What Are We Reading And Reviewing in October 2020?

Tell us what you're brewing up in October

📌 - ★

Carol Never Knows What She'll Find In A Book!

The Bishop's Pawn - Steve Berry - ★ (Group Read) ??
📌Where Shadows Dance - C.S. Harris - 4.5★ (Group Read)
📌Through The Wall - Caroline Corcoran - 4.5★ (Pick a Winner)
📌Orchids and Lies - Fiona Gartland - 4.5★ (Early Reviewers)
📌A Red Door - Katheryn Jarvis - ★ (Early Reviewers) - 4.5★
📌Anxious People - Fredrik Backman - 5★
📌Area 7 - Matthew Reilly - 4★
📌Ice Station - Matthew Reilly - 5★
📌The Dark - Ellen Datlow - 4.5★
📌Hit List - Stuart Woods - 2★
📌The Book of Matt - Stephen Jimenez - 4★
📌Bombshell - Stuart Woods - 4★
📌The Hidden - Sally Spencer - 3★
📌Before I Go To Sleep - S.J. Watson - 5★
📌The Familiar Dark - Amy Engle - 5★
📌That Darkness - Lisa Black - 4★
📌The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks - Josh Lanyon - 4.5★
📌The Ghost Had An Early Check-Out- Josh Lanyon - 5★
📌American Fairytale - Adriana Herrera - 5★
📌Lying In Wait - Liz Nugent - 4.5★
📌The Roanoke Girls - Amy Engel - 4★
📌The Unspoken - Ian K. Smith - 4★
📌Every Step she Takes - Kelly Armstrong - 3.5★
📌Stranger On The Shore - Josh Lanyon - 5★
📌Afraid To Fly - L.A. Witt - 5★
📌The Ruthless - David Putnam - 5★
📌Don’t Look Back – Jennifer L. Armentrout – 3★
📌Mary Everything – Casandra Yorke -4.5★
📌Love Series Books 1-4 - Scotty Cade - 5★
📌The Dead Travel Fast - Deanna Raybourn – 3★
📌The Night Swim - Megan Goldin – 4.5★
📌The Dreamers - Karen Thompson Walker - 4★

I'm posting this here because I count the states and countries that you visit in your reads on the Mystery & Suspense groups topic "Where in The World Are We in....". Thought those of you that are not members' of this group might like to see where we have traveled as a group in our reads. This group leads the in the "most Places Visited" of the other 2 groups I keep these stats for.

Mystery & Suspense group topic:
As of September 30th we have visited 51 states; 55 other countries. This gives us a grand total of 874 places visited. Let's see where October will take us.

New York was the most state visited with 9 visits...with California coming in second with 8 visits. England was the most visited "other country" with 32 visits and Canada was second with 5 visits.

Anxious People - Fredrick Backman
5 ★
Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world. Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.

I thought when I finished chapter 2 that I had something that I had never had before…a boring novel by Fredrick Backman…the creator of A Man Called Ove. Since I am a persistent reader...or just doesn’t have the sense to stop reading and admit defeat...I just doggedly plow right through and read every last word... determined to the end whatever the outcome. I soon began to see the book is entirely satire and good natured ridicule at it’s very, very best. It was simply so incredibly off the wall that you couldn’t put it down. I chuckled through each chapter there after. It was just so ridiculous…the situations these poor people found themselves in that I had to see how in the world it was going to turn out. I learned along the way that not everyone…actually it seems the entire country of Sweden...neither likes...nor has any respect...for anyone that lives in Stockholm. Doesn't matter that it's their capital...it appears that the word ”Stockholmer”... which is used often here…is evidently the word that the rest of the Swedes substitute for “idiot”. Why is this???? I have no idea. The poor police officers were just to be pitted and the witnesses were all next to useless but did provide lots of comic relief. Somehow it all just came together to make a delightful tale about an apartment showing…a bank robbery that wasn’t a bank robbery…a bank robber that had no idea of bank robbing "etiquette"…(yes...I guess there is such a thing)…two police officers that are considering different occupations that don’t require them to ever have to deal with witnesses like these again…and a man with his head stuck firmly in a giant rabbit head. I believe the short summary of this story is that sometimes a good person can just make a very bad decision….and it only takes one time. I’m glad I didn’t make a "bad decision" and was persistent to the end. Excellent, Mr. Backman!

