WHAT MY HUSBAND DID

5 stars out of 5

It's rare for me (as I suspect it is for most other readers) to have the luxury of reading a book at a single sitting. It's even more rare for me to actually want to do that. Such was the case here; I was hooked from the git-go and, had it not been for a husband who depends on me to feed him at least once a day, I'd have plowed straight through.

Early on, we see 12-year-old Alice getting into a car driven by Richard - the husband of Maddy, in turn the mother of a college-age daughter. Nothing to get excited about, really, except that soon thereafter, the girl is found near death in a remote area of Leavensfield, England, the small but rather snobbish community in which Richard and Maddy live. To make matters worse, Richard - a university lecturer - didn't come the night Alice was found. Nor did he show up the next night, and Maddy's text messages and calls go unanswered.

Almost everyone in the community turns against Maddy, presumably figuring she was somehow aware of what Richard did (and may have even helped him do it). Meanwhile, she wrestles with a childhood event that left emotional scars (a few interspersed chapters let readers in on what happened back then). And then, Maddy gets a sign that fills her with both hope and dread; which one wins out is the stuff of which edge-of-seat experiences are made.

I can't say I was totally thrilled with the ending - nor was I very fond of the catty, shallow residents of Leavensfield - but whole thing certainly made for an exciting adventure with plenty of twists. Highly recommended, and many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

What My Husband Did by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, November 2020); 360 pp.

KILL CHAIN

4 stars out of 5

Gotta be honest: Before I got an invitation to read and review this book, I'd never even heard of main character Pascual Rose. In part, that may be because he hasn't been heard from in quite a few years. Apparently, the former terrorist turned on former colleagues and, for the past two decades, has been living under the name of Pascual March (also apparently, Pascual must be a very common name in the Barcelona area, where he now makes his home. Otherwise, surely he would have changed his first name as well).

But the premise was enticing, and now that I'm finished I'm glad I said yes to this one. In many ways, Pascual isn't a very savory character, but over the years he's acquired a very talented woman (whom he did not marry) named Sara and a now-grown son, Rafael. Rather solidly ensconced in his new identity, lifestyle and work as a freelance translator, he's quite upset to get a text that will change the course of his life, and most likely not for the better. Two rather shady characters ask him to help them pull off a scheme to "move" an enormous amount of money into various bank accounts in exchange for one million euros. Oh yes - in case that's not enough of an incentive for him to say yes, there's a threat that if he doesn't, Sara and/or Rafael may suffer the consequences.

Left with no choice, Pascual agrees; but soon, things get even more complicated as other unsavory characters make appearances - from German intelligence agents who'd love nothing more than to nail him for old activities to Russian agents to whoever's really behind what essentially is an extremely high-stakes money-laundering caper. Confounding the matter is that Pascual isn't exactly at the top of his game anymore, so he needs to depend on other people who may or may not have his interests at heart.

The very complex plot takes him to several countries and puts him up against several adversaries (both known and unknown), with the action picking up considerable steam as time to close the deal - and Pascual to remain alive - start to run out. For sure, it held my attention all the way.

Kill Chain by Dominic Martell (Dunn Books, October 2020); 280 pp.

BIG KIBBLE

 4 stars out of 5

Two major takeaways came from reading this book. First, the industry that bags, tags and cans the "stuff" people give their dogs for dinner needs some serious regulation to make it way healthier than it is. And second, I wish the people who are telling the world about this travesty didn't have a dog in the fight.

But do not misunderstand: Even though the authors' company is in the business of selling freshly cooked "real" dog food and in direct competition with the corporate giants whose practices they're exposing, this is an important, well-researched and documented book. In fact, nearly 15% is devoted to notes and research citings, and I don't hesitate to say it's one that every pooch owner - or "pet parent," as the authors prefer to call them - should fetch, sit and read. I'll also assume that cat-lovers like me who consider puppies akin to grandkids - they're cute for an hour or two but I'm happy to see them go home - can infer that the same applies to the the feline feed industry (and for that matter, pets of any kind like ferrets, horses and pot-bellied pigs). But since the authors - and something like 63 million U.S. households with pets in residence - are dog-lovers, it seems like an a good place to start.

