ICED

4 stars out of 5

If you're a confirmed reader of this author's books - and/or those of his late father, Dick Francis - do not expect this one to be another standard issue. In fact, it's noticeably different; but once I stopped wondering when the pace was going to pick up and someone was going to get bumped off (somewhere around the 30% mark), I realized I was getting into it anyway. And that continued right to the end, after which I shut down my Kindle and said to myself, "Self, that was very well written and a darned good story."

Basically, it's a canter through the life of Miles Pussett, son of beloved champion steeplechase jockey Jim, who died in a car accident by literally taking the brunt of the crash to save his young son. Miles followed in his father's footsteps as a steeplechase jockey, but due to circumstances mostly beyond his control - including unfavorable comparisons to his late father - he quit. But the thrill of the chase hasn't deserted him; now, he gets his kicks on Switzerland's Cresta Run, where he barrels headfirst down a nearly mile-long ice chute at close to 80 miles an hour with little protective covering.

The story is a little hard to follow in that it shifts in time from his steeplechase time seven years ago to the present, focusing on events that shaped (and continue to shape) the person he's become. And clearly, he's carrying some serious emotional baggage with which he continues to deal. The two periods in his life collide when his former boss Jerry Dickinson cajoles him into helping out by taking one of his two horses for a run and saddling up the other before a race. After the race is over the the horse expected to win doesn't, Miles questions the result and doesn't like the answer he finds, but he also isn't sure what to do about it (if anything).

Mixed in between is a look at Miles's ongoing internal struggles - which includes self-medicating with alcohol - that is handled quite well and puts a spotlight on the important issue of mental health. Miles doesn't always make the best choices, but given his life circumstances, he's doing the best he can. In the end, everything comes full circle that really isn't very surprising (well, the "who" of it isn't - the bad guys and gals are pretty easy to spot early on - but the "how" is creative and, in some respects, downright fun.

So IMHO, it's another one well done - maybe more so because it isn't just another formulaic entry into a series. Definitely worth reading!

Iced by Felix Francis (Simon & Schuster, August 2021); 384 pp.

THE WIDOW

5 stars out of 5

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed many books by this prolific author- so much so that I keep coming back for more. No disappointment this time around, either; she's whipped up another winner in my book.

Kate and Michael are the happy parents of 6-year-old Tansy; their daughter is best friends with Kate and Michael's best friends Donna and Paul (the latter of whom is something of a philanderer). For several years, Michael has worked as the property manager for major landowner Irene Waldbridge, an elderly widow in her 70s with health issues. New to the village is a Polish immigrant Suzy Baros, a single mom who is glamorous and secretive. One tragic day, Michael - who's been acting a bit strangely of late - jumps in front of a lorry and is killed.

Needless to say, Kate is devastated, especially since Michael's death is ruled a suicide. What on earth would prompt him to take his own life? In short order, Kate learns that he may have had even more secrets than Suzy; in fact, he's been tied to her sudden disappearance. The local police, led by Detective Inspector Helena Price, begin to investigate, bringing even more implications that Michael wasn't the upstanding, loving husband and father Kate knew and loved.

But although Kate has many questions that remain unanswered, she vows to get to the bottom of the situation - if for no other reason than she doesn't want her young daughter to remember her dad as some kind of monster. That poses quite a challenge, though, especially since Suzy still hasn't been found and just about everyone else in the town has started shunning Kate in the belief that she somehow knew what kind of person he was all along. There's even speculation that he somehow was involved with the disappearance of Donna's younger sister several years earlier and another male Polish immigrant who's also suddenly gone missing. Mix in questions over the roles, if any, that the nefarious Paul and seemingly innocent Irene play in everything that happened and it makes for an exciting adventure I really hated to put down come bedtime (and in the end, I stayed up another half-hour or so just to get it finished). Thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Loved it!

The Widow by K.L. Slater (Bookouture, November 2021); 182 pp.

VANISHING POINT

4 stars out of 5

This is the fourth in a series featuring Detective Megan Carpenter, but it's a first for me. I had no trouble following the story, though I suppose I'd like to have learned more about Megan's deeply troubled past (which no doubt was detailed in previous books). This one begins as Megan and partner Ronnie Marsh are informed that a husband has called in to report his wife and son missing. But almost from the git-go, the husband, Ben Parker, becomes the prime suspect; he and his missing wife have a history of domestic violence (he recently moved out), and he has a beautiful girlfriend. Worse, he tells lie after lie to the police.

Therein, I think, lies my only "issue" with the story; led by Megan and Ronnie, both of whom are convinced that Ben is guilty, set out to prove themselves right rather than seriously investigating others as, to me at least, is required of professional law enforcement officers. On the other hand, almost no one else likes Ben, either - including his filthy rich father, who literally owns an entire island. When Ben's girlfriend turns up dead, well, the case against Ben grows even stronger.

