BUT NOT FOR ME

5 stars out of 5

I'm still not sure why I said yes when I was offered a pre-release copy of this debut novel to read and review - after all, I'm an elderly woman living far north of the Mason-Dixon Line and not even close to being a history buff. But something about it called my name - and boy, am I glad I answered affirmatively. Put it this way: if this is the first in a series as it appears to be, please sign me up for the next one.

The story centers around Kay Schiffner, who despite the times when women are thought to be best kept barefoot and pregnant, has managed to earn a law degree. She's been hired at a San Francisco law firm, where she's basically treated like a second-class citizen. She's also an accomplished jazz pianist; by night, she often makes her way to the Blue Moon, a club in the Fillmore District, an almost exclusively Black (back then, it was Negro) neighborhood where a white woman tends to stand out. But she's made friends here and is accepted by the all-male jazz musicians who take the stage, often allowing her to sit in.

But the neighborhood itself is in danger; gentrification efforts are in full swing, with at least one developer outright threatening residents and club owner Leitisha Boone - herself a sort of anomaly - if they don't sell their homes and businesses at rock-bottom prices. Things take a turn for the worse when a Black real estate mogul is shot and killed - and Leitisha is arrested for the murder on the basis of evidence that everyone - including the cops - know was planted.

Soon, Kay realizes that she's up against some very powerful people. Given the time in history, her efforts to get justice for Leitisha bump up against the reality that Black people (and women) are nearly invisible and never taken seriously. Even though she finds a couple of allies in the legal and law enforcement ranks, she quickly realizes that forging ahead puts their lives -and hers - at risk. It's a well-written action-filled adventure from beginning to end and an insightful peek into the inequities of a world that brings back memories to those of us who were around back then and to those who weren't an awareness of a time when some people were more equal than others.

But Not for Me by Allison A. Davis (Bronzeville Books, September 2024); 362 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.

THE MISSING PIECE

4 stars out of 5

I came to the Dismas Hardy party late, reading my first book in the now 19-book series in 2018. Since then, I haven't missed a one - and like the others, this one was thoroughly enjoyable and once again made me eager to read more.

As this one opens, Wes Farrell, former San Francisco District Attorney who now on the defense side at Hardy's firm, is thinking about quitting - he's tired, he says, of defending people he thinks are guilty. One of those he helped put in jail as a prosecutor, Paul Riley, has just been released from jail after being found guilty of murder - one of many cases taken up by a group called the Exoneration Initiative. The group works to find legal snafus that indicate their clients were wrongfully convicted.

Riley, though, doesn't waste much time trying to keep his nose clean; perhaps as a result, not long after his release, somebody shoots him dead. The culprit, the investigating officers are certain after hearing from a witness to the crime, is the father of the girl Riley was convicted of raping and killing - a man who many times threatened to kill Riley if he ever got the chance. Back at the law office, Farrell agrees to defend the father, Doug Rush, whom he thinks did, in fact, do the deed. Not long thereafter, Rush skips bail and runs - and Farrell asks Abe Glitsky, Hardy's former police partner who's now a private detective mostly working for Hardy's firm, to track him down.

From that point on, the trail becomes a winding road with several turnoffs, at least one of which becomes a dead end (pun intended). Throw in a timely issue like police brutality, and you've got another well-written book in this entertaining series. My only complaint? The series namesake is noticeably absent throughout most of this story, so I'm hoping he gets to play a bigger role next time out. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Missing Piece by John Lescroart (Atria Books, November 2021); 304 pp.

LITTLE BLACK BOOK

4 stars out of 5

Even if you're not a fan of so-called cozy mysteries - and generally speaking, that includes me - I implore you to try this series (as well as, for the record, this author's other "Fixer-Upper" series that's equally enjoyable). That's because, unlike virtually all the other cozies I've had the relative displeasure to read, her main characters are strong-willed but sensible, thoughtful and brilliant women who don't go off half cocked and instead actually contribute something substantial to their stories.

This is the fifteenth in this wonderful series about book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright, who's now married to Derek Stone, a gorgeous, almost super-human security expert (well, okay, that's pretty much standard in cozies, but this guy really is a peach). At her San Francisco workroom, a package arrives addressed to Derek marked only from "Gwyneth Antiquities" that contains a slightly damaged rare, author-signed copy of Rebecca but no instructions on what to do with it. Not long thereafter, they get a visit from Brooklyn's one-time acquaintance and antique weapons expert Claire Quinn, who Derek knows is related to the probable sender of the package and his former M-16 colleague Gwyneth Quinn. But while Claire knows her aunt sent some kind of package, she claims to have no idea what was in it. More to the point, she says her aunt has gone missing - and she's convinced somebody out there is out to get her as well.

