A LONESOME BLOOD-RED SUN

4 stars out of 5

I've read three other books by this talented author and looked forward to checking out the adventures of "Bone Detective" Dave Beckett in this series - of which this is the second installment. Honestly, neither he nor the story grabbed me much till at least halfway through, but after that, my interest picked up and I enjoyed the rest of the ride. It helped to learn - albeit after the fact - that most of the adventures are based on the author's real-life experiences in law enforcement.

Basically, Beckett, a homicide detective in San Bernadino County, California, has earned a reputation for noncompliance with the rules - even to the point of writing his own. For years, he's gotten away with his offbeat, borderline illegal words and actions, mostly because he also gets his man (or woman) - or at least more often than the other detectives in his department. Still, his antics are enough to try the patience of Job (and certainly didn't endear him much to me). The plot is a sort of compilation of his adventures and misadventures over four or so years, centering primarily on the father he barely got to know, his emotionally disturbed partner and his attraction to a pretty female officer named Judith "Jimmie" Poe. Throw in his own penchant for shooting himself in the foot (usually after loading the gun himself), and you've got a real mishmash of back-and-forths that at times can be a little hard to follow (or, in some instances, really care much about).

Eventually, though, it all comes together with a gruesome find unearthed - literally - by a local dog. The rest of the story isn't much less gruesome, but it does bring closure of at least one major case that pretty much assures a follow-up. Will I? Yes, I think - if for no other reason than to see what beat of whose drum this guy will follow next time out. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the pre-release review copy of this one.

A Lonesome Blood-Red Sun by David Putnam (Level Best Books, October 2023); 333 pp.

HOLLY

5 stars

As a big fan of this author, I was surprised that I really don't recall much about Holly Gibney, the central character in this book. But I sure am now, and by golly, I'm looking forward to reading about her again. These days, she's a private investigator in her agency, Finders Keepers, and she's got her work cut out for her here when she runs up against murderers whose tastes, shall we say, are rather unusual.

There's a fair amount of background included, though, so readers with memories like mine won't be left in the dark. The story takes place amid the early emergence from Covid-19 restrictions - in fact, Holly's own mother recently died of it and her agency partner, Pete Huntley, is currently in quarantine after contracting it - so no surprise that Holly is super-careful and the subject is an underlying theme throughout (also no surprise given the author's well-known stance on the subject). But when Penny Dahl asks Holly to find her daughter Bonnie, who's been missing for three weeks, she overcomes her reluctance and takes on the case. 

Meantime, her young friend Jerome Robinson, who helps with investigations, is hoping for success with a book he's written, and his sister Barbara, Holly's good friend, is doing the same with her poetry. The latter effort brings her in contact with married couple Rodney and Emily Harris, mostly retired professors at a local college. Now in their eighties, they still get around better than most their age, in fact, but for a very sinister reason that - you guessed it - ties in with Holly's investigation. Readers, though, get the benefit of seeing things from all angles as chapters shift from the perspectives of various characters, prompting us to keep turning pages and chew our nails the closer we get to the end (a more appropriate reference than you'll know till you read the book; and while on the subject, please know that I'll never look at liver and onions the same way again).

My bottom line verdict on this book? As expected: scary, gross and thoroughly delightful.

Holly by Stephen King (Scribner, September 2023); 464 pp.

ROBERT B. PARKER'S BROKEN TRUST

5 stars out of 5

Of all the characters in the late Robert B. Parker's arsenal of books, Spenser is - by far - my favorite. And in the years following Parker's death in 2010, I've continued to read (and for the most part enjoyed) those that were carried on by other writers (all of whom, for the most part, did admirable jobs). But now, a favorite author has tackled Spenser - and I couldn't be happier.

Much of that comes because the others never quite got the hang of Hawk, Spenser's sometime sidekick; in some of the books he was conspicuous in his absence, and I always suspected that was because it was so hard to find Hawk's "voice." This time, though, it rang true (well, as true as it can get minus Parker himself). It also hits a timely topic as Laura Crain, the wife of the world's sixth richest man - and an acquaintenance of Spenser's longtime main squeeze, psychologist Susan Silverman - walks into Spenser's office. Her hubby Andrew, she claims, hasn't been himself lately and she wants to know why. His longtime business partner, Ethan Lowe, is honchoing a major merger with a Canadian company - one that could push the combo into the financial stratosphere (or possibly in the opposite direction).

