DEEP TIDE

4 stars out of 5

A couple of years ago, I read the first of this "Texas Murder Files" series, but somehow I missed the next two. Only one character - actually one I didn't much care for - is in this one, at least as far as my memory (and a peek at my review of that one) goes. I must say, though, that I was far happier to see that, insofar as a good story goes, the tide has turned for the better. While it comes off a little closer to a cozy mystery than I expected, I enjoyed it and yes, look forward to reading more about the main characters.

They would be Leyla Breda, who owns and operates two deli/catering firms in seaside Lost Beach, Texas, and FBI agent Sean Moran, who's in town from his D.C. base on an undercover assignment. Needless to say, romantic sparks fly despite the objections of her police-force brothers - but so does the action, which begins with Leyla's discovery of the body of one of her employees out behind her main shop. There's no immediately identifiable motive, and thus no discernible path to the killer.

Much of the story that follows centers on Sean's and Leyla's reasons for not getting together which which, truth be told, got really old really fast (one of the reasons the aforementioned cozies drive me nuts). The investigation, though, provides a welcome relief from the romantic waffling, and most readers no doubt will soon suspect the case Sean is working on and the woman's murder might be in some way connected (whether or not they are, of course, I won't tell). As the end nears, the action heats up, with at least one character's life on the line. All told, it's definitely worth reading, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Good job!

Deep Tide by Laura Griffin (Berkley Publishing Group, April 2023); 352 pp. 

THE QUIET TENANT

4 stars out of 5

Overall, my impression of this story is that it's a little confusion mixed with a lot of melodrama. Still, as I'd be likely to say about any book about a serial killer and a woman he's held captive for an almost unbelievable five years, it didn't fail to capture and hold my attention throughout. Told primarily through the perspectives of three main characters - the captured-but-not-yet-murdered victim, known as Rachel, the killer's 13-year-old daughter, Cecilia, and the woman who wants to be his girlfriend, Emily - it delves into each of their psyches amid what can only be called the worst times of their lives.

The kidnapper-killer is Aiden Thomas, who is for the most part well thought of in his community, working as a utility lineman. Clearly, he's been plying his extracurricular trade for some time - after all, we hear from Rachel the trials and tribulations of her long confinement in his shed as well as get glimpses from other victims - but when his wife dies, he seems to go off the deep end. He becomes overly protective of Cecilia; is his interest more sinister than that? Inquiring minds, including Rachel's and mine, want to know. Then, he's forced to move from the home he shared with his late wife that - exactly why that happened isn't clear to me, either. And for some inexplicable reason, he continues to keep Rachel a prisoner instead of doing away with her as he did with others- another mystery that never was fully resolved in my mind (and maybe not in his and definitely not in hers).

The plot thickens after they all move to a new house and Rachel becomes an imprisoned "tenant" in an upstairs bedroom - but who, surprisingly, is allowed to interact with Cecilia on a limited basis. As would be expected under the circumstances, Rachel begins to fight with herself - should she do as she has been doing and simply play along to stay alive or come up with an escape plan that has just as much chance (and probably more) of ending up dead as alive? 

The ending, while satisfying by some measures, seemed a little perfunctory (no hints here, of course, except to say it couldn't have been that simple). I'm pretty sure many fans of psychological drama (and trauma) will enjoy this one; it's not quite my cup of tea, but at the same time, I really didn't want to put it down. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Quiet Tenant by Alison Gaylin (Knopf, June 2023); 320 pp.

ROBERT B. PARKER'S BAD INFLUENCE

4 stars out of 5

Of all the Parker main characters, police detective-turned-P.I. Sunny Randall never quite captured my fancy quite like the others. Honestly, I've never figured out why; but I do know that with this book, she's moved up a notch or two. Here, she seems to have picked up somewhat of a softer side (but not too much); while in many ways I hate to say it, if that has come about by virtue of having a female author take over this series for the first time, then bravo - and long may she hold the reins, please.

The story focuses on an in-your-face topic - social media influencers - as well as the usual who-done-what investigation. Sunny's good friend, bar owner Spike, also gets a decent role (fine with me - I love the guy), as does her can't-live-with, can't-live-without ex-husband Richie Burke, the son of a heavy-hitting mobster. At the start, it seems like wildly popular Blake, an Instagram influencer, is being bombarded with threatening texts; his manager, Bethany, asks Sunny to keep him safe and get to the bottom of it. That means getting close to him and his beautiful girlfriend Alena, also an influencer, and getting an up-close-and-personal look at a world that's very new (and eye-opening) to Sunny.

Of course, nothing is ever as it seems, and the deeper the holes Sunny and her team dig, the murkier the water that seeps out. Are Blake, Alena and Bethany all who they say they are? For that matter, is any one of them telling the whole truth? More to the point, will whoever's sending those troublesome messages escalate to something more sinister? Inquiring minds want to know - and you can find out by reading this book for yourself. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me the pleasure of getting to the truth by way of a pre-release copy to read and review. Bring on the next installment!

