PAY DIRT

4 stars out of 5

In the early years of this series - this is the 22nd book therein - I never missed an installment. The author was a favorite, and edgy V.I. Warshawski was a private eye after my own heart. But then life intervened - my kids needed both parents and I'd returned to work and finishing the college education I'd put on the back burner for too long - and we lost touch. Happily, we've reconnected in recent years, this one being the most recent - and it seems both of us have grown, well, older.

But Victoria still has it, although maybe not quite together at this point. main squeeze, archeologist Peter, has dropped off the face of her earth following a particularly traumatic event - maybe never to return. Vic herself was psychologically impacted by said event and is still struggling to get her own head back on straight while dealing with Peter's disappearance from her life. When the roommate of one of Vic's college basketball "stars" goes missing, she agrees (albeit reluctantly) to hang around and track her down. Vic finds her - in what appears to be some kind of party house where drugs are the main attraction - and the girl's mother freaks out and suspects Vic of aiding, abetting and lying. The local police and FBI seem to be of the same opinion - with possible murderer thrown in, and they put up roadblocks to her investigation in the fervent hope that she'll go back where she came from (which, for the record, is Chicago).

Things go from bad to worse when Vic discovers the dead body of another young woman in the same house - but now Vic is determined to see it through. Complicating matters is the potential start-up of a nearby coal-fired power plant at the very historical site of a proposed resort that raises all kinds of questions - most notably, why would a resort need that much power? Even more to the point, why would someone put so much effort into keeping Vic from looking for the answers?

From that point on, it's pretty much nonstop action all the way to the end. If I have a criticism, it's that my aging brain struggled to keep the plethora of characters - some from long-ago days - straight in my head. But the plot won out, "forcing" me to stay up past my bedtime to get 'er done. Now that I did, I must say thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done!

Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky (William Morrow, April 2024); 391 pp.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS

4 stars out of 5

Honestly, I really enjoyed this book - even stayed up 45 minutes later than my bedtime to finish it. That said, if I had parents like the couple in this saga, I'd have bailed out of house and home before I was even in kindergarten. Yowsa!

Everyone in the Devlin family is a lawyer - following, of course, in the footsteps of their illustrious father and mother. That is, John and Gabby did; T.J., the youngest, went in an entirely different direction. Plagued by alcoholism that led to a stint in prison, he's always been the black sheep for whom all the others in the family tried to not only compensate for, but cover up. Now, he's out but on parole, staying on the wagon with help from AA meetings. Of course, his parents took him in at their prestigious law firm, where he functions as an unlicensed private investigator and gopher. His drunken actions also cost him his wife and daughter, so as far as the world is concerned, he's walking around with a big "L" on his chest (he even sees himself that way).

But one night, brother John tells T.J. that he "accidentally" murdered an accountant who works for their biggest client - one whose company is in the final stages of acquisition that will make the owner - and the Devlin firm - a boatload of money. John apparently discovered proof of serious embezzlement at the company and confronted the accountant - who then reacted badly.

Against T.J.'s better judgment, he agrees to keep everything secret from the parents, who would be devastated at best to learn that their golden boy was tarnished (and certainly not happy that the murder wouldn't set well with the company that's acquiring their client). But T.J. also pledges, at least to himself, to investigate; when the accountant's body isn't where it's supposed to be, questions arise. Even more questions surface the following day, when the accountant turns up in a different location, shot dead by a bullet - definitely not the rock John claims to have used as a weapon.

As T.J.'s investigation - and that of the police - move forward, it becomes clear that the parents will do anything to keep their law firm's good name intact, including throw T.J. under the bus (he's the black sheep, after all; hopefully, nobody will spot him under there). Meantime, to pay his bills, T.J. helps his sister Gabby as she prepares a precedent-setting lawsuit on behalf of former prisoners on whom life-altering drugs were tested during their incarceration. Pro bono work looks good on a law firm's books, don't you know, and her parents can turn her loose and let their golden son shine in the "real" courtroom.

The rest of the book follows T.J.'s investigation, which quickly begins to turn dangerous, as well as the fallout that threatens the family dynamics. It's nonstop action right up to the end, when all the issues get resolved (and I almost - almost - begin to somewhat sort of warm up to the parents kinda). Very entertaining, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. 

The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2024); 379 pp.

TOXIC PREY

5 stars out of 5

As I said back in 2022 when Letty Davenport, the adopted daughter of U.S. Marshals Service officer Lucas Davenport and his physician wife, Weather, got a starring role for the first time in The Investigator, I enjoyed the book but kind of hoped it was a one-off. That's because I never really connected with Letty - maybe because I loved her dad (and mom and their friend Virgil Flowers) so much that I saw and resented her as some kind of intruder. Well, after reading the second book, both Letty and I grew up (well, she got older and wiser; as an octogenerian, I was already there physically, at least) and now we're cool.

