HARD TO KILL

4 stars out of 5

In many respects, all the women I've known who battled the Big C have many things in common with Jane Smith, the star of this series. At the top of the list is a simple, yet complex fact: whether or not you have cancer, life goes on (until it doesn't). And Jane, like all of those other women, has chosen to play the best hand she can despite the lousy deal.

This is the second book in the series featuring Jane, a hard-driving, highly successful defense attorney on Long Island. I did not read the first - heck, given the underlying subject, I was a little reluctant to read this one - but at no time did I feel at a disadvantage. The only reason I felt sort of lost here and there is that there are so many characters that I hard a tough time keeping them straight. The story begins after Jane's client, Rob Jacobson, was acquitted of murdering a family. But the victory celebration was short-lived when another family is bites the dust - and guess who is charged with their murder?

Jane learns of his arrest via a phone call from Jimmy Cuniff, her best guy friend, former NYPD detective who serves as her private investigator on cases. In part because she never really knew whether or not Jacobson actually was guilty the first time around, she's reluctant to take the case, but then she's always up for a good courtroom tussle. She gets the okay from her current squeeze, local veterinarian Dr. Ben Kalinsky, whose "good guy" vibes zinged off my credibility scale much of the time.

Although most of the folks around Jane try to convince her she's wasting her time and exhausting her limited physical capabilities by defending someone who doesn't deserve it, she waffles between thinking Jacobson is guilty and not guilty. As her investigation progresses she realizes there are characters out there who have a vested interest in taking him down for good this time. They also make it clear that they don't want Jane and Jimmy to be sticking their noses in other people's business - and that everyone around her is fair game if she doesn't quit the case.

More than that I can't reveal, but I can say the action doesn't take much of a break from beginning to the ending, which sets up a scenario for the next installment. I'll be waiting - and meantime I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get to know this hard-driving, multi-faceted character.

Hard to Kill by James Patterson and Mike Lupica (Little, Brown and Co., July 2024); 371 pp.

12 MONTHS TO LIVE

5 stars out of 5

Well, it ain't the cheeriest of stories: hard-driving defense attorney and former NYPD officer Jane Smith has no shortage of enemies, any one of whom is more than capable of taking her down at any given moment. Should they miss, though, her terminal cancer will finish her off.

Jane's client, wealthy ne'er-do-well Rob Jacobson, is on trial for the murder of an entire family - dad, mom and daughter. Her investigative partner, Jimmy Cunniff, is an ex-cop as well, and the two are determined to get a favorable jury verdict for their client, no matter how unlikable he is (nor, for that matter, whether or not they believe in his innocence). In between, Jane - whose sister Brigid also is fighting terminal cancer - is training for a biathlon. At that point, I have to be honest and say that while I was impressed with both Jane and Jimmy, the thought of wading through a book that's bound to have an unhappy ending no matter which way the trial goes lost a bit of appeal. But I hung in there - if only because I'm a big fan of both the authors - and also honestly, the story itself began to draw me in. 

An old friend of Jimmy's asks Jane to investigate a similar case that happened about six months earlier - another dad, mom and daughter who were murdered in a similar fashion. Despite the (ahem) trials and tribulations in the courtroom, Jane decides to take on both cases; and that's when the action really starts to pick up. Apparently, someone out there isn't rooting for Jane and Jimmy to win; they're both threatened, and when they don't heed the warnings, the threats turn all too real. 

Scenes shift from the courtroom, where Jane mixes it up with a worthy legal adversary, to what's happening in her personal life to what turns up as Jimmy investigates the relationship, if any, between the two horrific murder cases. Of course, you won't get the details from me, but I will suggest reading it for yourself as I did - even if you're pretty sure in the end you won't like the ending - just because it's a doggone good book. And I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

12 Months to Live by James Patterson and Mike Lupika (Little, Brown and Co., September 2023); 401 pp.

KILLER CHOICE

4 stars out of 5

Quick: Roll up your pantlegs - it's too late to save your shoes! 