And trust me, it's an eye-opener; I learned a lot, most of it unpleasant to say the least. The rules and regulations of the industry - from start to finished products - haven't changed much since the early days. It's important to note that for regulatory purposes it's still considered "feed," not "food" - and still made from tons of ingredients you'd never for one second consider putting in your own mouth. And to that end, the authors make a good point: If we wouldn't eat it, why would we want to feed it to the doggies we love and treat as family members? 

Another important point they make is that quality does not increase with price (or at least not appreciably). Some of the blame, they say, has come by way of industry consolidation; to that end, there's a list of which companies own which brands - and that basically boils down to six conglomerates. As for oversight, infractions of what regulations exist rarely are enforced by meaningful punishment.

Industry history and practices are outlined in great detail and comprise most of the pages, but that's not all; there's a helpful section on nutritional needs for dogs, some of the FAQs from the company's website (the most common of which is, "Can my dog eat popcorn?") and even a section of recipes for the do-it-yourselfers out there. All in all, well done - and thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Big Kibble by Shawn Buckley and Dr. Oscar Chavez (St. Martin's Press, December 2020); 320 pp.

SERPENTINE

 5 stars out of 5

Psychologist and police consultant Alex Delaware and LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis have been friends for so long they can finish each other's sentences. I've been trailing them around for just as long, enjoying their interaction as they solve sometimes complicated murder cases, that I probably could finish them as well. And this - the 36th book in the Delaware series - doesn't disappoint.

This time, though, it's a cold case that falls - make that is shoved - into the lieutenant's lap. Why now? Apparently, a very wealthy woman is demanding that the case be reopened; she's convinced that a woman who was shot, pushed over a cliff in her car and burned beyond recognition 36 years earlier is the mother she never knew. A couple of subsequent investigations revealed nothing, and the hope is that Milo will work his usual brand of magic and find out what really happened.

Any investigation of this sort means delving into family matters, and it soon becomes clear that one of her dearly loved relatives may have some connection to other suspicious deaths. Also quite clear, though, is that someone living in the present really doesn't want an investigation to proceed. The trail leads over, under, around and through the streets of Los Angeles (with plenty of territorial description and stops to eat along the way) until it comes to a surprising end. 

All told, it's another very enjoyable foray into the world of Alex and Milo - made even more enjoyable by occasional appearances of Alex's main squeeze, expert guitar-builder/repairer Robin. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy!

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, February 2021); 368 pp.

THE WELL OF ICE

4 stars out of 5

This is Book 3 of the author's Inishowen mystery series, and the first for me. And I must say that overall, I enjoyed it thoroughly. If I have to get nitpicky, I'll say the number of characters was a bit overwhelming, but once I got into the swing of things I managed to keep the important ones straight.

The star of the show is Benedicta "Ben" O'Keeffe, a solicitor in Glendara, Inishowen, who's desperately trying to clear her calendar for the upcoming Christmas holidays. But instead of seeing bows, boxes and warm hugs from her family and friends, she runs smack dab into the man who murdered her sister Faye. He's just been released from jail, and instead of heading for other parts as she expected, he's right on her doorstep. Long ago, she and he were an item - until he dumped her for her sister and then, well, you know. 

Ben has a relatively new main squeeze, a sergeant with the local police - although their relationship seemed to me to be tenuous at best (anyone who wants to keep a relationship "in the closet" says to me no relationship exists). But they're working at it, sort of, when things in the small community start to go horribly wrong. It starts when a popular pub burns to the ground - a possible arson - and the suspicious disappearance of the pub's barmaid. Then, when Ben and her lover, Tom Molloy, hike to Sliabh Sneacht to see the Well of Eyes, her foot slips in and she dubs it the "Well of Ice." Alas, that's not their only find; the other is the body of a dead female.