As in any good police procedural, few things are as they seem - and the race to find the missing mother and son (as well as who, if anyone, kidnapped them) and whether or not, or to what extent, Ben was involved provides for an engaging adventure right to the end. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read a pre-release copy.

Vanishing Point by Gregg Olsen (Bookouture, December 2021); 341 pp.

FALLEN ANGEL

4 stars out of 5

I've read two other books in this series - this is the 13th - and enjoyed them. The main characters, Sheriff Jenna Alton and her professional and personal partner, David Kane, are likable, skilled people with intriguing, secretive backgrounds who are, well, fun to read about. So naturally, I was looking forward to diving into this one. But for several reasons, this one doesn't quite measure up.

On the plus side, the story itself held my interest from beginning to end. The setting is an expansive mountaintop resort in the middle of winter, at which a convention of current and would-be writers, agents and publishers is happening. Alton and Kane are here to follow up on a gone-missing report of one of the most successful agents; they hang around after her dead, frozen body is found in a pond near her chalet. Also onsite is another familiar character, Medical Examiner Shane Wolfe, who is accompanied by his two grown daughters Emily and Julie - both of whom play major roles this time out.

As they and other members of their team work toward narrowing down suspects - not an easy task given the well-known nastiness of the dead woman - another victim turns up in an under-construction chalet, together with a clue that ties the two murders together. Given that blizzard conditions prevent all but emergency comings and goings, it becomes clear that the murderer is in their midst; and when yet another body gets zapped, they realize they're dealing with a serial killer.

Everyone, including Wolfe's daughters, get their heads together to speculate on the killer's motive in hopes of preventing yet another ugly incident. As a team, they all work well together - even honoring professional responsibilities during a spat between two lovers that would make a junior high student cringe - but the killer's identity remains elusive. As an aside, though, I had to wonder why on earth Kane is sometimes called "Uncle Dave" and other times "Uncle Kane" by the girls - like, who calls an uncle by his last name)? But hey, maybe that was explained in a previous book.

In between "regular" chapters, readers get the musings from the clearly deranged killer himself (or herself - the investigative team realizes that the methods of death could be accomplished by either sex). It is here, too, that readers learn the killer has set sights not only on a select list of victims, but on a team member as well. Can the good guys and gals figure out who the culprit is before the unthinkable happens and one of their own goes down for the count? 

As this exciting race to the finish plays out, it's clear that pains are being taken to keep readers guessing whether the killer is male or female. That process, sorry to say, triggered one of my grammar hot buttons: Pairing a plural pronoun with a singular antecedent. An example (my words): "I saw someone get off the elevator, but I didn't recognize 'them'." No, no, a thousand times NO (which has to be close to the number of times it happens in the book, which is why I'm compelled to mention it; once or twice I could overlook). That took a big bite out of my enjoyment of this book, although I still recommend it to others because it's a well-thought-out, interesting story. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Fallen Angel by D.K. Hood (Bookouture, November 2021); 232 pp.

DARKNESS FALLS

5 stars out of 5

After thoroughly enjoying the first two books in this series, I was chomping at the bit at the opportunity to dive into this one (thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the advance review copy). And once again, I wasn't disappointed. Kate Marshall, who recently started a private investigation business in England, is in her best sleuthing mode, with lots of help from her personable partner, Tristan Harper. Business isn't exactly booming, so they're both delighted when they get a call from Bev Ellis asking them to tackle a cold case: the disappearance of her journalist daughter, Joanna Duncan, a dozen years earlier.

Kate also owns a bunch of caravans - which if I'm correct is what we across the Pond call trailers (as in trailer park) - that bring in some money but need to be cleaned regularly. For that, she's hoping her grown son, Jake, will take charge when he comes home from college in a couple of weeks. For now, though, she and Tristan concentrate on their new case and start looking for clues, beginning with people who might be holding a grudge after Joanna did an expose on a local government official that resulted in losing his seat. It was, after all, just a couple of weeks after that when Joanna went missing. Willing to pay for the search is Bill, Bev's rather wealthy partner for many years, with whom she's now living.

Eventually, clues - some found in evidence boxes Kate has obtained from the police from their early-on investigation - turn up some names that lead to connections to the gay community, which seems to proliferate locally, both publicly and in secret (the latter mostly among married men who frequent gay bars and hire "rent boys" on the sly). As their investigation continues, though, it takes an even more sinister direction: the possibility that Joanna's disappearance isn't a one-off, but rather another in a string of serial killings by someone who isn't a stranger to the local community.

All in all, another entertaining adventure from beginning to end with very likable characters who are easy to "root" for. Bring on the next one - I'm ready already!

Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza (Thomas & Mercer, December 2021); 304 pp.