The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks - Josh Lanyon
Yellow Socks Trilogy Book #1
4.5★
His romantic weekend in ruins, shy twenty-something artist Perry Foster learns that things can always get worse when he returns home from San Francisco to find a dead body in his bathtub. A dead body dressed in a very ugly yellow sports coat and matching yellow socks. The dead man is a stranger to Perry…but that's not much of a comfort. How did a strange dead man get in a locked flat at the isolated Alton Estate in the wilds of the "Northeast Kingdom" of Vermont? Perry turns to help from "tall, dark and hostile" former navy SEAL; Nick Reno…but is Reno all that he seems to be?

This has all the makings of a good mystery…a romance…and a little comedy. We also have in our mystery recipe… a dead man wearing a yellow sports coat and yellow socks in Perry’s bathtub..a creepy old boarding house complete with an assortment of eccentric residents, and weird happenings that begins with a disappearing corpse…though Perry didn’t think it disappeared quite soon enough. Josh Lanyon takes this scenario and carries it through with twists…scares… and clues along the way. I love the characters of Nick and Perry. They are so different yet so much alike. Nick is all business and Parry is all fun and adventure while sometimes bypassing how much danger he could be in. Other than “uglying” him blind…how much danger can you be in from a dead man? I read the second book first…I often do this on purpose but this time it was accidental as I didn’t realize that it was a trilogy. Since I had already read the second book I was a little confounded to find that the story resonated with many shades of the plot of the first book. Different local and the two guys hadn’t met yet in this one…but it was still very much the same, thus reducing the usual 5 star rating that goes to Josh Lanyon’s books. It was still a good read and she is still one of my favorite authors…but hey, Ms. Lanyon…FYI…these books are WAY too short.

The Familiar Dark- Amy Engle
5★
A spellbinding story of a mother with nothing left to lose who sets out on an all-consuming quest for justice after her daughter is murdered on the town playground.
Sometimes the answers are worse than the questions. Sometimes it's better not to know.
Set in the poorest part of the Missouri Ozarks, in a small town with big secrets, The Familiar Dark opens with a murder. Eve Taggert, desperate with grief over losing her daughter, takes it upon herself to find out the truth about what happened. Eve is no stranger to the dark side of life, having been raised by a hard-edged mother whose lessons Eve tried not to pass on to her own daughter. But Eve may need her mother's cruel brand of strength if she's going to face the reality about her daughter's death and about her own true nature. Her quest for justice takes her from the seedy underbelly of town to the quiet woods and, most frighteningly, back to her mother's trailer for a final lesson. The Familiar Dark is a story about the bonds of family…women doing the best they can for their daughters in dire circumstances as well as a story about how even the darkest and most terrifying of places can provide the comfort of home.

It’s hard not to give away spoilers with this book. The whole story is so gripping and sad that it’s difficult for me describe how I felt about it. I can say that it made me angry… it made me sad… it frustrated me…it made me try to put myself in the shoes of this mother… and I couldn’t bear to put it down. I finished it in 1 day. This is the first book I have read by this author but it will certainly NOT be the last. Ms. Engle knows how to tell a story that is believable but above all, what comes across in her writing is that she understands. She understands that parents aren’t perfect and that some have more flaws than others but most do try to love and nurture their children. She understands that life sometimes gives us difficult choices but doesn’t always provide the wisdom needed to make the right decisions…and that sometimes the decisions we do make aren’t the ones society wants us to make. She understands that sometimes we are just furious with the hand we have been dealt. and need/want to fight back. This story reflects all those emotions in Eve Taggert as the mother of this 12 year old dead girl…searches for answers she may never find.

Educated: A Memoir
Tara Westover
5/5 stars
This is the true, fascinating story of Tara Westover. Born to Mormon survivalists, she and her family were isolated except for the other families in their small community. Her mother was a healer and herbalist and her father owned a junk yard. Education consisted of home schooling. Life was not easy, one of her brothers was extremely violent and she tried to stay clear of him. With the help of another brother who had gone away to the University, she decided that she needed to open herself up and become educated. On her own, she changes her life by exploring her options, leaving her family and going away to college to experiences she would never have had by staying home. This was one of the best books I have read this year!