That they might succeed is bolstered by the very recent trashing of Claire's apartment and her recount of at least two narrow misses on being killed. When pressed, the only reason she can think of is that as a child, she saw some men, including her now-missing-and-presumed-dead father, planning some kind of crime. When Claire temporarily moves in with Brooklyn and Derek, one of the bad guys shows up again but somehow eludes Derek, his security team and the local police. Strangely, that man soon turns up dead - murdered with an antique dagger. And when the three decide to visit Dharma, where Brooklyn's quirky communal mother lives, yet another of Claire's nefarious stalkers bites the dust in similar fashion.

Finally, enough is enough, and the three decide they're likely to find the answers they need in Scotland, where Claire used to live and from where her missing Aunt Gwyneth disappeared. They're invited to live in a real-life (though somewhat run-down) castle, where clues start piling up like turrets. Getting to the truth - and hopefully, finding Claire's aunt alive - takes a lot of speculation, wrong turns, near misses and puts Derek's security expertise to the test, but it all comes together in the end.

Except not quite. There are a couple of loose ends that I'm sure will follow Brooklyn and Derek to the next book and that's okay - some characters in this one made follow-up appearances here, after all. But the "real" ending, to me, elicited more of a "you've got to be kidding me" feeling than satisfaction. That's because lacking more explanation, what happened was for the most part implausible (I can't get more specific, but the lack of food and water plus perhaps the need for an invisible cargo-lugging 18-wheeler came to mind immediately). A few extra descriptive lines could have cleared all that up, but alas, they weren't there. Otherwise, though, it's another great series entry, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

Oh yes - the book includes recipes for a few of the treats Brooklyn and Derek enjoyed among the earlier pages. Too many ingredients for this cooking-phobic reader to want to try making, but they sure do sound yummy!

Little Black Book by Kate Carlisle (Berkley, June 2021); 384 pp.

THE BOOK SUPREMACY

5 stars out of 5

Delightful! It's been a long time since I've read a book with so many characters as engaging as these - starting with book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright. That probably won't come as a surprise to those who found her long ago - this is the 13th book in the series - but she's new to me. And for sure I'll be following her from now on.

The story begins as Brooklyn is with her newly minted hunky former spy husband, Derek, in Paris (she'd met him on a murder case, apparently a book or two ago. Turns out she loves Ian Fleming's James Bond books (another reason I love her), so while Derek chats with a friend they bumped into as they browsed street vendors, she finds and buys a first-edition copy of "The Spy Who Loved Me." As she joins Derek and Ned to show them the book, she spots a suspicious character wearing a hoodie; nothing bad happens, but Ned clearly is upset.

Back home in San Francisco, they visit with another of Derek's spy-days cohorts, Owen, who runs a shop called "Spectre" that sells all kinds spy-related things and manages several very popular escape rooms. There, she meets a group of young would-be writers, a couple of whom work at Spectre. Brooklyn also offers her newly purchased book for a display that might help boost Owen's business - and he snaps up the offer. 

Owen then puts the book on display under lock and key. Not long after that, though, there's a break-in - and one of the young writers ends up dead (several items have been stolen, but thankfully, the book is safe). Derek gets a sad letter from Ned, who refers to a "list" in a "book." But what book? Could it be he's referring to Brooklyn's rare find and, if so, was it the real target of the break-in? Even more important, can Brooklyn and Derek figure out what's going on before someone else gets killed?

I can't give out the details, but I can say it was great fun learning the answers to those questions. For the record, I also enjoyed reading the details of Brooklyn's book-binding and restoration work, and the recipes at the end of the book sound yummy even though anything with more than three ingredients isn't likely to get made in my kitchen. Loved this one, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

The Book Supremacy by Kate Carlisle (Berkley, June 2019); 332 pp.

THE 17th SUSPECT

4 stars out of 5


Welcome to the Lindsay and Yuki show! When the four members of the Women's Murder Club come together in a book - in this case, the 17th in the series - it's a pretty sure bet that San Francisco Police Department Sergeant Lindsay Boxer will snag a leading role. Which of the other three will take the stage with her is up for grabs, but this time out, Attorney Yuki Castellano gets the nod. Their compadres, medical examiner Claire Washburn and crime reporter Cindy Thomas, are pretty much relegated to walk-ons.