Anyhow, this story hits a timely - and frightening - topic of biological warfare. Early on, we see Dr. Lionel Scott, a fervent believer in "Gaia" - the theory that all living things on the planet interact with each other to create and maintain a synergetic system. Now, he is certain, the human side of that equation has gone out of control, thus threatening its delicate balance. To that end, he's come up with a deadly solution.

But oops, he's nowhere to be found. Fortunately,
Letty is reachable; she's called in to find him even before anyone realizes the consequences of his disappearance and the potential fallout thereof, so to speak. Since Scott is British, Letty is first sent to London, where she meets hunky (well of course!) M-15 agent Alec Hawkins, who will accompany her to Scott's alma mater, Oxford, to learn more about the guy - plus a few hangers-on who have drunk Scott's version of Kool-GaiAid. And what they learn is terrifying; immediately, Letty calls in the big guns including her father, Lucas. From that high-level meeting of the minds comes a plan to contain a deadly virus before it kills millions of unsuspecting and innocent people - even if it means killing more than a few unsuspecting and innocent people in the process.

The rest of the book, really, is Lettie and all the "good" guys and gals trying to figure out how to outwit the "bad" guys and gals before they set loose a viral killer that could wipe out half of the world's population. Pretty heady stuff that sure grabbed my attention. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Toxic Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2024); 400 pp.

THE RULE OF THREES

4 stars out of 5

Given an ending that left me bewildered, a rather unrelatable main character and a plot I'd describe as disjointed, I'm almost surprised that overall I enjoyed reading this so-called novella - the latter a description I also don't understand since it's only a few pages shorter than many of the books I read these days. But aside from all that, while it's far from my favorite book by one of my favorite authors, the "stuff" in between the covers was enticing enough to keep me flipping through the pages almost nonstop. And yep, he's still a favorite author.

Special Agent Constant Marlowe - yes, you read that first name right - comes to Illinois small-town Clark Valley to commandeer an investigation into the brutal murders of a couple of local women. Not surprisingly, I spent a quite a bit of reading time wondering who on earth would give a name like that to a child, but I never found out (apparently, there are a few earlier books that include her in which it may have been explained, but I've not read them). Also not surprisingly, the local tobacco-chewing Sheriff resents her presence - don't they always? There's a contingent of Native Americans living in the area, one of whom, Zo Eventide, works with the sheriff and, partly because she's a female with a fierce sense of justice and fairness, forms an immediate bond with Constant.

Also in the mix is a group of neo-Nazis, who mostly keep to themselves; but at the moment, they're at a standoff with the aforesaid Native Americans over ownership of a plot of land. For whatever reason, Constant finds herself in the middle of that brouhaha as well - as if she doesn't have enough to do trying to track down a killer who leaves precious few clues. At least she can hold her own physically; she's been a professional boxer, and I have to say some of the scenes in which that comes into play are satisfying.

One local family (a husband, wife, daughter and son plus an older son who mysteriously went missing) become the focus because they were in the same area of the park as one of the murders at the same time and thus may have seen things they shouldn't have (even though they say they didn't). The hope is the killer will return to eliminate the potential witnesses and the cops will nab him (or her) before that happens.

There are several surprises along the way, keeping the story moving along - right up to that ending that I still don't "get." But I do know I'll be keeping a constant lookout for the next Constant - I can't say she'd ever be my BFF, but she sure is an interesting character. Many thanks to NetGalley, via the publisher, for the opportunity to get to know her by way of a for-review copy.

The Rule of Threes by Jeffery Deaver (Amazon Original Stories, March 2024); 261 pp.

GRANITE HARBOR

5 stars out of 5

I've not read other books by this author, but if this one's any example, I'd enjoy them thoroughly. Despite my intense dislike of reading when I go to bed at night, I was so engrossed and close to the exciting end that I just couldn't wait till morning to finish it.

The coastal Maine small town of Granite Harbor isn't large, but one of its attractions is The Settlement, an archaeological historic site that employs docent-reenactors to guide visitors. But one not-so-fine day, they get an unexpected, and certainly unwelcome, visitor: a dead body hanging in one of the structures - clearly a murder - complete with a clue that suggests this death may not be a one-off. To the scene comes relatively newbie Detective Alex Brangwen, a British transplant and sometime novelist whose writing hasn't been sufficient to pay the bills.