The Dark – Ellen Datlow
4★
With each passing year, science, technology, and the march of time shine light into the craggy corners of the universe, making the fears of an earlier generation seem quaint. But this light creates its own shadows. The Best Horror of the Year chronicles these shifting shadows. It is a catalog of terror, fear, and unpleasantness as articulated by one of today’s most challenging and exciting writer.

It will almost make you a believer that ghosts are...or at least could be among us. The author has garnered many awards for her work and she says that she has long been fascinated by ghosts…or at least the possibility. As a result of her fascination she has assembled an original collection of ghost stories for the shivering delight of readers who are ready to be frightened. That is no idle threat. These are not friendly ghost stories. This book is called The Dark because the editor asked her favorite authors specifically for stories that would provoke fear or disquietude… tales that would cause shivers down the spine and make readers want to keep a light on when they retire to bed. The authors who answered her call compose an all-star cast of brilliant storyteller as Ramsey Campbell, Jeffrey Ford, Charles L. Grant, Glen Hirshberg, Kathe Koja, Tanith Lee, Kelly Link, Sharyn McCrumb, Joyce Carol Oates, Lucius Shepard, and Gahan Wilson. Each has submitted a unique tale unlike any of the others. All have cast dark spells that are sure to inspire fear or unease in the hardiest of us. They certainly satisfied this “ghost story junkie”.

The Llama of Death / Betty Webb
3.5 stars

Teddy is a zookeeper, but at this moment, she helping at a weekend fundraiser for the local no-kill animal shelter, a Renaissance Faire, where she is with the llama who is providing rides to the kids. The llama, Alejandro, likes kids, but not-so-much adults. The first night, there is a ruckus in the llama pen when the man who runs the local wedding chapel is founded murdered. Teddy’s mom ends up being suspected.

This was a good, solid, enjoyable mystery. I’ve found all the ones in this series to be this way. I do love the additional animal tidbits that are added in. I actually liked that many of the characters didn’t want to talk to Teddy as she tried to find out more to clear her mother’s name (a little more realistic than many cozies where people just go ahead and blab to the amateur sleuth).

Ice Station - Matthew Reilly
Shane Schofield series Book #1
5★
Antarctica is the last unconquered continent, a murderous expanse of howling winds, blinding whiteouts and deadly crevasses. On one edge of Antarctica is Wilkes Station. Beneath Wilkes Station is the gate to hell itself... a team of U.S. divers, exploring three thousand feet beneath the ice shelf has vanished. Sending out an SOS, Wilkes draws a rapid deployment team of Marines-and someone else... First comes a horrific firefight. Then comes a plunge into a drowning pool filled with killer whales. Next comes the hard part, as a handful of survivors begin an electrifying, red-hot, non-stop battle of survival across the continent and against wave after wave of elite military assassins-who've all come for one thing: a secret buried deep beneath the ice.

It’s like a Hollywood action movie only without the popcorn…and for the duration of the “movie” the impossible and unlikely becomes your new reality. I’m not a real big sci-fi fan but I find these books to be absolutely brilliant. If you want to just escape for a few hours, or days, or weeks…take Matthew Reilly’s Shane Schofield with you…and remember that it’s only fiction.

Confessions on the 7:45 / Lisa Unger
3.75 stars

Selena and Martha meet on the train. Selena has just discovered/confirmed her husband is cheating with the nanny. She and Martha each confess things to the other, and Martha makes an odd comment. As Selena tries to sort out what to do about her husband and the nanny, she gets a text from Martha, “Martha. From the train”. Selena never gave Martha her number...

The start was similar to “Strangers on a Train”. It was a bit slow-going, as I guess many of these kinds of psychological thrillers are. We follow a few different characters’ perspectives, and we back up in time to hear how we got to this point, particularly in Martha’s life. I feel like my just under 4 stars could be due to the slow-moving, but considering there are other slow-moving thrillers out there that I’ve rated 4 stars, maybe I’ve just been reading too many of them? Of course, a couple of the twists brought my rating up just a touch.

The Ghost Had an Early Check-Out - Josh Lanyon
Yellow Socks Trilogy Book #2
5★
Now living in Los Angeles with former navy SEAL Nick Reno, artist Perry Foster comes to the rescue of elderly and eccentric Horace Daly, the legendary film star of such horror classics as “Why Won’t You Die, My Darling?” Horace owns the famous, but now run-down, Hollywood hotel Angels Rest, rumored to be haunted. But as far as Perry can tell, the scariest thing about Angels Rest is the cast of crazy tenants--one of whom seems determined to bring down the final curtain on Horace--and anyone else who gets in the way.

