4 stars out of 5
I've read - and thoroughly enjoyed - this author's
updates of the late Robert B. Parker's Sunny Randall series. But if he's penned any other in the Jesse Stone series, I missed reading them. That said, I'll make sure it won't happen again. While none of Parker's characters will ever surpass Spenser in my book, Jesse comes in at a close second (admittedly, the casting of hunky Tom Selleck in the TV movies moved him up a notch or two).
Honestly, warming up to this one took some time; much of the first half, at least, seemed more focused on the affirmation - or reaffirmation - of Jesse's relatively newfound sobriety and crazy mixed-up love life than action-filled plot. But then, it took off - and kept going at top speed right to the end.
As this one begins, residents of Paradise, Massachusetts, are celebrating the reopening of the town's historic movie theater; fundraising efforts to rebuild were spearheaded by wealthy Lily Cain, one of Jesse's friends. But the reverie is interrupted by a call from Luther "Suitcase" Simpson, one of Jesse's detectives. A dead man, he reports, has been found near the lake. Further complicating matters is that there's no immediate way to identify the body, but Jesse recognizes him from a recent AA meeting both attended. That, too, is somewhat of a dead end, since AA protocol mandates never revealing last names. After more digging, the only clue is that the man apparently stopped at the Cain family compound not long before he was killed.
Things start to get even more complicated as the welfare and lives of Jesse, Suitcase and Deputy Molly Crane are threatened. Those incidents may be tied to the murdered man, or maybe not; suspicions start pointing to an old rape case that involved young perpetrators who may be looking for revenge. Early on in the investigation, Jesse's on-again, off-again lady friend and investigator Sunny Randall pops into town - taking advantage of a break from the ex-husband she still loves when the spirit moves her to help the Paradise police team get to the bottom of things (and, using her female wiles, help Jesse stay on the wagon).
All in all, another one well done. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-publication copy.
Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise by Mike Lupica (G.P. Putnam's Sons, September 2020); 352 pp.
5 stars out of 5
When I'm reading an especially good book, I have one rule of thumb: If there's 10% or less left to go at bedtime, I stay up the extra few minutes to finish; anything more than that waits till the next day. For this one, I made an exception; with twice that much left, I waved goodnight to my husband without even looking up from my Kindle.
It's got murder, intriguing characters and plenty of action. One of the attractions to me is the setting, a remote Idaho community near Seattle that's home to a large community of religious fundamentalists and faith-healers. They've made peace, sort of, with local law enforcement; but ongoing efforts to strike down the state law that prevents religious leaders and parents from prosecution when they refuse medical attention for sick and injured members have put the truce on shaky ground. Amid this scenario comes teenage Eliza Cook, who seeks out FBI agent Lucy Thorne to confess that she'd murdered a young boy; but after providing a few details - like the location of the body - she refuses to say another word.
Not fully able to believe Eliza's story, Lucy travels to Knox Hollow in hopes of learning more. There, she meets local sheriff Wyatt Hicks, who seems friendly but guarded. While he's willing to offer help, introducing her to the boy's family - members of the religious group - Lucy suspects he may not be telling the whole truth and nothing but. Ditto for other families and leaders of the group (without question, I'd call it a cult). When the investigation reveals more of the community's secrets, Lucy begins to wonder who, if anyone, she can trust.
To be sure, there are things that complicated my feelings a bit - not the least of which is the constant back-and-forth chapters among characters and time frames that's almost guaranteed to give me gas. Here, though, it's done quite effectively - possibly because it's easy to keep the characters straight and the retrospective time periods are for the most part not far from the present. I'd also agree with other reviews I've read that some parts are implausible; I doubt, for instance, the ability of any teenager I've ever known to dream up, much less carry out, anything close to what happens in this story. But for gosh sake, the operative word in a work of fiction is fiction; and as far as I'm concerned, that means not everything has to fall within my real-life credibility.
