A TIME FOR MERCY

 5 stars out of 5

The law works in mysterious ways - at least in small-town Mississippi courtrooms in 1990. And they're laid out here for all to read and enjoy as local attorney Jake Brigance takes on two very different high-stakes cases. One could earn a ton of money for his struggling practice; the other could get him killed.

The golden goose case pits Jake against a giant railroad company

he alleges was negligent in keeping crossing lights in good repair. The result was a horrible accident that happened - or so Jake needs to prove - because the lights weren't working. Needless to say, the railroad attorneys insist they were working just fine. As the book begins, it looks as if the railroad may be willing to offer a substantial cash settlement with Jake's client - thus allowing Jake to pay his bills as well as those he's racking up defending the client in his other case - one he got [ahem!] railroaded into taking on by the local judge.

It is that case that gets the lion's share of attention. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the cold-blooded murder of his mother's boyfriend. The case is complicated by the fact that the dead guy was a local deputy sheriff - albeit one with a nasty temper and a penchant for getting drunk. Under state law, the boy can and will be tried as an adult; many, if not most, of the town's residents (and most certainly the victim's family and his fellow officers) are fervent in their belief that he deserves the death penalty. 

The more Jake learns, though, the more he believes the charges against his young client aren't warranted. Readers, of course, learn the details of what really happened as well as how Jake and his legal cronies are working out their courtroom strategy. Suffice it to say it's a real treat to follow along - or at least it was for me. I have to say I wasn't totally thrilled with the way things turned out even though it probably was for the best, but I'm encouraged that there is plenty of fodder for the next book in this terrific series (this is the third). Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review it.

A Time for Mercy by John Grisham (Doubleday, October 2020); 465 pp.

THE CIPHER

 5 stars out of 5

This book, the first in a series, was an Amazon First Reads choice that looked intriguing. And you know what? It is. Not only did I enjoy it thoroughly, but I'm now looking forward to the next one.

To be sure, it's on the grisly side; FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera was the victim of almost unspeakable acts done by a serial killer/rapist back when she was 16. She turned out to be the one who got away - but not without a ton of physical and emotional scars. As this book begins, she's jogging on a Virginia trail during off hours and is attacked. She overpowers her attacker, but as tends to happen in these days of instant "news," the whole thing was captured on video and uploaded to the Internet.

And therein lies a problem: Her attacker of many years ago was watching - and now he knows where she is. Worse, he's decided to play some games before he finally recaptures Nina; he'll kidnap others who resemble her, torture and kill them and leave mysterious clues for her to follow in hopes of preventing an attack on yet another victim. Because the clues often contain numbers and symbols, he's dubbed the "Cipher."

But now, Nina has the full power of the FBI behind her - including Dr. Jeffrey Wade, the Behavioral Analysis Unit guy who nearly got her booted out because he thought her judgment couldn't be trusted. He, too, has emotional scars from the nasty ending of another case for which he blames himself, but they've got no choice but to work together. A couple of other capable members join their team - one a cybersecurity expert - so the race is on to identify the guy before he strikes again (or worse, manages to recapture Nina herself). 

I can't reveal more without spoiling things for other readers, but I can say The rest is packed with action as well as psychological analyses for which the BAU is well known. What happens isn't always pleasant, but it sure is exciting. Well done!

The Ciphor by Isabella Maldonado (Thomas & Mercer, November 2020); 332 pp.

BLIND VIGIL

5 stars out of 5

No doubt I sound like a broken record, but I really, really like

this series. The central character, Rick Cahill, is the perfect combination of tough background and no-nonsense approach to his life and his job as a private detective (empathy, perhaps not so much). As this one begins, though, he's having a hard time; he's still recovering from being shot in the face nine months earlier, which, among other things, left him totally blind.

He's not sure where his path will lead next, but given his condition, being a private eye is pretty much out of the question when neither of yours is working. But then he gets a call from old partner Moira MacFarlane, who tells him another old (but now estranged) friend Turk Moldoon wants to hire her to find out if his girlfriend Shay is cheating on him. Moira says she needs Rick's insights when she goes to interview Turk - if the man doesn't seem on the up and up, she doesn't want to take the case.