But with the ink on Laura's retainer check barely dry, disaster strikes; now Spenser is even more intrigued and, like a dog with a bone, doesn't want to let go of the case. As his investigation progresses, he gets to interact with old friends from the Boston Police Department and frenemies who are not - plus, of course, the aforementioned Hawk - all of whom should be familiar to loyal readers of this series. For details, though, you'll just have to read the book. Already, I'm chomping at the bit for the next installment, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the privilege of reading and reviewing a pre-release copy of this one.   

Robert B. Parker's Broken Trust by Mike Lupica (G. P. Putnam's Sons, November 2023); 400 pp.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, SH!T WENT DOWN

5 stars out of 5

Back in the dark ages, I took History 101 as a required course in my college major. The elderly professor, bless his pea-pickin' heart, did nothing except read from the textbook during every. Single. Class. I hated it so much that when the class was over, I ran to the registrar's office and changed my major (yes, really!) to one that didn't require another history class. What struck me most as I got into this book, then, was if this author had been my history professor, well, chances are I would have spent quite a few years teaching typing and shorthand to high school students instead of working as a university administrator.

And oh, it's not just the history part - even though the events, organized by month, are interesting, well laid out and more than occasionally chuckle-eliciting. Rather, it was the fun of learning from someone who proclaims that "those who cannot remember the past need a history teacher who says f*uck a lot." Truth be told, I was hoping to learn some new words here, but that ended up being only one (no, I'll never tell). Besides that, his promise of "no shortage" of hate for a certain orange-haired former U.S. president was nothing short of endearing to me. A word of advice: if either of these revelations bothers you, don't even bother opening this book.

It is, alas, nearly impossible to write a review of this book without spoilers; so the best I can do is offer a few insights and examples of what's between the pages. As I mentioned earlier, specific events in history are highlighted by month - some of which are quirky things you (and definitely I) somehow missed in formal history classes. Others add finishing touches that, arguably, should have been included in what we did learn; others just illuminate the importance of those we did.

I learned, for instance, how the term "gerrymander" came to be (hint: it was named after a real person). That Gutenberg wasn't the first to invent the printing press. That Grace Hopper, close to age 80, was the oldest active-duty commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy of either gender. That Jack Ruby was, technically, innocent of killing Lee Harvey Oswald. Intrigued? You should be. If you want to know more, go read the book. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to indulge in exchange for an honest review.

On This Day in History Sh!t Went Down by James Fell (Bantam, October 2023) 432 pp.

THE NIGHT OF THE SLEEPOVER

4.5 stars out of 5

I've lost count of the number of books I've read by this author, and while I've enjoyed some more than others, of course, I've never been disappointed. This one follows in that fine tradition - ending with an unexpected twist and the promise of a sequel (the latter by the author in his acknowledgements).

At a sleepover at one of their homes, three youngish girls - Leah, Jasmine, Victoria and Harriet - crawl into their sleeping bags after a night of chatter, consuming copious slices of pizza and even more copious glasses of vodka-laced drinks. The next morning, one wakes up - only to find three other empty sleeping bags. Now, some 20 years later, what happened to the girls remains a mystery and the only "survivor" - Leah - has moved on to get married (and divorced) and have a 14-year-old son. What happened that night, though, continues to haunt just about everyone in town - especially the missing girls' parents and relatives like Esther, now a lawyer and Victoria's sister.

Enter Owen, younger brother of the missing Jasmine. Now a filmmaker of sorts, he's returned with his team determined to make a documentary on the disappearances that he hopes will turn up evidence that will lead to the truth. Leah, of course, is on his list of people to interview; her first one doesn't go well, but quickly, it gets worse: she gets an email warning her to do whatever it takes to stop Owen's project.

