THE CHILDREN OF EVE

4 stars out of 5

Perhaps what struck me the most about this, the 22nd in the author's Charlie Parker series, is that Charlie clearly isn't a spring chicken anymore. His old injuries still give him fits, and the new ones fit him too close to for comfort.

I'll also say of all the Parker books I've read so far (seven since I started my book blog), this is only the second one to which I'm not giving a 5-star rating. It's hard to explain why, exactly, except that it seemed a little "jumpy" and hard to follow and the subject matter just didn't "grab" me like the others. Still, it's Charlie - and his wonderful friends Louis and Angel, who simply can't appear in the pages often enough to suit me - so I certainly recommend it to others.

It begins as quirky artist Zetta Nadeau asks Charlie to find her missing boyfriend Wyatt Riggins, who took off in a flash. Left behind was his cell phone, on which he'd received a one-word message: Run. Through not a small amount of investigation, Charlie learns that Riggins was somehow involved in the kidnapping of four children that belonged to Mexican cartel leader Blas Urrea. It's not hard to understand why he'd do anything to get them back, except for the fact that his children are alive and well and still with him in Mexico. So who are the missing kids, and why is Urrea so determined to do whatever it takes to get them back?

The questions dogs Charlie throughout the story, but at least one of the obstacles between Charlie and the children is a dangerous man named Eugene Seeley, who's been hired by Urrea to do the dirty work to find and rescue them. And, it appears he's hooked up with an even more evil cohort - an unidentified woman. 

Along the way - as is a common occurrence in other books - Charlie stays "in touch" with his dead daughter Jennifer, and his live daughter Sam, who also "sees" Jennifer from time to time, plays a role as well. In fact, aside from the race to find the missing children, something more sinister is afoot; someone, or some thing, has been trying to find Jennifer and Charlie. Who, or what, is it, what's the reason for the search, and will it be successful? Hmmm, I'll never tell. From this point on, all I'll say is thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read a pre-release copy of this book. Another good one!

The Children of Eve by John Connolly (Atria/Emily Bestler Books, May 2025); 464 pp.)

HUNGER LIKE A THIRST

5 stars out of 5

This book is far from my usual fare of mystery, crime and thriller novels, but when I saw the subject matter, I just had to read it. Mind you, I'm far removed from the author's noteworthy standing among professional restaurant critics/food writers, but I do pen a local restaurant review blog and for several years wrote a review column and other food-related articles for a regional business newspaper. Thus, I'm super-interested in the topic. And indeed, reading it was a pure delight.

Mind you, this is not a book of restaurant reviews (and certainly not recipes); it's a look at the author's look through her own eyes from the time she immigrated to the United States from Australia at age 14 to the present, when she's come full circle to return to the land of her birth. Along the way, needless to say, she's encountered many challenges as a woman in a man's world (quick: how many female restaurants critics can you name?) and as an "outsider" everywhere except in her native country as well as racked up almost too many achievements to count. Wedged somewhere in between those is dealing with a husband - himself a chef - and child as careers collide, money ebbs and flows and publications willing to pay someone to write about food drop like dumplings in hot broth.

All told, it was a very engaging and enjoyable journey - and I thank the publisher for giving me the chance to tag along. Well done!

Hunger Like a Thirst by Besha Rodell (Celadon Books, May 2025); 272 pp.