There are two cases to follow; murders for Lindsay and her partner, Rich Conklin (who lives with Cindy) to solve and a case with a twist for Yuki: Getting a jury to believe a man who claims to have been sexually abused by a woman. Recently returned to the District Attorney's office, Yuki is convinced that the man is telling the truth and convinces her boss to let her prosecute the high-profile woman, who was the man's boss. On the home front, Yuki is worried by the sudden inattention of Jackson Brady, her main squeeze and Lindsay's boss. So not only is she worried that her case may unravel before her eyes, she's afraid she may be losing the love of her life. 

Meanwhile, Lindsay runs straight into seemingly random gun-down of a homeless victim in a neighboring district. When Lindsay learns there have been similar murders that are not, apparently, being taken seriously by the local cops. That the officers tell her to mind her own business angers the ever-professional Lindsay - to the point of taking action that threatens to derail her own career. Still, she can't get involved in a case outside her own playing field, so she's forced to sit on the sidelines until fate intervenes and a homeless person is murdered right on her home turf.

Is it possible that Yuki will lose a big case and her big love all at once? Will Lindsay get sidelined by a suspension before she can catch whoever's shooting down the homeless folks? Get the answers in this easy-to-read book - another more-than-adequate murder lite that's perfect for reading on a beach or waiting for a doctor's appointment.

The 17th Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown and Co., April 2018); 368 pp.

16th SEDUCTION

4 stars out of 5


They're baaaaack: Lindsay, Claire, Cindy and Yuki all get fairly substantial roles in this, the latest installment of the Women's Murder Club adventures. There's plenty of murder and mayhem - some of which hits more than a little too close to home for one club member - and Lindsay must come to terms with her true feelings for Joe, her once-beloved husband.

The book opens as Lindsay, a San Francisco Police Department detective, is having a "date night" with Joe, who she reluctantly kicked out of her life after learning that in essence, he's been a spy and neither 'fessed up to his secret activities nor apologized for doing them. The spark between the two (and love for their young daughter, Julie) remain, though, and they're keeping things civil as Lindsay tries to decide whether to keep Joe or turn him loose. As they're starting to engage in meaningful conversation during a restaurant dinner, all hell breaks loose: A popular attraction nearby explodes, showering rubble and body parts for blocks. Lindsay just came off the successful take-down of a member of a bomb-loving terrorist group - could it be more of their work?

Rushing to the scene, Lindsay and Joe find what appears to be the answer; but within 24 hours, the case turns sour in more than one way and Lindsay finds her career in jeopardy as she tries to defend her actions. Attorney Yuki Castellano gets her day in court and crime reporter Cindy Thomas scoops the competition. Not to be left out, medical examiner Claire Washburn finds evidence that a serial killer may be on a rampage - giving Lindsay and her partner, Rich Conklin (who lives with Cindy) something to do that takes Lindsay's mind off the possibility of losing her job and making up her mind what to do with Joe.

As usual, it's all good fun - with most, but not all, the issues resolved in the end (also as usual). And, I always get a kick out of the author's crediting Humphrey Germaniuk, medical examiner for Trumbull County, Ohio (my county of residence), for his help; this time out, Chuck Hanni, a fire investigator from nearby Youngstown, gets a nod as well. Nice going, gentlemen - you done us proud.

16th Seduction by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown & Co., May 2017); 384 pp.

FATAL

5 stars out of 5



"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." That time-honored line from Sir Walter Scott's "Marmion" kept running through my head as I read this book - a terrific standalone from the author of the popular Dismas Hardy series.

The story revolves around three married couples - Kate and Ron, Peter and Jill and Bina and Geoff. The first two didn't know each other until they meet at a dinner party at the home of the third. But just one meeting was all it took for Kate to become obsessed with Peter - leading to a one-time tryst. Kate gets what she wants and tries to move on with her life, which includes occasional long walks near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge with her old friend and police detective, Beth.

