THE PLOT

5 stars out of 5

In and of themselves, ideas cannot be copyrighted. So if you write a story or book with a plot that someone else simply claims to have thought of first, you're likely on pretty solid ground. But what if that someone shared his or her idea with you - even jotted down several pages of notes - and then unexpectedly died? You're positive it will be a best-seller if it's fleshed out, and in your heart of hearts, you know it's a story that begs to be told. If you do the telling, though, are you stealing? 

Such is the overarching question behind this mesmerizing book. It actually happened to Jacob Finch Bonner, who's had a couple of relatively nondescript books published but is hoping one day to hit the New York Times best-seller list. A student in one of his college writing seminars, a total jerk named Evan Parker, describes the book he's sure will be a winner, and Jake (secretly) agrees. Later, when Evan dies, Jake is faced with a decision: Publish, or let the story perish?

Rationalizing that, as previously mentioned, ideas cannot be copyrighted and this is a story that must be told, Jake chooses the first option. And by golly, he was right; in short order, he becomes a writing sensation, landing on that coveted list and and Oprah's book club choices. Although he now must deal with his publisher's expectations for a follow-up book - one he knows can't possibly live up to the wild success of this one - for now, he's relatively content to enjoy the fruits of his (and Evan's) labors. That is, until he gets an email that tells a different story: You are a thief.

Needless to say, he sees his now-stellar career in shreds, but on the other hand, he doesn't want to admit that he got the idea (and maybe more) from someone else. Now, he sets out to find who wrote that message - which in short order turns into many more, some even posted on social media. In the middle of it all, he marries Anna, his love from across the country (he's in New York, she's got a successful job directing podcasts in Seattle). Not wanting to worry her, he rationalizes, he keeps his so-far secret between himself and his publisher.

The rest of the book details his search to identify his accuser and learn more about Evan as well as his struggles to write another book and keep his new marriage on solid ground. Interspersed are chapters taken from the book he wrote - the one he "stole" from Evan - and reading these builds awareness of what the story behind the story really is. I must say the first third or so of the book is a little slow, but trust me, once it gets going you won't want to put it down. Although I did guess early on who might be behind the whole mess, I had absolutely no idea the hows or whys, making the ending one that quite literally made me gasp.

In short, if any book deserves to be on that NYT best-seller list, this is it. Many, many thanks to the publisher for sending me an advance copy to read and review. Wow!

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Celedon Books, May 2021); 317 pp.

THE HUNTING WIVES

3 stars out of 5

Okay, what are the chances that five conniving, sex-obsessed and downright demented women would end up in the same dinky Texas town? Not great - and therein lies the first hint that this story won't ring any credibility bells (and sorry, Texas - I know there's nothing dinky in the Lone Star State). But in another way, I'm glad it happened; I'd hate to spoil five different towns with these lunatics.

The worst of the lot is Sophie O'Neill, who with her perfect husband and perfect son moved from bustling Chicago to Mapleton, Texas. There, she finds peace - for maybe a New York minute. Bored out of her mind, she gets a glimpse of the second worst of the lot, Margot Banks - a richer-than-God socialite who hates her equally rich husband and loves the secret cadre of "girls" who meet regularly to target shoot and drink their way into oblivion. It's heavy on the latter; I'll wager that none of these women could pass a sobriety check at any point in the story. It's their other activities, though, that tend to be problematic.

For her part, no matter how much she tells herself she shouldn't go with the flow, Sophie just can't seem to say no. Maybe it's the thrill of the chase, or maybe she's just a nut case; but in any event she's so infatuated with Margot that she allows herself to be swept up in everything the woman suggests. Screw up her own marriage? A real possibility - but she'll chance it and go along just this once. And another once. And another - until a murder happens and Sophie finds herself in a mess that, of course, is not of her own making (she really, really didn't realize what was going on and she really, really wanted to stop, don't you know)?

Those who enjoy their stories on the salacious side should love this book; it's got just about every combination possible among humans, some in fairly explicit detail (to those who aren't into that kind of thing, consider this a warning). The whodunit ending is a slight surprise, but then long before that I'd pretty much had my fill and was hoping they'd all get bumped off or put in jail. Bottom line? Not my cup of tea, although technically it's well written and the plot is well thought out. Still, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb (Berkley, May 2021); 368 pp.

THIEF OF SOULS

4 stars out of 5

This was a bit of a challenging read for me, but through no fault of the author. It takes place in China - a country about which I know very little - at least before I finished this book. It was hard to keep the characters straight (China, it appears, has several common names like Smith and Jones are in the United States). But the star of the show, Inspector Lu Fei (this is the first book in a series about him), was easy to remember and like as he grapples with life and work in a sort of backwoods town despite being a highly trained police officer. And the exposition - plus little snippets of wisdom from Chairman Nao Zedong - bolstered the story and helped me learn more about the country.