Alex has troubles of his own, including dealing with a rebellious teenage daughter, Sophie, who mostly lives with his ex-wife Morgana. Sophie is friends with Ethan, the son of Isabel Dorr, one of the Settlement reenactors, and two other local teens, Jared and Shane. Understandably, everyone is particularly devastated when the murder victim turns out to be one of the teens. Needless to say, the parents of the other teens - including Alex and Morgana - are on pins and needles wondering which child might be next.

And then their worst fears become real.

Chapters follow the progress of the investigation, with flashbacks to show prior events leading up to the murders (but leaving readers, of course, clueless as to who did the dirty deeds until the very end). All told, it's an exciting adventure complete with some rather gory details and hints of the occult - certainly well worth reading. Many thanks to the publisher, via a Bookish First raffle win, for a free copy of this book to read and review.

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols (Celedon Books, April 2024); 320 pp.

A CALAMITY OF SOULS

5 stars out of 5

More than anything else, this story - which the author says he started to write more than a decade ago - provides an unsettling look at a part of our history that these days, IMHO, many folks seem to want to shove under the rug where, also IMHO, it doesn't belong. And yes, it tends to get a bit "preachy" in spots, but if the message brings edification to just a few readers, that's fine by me. Set in 1968 in Virginia, where some residents are trying to live with new laws that protect the rights of some others (some accepting, others not so much), it centers on Jack Lee, a white lawyer who finds himself representing a Black man charged with the gruesome murder of a wealthy, elderly husband and wife. The second the man was found near the dead bodies, he was presumed guilty by virtually all the powers-that-be; so without hard evidence to the contrary, the man is destined for a lifetime behind bars at best.

And while Jack is a talented, experienced attorney, he's never dealt with a capital case - much less the blowback from those who believe his client has no real standing as a human being and therefore doesn't deserve someone to defend him (certainly not a white man). The situation gets what could be a bit of a break with the appearance of Desiree DuBose, a seasoned Black lawyer from Chicago who's made a name for herself with exactly this type of case. She and Jack form a somewhat uneasy alliance, both knowing that without the other, the defendant cannot possibly get a fair trial.

Quickly, though, they realize that outside of a couple of personal friends, the two of them are the only ones inside the courtroom who give a rip about fairness. To everyone else, their client is Black, guilty as charged and deserves to die - the sooner the better. As do, apparently, those who dare to try to prevent that from happening.

Of course, the backstories of the client, Jerome Washington, Jack and his family and Desiree add enlightenment to this complex story - as do the efforts of the aforesaid powers-that-be to "convince" Jack and Desiree to back off and allow the natural order of things to remain the status quo (this is the deep South, after all). More than that I can't say without giving too much away except that it's an exceptionally well-written book that's worth reading. Especially now.

A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April, 2024); 496 pp.

STILL SEE YOU EVERYWHERE

5 stars out of 5

After I finished wonderful book, I learned that the author took a year off starting in 2021 to travel. She says she resisted any calls for writing - producing no book last year - but got many ideas for books to come. If this one is an example of what she churns out after a respite, I encourage her to get outta Dodge whenever the urge strikes.

Actually, this is the third in a series; I haven't read the others, but I had no trouble following this one and insofar as possible warming up to a the rather standoffish Frankie, who's a recovering alcoholic and ace finder of missing people. When Kaylee Pierson's attorney asks Frankie to meet with Kaylee - dubbed the Beautiful Butcher because she violently murdered 18 men - just 21 days before she's to be executed for her crimes, Frankie is skeptical. But Kaylee's pleas for Frankie to find her long-lost younger sister Leilani and the billionaire who "kidnapped" her touched a nerve, and Frankie agrees to give it a try (albeit reluctantly).

The trail leads to a remote atoll in the Hawaiian Islands owned by said billionaire, where she'll join a team of workers who are trying to make the island habitable while not disrupting the abundant flora and fauna including large killer crabs and (gulp!) arachnids with bodies bigger than a Sumo wrestler's fist. Those tasks are difficult enough, but it soon becomes clear that something else is afoot, making it hard for Frankie (and readers) to know who to trust. Communication with the outside world is quite limited in this remote place to begin with, and a violent storm that starts rolling in not long after the billionaire and his young lady friend arrive threatens to reduce it to zero and wreak havoc on everything and everyone in its path. But alas, the storm isn't the only danger threatening human life - and Frankie, assuming her decision of who to trust is spot on,  may be the only hope for survival.

All told, it's an exciting adventure with more than a few surprises along the way. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner (Grand Central Publishing, March 2024); 409 pp.