But Kate's life certainly isn't all roses and clover; she and Ron have kids to deal with, he's having a rough patch at the law firm with his partner, Geoff, and Kate continues to wrestle a bit with her dalliance. Peter and Jill have sons with attitude problems; thankfully, Peter has longtime legal secretary Theresa's shoulder to cry on. Beth is trying to manage her hectic life on the force without alienating her daughter Ginny; as a result of one investigation, she takes a young victim under her wing who then becomes fast friends with Ginny, who has a good-looking, unmarried brother Andy (no surprise where that last one is going, but it's interesting to see how it gets there).

Gradually, what's going on in the lives of all these players is revealed; clearly, all of them are dealing with "issues" of some kind. Character development is a strength here, with layers of backgrounds and feelings peeled back as the story moves along (amid plenty of action, twists and turns, I might add). 

Did I figure out whodunit? Well, yes and no - and I'll leave it at that. In conclusion, I'll note that the advance copy I received in exchange for an honest review includes a political joke that I suspect may be deleted from the post-election published version. If it is, that's too bad because it was doggone funny to me; but if it's left in, it's likely to trigger a Twitter rant from the other "side." Inquiring minds would love to know!

Fatal by John Lescroart (Atria Books, January 2017); 320 pp.

The 7th CANON

5 stars out of 5


After reading just two books by Robert Dugoni, I've become a fan; so when I got the chance to read an advance copy of this one in exchange for an honest review, I jumped. It's a standalone that's not part of either his Tracy Crosswhite or David Sloane series, though, so I crossed my fingers that my high expectations would be justified.

They were uncrossed by the end of the first chapter; when I got near the end, they were holding my Kindle so tightly that no one could possibly pry it out of my hands until I finished. Not that it's a problem at our house; the only other person here is my sweet hubby of 54 years, and he knows better than to try, bless his heart.

The story begins when a teenage boy is found murdered in a shelter for boys. Father Thomas Martin, the priest who found him - who runs the facility in a run-down, dangerous part of San Francisco - is charged with the murder. As a friend of the local Diocese, attorney Peter Donley's uncle Lou, for whom he's been working for the past three years, asks him to look into the situation. Evidence that may have been obtained illegally, a priest who vehemently refuses to plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence and his uncle's sudden health crisis prompt Peter to take the case even though he's not totally convinced of Father Tom's innocence.

Peter has a wife and young son and is debating whether to move on to a job with more money and more potential for career advancement. But for now he's got a client, and with that comes an obligation to follow the 7th Canon from the American Bar Association Code: "A lawyer should represent a client zealously within the bounds of the law." So, he begins to prepare a defense; and the more he delves into the lives of the priest, the victim and a hell-bent for power district attorney, the more convinced he becomes that his client isn't a killer. Proving it, though, won't be easy; ultimately, the only way to clear the priest's name may be to find the real killer - and that could mean putting his own life in danger.

Early on, I said this book is a standalone; but honestly, I'd be very happy to see the "good guys" again. The characters are both likable and capable, and the potential for a new series stuck in my thoughts throughout. How about it, Mr. Dugoni? I'm ready if you are!

The 7th Canon by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer, September 2016); 334 pp.

15th AFFAIR

4 stars out of 5

Let me say this at the start: I don't like cliffhangers, mostly because by the time the next book in a series comes out I've totally forgotten how the previous one ended. In this case, it's even worse because I absolutely hate the circumstances (an emotion that is exacerbated, of course, because I can't reveal anything specific in a review without spoiling the book for others). That, and a plot that's a titch on the far-fetched side, puts my actual rating somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars.

All in all, though, this is another relatively solid entry in the Women's Murder Club series; I've maintained for years that Maxine Paetro is my favorite in Patterson's stable of co-authors, and I'll give her another pat on the back for the better parts in this one.

For those who might be unfamiliar, the informal club is a group of four women, all good friends with successful careers that are different, but overlap: Lindsay Boxer (the centerpiece), a San Francisco Police Department detective; Claire Washburn, the San Francisco chief medical examiner; Yuki Castellano, an attorney who's married to Lindsay's boss Jackson Brady; and Cindy Thomas, a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle. In all the books, some facet of the plot touches on all of them to some degree or another - and there's always at least one heart-to-heart get-together, usually at the table of a local pub.

Also usually, one of the four draws the short straw. In this one, Yuki pretty much gets lost in the shuffle, while Cindy, who is chasing down the story of multiple murders in a luxury hotel and a major disaster affecting hundreds of people, plays a larger role. Claire does her usual thing while conducting autopsies of the damage, and once again, there's a mention of assistant Dr. Germaniuk. The real one, for the record, is the long-time medical examiner and coroner of Trumbull County, Ohio, where I live; he's also a long-time consultant to Patterson on medical issues.