So for me, this one is a clear winner. Many thanks to the Amazon First Reads program, through which the book was made available.
Her Final Words by Brianna Labuskes (Thomas & Mercer, August 2020); 343 pp.
4 stars out of 5
If ever there was a cozy mystery that's perfect for beach or fireside reading, this may be it. There's nothing really bloody, gory or politically sensitive here, the characters are mostly likable (more on that later) but yes, there's a murder. It's short enough that motivated readers, bolstered with a couple of gin-and-tonics or hot chocolate depending on the season, should be able to polish it off in one sitting. And if you like it, good news: It's the first in a series.
As for me, I can't say I absolutely loved it; if I'm limited to a one-word description, I'd choose "cute." Even though a murder is involved, there's very little police interaction or meaningful investigation on the part of the main characters, and not once was I on the edge of my seat. My primary attraction is that one of the two leads, Gwen Franklin, just retired as an English teacher. Since I'm married to one of those, a 33-year veteran, and our daughter is less than a handful of years away from retirement and our granddaughter will be starting her first year this fall (in what manner remains to be seen because of the COVID-19 pandemic) I figured I could identify.
Gwen is an interesting, down-to-earth person, although she talks way too much about what I'll call her "classroom demeanor," leading me to believe she probably wasn't truly fed up enough to retire. But she's also got a long-time bestie named Nora Goldstein, who earned most of her extensive wealth by divorcing several husbands (and is constantly on the lookout for the next one). Even though her "good heart" is emphasized many times, the bottom line is that Nora is loud, obnoxious and irritating. Her Spandex outfits and stilettos reminded me way too much of Lulu, the office assistant in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series - which, I should note, I stopped reading after 20-or-so books mostly because of Lulu's outrageously silly behavior.
As the story begins, Nora is conjuring up a dog-walking-sitting business, and she's decided that pal Gwen should (no, make that will) be her partner. It'll be called Two Sisters Pet Valet Services, she decrees, and Gwen decides not to rock the boat even though she's highly allergic to dog and cat dander - another reason I can relate to her. Quickly, they decide they'll need a helper if they're to avoid the dirty clean-up work; enter Brent, one of Gwen's former students, who can best be described as an amusing dolt. As bad luck would have it, when they return to Nora's ritzy apartment for the perfectly brewed coffee that readers are reminded often is a must among residents of Portland, Oregon, they find a dead woman on the otherwise pristine kitchen floor. Turns out she and Nora have a long-running feud, so of course Gwen wants to make sure Nora doesn't become a serious suspect. On the other hand, the woman was in the apartment uninvited - so how do they know the killer didn't mistake her for Nora?
The story moves along well in spite of Nora's overbearing nature and penchant for any man who gets within 10 feet of her; it is Gwen who notices most of the "clues" and follows up in her best Agatha Christie-loving fashion. All told, it sets the stage well for the next book in the series, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.
Doggone Dead by Dane McCaslin (Lyrical Press, August 2020); 183 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Boy, what a collection of psychologically damaged and downright dangerous characters! The only two worth saving for another go-round are lead characters, Birmingham, Major Investigation Division detectives Kerri Devlin and her new partner Luke Falco. And to be clear, they've got their own background baggage (plus Kerri is in the midst of fighting with her ex-husband for the love, and custody, of their daughter), so even they don't get a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Needless to say, not all the characters make it past this book except Devlin and Falco - this is, after all, the first book in what I presume will be a series. Despite (or maybe because of) their flaws - I dare you to mention any series character who doesn't have any - I enjoyed my first "meeting" with them both and look forward to their next adventure. This one begins in the middle, sort of, with what I'll call a fatal blunder on Devlin's part. Backpedal to 10 days earlier, when she reluctantly meets Falco, who has a reputation for being incorrigible. Her boss makes it clear she's stuck with him, though - at least for the time being.
