Bel Canto by Ann Patchett was well done. It was a bit cerebral to my liking but it didn't make me hate it. A few things I thought when reading: 1) It seemed the book was written in a different language and translated to English. 2) I was happy to not hear the opera as I hate Opera. The ending was not unexpected nor surprising but sad and sudden.
14,370 members; 3.95 average rating; 6/2/2026

Like every Andy Carpenter novel I have read, Play Dead is a fast, enjoyable read. One major problem: why didn't the team investigate Reggie's last five years? Probably because the book would have ended.
612 members; 3.88 average rating; 6/2/2026

I am giving Dead Center by David Rosenfelt four stars for readability and effort. I enjoy the Andy Carpenter stories but the first four were pretty common. A court case with little chance of winning, people Andy hires to help kicking the bucket, and a gosh I'm a chicken but will stick my neck out even though it isn't in my nature. At this point it would be more surprising for Andy to not be brave. The effort was the change of location and the story continuing after the verdict. One last knock: Marcus - he is a great character, but I would like to hear his internal dialog and explain how he shows up at the right time other than just a "Deus ex machina" (God from the machine) villain.
503 members; 3.90 average rating; 5/28/2026

Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt was easy to read. That gets four stars. I did not like the predictability. I knew who did it before Andy Carpenter. That is a big negative and one of the reason this book only got three stars, not four. Also, it has the "red shirt" star trek disease. When a new person is introduced and helps, you know what is going to happen. I won't put this book in the "recommended" collection, but am starting the next book in the series, book number five.
443 members, 3.96 average rating, 5/25/2026

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towels was easy to read. That gets four stars. I did not like the ending, but I won't lower the rating. It relied on switching from current to the past to reveal the plot. That is another reason I have lowered my star ratings in the past. The switch in Lincoln Highway was to describe what is going to happen next. That is awesome and enjoyable to me. What I don't like is when something from the past appears just to describe why characters did something. Why do that!!!??? For this to get four stars makes me want to read other Amor Towels novels.
4,160 members, 4.12 average rating, 9/27/2025

I am very close to giving The Fox by Frederick Forsyth 2 stars. However, the writing is hard to put down, and easy to pick back up. The problem - everything. The book had a common 'hero:' awkward teen boy that had mad computer skills. I don't think he had any dialog. There was a 70+ year old 'retired and brilliant' British spy. He seemed to do things by picking his next step out of a hat. The British spy was lucky, and the evil Russian was not. That is not what I like to read.
549 members; 3.63 average rating; 3/14/2026

David Rosenfelt is a fast read. I finished First Degree, #2 in the series, 4/15. It took me only 5 days to read this book, #3, Bury the Lead. That is BLAZING for me. The book wasn't what I hoped. The hero and series title, Andy Carpenter, could not figure it out in time. It ended with him running for his life. The humor pushed the rating from 2 to 3 stars.
634 members, 3.98 average rating, 4/20/2026

I got tricked by Christmas Spirit. I read three Andy Carpenter novels out of order: 18 Deck the Hounds 12/3/2024, 28 Twas the Bite Before Christmas 12/14/2024, and 26 Santa's Little Yelpers 12/23/2025. I was so much in the spirit I didn't care I jumped to 18, then 28, and back to 26. I enjoyed the stories so decided to read the series. The second book, First Degree, was a lot better than number one, Open and Shut. Will read more.
586 members, 4.00 average rating, 4/15/2026

The Kill List by Frederick Forsyth was almost a four-star book. There were parts I thought the author just phoned it in. I wish he made a better effort. The book was told from beginning to end with no gimmicks, which is a very good thing.
868 members; 3.56 average rating; 3/14/2026

Last Man Standing by David Baldacci surprised me. I liked it. I have read Absolute Power and Total Control by Baldacci and did not have the same reaction. Last Man Standing had many tangents: raising horses, psychiatry, and the main story, drug crimes, also sometimes felt like a tangent. Impressive work by the author, keeping the story readable with all the things going on.
3,614 members; 3.61 average rating; 3/14/2026

