falconer in her own right.

The motive of Dallas's gang may be clear, but their method is nothing short of unorthodox - not to mention confusing, given the flurry of grizzly bear activity of late. Meantime, Nate sends Sheridan to handle a big bird problem at a client's farm, where she gets an unexpected revelation that will give Joe and his wife, local library director Marybeth, reason for even more concern.

Chapters flip back and forth among the various scenarios - Joe and his crew trying to find the errant grizzly before it strikes again, Dallas and his buddies working their way down his list of victims and Sheridan's experiences on the bird rout. It's all fast-paced, right up to the end - when it gets downright frantic (not to mention sad). In fact, it was so abrupt that it felt sort of like somebody smacked me in the brain and ran away before I could catch my breath and ask the questions that immediately came to mind.

Oh well, as I said before, I expect to get some answers with the next book - which hopefully will come sooner rather than later. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity once again to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. 

Three-Inch Teeth by C.J. Box (G.P. Putnam's Sons, February 2024); 384 pp.