They're called to a grisly murder scene where they find two bodies; a woman known to be living there is missing. Turns out the dead man is filthy rich and from one of the most politically powerful families in Alabama. As the investigation progresses - with precious little to go on at first - we meet Devlin's sister Diana, her husband and daughter, their mutual friend Jen, and Devlin's daughter (the latter a teenager who's caught up in her parents' divorce and is playing it for all it's worth). We also see what's happening from the perspectives of other rich folks, including the dead man's parents and other of the city's power players. Not surprisingly, at some point, all become suspects.
Eventually, the clues begin to form patterns that lead to the culprit's identity. But as that happens and the bodies pile up, Devlin and Falco encounter unexpected obstacles as well as information that could totally upend - or maybe even end - Devlin's own life. All in all, it's the beginning of a solid series - and a great choice for an Amazon PrimeReads monthly offering.
Trust No One by Debra Webb (Thomas & Mercer, August 2020); 427 pp.
5 stars out of 5
As a frequent reviewer of soon-to-be released books,
mostly from authors I've never heard of before, I'm always amazed at how good they are. It's rare, in fact, for me to give less than four stars out of the maximum five. Here and there, though, I try to work in something from a favorite author, usually one from a favorite series - like this one.
And it is then that I realized the difference between good and, well, as perfect as a book can get. The writing is superb as always, and it doesn't hurt that it features Israeli spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon, who's held the No. 1 spot on my all-time book "hero" list ever since he was written into existence.
It starts off with a shocker: The Pope, a good friend of Gabriel, is found dead. The official line is that he died of natural causes, but another of Gabriel's long-time friends, an archbishop and personal secretary to the Pope, thinks otherwise and asks Gabriel to meet him in Rome to discuss the matter. Among the topics is a not-so-secret organization called the Order of St. Helena, which is comprised of ultra-conservative Catholics, including some who live and work as Vatican higher-ups. Also on the agenda is the presumed existence of a priceless historical book - one that could hold the power to bring the Catholic church to its knees. Needless to say, Gabriel is intrigued; despite his beautiful and talented wife Chiara's misgivings about his giving up hard-earned vacation time, he agrees to at least look into things.
Of course, nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Before long, Gabriel is up to his unusually green eyes in a dangerous endeavor, for which he asks for help from the crew from his Israeli agency (always happy to see their appearance together with more-than-usual involvement from Chiara). The action part seems a little slower and, to a degree, less physically dangerous than usual, but then let's face it: after 19 other books, Gabriel isn't exactly a spring chicken anymore and has the good sense to avoid potentially life-threatening confrontations when possible.
Be advised, too, that the story has a political bent; if you believe the current U.S. leadership represents the Second Coming, or believe every word in the Bible is sacred truth that must be interpreted literally, you may take issue with parts of this book. Neither is an issue for me - and few topics intrigue me more than the history of Judaism and Christianity. Only hunger (my husband's, not mine) that forced me into the kitchen kept me from polishing off this one off nonstop.
The ending brings a bit of a surprise, plus a few hints about what the future might hold for Gabriel, Chiara and their young twins. I'm already chomping at the bit for the next one so I can find out how all that plays out.
The Order by Daniel Silva (HarperCollins, July 2020); 455 pp.
5 stars out of 5
I am not, as a rule, fond of cozy mysteries; give me plenty of blood, life-threatening action and bang-up endings any day of the week. But I'll also say this: There's nothing like a well-written cozy to take the edge off all that gore and angst and provide an enjoyable few hours of reading.
And this is just such a book. Admittedly, I'm new to the series; this is, I've read, the 10th featuring the personable and delightfully unobnoxious Hayley Snow, a food critic in Key West, Fla. I suppose my interest initially was piqued by the setting; honestly, I've never really wanted to visit anywhere in too-hot Florida except for one spot (you guessed it). Maybe it's the Hemingway connection (one of my retired English teacher husband's favorite authors); maybe it's the six-toed cats; maybe it's the chance to be Buffeted by some of my favorite music - I can't say for sure. And I can't discount being able to indulge in one of my favorite desserts, key lime pie.