Most crimes in Lu's little town are minor, until a young woman is found with three major organs removed and sutures similar to an autopsy. Because those three organs - lungs, heart and liver - have been associated with spiritual or mental attributes, one theory is that the killer was trying to "steal the soul" of the victim. Other clues, though, such as a pair of expensive Loubutin high heels that appear to have gone missing, lead Fu in other directions, no matter where or to whom they lead. But while Fu would be happy to handle the case by himself and his department, higher-ups insist on getting involved because of "weiwen" - in today's China, stability always takes precedence over public safety.

Still, he remains intent on finding the killer - especially when he turns up links to previous unsolved murders. But going where needs to go puts himself squarely between Communist Party leaders for whom corruption is the order of the day, resistence from bosses whose only goal is to solve the crime quickly and sweep the whole thing under the rug. There's a fair amount of action - some of which puts Fu's life on the line - before the story ends.

An enjoyable read overall, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg (Minotaur Books, May 2021); 281 pp.

THREE DREAMERS

5 stars out of 5

As a die-hard fan of mystery/thriller/detective books, I admit I'd never, ever have picked it on my own. It is, after all, a memoir about three women who played major roles in the author's life: His grandmother, his mother and his wife - nope, definitely not my thing. But having read and absolutely loved two of the author's books featuring NYPD cop "Tank" Rizzo, I just didn't have the heart to say no when the publisher offered me a pre-release copy of this one to read and review. Oh why not, I said to myself - it's short.

Now I've finished - and that there wasn't more is the pity. What an eloquent yet simply written tribute to three very different women - with memories and heartfelt emotions pouring off every page from happy to sad to downright chilling. And as I read, the words triggered the same emotions in me; I chuckled, I got angry and yes, I teared up. But don't confuse emotional with sappy; this is a straightforward, honest report, if you will, on who these women were and how the person the author is today came to be because of, or in spite of, having them in his life.

In many ways, the three women couldn't be more different; Nonna Marie, a lifelong resident of an island just off the coast of Italy, is everything we non-Italians envision an Italian grandmother would be. Forgiving and unforgiving depending on the circumstances, her love for the author - who visited during many summers as a young boy - was boundless. Her stories of life during World War II were both raw and inspirational.

Contrast that with his mother, Raffaela, who did and said things to her son (in concert with and apart from her husband) that no child ever should be subjected to. Herself a victim of abuse, she didn't hesitate to make her son a whipping boy and blame him for her plight; yet throughout it all he knows that, in her way, she loved him. Admittedly, this was hard for me to read - as it was, I have no doubt, difficult for the author to write.

Last but hardly least is his wife of three decades, Susan. They met when she was a successful editor and he a struggling but up-and-coming writer; they stuck together through thick and thin until she died of lung cancer in 2013. Clearly, she was the love of his life - and the most important champion, in my mind, at least, of his becoming the successful writer that he is. Returning full circle by bringing his and Susan's children to his grandmother's grave after their mother died, he says, provided the inspiration for writing this book. To be sure, it's a special one - and in my opinion, he did all three women up proud (as, in their own ways, they did for him). A wonderful and inspirational book I highly recommend.

Three Dreamers by Lorenzo Carcaterra (Ballantine Books, April 2021); 240 pp.

THE FINAL TWIST

4.5 stars out of 5

This action-packed adventure, the third in a series featuring Colter Shaw, begins as the self-described "reward seeker" is trying to follow clues left by his late father, Ashton, a well-educated man who, with Colter's mother Mary Dove and their children, left mainstream life to opt for a survivalist existence. Over the years, Ashton fought against what he considered to be corrupt corporations, including one named BlackBridge Corporate Solutions. One of that company's employees, it seems, not only turned up evidence of some kind of serious wrongdoing, but stole it; that man, now dead, apparently hid that evidence and Colter hopes to find it.

But almost before his investigation gets started, Colter is attacked by some very bad guys; on the verge of being killed and bringing the series to an abrupt end, he's saved at the last minute by a man who turns out to be his brother Russell. That comes as a total shock to Colter, who hasn't seen or heard from his brother in more than 10 years. The two of them meeting up after all this time and getting to re-know each other (well, as much as their secretive lives will allow) is a big part of the story that follows.

As all this is sorted out, Colter gets an assignment on his day job, which basically is a finder of missing persons; in this case, it's a daughter who's gone missing. The reward money is minuscule - the mother can scrape together $1,750 at most - but he sympathizes and agrees to take the case (thus providing a secondary storyline for the book). Most everything else is action, all underscored by flashbacks to the intense, hard-core survival training the brothers got from their late father. 