I can't count how many times I've said that over the years. And I'm betting I said it at least half a dozen times during the couple of days it took to read this book. At issue, you see, is that only a ton of money - $200,000, to be exact - will save Gary Foster's wife Beth from dying (or more correctly, give her a chance of not dying as soon as she otherwise will). Beth, who's pregnant with their long-hoped-for child, has been diagnosed with a gioblastoma - the same type of brain cancer that took the life of the son of former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife and currently threatens the life of Arizona Sen. John McCain - making this a timely topic. 

But alas, there's no treatment except via an experimental drug found only in Germany; while there are no guarantees, so far the trials have shown positive results. The only drawback? The exorbitant cost. Gary and Beth try everything they can think of to raise the money, but no matter what they do, it's just not enough. Enter a shady character named Otto, who somehow learns about their dilemma and contacts Gary with an offer he can't refuse: Want the money? Commit murder. 

And from that point on, any sympathy I had for Gary pretty much went out the window. I had to wonder if the Fosters were subjected to the current TV commercial for one of those miracle drugs that proclaims, "Who wouldn't want the chance to live longer?" Well, don't be ridiculous; we all would. But at what cost? I know for certain I wouldn't kill someone else to get a drug that might or might not work; and if I were the patient, I also know for certain I would never try to make my husband feel guilty for not doing more to help, as Beth did at one early-on point. And right then, I pretty much stopped feeling sorry for her as well.

As one might suspect, nothing is as simple as it appears - but many of the obstacles in Gary's quest for serious cash stem from what I'd call plain old stupidity. Who in his right mind would agree to the strict terms Otto sets forth, especially when not accompanied by a hefty down payment at the very least? But agree Gary does, and from that point on no matter how fast he shovels, the mud just keeps getting deeper as new turns of events stand between him and the money he so desperately wants. Meanwhile, almost as an afterthought, we learn that the outdoor apparel shop Gary and his brother Rod operate is in serious financial trouble. But honestly, since Rod is a reformed screw-up and I just can't warm up to Gary or Beth, I found it hard to care.

There's no shortage of action, which held my attention throughout as I tried my best to figure out how the whole escapade would end. Not quite so happily, though, I also wrestled with a few other inconsistencies. Wouldn't Beth, for instance, balk at taking an experimental drug without knowing it wouldn't harm her baby? And why did an event venue operator who claimed to have no open dates for months to come offer, just a few days later, a date only two weeks away? Hmmm, guess a few folks bailed, eh?

Oh well, I'll never know. Regardless, overall this is a fast-paced adventure that I read almost in a single sitting - with, as I mentioned early on, a timely topic. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Killer Choice by Tom Hunt (Berkley, January 2018); 352 pp.

THE TUMOR

5 stars out of 5

This short "book" (67 pages) puts the spotlight on focused ultrasound, a medical treatment procedure involving "intersecting beams of high-frequency sound concentrated accurately and precisely on tissue deep in the body..." The noninvasive procedure is in various stages of development for healing more than 50 diseases and conditions such as Parkinson's and tumors of the brain, liver, pancreas and lung.

The goal, no doubt, is to ramp up awareness of the technology and the need to speed up the approval process for more applications and financial contributions toward the cause. In the interests of full disclosure, Grisham's friend and neighbor Neal Kassell, M.D., a neurosurgeon and proponent, founded the Focused Ultrasound Foundation (based in Charlottesville, Virginia), and Grisham is on the Board of Directors. It's equally important to note that the book is free for downloading at various websites including Amazon
(http://www.amazon.com/The-Tumor-A-Non-Legal-Thriller-ebook/dp/B01AUYDNI6).

Incorporating narrative and graphics, Grisham outlines the benefits of the technology and how it has the potential to improve both quality and length of life for cancer patients who qualify for treatment. More information, including a link to a video of Grisham's TEDx presentation, can be found at the Foundation's website (links are provided in the book).

Grisham calls this the most important book he has ever written. I call it highly informative and more than worth the brief time it takes to read it. 

The Tumor: A Non-Legal Thriller by John Grisham (Focused Ultrasound Foundation, January 2016); 67 pages.