CALICO

5 stars out of 5

No matter what the topic or genre, I'm always up for reading any book by a guy who's one of my favorite authors.That said, it pays to pay attention: had I noticed the genres in which this one is included (e.g., Science Fiction and Time Travel), I wouldn't have been quite so perplexed when it turned out to be quite different from what I expected. But once I got into the groove, I was hooked - and I marveled that anyone could come up with such an intricate plot that doesn't have holes in it large enough to drive a spaceship through (and happily, one that leaves the door open for more to come).

It's hard to cough up a review without spoiling things for other readers, but the story centers on homicide detective Beth McDade, who managed to land a job with the somewhat remote San Bernadino County Sheriff's Barstow Station after being dumped from the LAPD for doing something that comes naturally once or twice too often. These days, she spends a bunch of time at a local pub called Pour Decisions (gotta love it) but solving crime not so much. That changes when she's called to the scene after a screaming man ran right into a van driven by an elderly couple on their way to Las Vegas (an accident; they were sent on their way). But the dead guy has no identification; a bigger mystery, though, is why he's wearing clothing from the 1800s and is in poor health. But wait, there's more: not long afterward, construction workers unearth human bones that are quite old - except for the titanium implants in the elbows. Whoops!

As Beth and local coroner Amanda Selby try to figure out what's going on, readers get the full monty by way of chapters that provide timely (or maybe I should say untimely) insights into the past. By the end, of course, everything comes together, complete with a twist I sure didn't see coming. The whole thing is entertaining and kind of mind-blowing, and for sure I'll be watching for the next installment. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the privilege of reading a pre-release copy.

Calico by Lee Goldberg (Severn House, November 2024); 415 pp.

THE CABINET OF DR. LENG

5 stars out of 5

Spoiler that's not a spoiler: Prepare yourself for a doozy of a cliffhanger. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy a ride that will take you - together with mysterious FBI agent A.X.L. Pendergast, his beautiful ward, Constance Green and his occasional investigative partner Lt. Vincent D'Agosta - back to a time, and a deadly nemesis, they'd all prefer to forget.

Actually, there are two other stories here, broadening the appeal and giving extra page time to D'Agosta and Special Agent Armstrong Coldmoon, both of whom will be familiar to followers of this series (of which this is the 21st). D'Agosta finds himself cooling his heels in a New York museum, where a body was found frozen in one of the preservation rooms - clearly not an accident. Coldmoon, who transfers to the Denver office, gets called in to investigate the murder of a prominant Lakota artist on the Rosebud Reservation. Pendergast, understandably, is distraught that Constance has left him - faithful readers will recall her exit in the previous book, Bloodless - and he's painfully aware of where she's gone and why. She hasn't asked for his help - in fact, she would be irrevocably upset if he gave it - so he must proceed with caution if he proceeds at all.

The whole thing is, obviously, very other-worldly, but I'm sure those who have been following the stories will "get" it. Providing more details on what happens and how wouldn't be prudent on my part, so I'll just say it's well-thought-out and a delight to read. And oh, did I mention a doozy of a cliffhanger? Extra thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this pre-release copy. Next, please? And soon?

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Grand Central Publishing, January 2023); 416 pp.

THE PARADOX HOTEL

5 stars out of 5

Back when I was a teenager and Jeff Bezos, much less Amazon, wasn't even a gleam in his mother's eye, science fiction was my favorite genre. Dogeared paperbacks by Bradbury, Orwell and Heinlein were all over the house (who could afford hardbacks)? This book, coming to me in the form of a prerelease review copy - thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley - brings back much of that early interest in time wrinkles and such, but with a twist: Even though it's set in 2072, a lot is relevant to today, when Kindles and virtual wallets are taken for granted and billionaires tout cryptocurrency,  excursions into outer space and elimination of fossil fuels. In fact, climate change has taken a toll here, obliterating Florida and New Orleans, and there's talk of colonization on other planets. The latter isn't being taken too seriously, even with the prediction of an estimated two generations of life left on earth; instead, guests at the Paradox Hotel enjoy taking trips to long-ago periods using the nearby Timeport. Heck, there's even a shop in the hotel that rents costumes appropriate for the destination.

January Cole used to be a guide on these tours, making sure paying guests follow the rules and don't do anything that could alter something that happens in the future. Now, she's chief of security at the hotel, taken off the job that she loved because she's become an "Unstuck" - the term for a person for whom the present isn't always present. She can see things no one else can, and that's not a good thing; the condition will only get worse, the end stage being an vegetable-like existence until her body gives out. Her big challenge as the story opens is maintaining control over a very important conference; the hotel, owned and managed by the government, is losing money, so the plan is to sell it off. To that end, a group of four trillionaires are gathering to place bids - and not surprisingly, security is a nightmare.