So what prompted me to give this book fewer than the five stars I gave the other two (The Never Game and The Goodbye Man)? Because for the first third or so it somehow felt disjointed - like I was missing something and couldn't quite figure out what. But then I realized it's been a while since I read the previous book - and if I'm honest, I have to admit that because I read so many books in a given year (141 in 2020), once I reach that final page and finish writing my review of any given one, I've forgotten most of what was between the pages. The good news is that I went back and reread those earlier reviews, and most of what I was reading now became much more clear. My advice, then, is this: If you haven't read at least one of the first two books in this series, do it before you tackle this one. You won't be sorry, because they're both terrific.

In the end, this one, too, is an exciting, well-written tale with an entertaining plot and intriguing characters that left me looking forward to the next installment. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-release copy to read and review.

The Final Twist by Jeffery Deaver (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2021); 416 pp.

NO GOING BACK

4 stars out of 5

As a longtime and now mostly retired journalist, I can't say I relate well to Sawyer Brooks, an up-and-coming investigative reporter at the Sacramento Independent. Physically and mentally scarred from years of abuse - like her sisters Harper and Aria - she's lugging around baggage that tends to get in the way of her job (which, while I sympathize with what she's gone through, shouldn't be the case in the real world). But hey - this is fiction, so it is what it is.

This one, the third in the series, puts the sisters' mixed-up emotions to the test. Sawyer is working on a story about a female vigilante group dubbed the Black Wigs, whose mission is to avenge the men who abused them (unlike readers, with no idea how what she finds may impact her own life). Now there's a new murder in town which appears to be a similar conquest, but there are differences that make Sawyer suspect there's something else afoot. A copycat, perhaps?

The police don't believe Sawyer, nor do they want her help - which of course just makes her even more determined to get to the truth. She also runs afoul, at least in the beginning, of a co-worker who has years of experience and wants the Black Wigs story for herself. They end up, as my late mother would say, holding hands to keep from fighting - reluctantly joining forces to split the glory. Meantime, murders keep piling up as Sawyer tries to figure out where her relationship with a co-worker is going (if anywhere), her sister Harper seems to go off the rails despite having a loving husband, a couple of kids and another on the way and sister Aria, always a loner, surprises herself by letting go of some baggage that has kept her from forming meaningful relationships.

There's no shortage of action right up to the ending - I was always on the alert to see whose lights got knocked out next, how and by whom. The ending itself wasn't exactly satisfying to me (I'm not much of an "end justifies the means" kind of person). But in the context of this story, and the complexities of these characters, it probably was the only way to go. It also raised the possibility of a new direction for the series - I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-release copy to read and review.

No Going Back by T.R. Ragan (Thomas & Mercer, May 2021); 283 pp.

PROJECT HAIL MARY

5 stars out of 5

Right up front, I'll tell you there's one thing I didn't like about this book: Almost from the git-go, I couldn't get my mind off the possibilities for how it would end - and not a single one sounded appealing. Also in my mind was this: How do you top two previous stellar (pun intended) books by this author - "The Martian" and "Artemis?" Honestly, I'm not sure which of the three I loved the most, so I'll just go the advice of Stephen Stills: Love the One You're With.

And boy, did I ever. Mind you, I'm both math- and science-challenged, and the MacGyver-like musings and calculations by science teacher Dr. Ryland Grace by and large were Greek to me. No matter; thanks to a winning recipe of writing and storytelling - liberally sprinkled with humor - it was easy to figure out what the good doctor's intentions were (well, enough to know to hold my breath during the let's-hope-this-works parts and cheer wildly when they did).

The story begins as Grace wakes up in a mental fog, in a strange bed, connected to tubes and besieged by a computer that spits out questions to which he can't recall the answers. Slowly, the fog lifts - and he realizes he's in a room with two dead bodies in some kind of container somewhere in outer space. But he still can't remember his own name, much less how he got where he is and why.

As reality sets in, chapters flash back and forth to his pre-mission days - letting readers in on pre-launch events as well as the task it's hoped he can complete (let's just say it involves preventing the extinction of a very important planet). Along the way, of course, his memory starts to return, ushering in an awareness he'd rather not confront. And just when it seems all is lost, both emotionally and physically, an impossible-to-not-love stranger appears on the horizon who just happens to be stuck in a dire, and eerily similar, situation.

What happens from then on takes up the rest of the pages, and trust me, there's never a dull moment. Even though I'm itching to spill the beans, I can't get more specific without revealing too much, but I will say it's quite an exciting journey that evokes all kinds of emotions from gasps of fear to sighs of relief. Put another way, it's a book not to be missed. Many, many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. 

Oh, and those possible endings? Well, the real one wasn't even on my radar. Read the book and you'll understand.

Is good, question?

Tears in eyes, fist-bump: No. Is perfect.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Ballantine Books, May 2021); 496 pp.