Of the latter, there's plenty to go around here (although I must admit that after reading the book I'm more enthralled by the key lime martini, for which the author provides a recipe - among others - at the end). For those wondering if they'll be lost starting with a book so far into a series, my answer is an unequivocal no; I had no trouble whatsoever understanding what is going on.
Hayley, newly married to Key West cop Nathan Bransford, is covering some of the food events being held on the island during the tourist-crowded week between Christmas and New Year's. While their houseboat is being renovated, she and Nathan are living with a somewhat kooky next-door neighbor. All that suddenly becomes complicated when Nathan's mother announces an unplanned visit - starting the very next day. She and Hayley have never met, this is Nathan's busiest time of the year and the houseboat is overcrowded as it is. Not the best time, then, for Hayley to witness a nasty incident involving one of the bakery-submitted key lime pies - and certainly not to find a dead body.
Hayley's innate curiosity kicks in, of course, aided and abetted by that of her mother-in-law and their elderly houseboat hostess. Nathan (also of course) doesn't take kindly to their intrusion into the investigation, but readers of cozies know that only serves as an incentive for the heroine to dig in her heels. Will she learn the murderer's identity without putting herself and her friends in mortal danger? Will Nathan forgive his bride for ignoring his advice? You'll just have to read the book to find out. All I'm willing to do at this point is say thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for letting me read and review this very entertaining book.
The Key Lime Crime by Lucy Burdette (Crooked Lane Books, August 2020); 320 pp.
4 stars out of 5
The only thing I'm sure about after finishing this book is
that just about every character in it is a psychologically screwed-up mess. The end brings some semblance of hope for one, but even then, a return to "normal" seems all but out of the question. And while parts of the book - specifically descriptions of a mother and father from hell - were almost horrifying, nothing that happened came as what I'd call a big surprise.
Fern Douglas, a social worker whose angst is off the charts, is heading out to visit her father Ted in Maine. Most of the way there, she kicks around the pros and cons about leaving her sweet, ever-understanding husband and whether or not she should have shared a big secret with him. But all her life, when daddy called, daughter answered - and this time is no exception. Separated from his wife, Fern's mentally antiseptic mother, he claims he needs her to help him pack up his belongings for his upcoming move to Florida.
On the news, Fern learns that Astrid Sullivan has gone missing; this is devastating because she disappeared 20 years earlier, only to be dumped, basically unharmed physically, along the side of a road near her home roughly a week after her disappearance. She'd been kidnapped, she confirmed at the time, but the perpetrator was never identified amid her shaky recollections. In the intervening years, she found herself a loving wife and wrote a relatively successful memoir outlining her kidnapping, which included mention of being kept in a room with a red door and a young girl Astrid calls "Lilly."
Surprise (not!), Fern starts getting sensations and mental images of something similar, prompting her to begin agonizing over whether she may have had some connection to Astrid all those years ago or (gasp!) might even be the girl to whom Astrid refers. Complicating matters (at least in Fern's already mixed-up head is her father; a retired behavioral scientist, now that she's come back home it seems he's keen on continuing the mental "experiments" that became the only childhood stability she ever knew.
Interspersed amid the happenings in Fern's world (which includes reality and musings from her mixed-up mind) are "chapters" from Astrid's memoir, which Fern is now reading for the first time, as well as Fern's recollections of her interactions (or lack thereof) with her own parents. The endings for all the characters were cleverly written - as was the rest of the book - but predictable.
Bottom line, to me at least, is that this is a entertaining book I'd love to have read while basking on a beach which, alas, I was unable to do this season because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As such, my usual reading spot on the sofa had to suffice, though I'm sure I'd have enjoyed it a little more with sand washing between my toes while looking forward to a restaurant chef cooking our dinner. That said, it was hard to put it down (I even stayed up past my bedtime to finish), and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-publication copy.
Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins (Atria Books, August 2020); 317 pp.