But concurrently, a blizzard is rolling in so time travel bookings, flights and transportation services are shut down; nobody can go anywhere. Worse, January finds a dead man in her room - except no one else can see it, so she's pretty sure he's the victim of a murder that hasn't happened yet. She also sees someone who has died who was once very close to her, but she doesn't dare reveal that lest she be sent away never to see her again. In the midst of all this, clocks start going screwy, electricity flickers, and January's drone, Ruby, gets flustered from time to time (pun intended) for no apparent reason. Something's going very wrong, but no one can, or wants, to believe January because of her shaky mental state. She sets off to investigate, but she can't do it alone so faces still another challenge: Who can she trust when she can't even fully trust herself?

All that said, let the action begin as she fights to keep her job amid a trio of smuggled-in prehistoric critters, fighting among guests who demand only the best accommodations and unsettling visions of the past and future. As I suspected from the beginning, this is a very complex, but thoroughly entertaining, story that's action-packed but requires more than a little concentration to fully comprehend (which, IMHO, is well worth the effort). And if you're like me, strains from "Hotel California" will run through your head almost from the first page. For a big Eagles fan like me, that's not a bad thing, but for others, forewarned is forearmed. And to this very talented author, thanks for rekindling an old passion.

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart (Ballantine Books, February 2022); 336 pp.

THE FUTURE IS YOURS

4 stars out of 5

My best suggestion after finishing this book? Don't read it right after you've smoked a joint. Heck, don't even try it after you've had a couple of beers. It's mind-boggling enough without any outside help.

That's not to say I didn't thoroughly enjoy it - truth is, the story is highly thought-provoking and tantalizing; if you could see a year into the future, would you look (especially knowing there's nothing you can do to alter what you now know happens)? On a much larger scale, if this kind of technology were possible today, what would it mean for the U.S. military (to know who won the war or who is secretly (until now) building up a nuclear arsenal? International relations (which of today's friends will be tomorrow's enemies)? Or how you treat your mother-in-law now that you know she won't be around for Christmas next year?

On a basic level, the story tracks the progress of The Future, a high-tech business started by college friends Ben Boyce and Adhi Chaudry. The actual technology, beyond having heard the term "quantum computing," was beyond me - but once I got the gist of what was happening, it simply didn't matter. Ben is the outspoken motivator and public relations guru; Adhi is the socially shy mastermind behind the technology. Their goal is to launch their company, which builds and sells desktop-type units that allow end users to link to their futures - and for all intents and purposes (including raising tons of start-up money), they'll be off and running right on schedule.

But there's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip, and once the secret gets out, opposition rears its questioning head in the form of government investigations not unlike today's quibble over the pros and cons of social media. All that is woven throughout using emails, text messages, blog posts and even Congressional testimony that shifts in time to create one of the most unusual book formats I've ever read (not to mention sort of freaky, but by golly, it works). Needless to say, I couldn't wait to finish; I can't say much more about the plot without giving too much away, but the ending brings a surprise that, given the rest of the book, really shouldn't have been.

Extra kudos for originality and entertainment value - and thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Future is Yours by Dan Frey (Del Rey, February 2021); 352 pp.

FRANKLIN ROCK

5 stars out of 5

Despite a few misgivings about starting this book - it's clearly outside of my usual blood-and-guts, head-games mystery/thrillers - I dug in just because it was offered to me by the publisher. Now that I'm done, I'm having a little trouble describing it. While I think more about how to proceed, I'll say this: It was entertaining, enlightening and overall, a true "feel-good" delight that, as the official description suggests, is reminiscent of Forrest Gump.

Basically, the story follows the title character, a gifted college undergrad student, as he tries to figure out his purpose in life - especially meaningful since he experiences flashes of being "transported" to other times. Early on, he gets help from mentor and professor Charles Niemeyer who, when he dies, leaves Franklin only with a mysteriously blank book titled Franklin Rock: The Man Who Fixed the World.

So it is that Franklin sets out to try to find his destiny, not knowing whether he'll find it in his "real" world or through sudden meetings with notable characters from other generations. He gets more help from an elderly cancer patient, college bookstore manager Lori Constantine and a rather strange character known as Govinda, who seems to understand what Franklin is all about and is willing to guide him in his journey.

For the record, I admit I had a few reservations along the way. Would the story, I asked myself, end up taking on a decidedly religious bent? After all, anytime you pair time travel and parallel universes with the possibility of "we'll all be together again" and guidance from some sort of supreme being, it's not unreasonable to think that's where it's headed. To be sure, that's hinted at here and there, but the author does a great job sidestepping any commitment thereto and leaves those kinds of decisions up to the reader (and Franklin). If nothing else, the whole thing was food for thought presented in a tasty manner - not a bad thing as we all head into the Christmas holidays amid a devastating and seemingly relentless pandemic.

In short, I'm glad I read it - and I don't hesitate to recommend it to others (yes, even to my blood-and-guts loving friends). Well done!

Franklin Rock by Mark E. Klein (Greenbriar Publishing, January 2021); 352 pp.