"Gwendy's Final Task" was a lot better than "Gwendy's Magic Feather," the second book of the series. I don't think it was as good as the first, "Gwendy's Button Box." I write I think because I don't remember the first one. I am hopeful it is due to the novel not being memorable, and not because I have the same medical condition Gwendy has. "Final Task" was easy to start, but after a chapter ended I usually took a break.
856 members; 3.82 average rating; 2/24/2026

The first book in the series, Gwendy's Button Box, was a book I had a hard time putting down, and was excited to get back to it. I cannot say the same for the sequel, Gwendy's Magic Feather. Bummer. It was ok. The ending described what was going on: Richard Farris left the button box with Gwendy for safe keeping. Farris thought Gwendy would not use it for evil. Boring The worst thing about the book was the use of "Deus ex machina" (god from the machine) where the solution to the problem just appeared without any effort or skill by the characters; in other words: a lazy author.
822 members; 3.50 average rating; 2/24/2026

I enjoyed the beginning, middle, and a bit of the end of Executive Power by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson. However, Victor Baptista, the villain, got a bit comedic at the end. I think it wasn't supposed to be funny. I found the glossary, an alphabetic list of acronyms very useful. The Clear and Present Danger character mentions were fun. I knew they referred to a previous novel and a google search was needed for me to identify it. In prior Andrews / Wilson books I mentioned their non/action dialogue is not as good as their military dialogue. I am happy to write there have been improvements.
61 members, 5.00 average rating, 2/5/2026

Strange Days by Constantine Singer has been tagged Young Adult by many. I see that. I thought the plot was predictable. It seemed the kids (late teens) were a bit naive (that's being nice - stupid is accurate but meaner.) The way music was used to describe the time travel process was well done. The book could have been shorter.
55 members, 4.00 average rating, 1/29/2026

"Terminal Velocity" was good at times, and bad at times. I would start reading it but could not get back into it. Other times I would be reading and felt like stopping. It did not meet my criteria for a four star book: one I have a hard time putting down, and an easy time starting it back up. I like the Gavin/Mandy team, but not crazy about Ryan Jr. I am glad Lisanne broke it off with him.

I took a trip down memory lane after finishing "Terminal Velocity," rereading reviews/comments from previous Clancy books: In the Jack Ryan novel, "Red Winter," read in 2023, I commented I was glad that ages were given to characters: Jack Sr was 34 years old and John Clark 39 in 1985. In 2026 they will be 75 and 80. They seem to be going strong. "Locked On," read in 2012, had a "with Mark Greaney" credit, but sometimes I thought it may have actually been "with Rush Limbaugh." This is flipped. The bad guys now are a lot like the current US President, Mr. Trump. The good guys are neutral. "Threat Vector," read 2013, had an odd complaint: dates! The story covers several months, maybe even a year. However, the timeline is not clearly laid out. "Terminal Velocity" kept letting the reader know it was June. "Command Authority," read in 2014, was around the time Mr. Clancy passed. I jotted down names: Ding Chavez (he is about 56 in 2026) John Clark, Jack Ryan, Cathy Ryan (early to mid 70's,) Scott Adler (late 60's), Mary Pat Foley (early 70's), Ed Foley (mid 70's), Dan Murray (early 70's), etc. show more Don't they know about retirement? "Support and Defend," read in 2015, was about two missed characters: Dom Caruso and Adara Sherman. An AI chat with Gemini let me know what happened to them. "Full Force and Effect," also read in 2015, had a lot of events that had to be taken as-is, and just go with it. "Commander in Chief," read in 2018, when I was 52 years old, had something that sucks: In the past when books go back 20 or 30 years for back story, lots of time it was when I was very young, or not even born. Back then, 20 to 30 years ago, I was an adult! "Terminal Velocity" went back 20 years - still in the 2000's! That's unsettling. "Duty and Honor" by Grant Blackwood, another 2018 read was a clunker: Jack Ryan Jr is an idiot. Current authors have made him smarter. "Oath of Office," read in 2019 had another character that has disappeared: Ysabel Kashani. She was the only person in the series that had problems with the Campus, Jack Ryan Jr, and the conservative mindset the Tom Clancy authors seem to love, and she was NOT portrayed as an idiot or morally unworthy. 2020 to 2021 authors were Peter Telep, Grant Blackwood, Mark Greaney, Marc Cameron, and Mike Maden. "Firing Point," read in 2021, was a mess. "Shadow of the Dragon," also read in 2021, was enjoyable and included John Clark's grandson and Ding Chavez's son J.T. "Target Acquired," read in 2022, is a very good read and was written by Don Bentley, who also wrote the best book I read in 2023, "Flash Point." In my mind John Krasinski is Jack Ryan Jr and Harrison Ford is Jack Ryan Sr.