Robert B. Parker's Bad Influence by Alison Gaylin (G.P. Putnam's Sons, June 2013); 336 pp.

CENTRAL PARK WEST

5 stars out of 5

Okay, I must 'fess up. When I opened this book on my Kindle, my first thought was this: Please, Lord, let this be good; I really, really don't want to be the one to tell the former director of the FBI - especially one who's at least a foot and a half taller than I am - that his first-ever fiction book stinks.

And it doesn't (whew). In fact, joking aside, I very much enjoyed it. It's a well-written, well-crafted story, but more than that, perhaps, it provides insights into the legal system, from both inside and outside the courtroom, that could come only from someone who's spent the lion's share of a professional lifetime working within it. The most important takeaway, though - at least for me - is if the FBI wants you, there aren't many places you can hide (not even a Starbucks).

The primary characters are U.S. Atty. Nora Carleton, a single mom struggling a bit to make ends meet while she takes on the world of organized crime, and her very personable (and formidable) investigator, Benny Dugan. Early on, a former state governor - one who keeps his lips zipped but articles of his clothing not so much - is found dead of a suicide that turns out to be murder. Maybe, just maybe, his permanent silence was a mob hit; but that's only conjecture, since his ex-wife Kyra has been charged with, and is on trial for, the killing.

The two trials - Nora's and the one against Kyra - play off each other as the investigations (and trial witnesses) begin to reveal in-common details. The back-and-forths also showcase the conflict among federal and state prosecutors, none of whom seem to much enjoy sharing (again, a nod, I'm sure, to reality but something I've never quite understood; if our goals are the same, why can't we all hold hands and play nice)?

Of course, I can't reveal any details without spoiling the whole thing for other readers, but I sure do recommend it to those who enjoy stories about crimes and courtrooms. If I must carp a bit, I'll say the transition could use a little improvement - in spots, it jumps around a bit. I also can't say I was thrilled with the ending, but that's not a negative - I'm pretty sure it reflects reality more often than not (sometimes bad people do good things, sometimes good people do bad things, sometimes neither gets found out). It also, it seems to me, makes great starting fodder for a next book - to which I'm definitely looking forward. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to dive into a pre-release copy of this one. Well done!

Central Park West by James Comey (Mysterious Press, May 2023); 384 pp.

THE SENATOR'S WIFE

4 stars out of 5

This is one of those perfectly enjoyable, entertaining books you can take to the beach, or in front of a fireplace, or, because the chapters are fairly short, stash in your purse to occupy your time while you wait your turn in the doctor's office (in your format of choice - mine is an e-reader). It only gets difficult, then, when you need to stop for a bit when life intervenes.

I had no such issues, happily, so I was able to plow through it in just a couple of days of my usual evening reading, despite keeping one eye on the March Madness games. Somehow, the characters and setting seemed appropriate: after losing their respective husband and wife, philanthropist Sloane Chase and U.S. Sen. Whit Montgomery - who'd been friends previously - found everlasting love and married. For years, she's had to deal with lupus, a serious condition that, with help from her doctors, she's been able to manage. But somewhat suddenly, she takes a turn for the worse; while that's not unusual for lupus patients (to which I can attest because I have two friends who are dealing with it), this time it's not showing signs of easing up. In fact, Sloane is scheduled for a hip replacement, these days almost a walk in the park for most patients, but for someone with lupus, it's fraught with serious consequences.

To help, Whit decides, and Sloane reluctantly agrees, to bring in home health aide Athena Karras, who can take care of her while Whit's away and even ease the strain of Sloane's responsibilities at her foundation that focuses on women's issues. On the surface, that's a great idea - until it may not be: instead of improving, Sloane's condition quickly starts to deteriorate even further. But as the possibility of dire health consequences increases, so does Sloane's suspicions that something is amiss. Could it be that her symptoms are getting worse with a little help? And if that's true, who's doing the helping? Is it Athena? Their long-time housekeeper Doris? Or even the husband she loves with all her heart - the one her former mother-in-law never trusted?

Of course, readers are left wondering as well - that's the point - and until a major twist at the end, we're left to turn the pages as fast as we can and guess (mine, I hasten to add, was right on the money, but the devil is in the details). Admittedly, I never fully "connected" with any of the characters - they all seemed a bit on the shallow side, including Sloane, and the whole thing has all the hallmarks of an overwrought soap opera, but overall it's fast-paced and I had no trouble getting caught up in the action - and I think other readers will as well. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Senator's Wife by Liv Constantine (Bantam, May 2023); 320 pp.

