RUN, ROSE, RUN

4 stars out of 5

Considering that I've read more than my fair share of books by prolific author James Patterson, it's fair to say I'm a fan. Same for Dolly Parton; I love her music (the Trio album with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt is near the top of my 10 all-time favorites list and I've seen her in concert). But a book co-written by the two? Seriously? Curiosity got the better of me, though, so I requested - and received - a review copy (thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley). And while I won't call it an edge-of-seat, bite-your nails thriller - it's more a coming-of-age-in-the-music-business kind of story - by golly, it was quite entertaining. 

AnnieLee Keyes, a young thing purty as a speckled pup under a big red wagon and determined to write and sing songs that climb to the top of the Country-Western chart hitchhikes from Texas to Nashville and - with no money and no guitar - convinces a bartender to let her borrow an instrument and take to the stage. She makes quite an impression; next thing you know, she's under the wing of megastar Ruthanna Ryder, who is officially retired from the business and lives a life of luxury, complete with a recording studio in her basement. Add to the mix hunky and single Ethan Blake, who [surprise!] is attracted to AnnieLee but is hesitant to 'fess up because he knows the only stars in her eyes are a reflection of her desire to become one.

The rest of the story centers on AnnieLee's journey to the top and the obstacles the industry throws at star wannabes - plus the secrets that both AnnieLee and Ethan have in their past lives that threaten their current plans (perhaps even permanently). If I had to guess, I'd say the story concept was a joint venture, after which Patterson did most of the writing and Dolly contributed her vast knowledge of the music business from a performer's perspective as well as lyrics to several songs "composed" by AnnieLee, Ruthanna and Ethan. At the end of the book are the full lyrics to these songs, though without accompanying music, I found it a little hard to hum along.

In the end, the unlikely duo won me over, and I think most other readers will enjoy the book as well. Good job!

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson (Little, Brown and Co., March 2022); 425 pp.

BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE

5 stars out of 5

Part of my time is spent as a writer, but every single word of it is nonfiction. I read the made-up stuff - in particular the mystery/thriller genre - for pleasure; it really does amaze me how anyone's mind can even conjure up such complex characters and intricate plots that don't really exist, much less pull them all together in coherent and entertaining fashion. And when it comes to all that, boy, this one's a doozy.

Well, okay, it's a teeny bit far-fetched, mostly when it comes to how so many characters with such screwed-up lives could possibly have found each other. But that feeling quickly went by the boards as I got caught up in all the twists and turns of the story. In fact, I read the whole thing in just a few hours - that's how wrapped I got in what was going on.

In the prologue, an unidentified woman is trying to hike to the top of a mountain in the dark (yeah, I know, anybody who would do that pretty much deserves what she gets, but hang with me here). She makes a wrong turn, then a misstep, and then takes a fatal tumble. Next up is a week prior to her death, when readers meet fast friends Grace, Lee, Alice and Carol, who get together after school at least one day a week in Nashville. Lee, a hairdresser, has a young son named Mason who is on the spectrum; to help, her friend Grace introduced her to occupational therapist Noah. 

Not a lot more is said about Alice and Carol, except that they want the foursome to go on a long getaway weekend at a mountain resort. Lee wants (actually, she's desperate) to go, but Mason isn't an easy child to hand off to someone else. But he does love Noah, so Lee reluctantly asks if he'll stay with her son. He agrees, and the trip is on.

Chapters shift from the perspectives of Grace, Lee and Noah - all of whom clearly have "secrets" they've been trying to hide (well, Grace has one she plans to share with Lee once the right opportunity arises, which she hopes will be during their getaway). Little by little, readers get glimpses of all three characters to learn what brought them to this point - memories that gradual merging with the present and - you guessed it - that woman who fell off the mountain.

More details? Sorry, no can do; from this point on, you'll just have to read it for yourself - and I hope you will. Thoroughly enjoyable - many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Because You're Mine by Rea Frey (St. Martin's Griffin, August 2019); 358 pp.

MURDER OVER MOCHAS

5 stars out of 5

Easy to read, attention-holding and a wonderful way to take a break from my usual shoot-'em-up, gore-filled action books: That's my take on this fun book that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. If there's a downside, it appears to be the last in a five-book series that I wish I'd started from the beginning (although this one stands on its own just fine).

Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of cozy mysteries - but for one primary reason: It seems to be the rule that the heroine be downright obnoxious. She goes off on her own, never paying any attention to anyone - as well as  the kind of woman who, when chased by a bad guy with a knife, turns left into the dark alley instead of heading toward the well-lit, people-filled street to the right. 

Not so here. In fact, I quite liked Juliet Langley, a sometime musician and self-appointed private detective who manages Java Jive, a coffeehouse in Nashville. She's intelligent, assertive but not pushy, and actually listens to the counsel of friends (and yes, even police officers) before going off the deep end. That's not to say she doesn't have emotions, though; in fact, she's got plenty. For starters, she still hasn't come totally to grips with losing her romance with town police detective, Ryder Hamilton, who switched to her best friend and PI-business partner, Maya. She's also got mixed feelings about her current, much younger go-to guy, and conjures up visions of getting together with long-time friend and coffeehouse owner Pete. Mostly,though, she's furious with her former fiance, Scott O'Malley, who ran off with another woman, cleaning out their bank accounts and causing the downfall of the coffeehouse in Juliet's home town of Liberty, Indiana, that she and Scott co-owned (yes, it does seem she's run through an excess of male companions over a very short period of time, but then that's not necessarily a bad thing).

Needless to say, Scott's totally unexpected appearance at the Nashville shop  took both her and Pete by surprise - so much so that she punches him in the nose - and when he begs Juliet to use her PI skills to find his missing wife Mandi (the one he dumped Juliet to be with), she's dumbfounded. She's flat-out gobsmacked, though, when he drops dead right in the middle of the shop. When it's determined that he may have been poisoned, the local police become aware of the hostility Juliet's harboring toward the victim and consider her a person of interest at the very least.

With her reputation at stake, Juliet is intent on clearing her name and sees no alternative except to take the investigation into her own hands;  somewhat reluctantly, Ryder agrees to help. The place to start, they agree, is in Liberty - just a couple of hours from Nashville - where they quickly learn that Scott and his wife are "drug dealers" (a.k.a. pharmaceutical reps). Despite the potential for better-than-decent income, though, it's pretty clear they're living lives of luxury well beyond their means.

Are the drugs in any way connected to Scott's untimely death or his wife's sudden disappearance? If she's been kidnapped, is she still alive - and can they find her in time to prevent a worst-case scenario? Of course, I can't reveal the answers - but I will say it was a real treat finding them for myself. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh yes - a personal note that gave this book extra-special interest to me: Like Juliet and the author, I'm Hoosier born (but Buckeye bred). Even more coincidentally is that I grew up in Union City - less than an hour northeast of Liberty. My favorite shopping excursions were to nearby Richmond, where for a time my late father - "Buckeye Poet" Harold Pickett (a.k.a. "Slim Acres") taught Business Law at the Ivy Tech Community College campus.

Small world!

Murder Over Mochas by Caroline Fardig (Alibi, October 2017); 235 pp.