Perry is right to believe that all the tenants are a bit crazy…especially the one with the pet alligator…but they are a loveable bunch of lunatics for the most part….except for the alligator. Let’s not forget the three men in skeleton costumes and wooden swords chasing down Horace…the owner. It’s a setting that the Addams Family would have been proud to have been a part of. I love Josh Lanyon’s books…but I do wish they were longer. As usual she has done a wonderful job of presenting an intriguing mystery with an abundance of clues and just the right amount of danger. The two main characters of Perry, the art school student and aspiring artist… and Nick…the ex Navy SEAL and current PI are in a word…perfect… both for the story and for each other. Each of them bring their own strengths to the investigation and they work and play well together. Though all of this author’s books are filled with great and believable protagonists… I think I like Perry the best of them all. He doesn’t let a little thing like reality interfere with his optimistic view of the world. He takes people as they are without question. These series tend to be very short but I really hope to see more of Perry and Nick in the future.

A New History of the American South
Edward L. Ayers
4/5 stars
This is part of the Great Courses series and covers the history of the American South. This comes with a Course Guidebook and DVD lectures covering the 100 years of the struggles of African Americans that they undergo while living and working in the United States. Very informative, eye opening and interesting. Ayers narrates the DVDs and does a great job of it.

The Hidden - Sally Spenser
DCI Monika Paniatowski series Book #12
3★
Monika Paniatowski knows exactly who the killer is – but there’s no way she can tell anyone else! DCI Paniatowski’s team are increasingly convinced that the girl found dead in the woods is the victim of a ritual killing, carried out by a secret society which has been established in the very heart of Whitebridge. Their problem is that without Paniatowski there to back them up, they find it impossible to persuade the ambitious DCI ‘Rhino’ Dixon that treating it as a mere domestic murder will get them nowhere. And so Meadows, Crane and Beresford find themselves out on a limb - cutting corners, ignoring procedure, and running the very real risk that their careers could be brought to an abrupt and dramatic end. Meanwhile, Monika herself knows not only who the killer is, but also that he is stalking Louisa, her beloved daughter. But as she is one of the killer’s victims too, and is lying in a coma – hearing everything, but unable to move or speak – there is nothing she can do about it!

We get to see more of Monik’s team since she is away when the story opens. I thought at first that it wasn’t going to be the same series without the “star of the show”…but Sally Spenser took the courage to allow these side characters to carry on without “The Boss”. Crane, Meadows and Beresford, make the decision to risk their own careers and start an investigation since Dixon…the actual boss…is, as usual, more interested in bringing in fast results than he is in finding the truth. How do these people get into the positions that they hold? It was also extremely frustrating that Monika could do nothing to help her team. Overall it was a good story in the life of Monika Paniatoeski. The one thing I have had a problem with from the very first of this series, is that the police don’t act like actual police officers would act…and how much they argue and disagree with the rest of their fellow officers....but it IS fiction. I’m curious enough to see where Sally Spencer plans to take this series from here to continue it for a while longer.

Through The Wall – Caroline Corcoran
4.5★
Lexie’s got the perfect life. And someone else wants it… Lexie loves her home. She feels safe and secure in it – and loved, thanks to her boyfriend Tom. Recently though, something’s not been quite right…a book out of place. A wardrobe door left open…a set of keys gone missing. Tom thinks Lexie’s going mad – but then, he’s away more often than hes at home nowadays, so he wouldn’t understand. Because Lexie isn’t losing it… she knows there’s someone out there watching her. And, deep down, she knows there’s nothing she can do to make them stop.

Overall it is an intriguing and interesting novel …but it is also not a “feel-good” read by any stretch of the imagination. The entire story is chilling and eerie… highlighting the ease with which our lives can be followed and examined in minute detail. Thanks to the thing called “social media”, Lexie unknowingly became exposed to a quagmire of information theft…not all of her own making. It turns out that one of Lexie’s neighbors is a social media nut case. She is lonely and mentally unstable and has fixated on Lexie as her new hobby. Of course Lexie had no way of knowing what was really going on behind the neighbors closed door until it was nearly too late. The chapters alternated between the lives of Lexie and Harriet the neighbor, creating a very claustrophobic…creepy and atmospheric read.