Turk doesn't seem all that happy to see Rick again, but he's desperate to learn the truth about his girlfriend. Meantime, Rick must deal with his own issues that come with adjusting to blindness and a somewhat long-distance romance with his partner Leah. Soon, though, he's drawn into the case in a way he never expected as Turk finds himself the primary suspect in a murder case. Just about everyone involved, including Moira, think Turk is guilty. But Rick is certain his old friend isn't capable of such an act and sets out to prove it - even if he can't see his own hand in front of his mangled-up face.

Much of the book focuses on how Rick deals with his injuries - and I must say to that end he's got amazing intestinal fortitude (I'm pretty sure I'd just hole up in my house and let the rest of the world pass me by unseen). Rick isn't one to feel sorry for himself, though - at least not when his friend is looking at a lifetime in prison. There's plenty of action, some of which puts Rick's life in danger, all making for a terrific adventure that made me sorry when I got to the end. Thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Blind Vigil by Matt Coyle (Oceanview Publishing, December 2020); 336 pp.

THE PERFECT LIAR

 4 stars out of 5

Right up front, I'll say two things about this book: First, I

enjoyed it thoroughly (even stayed up an extra half-hour to finish it). Second, based on the description I was expecting it to be a chiller-thriller-killer edge-of-seat experience - but that's not even close to accurate.

More than half the book, in fact, is not much more than background information and interaction among the three main characters - Susanne, Dale and Evie - all 40-something women. In truth, I found that interesting in large part because their friendship is somewhat unlikely; Susanne is a rich and beautiful divorcee with a son, Evie is a bit stodgy and plump, and Dale is a lesbian who loves to party down (she's the only one I could see myself spending a couple of hours in a bar with, actually). But get along they do - and when they get a chance to spend a few weeks for free at a fancy-schmancy villa in Tuscany, they understandably don't take long to start packing their bags.

The villa far exceeds their expectations, and sufficient space for everyone is no problem at all. But complications quickly arise in the form of a much-younger Adonis-like Harry, the villa owner's godson who is staying there for the summer on hiatus between graduating from college and taking a job in finance.

Both Susanne and Evie are besotted, but ever-vigilant Dale - who clearly has no interest in a male hottie - is suspicious. Evie knows she's too plain to be a contender (and just in case she doesn't, Harry makes it fairly clear), but Susanne is fair game. Just a couple of Harry's surreptitious hip bumps and a dozen words whispered in her ear later, she's fallen under his spell (and he in her bed, so suffice it to say he exceeded her expectations there as well).

As readers might suspect, though, there's trouble with Harry. His secrets are slowly revealed as the second half of the book gets under way. While Dale learns plenty she doesn't like, her problem at this point is convincing Susanne that she's making a huge mistake. The ending wraps things up as well as brings a couple of surprises (I don't know if a sequel is planned, but the makings for one are here). All in all, well-written and an intriguing plot - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Perfect Liar by Beverley Harvey (Bookouture, November 2020); 315 pp.

YOU BETRAYED ME

 4 stars out of 5

This is a book with no really likable characters, which means

two things to me: First, it's a rare opportunity to root for a bad guy (or gal), and second, I really didn't care who got bumped off.

This is the third in the author's "Cahills" series, but it's my first; that said, I never felt as if I should have known something that wasn't here, meaning it stands alone just fine as far as I'm concerned. The Cahills, for the record, are obscenely rich; most of the remaining family, whose lives are riddled with scandals of various kinds, reside in the San Francisco area. One son, James, is a relatively successful businessman in Washington state; he expects to inherit a bundle of dough at some not-too-distant point. And he is the central player in this book.

Speaking of players, James is an active participant when it comes to romance. As the book begins, he's trying to divest himself of current girlfriend Megan - sister of Rebecca, with whom he (gasp!) had a prior fling. Megan has learned that she's being cast off for Sophia, another young beauty, and she's none too happy. But suddenly, Megan goes missing - and James wakes up in the hospital with fairly serious injuries but no recollection of how he got them. Even when he gets a visit from Sophia, he doesn't remember who she is (or so he claims).

Detective Brett Rivers and his partner, Wynona Mendoza, are charged with solving the case and finding the still-missing Megan. The only sure thing at this point is that they aren't convinced that James isn't faking his memory loss. Megan's sister Rebecca breezes in from her Seattle home - Megan was on her way there when she and her car disappeared - and she's determined to find her sister with or without help from the detectives.