Chapters switch from the present to days before, during and after the sleepover so readers get gradually more insights into the girls' lives and what might have happened on that fateful night. One of the biggest questions, for instance, is how Leah was able to stay asleep while three other people somehow got up and left the same room? And was Leah's father - a not-so-upstanding citizen who's about to be released from prison - involved in any way?

In the end, of course, everything is resolved - though probably not quite in the way most readers will expect. Overall, it's an engaging read - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy.

The Night of the Sleepover by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, October 2023); 287 pp.

OBSESSION

4 stars out of 5

Although I've never considered myself to be a big fan of ex-CIA operative Teddy Fay (at least not in comparison to the related Stone Barrington series), this one is in my mind the best of the lot so far (it's the sixth). Teddy, who by most accounts is considered to be dead, is trying hard not to be resurrected and takes on the persona of three different characters (yes, his ability to switch identities so quickly without anyone suspecting defies rational thought), so it's sometimes a little hard to keep them all straight. But somehow, it works.

The story takes place primarily in and around Santa Barbara, California, where Centurion Pictures and a Croatian billionaire are close to a deal on a joint venture. Centurion is owned by Ben Bachetti, and a film starring Mark Weldon - one of Teddy's alter egos - is being directed by Peter Barrington (both names will be familiar to readers of the Barrington series so I won't bother with details). Early on, the billionaire's wife is kidnapped, and Teddy agrees, under one of his other identities, that his "friend" (secretly the real Teddy) will try to rescue her. Meantime, another bad guy has the hots for Ben's dazzling model wife Tessa, and his quest to win her over turns from stalking to something way more threatening.

The rest of the story follows those two themes all the way to their conclusions, with plenty of action - and a lot of help from familiar friends including Stone - along the way. One hallmark of both series is that it's rare for any of the main characters to meet an untimely end - at worst, one might get roughed up a little - so I and other readers can stay on the edge of our seats without biting our nails to the quick. While situations certainly get serious and there are several casualties of war, so to speak, things tend to work out in the end, as they do here. All in all, it's another enjoyable romp and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. 

Obsession by Stuart Woods and Brett Battles (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2023); 315 pp.

INCENTIVE FOR DEATH

4 stars out of 5

Two things struck me after I finished this book: First, I really enjoyed Washington, D.C., homicide investigators McDermott "Mac" Burke and Oliver Shaw (just don't call him Ollie) and hope to read more books with them as the stars of the show. And second, if the repetitive parts of this one were weed-whacked, the book probably would be half as long. By the end, it got very tiring to have the detectives regurgitate every detail of the case they're working on to every new character they meet.

That out of the way, though, I found the plot unique and timely. While I'm aware of the practice of selling large life insurance policies at a discount to get cash now (somewhat akin to reverse mortgages), the possibility of hastening the deaths of the sellers to boost profits never occurred to me.

But apparently it did to the company in question here, although it took a while for Mac and Oliver to suspect what was going on. When a local hot-shot lawyer is found dead in his office, it appeared to have happened by natural causes. A closer look, though, reveals a tiny prick on the man's neck - and the medical examiner (an astute one, to be sure) suspects he'd been injected with horse tranquilizer succinylcholine, once famously though erroneously touted as a "cure" for COVID-19, which dissipates in the body too fast to be identified after death.

That prompts Mac and Oliver to look a bit deeper, and that's when they learn the victim recently sold a substantial life insurance policy to one of the so-called viatical companies. That, in turn, leads to the discovery that this dead guy is neither the first nor only victim who met an untimely death shortly after selling a policy. But who's behind it all? Ah, therein is the substance of the rest of the book. Mac and Oliver get a ton of expert assistance from co-workers and long-time friends; even Mac's ex-wife Maggie Hampton, who actually still lives with him from time to time and may or may not be working for a clandestine U.S. government agency, gets into the act.

But time is of the essence; once they learn about the other victims, they realize that unless the killer(s) are stopped, more are sure to follow. Whether they prevent that from happening - and how - is up to other readers to find out; I'm not gonna tell. Now, I'm looking forward to reading another installment - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review this one.

Incentive for Death by James Spoonhour (Oceanview Publishing, October 2023); 417 pp.