Lindsay, married to former cop Joe Molinari (with whom she has a baby daughter), is called to that hotel to investigate four murders: An Asian man, two young people occupying the room next door and a hotel maid. Judging from security tapes, the murders seem to involve a beautiful blond woman who has performed a disappearing act. Clues are elusive, and adding to the mystery is Joe, who seems to have gone missing as well. Not long thereafter, the city is hit with bombshell news and, as a result, another case that could well be tied to the hotel murders - and quite possibly Lindsay's missing husband.

And therein lies my biggest issue with this book: Given the circumstances, Lindsay understandably is worried about her missing husband. But calling his cell phone (to no avail) is about the only thing she does to track him down; surely a top-notch detective like her would do more. And as details about the two cases begin to unravel, so does Lindsay; her emotional roller roaster is really hard for me to take, especially when it threatens to run her marriage (to a guy she supposedly loves with all her heart) into the ground. 

15th Affair by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown and Co., May 2016); 351 pp.

EVERYONE PAYS

5 stars out of 5

It is with great pleasure that I describe this book in one word: Riveting! 

Even though I've grown a bit weary of the back-and-forth chapter format - this time between San Francisco homicide detective Clara Donner and a serial killer - I was reeled in from the get-go and didn't get off the hook until the last page.

A killer, who brutalizes victims as payback to men who abuse women of the street in the worst possible ways, leads Donner and her partner on a not-so-merry chase. I feel obligated to say that the murders aren't for the squeamish; gruesome doesn't begin to describe what the killer does to his prey, and it's described here in every gory detail. Somehow, Donner has to track him down fast, even though she believes in her heart of hearts that the victims probably got what they deserve. Connecting the dots, though, proves challenging - at least until a drug-addicted, physically and mentally damaged wisp of a girl turns up and turns out to be connected to the victims and the killer.

Donner herself is an interesting character: a crack athlete who can hold her own against the guys on the neighborhood basketball court, the daughter of a homicide cop who's dead set on disproving his belief that women have no place in the murder business. There's a little humor in here too, especially the swipe at James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series (no, even though women take center stage, Donner isn't a fan. I am, but it was funny anyway).

From beginning to end, this one has real edge-of-seat appeal. Many thanks to the author and publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a review.

Everyone Pays by Seth Harwood (Thomas & Mercer, April 2016); 320 pp.

THE LAST GOOD PLACE

4 stars out of 5

Reading works by writers who are picking up the character bandwagon that halted when the original authors died (Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Jesse Stone and Ian Fleming's James Bond come to mind immediately) has always been a bit of a bittersweet experience for me. In those instances, it's almost impossible not to compare the new with the old (although in some respects, that's as it should be; after all, they're writing about the same characters and, intentionally, in a similar style). 

This one, to which I was given access by the publisher through Netgalley, continues the work of the late Carolyn Weston, whose characters Sgt. Al Krug and his partner Casey Kellog became the basis for the TV show The Streets of San Francisco. To that end, I'm at a disadvantage; I've never read any of Weston's books. I was, however, a big fan of the TV show - which aired from 1972 to 1977 - and in particular of a very young and very talented Michael Douglas. So whether the author managed to capture the essence of Weston's books I can't say, but I do think it's reminiscent of the show and is an excellent police procedural in its own right.

It begins as Krug and Kellog - the latter new to the San Francisco Homicide team and mismatched with his partner in age, experience and attitude toward the job -  investigate a series of murders by the  "Landmark Strangler" (so named because the victims are found near well-known city landmarks). But when they take a look at the most recent, the fourth in just four months, something just doesn't seem right even though the body was found near the Presidio. Then, a nosy reporter with her eye on a Pulitzer questions the relationship of much-earlier murders to those of the strangler, adding a potentially new dimension to the investigation. When more clues lead to the office of a prominent politician, though, things really start to heat up: Krug and Kellog not only are under the gun to solve the cases, but under orders to avoid ruffling feathers of the powers that be.

The story held my interest from beginning to end, and for sure I'll be in line when and if the next edition is published. Meanwhile, I plan to check out some of the other books the accomplished Ms. Burcell has written!

The Last Good Place by Robin Burcell (Brash Books, November 2015); 289 pp.