Needless to say, Ben has her suspicions that her sister's killer may be involved somehow. But is that simply what she wants to believe because she [understandably] hates him so much? What roles, if any, do the dead woman's husband or the pub owner play? As the plot progresses, it becomes clear that maybe Ben herself is in danger. If that's true, can her boyfriend protect her while he's trying to solve the murder? 

Well, you'll just have to read it to find out - and it's worth the effort. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me a pre-release copy to read and review.

The Well of Ice by Andrea Carter (Oceanview Publishing, November 2020); 352 pp. 

A TIME FOR MERCY

 5 stars out of 5

The law works in mysterious ways - at least in small-town Mississippi courtrooms in 1990. And they're laid out here for all to read and enjoy as local attorney Jake Brigance takes on two very different high-stakes cases. One could earn a ton of money for his struggling practice; the other could get him killed.

The golden goose case pits Jake against a giant railroad company

he alleges was negligent in keeping crossing lights in good repair. The result was a horrible accident that happened - or so Jake needs to prove - because the lights weren't working. Needless to say, the railroad attorneys insist they were working just fine. As the book begins, it looks as if the railroad may be willing to offer a substantial cash settlement with Jake's client - thus allowing Jake to pay his bills as well as those he's racking up defending the client in his other case - one he got [ahem!] railroaded into taking on by the local judge.

It is that case that gets the lion's share of attention. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the cold-blooded murder of his mother's boyfriend. The case is complicated by the fact that the dead guy was a local deputy sheriff - albeit one with a nasty temper and a penchant for getting drunk. Under state law, the boy can and will be tried as an adult; many, if not most, of the town's residents (and most certainly the victim's family and his fellow officers) are fervent in their belief that he deserves the death penalty. 

The more Jake learns, though, the more he believes the charges against his young client aren't warranted. Readers, of course, learn the details of what really happened as well as how Jake and his legal cronies are working out their courtroom strategy. Suffice it to say it's a real treat to follow along - or at least it was for me. I have to say I wasn't totally thrilled with the way things turned out even though it probably was for the best, but I'm encouraged that there is plenty of fodder for the next book in this terrific series (this is the third). Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review it.

A Time for Mercy by John Grisham (Doubleday, October 2020); 465 pp.

THE CIPHER

 5 stars out of 5

This book, the first in a series, was an Amazon First Reads choice that looked intriguing. And you know what? It is. Not only did I enjoy it thoroughly, but I'm now looking forward to the next one.

To be sure, it's on the grisly side; FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera was the victim of almost unspeakable acts done by a serial killer/rapist back when she was 16. She turned out to be the one who got away - but not without a ton of physical and emotional scars. As this book begins, she's jogging on a Virginia trail during off hours and is attacked. She overpowers her attacker, but as tends to happen in these days of instant "news," the whole thing was captured on video and uploaded to the Internet.

And therein lies a problem: Her attacker of many years ago was watching - and now he knows where she is. Worse, he's decided to play some games before he finally recaptures Nina; he'll kidnap others who resemble her, torture and kill them and leave mysterious clues for her to follow in hopes of preventing an attack on yet another victim. Because the clues often contain numbers and symbols, he's dubbed the "Cipher."

But now, Nina has the full power of the FBI behind her - including Dr. Jeffrey Wade, the Behavioral Analysis Unit guy who nearly got her booted out because he thought her judgment couldn't be trusted. He, too, has emotional scars from the nasty ending of another case for which he blames himself, but they've got no choice but to work together. A couple of other capable members join their team - one a cybersecurity expert - so the race is on to identify the guy before he strikes again (or worse, manages to recapture Nina herself). 

I can't reveal more without spoiling things for other readers, but I can say The rest is packed with action as well as psychological analyses for which the BAU is well known. What happens isn't always pleasant, but it sure is exciting. Well done!

The Ciphor by Isabella Maldonado (Thomas & Mercer, November 2020); 332 pp.