73 members, 3.75 average rating, 12/9/2025 show less

"Santa's Little Yelpers" is the fourth Andy Carpenter book by David Rosenfelt I have read. I liked the ending when the court case occurred. The start and middle of the book was a bit painful if I am honest. The crime had two possible scenarios that would have the suspect that did the crime. It seemed obvious that both scenarios were really just one. Of course it was. I was happy when things finally came together.
121 members, 4.0 average rating, 12/23/2025

I think there has been at least one, probably more, television shows that copied the plot of The Chain by Adrian McKinty. It seemed the author was proud of the book, and kept stating how brilliant the characters are. I didn't agree.

I enjoyed the philosophical thoughts: J.G Ballard's civilization is a thin visual veneer; de Quincey's drug addiction is like an itch that can't be scratched; Tacitus's you hate who you have wronged, Albert Camus's look for summer inside you when it is winter; Howard Carter look not just see; and Solipism's if others don't think of you, you don't exist. I jotted those down after reading. I may have the names and concepts wrong.

1,997 members, 3.69 members, 9/27/2025

"Line of Demarcation" is a very good book, with two complaints: I was disappointed when Ding decided to deviate from his evacuate immediately order. That would be something I would expect from Jack Ryan, Jr. An idiot move. The last complaint: the ending too conveniently wrapped up. I am happy to say that it is a lot better than the other M. P. Woodward book I read, "Shadow State."
101 members, 3.5 average rating, 11/29/2025

"Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir could have gotten four stars from me. It was an easy read, and an excellent story. The problem: why are books put together like this? The hero, Ryland Grace, wakes up from a coma not knowing anything. Not original but nicely done. Then the storyline goes back in time. Andy was not supposed to be there. Time switches to the present exciting time, then back to the past exciting time. I always knew Andy wasn't the first choice for this save humanity job. However, when the event occurred that resulted in his employment, IT WAS NOT SURPRISING. If the story had been told linear, it would have been page turning. When it happened, I wanted to throw the book across the room in disgust thinking about the author's failure.
6,003 members; 4.31 average rating; 5/12/2024

I have read 39 of the 43 books in the Jack Ryan series. "Defense Protocol" by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson the latest. The other Andrews and Wilson I read was "Act of Defiance." My feedback from that book was military action good, non action dialog not so good. That is true for this book too.

As I was reading , "Defense Protocol," I recalled a previous thought from an old book that has done an 180 degree turn. Here is the review that described the thought:

Locked on (read in 2012)
I enjoy Tom Clancy thrillers. The book had a "with Mark Greaney" credit. Sometimes I thought it may have actually been "with Rush Limbaugh." The liberals are evil/corrupt while conservatives are good/pure theme comes off as comical. Jack Ryan's new girlfriend is an interesting character: someone who thinks the Campus may not be all that, and she has a redeeming character. Everyone else who would have that attitude would not be portrayed in a good light.

The evil Chinese President in "Defense Protocol" reminds me of the current US President, sadly.
110 members, 3.79 average rating, 10/16/2025

"Open and Shut" had a critical error. The lawyer, Andy Carpenter, was defending a murder row inmate due a technical error on the first trial. Andy's father Nelson was the prosecutor on the first trial. The whole thing involved a 35 year old picture Andy HAPPENED to find. If that event did not happen the book would be NOWHERE! The sad thing was the opportunity for the author to write a dynamic father/son scene -maybe even a deathbed moment. Too bad.
888 members, 3.82 average rating, 9/3/2025