THE ARCHIVIST

4 stars out of 5

If I had to describe my impression of this book in a single word, it would be pretentious. As a journalist/editor, I was taught never to use a $20 word when a 50-cent one would do. Right from the git-go, this rule-of-thumb got turned on its head and never righted itself throughout the 700 pages (yes, I had to look up several words, the meanings of which I couldn't discern through context alone). Also off-putting to me is the length; with the exception of the Harry Potters, a couple of James Micheners and a Stephen King or two, anything more than 400 pages and I'm inclined to run the other way.

So all that said, I was surprised at being drawn in almost from the beginning and even more shocked when my enthusiasm grew as the pages trudged on. Even before the halfway point, in fact, I just didn't want to put it down, and for a book of this length, I finished it in record time.

At the heart of the story are two professional archivists - Nadia Fontaine and Emily Snow - both hired to organize the "papers" of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Raymond West at his alma mater, Regents University, where he's also a professor. But at different times; Nadia, who came first, drowned while surfing, deemed an accident by police. Emily followed, chosen because of her expertise and the need to finish Raymond's collection in time for the opening of the $25 million upgrade to the college library's eighth floor, where the collection will be housed (also, hopefully, coinciding with the announcement that Raymond has won the year's Nobel Prize for literature). Of even more importance, though, is that those big bucks are coming from none other than Raymond's starchy wife, Elizabeth - so stepping on toes by anyone on the library staff, in particular the Special Collections Department, is, well, frowned upon.

As Emily starts to make sense of her predecessor's work and assess what still needs to be done, though, she notices that several items that should be in the collection are missing. But why? Were they simply mislaid, and if so, where? Or were they deliberately removed, and if so, why? Aided in secret by her closest friend at the library, Joel, Emily gains access to what's called the "Dark Archives" - and tumbles headlong into evidence of a torrid love affair between Raymond and Nadia. That puts Emily in sleuth mode, trying her best to get to the truth about the missing papers and Nadia's untimely death.

At almost every juncture, she gets pushback from the library powers-that-be, all of whom seem intent on stopping her from throwing a monkey wrench into the plans for the library makeover and embarrassing the college and Raymond's wealthy wife even though they have no idea how much she's already learned. Even Emily isn't totally sure what it all means, but she's convinced that no matter how the chips fall, Nadia's story - as recorded by both Nadia and Raymond - needs to be made public despite the family's wishes. That, in turn, brings Emily's ethics into serious question and, ultimately, threatens to destroy not only her career, but her very life.

In the interest of full disclosure - and other readers' sensitivities - I will note that the book has plenty of graphic sex (culled from Nadia's super-detailed accounts of her trysts with Raymond). Also, I'll hope that Moleskine and Societe paid for the extensive product placement (if they didn't, the companies darned well should ante up for all those mentions). I'd also concede that the story could have been told in fewer pages by leaving out what some might deem irrelevant details (such as descriptions of clothing, where and what a character ate and drank). From my perspective, though, those details help shape the story and add substantially to character development (in other words, I'm fine with it). Finally, I think this could be a great motion picture or, maybe even better, a TV series.

All that comes together to make a very enjoyable, thought-provoking and at times scary tale I'm really glad I took the time to read. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Oh, and for the record (which I'm including only on my book blog here), one of the main reasons I requested this book is the author's name - much the same as when I first read the Joe Pickett series by C.J. Boxx. My maiden name is Pickett, and I have a cousin on that side of the family named Rex (different last name, but close enough for horseshoes).

The Archivist by Rex Pickett (Blackstone Publishing, November 2021); 700 pp.

TERMINATION SHOCK

4 stars out of 5

This is a book with an important message, but by no means can I call it an easy book to read. For starters, there are way too many characters, several of which go by different names part of the time, and too many different location settings to make things very confusing if you don't pay close attention. Couple that with more than 700 pages, and well, getting through the whole thing requires serious commitment.

That said, though, it's worth making the effort, especially if you have an interest in climate change. It takes place in the post-COVID but not-too-distant future, when the world is reeling from the effects of global warming. Everywhere are scenes of impending doom, like devastating, land-altering floods, superstorms and infestations of critters like feral pigs (yes, you read that correctly). The story centers around groups of people from different countries who are seeking ways to rectify (make that survive) the dire situation. At the beginning, the Queen of the Netherlands is on her way to Texas when a storm forces a crash landing of the airplane she's piloting. On her way to meet up with some kind of secret conference with a wealthy Texan who may have devised a way save humanity, she must keep her true identity secret.

The rest follows several characters on their journey toward save-the-earth enlightenment, which includes the awareness that whatever solution is found may help some, but at the expense of others. Obviously, there's much more action and food for thought going on here (at 736 pages, a lot more), but I'll keep those details to myself so other readers can discover them firsthand. My thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson (William Morrow, November 2021); 736 pp.