THE GHOSTWRITER

5 stars out of 5

When I first started to read this book, my heart sank. What a fine mess this one will be, I said to myself. Here's a character - Olivia Dumont - who has spent an entire life trying to escape someone who treated her miserably. But now, she suddenly capitulates when that despicable someone offers the potential for a bunch of money. Granted, she's broke and may lose her house, but still - do I, a person who traces her unwaivering support of strong women back to the '60s - really want to spend my precious time reading about someone who has no backbone?

But I sucked it up and dove in; after all, I'd accepted a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review, and I take that obligation seriously. Well, let me tell you this: insofar as everyday life would allow, once I started I didn't stop till I'd finished, even giving up my hotly guarded "me" time an hour or so before I hit the sack just to git 'er done. Like Olivia's decision to do her estranged father's bidding or not - and the jury's still out on that one - the story itself (and the expert crafting thereof) was irresistible. In fact, I'll go so far as to say this is one of the best books I've read so far this year.

The someone from whom Olivia has been estranged for years is her aging father, Vincent Taylor - a highly successful writer of horror novels who is dying of Lewy body dementia. Something like 50 years earlier, his two teenage siblings, brother Danny and sister Poppy, were found brutally murdered in the family home. The killer was never identified and the case long since went cold, but most of the locals believed - and still do to this day - that Vincent was the killer.

Before he dies, he wants to write a memoir that outlines what really happened. And since he's incapacitated he wants his daughter, a highly accomplished ghostwriter, to do the actual writing, using only a copious manuscript he's compiled combined with personal interviews. But at this point his memories, even those he's able to recall, are highly suspect - and as Olivia well knows, Vincent is known for his nefarious, manipulative ways and, of course, his ability to craft works of fiction. Is what he's sharing with her this time the truth?

From that point on, readers learn of Olivia's relationship (if you can call it that) with her father as well as flashbacks to what was going on prior to the event that changed the entire family's lives forever - all building up to an ending that will, for many readers, be a bombshell (I'll say only that I had an inkling, but suspecting and knowing are, of course, two different things). In any event, I'm left with the recollection of reading something quite special. Highly recommended!

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (Sourcebooks Landmark, June 2025); 359 pp.

BADLANDS

4.5 stars out of 5

Make no mistake: this is one of my favorite series, and even if it weren't, if I've ever passed up an opportunity to read anything written by either (or both) of these super-talented authors it was an accident. So why only four-and-a-half stars? Simply because the subject matter, while extremely interesting (I can't imagine the amount of research it must have taken to write the book) it crosses just a hair over the line of credibility for someone like me who is certain my late parents lied and I really was born in Missouri.

Still, except maybe for that one part that encompassed only a couple of pages, I loved it. And I'm pretty sure other fans of the series will love it as well. If nothing else, it once again brings together New Mexico FBI Agent Corrie Swanson and archaeologist Nora Kelly - both interesting yet very different characters. That happens following the discovery of a female skeleton in a remote section of the Navajo Nation badlands - a woman who appears to have been there all alone of her own volition. She'd inexplicably shed her clothing in the terrible desert heat, but she had with her a pair of extremely rare stones Knowing Nora likely would know more about them, Corrie solicits her advice; as it turns out, Nora is more than intrigued - and at that point, let the adventure begin.

Intrigued by the stones, Nora takes her younger brother Skip to meet Edison Nash, the wealthy dude who owns the two known stones. They take an immediate liking to one another - and bottles of expensive tequila - but Nora worries that Nash may have acquired some of his extensive collection of artifacts by not-so-legitimate means and could be a negative influence on Skip. While that's going on, Corrie's team identifies the woman's body and finds a connection to a local university professor and his loyal group of accolytes - most definitely worth checking out, especially since the professor seems to have disappeared. To confuse matters even more, yet another body is found in the badlands - another female who died under almost identical circumstances.