THE FERRYMAN

5 stars out of 5

No matter what I write about this awesome book, it's going to sound like I'm a blithering idiot. At the moment, at least, I'm awestruck; after finishing it, I still can't believe another human could conceive such a complex story, much less write it coherently and so engrossingly that I really, really didn't want to put it down.

So what's it about? Well, in general it's a sort of "Soylent Green" meets "Brave New World" with a few other fantasy/science fiction works that played with our minds mixed in. The setting is Prospera, an archipelago that's a sort of utopia for residents. They live their lives for the most part in the lap of luxury, served mostly by "Support Staff" who live, some in squalor, on a nearby island known as the Annex.

Prospera's citizens have some kind of monitor in their forearms that are "read" with regularity. When their physical and mental health fall below an established percentage - which may not happen for many years - they are retired (voluntarily, for the most part) and sent to a nearby island called the Nursery. There, they are turned into what are called "iterations" who begin life all over again and returned to Prospera to begin another life cycle with no memories of their previous stint (or stints) there.

One of those iterations is Proctor Bennett, who as a young man was adopted by husband and wife parents and now, at age 42, serves as a Ferryman - one who personally escorts the retirees to the ferry that will take them to the Nursery to begin their transformation. On one fateful day, he gets a somewhat unsettling charge: the man he's to escort to the ferry is his own father. All goes well until the last minute, when his father suddenly balks and a fiasco ensues - Proctor must do whatever it takes to get his charges on the ferry, after all. But his father utters some cryptic words that are confusing and upsetting but at the same time make him determined to get to the truth, especially since he's been having strange dreams of late (and Prospera's reiterations don't dream). On top of that, Proctor's arm monitor readings have been dropping like a rock. How long will he have before he, too, must be traded in for a reiterated model?

As all this is going on, all is not well on the Annex, where the people are becoming unhappy with their servile status. Led by a resistance group called the Arrivalists, their unrest seems to be quickly turning toward out-and-out revolt. 

And it is here that I must stop, even though I've barely scratched the surface of this 500+ page tale. For that, I'll blame the author; you see, he's concocted so many - well, not exactly twists and turns, but rather angles and perspectives - that mentioning much of anything that happens beyond the first few chapters would totally spoil it for others.

Okay, did all that make sense to you? I didn't think so. Ignore my ramblings and go read it for yourself - you won't be sorry. Meanwhile, I'll just say a big THANK YOU to the publisher, via NetGalley, for offering me a pre-release copy of this mind-bending book to read and review. 

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin (Ballantine Books, May 2023); 560 pp.

IDENTITY

4 stars out of 5

I doubt I've missed a single book in the popular Eve Dallas series this author writes as J.D. Robb, but to the best of my recollection this is the first I've read that she's penned as herself. And my reaction is weirdly mixed; while I enjoyed it thoroughly - to the point of not wanting to put it down - in other ways it kind of made me crazy.

The story is a mix of romance and suspense starring Morgan Albright, who tends bar at night after her day job to earn enough money to refurbish the small house she bought in Maryland. At the bar, she meets - and takes somewhat of a liking to - a friendly, uber-considerate guy named Gavin. Not only does he steal her identity and wipe out her entire financial life, he's a monster who kills her beloved roommate Nina, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Morgan then learns from the FBI that he's a suspected serial killer, and it's likely she was to be his next victim.

In financial free-fall and owing thousands of dollars - I guess her bank and credit card companies had no fraud protection - she heads to her mother's home in Vermont, where her grandmother lives as well. There's a backstory there, too, but all seems to be rosy now as the other two women - "My ladies," as Morgan calls them - take every opportunity to assure Morgan how great she is and how much they love her. Their local "connections" help Morgan land a posh job managing the bar at a nearby upscale family-owned resort.

Hanging over her head, though, is the realization that Gavin is a psychopath who isn't finished with her; she's the one who got away, after all, and he will stop at nothing to get her back. That, in her view, threatens the job she loves and complicates her budding relationship with the resort family's eldest son, Miles, who isn't the most pleasant of characters in his own right. But here, too, Miles, Morgan's "ladies," all the family members who run the resort and all but one of the employees constantly reassure Morgan that she's smart, beautiful and far too valuable to be thrown to the wolf who hasn't found the door (yet).

The rest of the story tracks the romance and the killer's progress in working his way to Morgan - and of course, you'll get no details from me on those issues. The whole thing held my attention throughout, even if I did quickly tire of an excess of dialog, mostly arguments over who's more perfect, or who loves who more and lengthy explanations of why good bartenders know so much about so many things (hint: yes, there's a ton of repetition). The ending didn't come as a big surprise nor increase my fondness (or lack thereof) for any of the characters, but it was satisfying nonetheless. All in all, it's an enjoyable read - with the end result that I'm looking forward to the author's next book. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Identity by Nora Roberts (St. Martin's Press, May 2023); 448 pp.