I watched the movie,"The Martian;" well I watched the last 45 minutes to 1 hour of it several years ago. I enjoyed what I saw and wasn't confused about missing the beginning. It was easy to see what was going on. Knowing what was coming usually annoys me, but not with this impressive novel.
20,803 members, 4.29 average rating, 9/3/2025

"Double Dexter," which I rated 3 stars, was read right after finishing the 5 star new season of Dexter, "Resurrection." I try very hard to imagine Michael C. Hall is speaking. It is hard because the material doesn't get me there. It dragged in parts and I had quite a few "come on Dexter, just shut up" moments. I will probably read other Dexter books.
983 members, 3.66 average rating, 9/19/2025

"The Faithful Spy" was well done. It seemed every thing that took place moved the story along. However, every person did not need to have a name. Hamid, Freddy, Fitz, Holms, etc. with Walls is 2003 Afghanistan. 10 or so on a plane (Jim, Edward, David, etc.) in 2006. I write names down when reading to help me keep everyone straight. I like it when names are important, but not when they are not heard from again.
1,378 members, 3.72 average rating, 9/3/2025

"A Face in the Crowd" reminded me of a short story Stephen King wrote. I could not remember the name so asked Google Gemini, "what Stephen King story was about a man going about his normal day to day tasks. Going to work, shopping, etc. The twist was his wife had died and her body was in their house." I didn't describe it well. Gemini thought it was "1922." Nope. After adding that the body was in an apartment and there were many flies that were attracted to the dead body, I think Gemini found the right one: "Under the Weather." "Under the Weather" is better than "A Face in the Crowd."
3 members, no rating, 9/1/2025

""The Longest December" was a story in a "Double The Chills!" book. There were two books, one upside down compared to the other one. When reading a thriller being able to see and feel how close you are to the end of a book is a spoiler. If you are at the end things are also coming to the end. Reading the format of this book had me surprised it was over. Too bad the actual ending wasn't worthy.
111 members; 4.04 average rating, 8/29/2025

"Grandma Gatewood's Walk" is about a 67-year-old who decided to walk the Appalachian Trail. When she was done, she decided todo it again AND THEN AGAIN! At one point, it was described how Emma Gatewood aggressively started telling photographers and reporters to leave her alone. I think there was a bit more of her feistiness that was not described, and I wish it was.
753 members, 4.02 average rating, 8/17/2025

The book, "The Nowhere Man," was about a person placed in the middle of a house with the goal of escaping. The person kept trying, got caught, was put back in the middle of the house, and then repeated the cycle. The plot wasn't exciting to me. Another reason for the low rating was one of the strangest scenes I have ever read: the person picked up a pinecone, held it up, and waited for a sniper to shoot it out of his hand to test the sniper's skill. The person had a similar thought: he was glad the sniper was a good shot. I wished he was a bad shot and killed him so the book would be over.
761 members, 3.81 average rating, 8/17/2025

The best thing about "Dream Team" and the Eve Ronin series is the character Duncan Pavone. His lines are chuckle-out-loud funny, and his love for free food is inspiring. The worst part is its predictability. The author, Lee Goldberg, tried to work this flaw into Eve's character development. Once again, Detective Ronin had an "I see what's going on" moment along with a "I was a fool not to notice before" conclusion. This has happened in the previous four novels, and I was waiting for it to happen again. The difference this time is her conclusion that that's just the way she is. Nah—I wish she would smarten up and get it right the first time.
47 members, 3.87 average rating, 12/12/2024

There are a few annoyances about Orphan X. There were a couple of scenes pulled from action movies. The ones where X takes care of Johnny Middleton's and then Mia Hall's enemies. It just seemed the author needed more words to reach a goal.

The book was about someone who from 12 to 20 or so was taught to be a ninja type person. He was then assigned tasks and completed them. His handler died and he went off on his own, saving people. It was well done but not very original.

Part of the training was living by Commandments:
1) Assume nothing
2)
3) Master your surroundings
4) Never make it personal
5)
6) Question orders
7) One mission at a time
8)
9) Always play offense
10) Never let innocent die

I found it annoying not all 10 Commandments were listed

1,334 members; 3.96 average rating; 9/21/2024