Many more strange discoveries later, everything comes crashing together as Skip and his new best bud go missing and Nora and Corrie head out to find them. Needless to say, everything from that point on I read from the edge of my seat - until I lugged my Kindle to bed just because I wasn't about to wait till morning to finish and that seat edge was getting uncomfortable. It was definitely worth the loss of a little sleep, though, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to tag along on this latest ride. I'm ready for next adventure, in fact, so bring it on soon, please!

Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Grand Central Publishing, June 2025); 368 pp.

A DEAD DRAW

4 stars out of 5

Admittedly, for one reason or another I've missed at least a couple of books in this series - this is the eleventh - and for those I missed I'm sorry just because I enjoy them so much. Tracy Crosswhite, a detective in the Seattle Police Department's Cold Case Unit, is more like an old friend than a character in a book; I'm warming up to her husband, prosecuting attorney Dan O'Leary (their young daughter, Daniella, doesn't get anywhere as much page space as her parents, but she sounds adorable.

This one touches - no, make that pounds - on an old nemesis - the man who murdered Tracy's sister Sarah years earlier. As Tracy interviews Erik Schmidt, a nasty sort whom Tracy believes murdered two girls in one of the cold cases she's trying to heat up, believes Sarah's killer to be some kind of hero. Needless to say, that does not endear him to Tracy. 

But any charges against Schmidt go poof in the night following an evidence screw-up, and he makes it clear he's out to get Tracy. What follows is a whirlwind chase (in both directions, as Tracy tries to get to Schmidt before he can get to her and her family), plenty of head games and an action-packed finish. In some ways, Schmidt is almost too ingenious to be believed, but it makes for a fun  adventure anyway. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to be part of another exciting installment by way of a pre-release copy.

A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer, May 2025); 373 pp.

FDR DRIVE

4 stars out of 5

New York City Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nora Carleton, at least for me, wasn't an immediately lovable character when I "met" her in the first book of this series (this is the third). But by now, I enjoy her so much that I'd be delighted to sit, chat and have a beer or two with her (accompanied, hopefully, by her investigator Benny Dugan, whom I adored from the git-go).

With Nora are her mother (who, BTW, has a particularly special love interest) and young daughter Sophie. The plot centers around a wildly popular radio show host/podcaster who makes Paul Harvey sound like a flaming liberal. Samuel Buchanan is known for singling out specific people he believes are so far left that they'd fall off the earth if it were square, but even coming from one of those flaming liberals like me, so what? He's got a right to speak his opinion. Except, perhaps, when those people he names turn up dead almost immediately after he singles them out. That's the challenge for Nora and her team, then - to convince a judge Buchanan should face trial and, if that happens, offer up enough evidence to get him convicted. Meanwhile, the police - some of whom are Nora's good friends - will try their best to find who's actually committing the murders.

It all adds up to an intriguing (not to mention timely) situation, making the pages fly by. Admittedly, I'm a fan of legal thrillers, so anything that happens in a court of law always gets my undivided attention. At times, I'll admit I felt a bit "talked down to" with explanations of things that really didn't need explaining, but on the other hand, making sure everyone who reads the book fully comprehends what's going on isn't a bad thing. Along the way readers get an up-close-and-personal look at the workings of the legal system as well as a closer look at Nora's personal life (complete with an event that bodes well for the next book in the series).

And speaking of that, I hope another one will be forthcoming soon. Meantime, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review this one. Well done once again!

FDR Drive by James Comey (Mysterious Press, May 2025); 334 pp.

FLEX YOUR FEELINGS

5 stars out of 5

When I requested this book, it was mostly because I've been a student of psychology most of my life; so much so, in fact, that my undergraduate degree is in the subject. Little did I know, however, that the direction my life would take at the time I started to read it would bring a few much-appreciated insights. Those life events, alas, also meant I was late in finishing and reviewing the book - a pre-release copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, for which I'm thankful (and very apologetic). But now I've finished, and with a little help from the book, I'm working to get my personal life back in order once again.