The chase goes on - and on - and it takes several tantalizing directions before the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is revealed. All told, it's an action-packed adventure that kept my mind off political rhetoric for a wonderful half-dozen hours or so. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy to read and review.

You Betrayed Me by Lisa Jackson (Kensington Books, October 2020); 470 pp.

TOTAL POWER

 5 stars out of 5

Tough-guy heroes - you know, the kind who get shot three

times and have one broken arm but still can take down a cadre of well-armed ne'er-do-wells with a length of rope and a pea shooter - always make great characters in my book. But I've never cared much when the action takes place in sandy, desolate and far-off countries like Afghanistan or Pakistan. So it is that for a while now, I've put two of my favorite authors - Brad Thor and Vince Flynn - on the back burner. Recently, I tried again, finishing Brad Thor's latest Near Dark and giving it a 5-star rating. Next up? The latest Vince Flynn - and it gets 5 stars as well.

Of course, Flynn didn't write it; the popular author passed away in 2013. Since then, the legacy has fallen under the pen of Kyle Mills, this being his sixth in the series featuring government-approved assassin Mitch Rapp. Honestly, I haven't read the other five, but if this is any example, he's doing an exemplary job. And this time, he picked a topic that's long been of considerable concern to me personally: the vulnerability of America's electric power grid. It's been speculated by those who know such things that if it were to be attacked in exactly the right (or maybe I should say wrong) way, the fallout (maybe I should say blackout) has the potential to bring the country to its knees.

And that's exactly the plan here. As the story begins, a man who has connections in high places is soliciting help from governments bent on causing harm to the United States; he has the means to put the power grid totally out of commission for the foreseeable future, but he needs the strong-arm help of a handful of willing individuals to pull it off. Meanwhile, Mitch is trying to capture another bad guy - and as it turns out, a bad guy who was on the way to meet up with the would-be grid destroyer. 

The situation ends up taking a turn for the worse, though, and the lights go out. That's bad enough; but with no electrical power, not much of anything works. Not computers, not gasoline pumps, not ATMs and not refrigerators or sewage processing plants. Worse, the powers-that-be in Washington have no plan for bringing the system back to life. Enter Mitch and his crew, who are now charged with (pun intended) doing what the government can't: get to the bottom of the situation before half of the country gets hungry enough to start chowing down on the other half.

Needless to say, it's an action-packed adventure every step of the way, making for a very entertaining and engrossing 380 pages - and prompting my promise to myself not to miss the next one.

Total Power by Kyle Mills (Atria/Emily Bestler Books, September 2020); 380 pp.

THE WITCH HUNTER

 4 stars out of 5

One of the joys of getting my hands on books prior to their release - besides

the fact that they're free, which is hardly insignificant - is finding gems that otherwise would have remained hidden to me. And if in the process my reviews can bring them to the attention of other readers who are of the same mindset, well, that's also a plus.

This one, which dabbles in the occult, falls a titch outside of my comfort zone. Add to it that it's set in Finland, where all the towns and character surnames might as well be Greek to me, and I honestly can't call it an easy book to plow through. But it sure does qualify as one of those above-mentioned gems that I'm happy to have had the privilege of reading. And because it's the first in a new series, I also have the privilege of looking forward to the next one.

Featured here is Jessica Niemi, a sergeant with the Helsinki police. She's called in after the discovery of a dead body - the wife of a prominent author. It's not your run-of-the-mill murder, though; no, this beautiful lady is dressed in a knockout black evening gown, placed at the head of a formal dining table and "decorated" with an exaggerated Joker-like smile.

Not long thereafter, another woman's body turns up - this one buried under the ice near the other dead woman's mansion. It doesn't take long for Jessica and her team to come up with a theory: Someone is copying the gruesome murders from the best-selling "Witch Hunter" series penned by the first dead woman's husband. Visions of the occult begin to appear following the discovery of a Latin phrase on the first victim's rooftop - a reference to a book on torturing and punishing women who are suspected of being witches.

Creepy starts to get creepier as we learn that Jessica, too, has a few secrets (as does her good friend and supervisor, Erne Mikson. And not long after that, speculation grows that somehow Jessica herself may have a target on her back as well.

Will she be next? Well, I'll never say a word, except that finding out kept me turning pages (well, okay, Kindle screen swiping) right to the very end. Kudos to the author, and thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the advance copy to read and review.

The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck (Berkley, October 2020); 400 pp.