For openers, while it's easy to read, this isn't what I call a "pop-psych" book; you won't find cognitive distortions like "stinking thinking" or "analysis paralysis" (although I'll give the author, a clinical psychologist, points for tidbits like, "You only need to get up one more time than you fail"). Rather, she outlines seven steps for achieving emotional fitness: mindfulness, curiosity, self-awareness, resilience, empaathy, communication and playfulness. And she follows that up with a discussion of why we need to get better at each and presents specific steps for getting there.

That doesn't mean it will be a walk in the park. As she puts it, "Every single thing you want in your work and personal lives lives on the other side of discomfort." Examples taken from her personal experiences as a therapist are helpful, and exercises make it easier to put the suggestions to work in your own life so you can become, as the book description suggests, the best leader, entrepreneur and human you can be. At the end are resources like related books and the author's sources that back up what's in each chapter. I certainly learned from it, and I'm sure other readers will as well.

Flex Your Feelings by Dr. Emily Anhalt (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2025); 288 pp.

TOM CLANCY LINE OF DEMARCATION

5 stars out of 5

The late play-by-play announcer at a local high school's football games was known for his occasional on-air promotion: " Buy a program - you can't tell the players without a program." Well, as is customary with the Clancy books, this one begins with a list of players. And I'm here to tell you that it really didn't matter much. Even with that list, it was almost impossible to tell the good guys and gals from the bad except for the "stars" of the show.

Another hallmark of the series, of course, is nonstop action. Here, you can't catch a break for a second - starting with an opening salvo fired - with dire consequences - at a U.S. Coast Guard cutter on patrol near oil rigs off the coast of Guyana. It is an act that, depending on politics, diplomacy, negotiations and who's willing to start a war, has the potential to rock world order. 

A perfect setting, then, for Jack Ryan Jr., son of U.S. President Jack Ryan, and his band of brothers and sisters who work both the "white" and "black" sides of their company, Hendley Associates. As the story unfolds, Jack is plying his "white" side activities (meaning legitimate business) in nearby Georgetown, looking to land an export license from the Guyana government - totally unaware of the Coast Guard cutter disaster - when he runs into a situation involving some really nasty characters that requires him to hang around and ply his considerable "black" side skills.

Chapters shift from one scenario to the other - the oil rig involving U.S. security forces at the highest level - and before too long (as most readers will suspect) it becomes clear that the two situations are connected. Still, the danger is real; Jack's life is in danger, as is that of one of The Campus's most accomplished undercover agents and Jack's fiance, Lisanne (also a top agent). As I mentioned at the beginning, it's pretty much nonstop action as usual, but that's a large part of what makes this series so good. As for me, I'll heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done once again!

Tom Clancy Line of Demarcation by M.P. Woodward (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2025); 396 pp.

SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS

4 stars out of 5

Okay, this one's pretty creepy. I'm not a huge fan of the paranormal just because I have to put my "scientific" brain on hold; on the other hand, I can't totally discount the possibilies. I guess what that means is I got quite a kick out of this book once I decided to just go with the flow.

It starts off innocently enough; after his grandmother dies, teenager Billy Hasler's best friend David Spivey inherits her Wood Island home off the coast of New Castle, New Hampshire (apparently granny wanted to bypass her daughter, David's mother). What a great place to hang out, the boys assert as they gather friends together for some pre-college partying.

But in books like this, nothing is as it seems. To be sure, the house isn't; and all too soon, it becomes evident that none of the people associated with the house aren't, either. There are quirky house "rules," appearances, disappearances and reappearances and tons of things that go bump in the night - all signaling a danger that no one understands nor want to believe.

But this story isn't mine to tell - it's for other readers to discover just as I did. And once I get my head back to some semblance of normal I'll thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get creeped out by way of a pre-release copy. If "yikes" is your style, don't hesitate to give it a go.

Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker (Hampton Creek Press/Simon & Schuster, May 2025); 492 pp.