Edible Stories
Mark Kurlansky
4/5 stars
This is quite an interesting book. Kurlansky has written 16 tales (short stories) and each one highlights a different food. The stories are quite odd but it kept my attention to see how they end and I loved that all the characters were quite different with their own personalities and quirks! I have read several of Kurlansky's non-fiction books and loved them but I never knew he wrote fiction too.

Stranger on The Shore – Josh Lanyon
5★

Twenty years ago young Brian Arlington, heir to Arlington fortune, was kidnapped. Though the ransom was paid, the boy was never seen again and is presumed dead. Pierce Mather, the family lawyer, now administers and controls the Arlington billions. He's none too happy, and more than a little suspicious, when investigative journalist Griffin Hadley shows up to write about the decades-old mystery. Griff shrugs off the coldly handsome Pierce's objections, but it might not be so easy to shrug off the objections of someone willing to do anything to keep the past buried.

I love the way this author writes…a fact that can be substantiated by the great number of her books I have read just this month :) We have all the makings of a great British mystery…a mansion…a wealthy family with weird interactions…murder… and threats and revelations. As I said earlier…it’s more a mystery than a romance, although the romance was there but didn’t take over the entire story….but be aware that the romance in these books feature same sex couples. There were new turns to the story every few pages that managed to completely destroy each of my assumptions of how the story would end. I did come to the right conclusion but not until the next to the last chapter. Josh Lanyon’s books are always really good mysteries that can be counted on to be entertaining, and will usually throw many unexpected curves in your detective skills. Overall it was a really fun book.

Area 7 - Matthew Reilly
Shane Schofield series Book # 2
4★

It is America's most secret base, hidden deep in the Utah desert, an Air Force installation known only as Area 7. And today, it has a visitor - the President of the United States. He has come to inspect Area 7, to examine its secrets for himself. But he's going to get more than he bargained for on this trip because hostile forces are waiting inside.
Among the President's helicopter crew, however, is a young Marine. He is quiet, enigmatic, and he hides his eyes behind a pair of silver sunglasses. His name is Schofield. Call-sign: Scarecrow. Rumor has it that he's a good man in a storm. Judging by what the President has just walked into…he'd better be.

Like many of these Shane Schofield books they take a bit of suspended disbelief and a lot of accepted probable impossibility. The one thing though you can always depend on with this series is non-stop action and an escape from reality. They are just good, fun stories. Matthew Reilly is a genius when putting words on paper to create a memorable adventure. No matter how improbable the story may get you can always be sure that this author going to tie the story line together masterfully with clever twists and details. You just have to lean back and enjoy the ride.

Where the Crawdads Sing / Delia Owens
4 stars

In the early 1950s, 5- or 6-year old Kya watches her mother walk away from the shack Kya and her siblings are growing up in. She doesn’t come home. Over the next few years, Kya’s older siblings also walk away, until it’s only Kya and her neglectful (and sometimes drunk and abusive) father. When Kya is 9 or 10, her father leaves, too. Kya spends all her time in the marsh and doesn’t feel comfortable with other people, who tease her and call her “Marsh Girl”. In 1969, a young man is found at the bottom of a fire tower. They aren’t sure if it was an accident or not, but the sheriff is investigating as if it’s not.

The book brings us up in time to the event in 1969, and slightly beyond. It’s pretty slow-moving, but the last quarter or so of the book, I found really dramatic and I upped my rating due to that.

Bombshell - Stuart Woods
Teddy Fay Series Book # 4
4★
Teddy Fay is back in Hollywood and caught in two tricky situations. First, a rising star at Centurion becomes the target of malicious gossip, and Teddy must find and neutralize the source before the situation gets out of hand--or becomes violent. At the same time, Teddy finds himself targeted by a criminal thug bearing a grudge. It's a lot of knives to juggle, even for a former-CIA-operative-turned-movie-producer accustomed to hazardous working conditions. This time Teddy will need to leverage every bit of his undercover skills and fearless daring to stay one step ahead of his foes . . . or he'll find himself one foot in the grave.

I never knew that competition for the Oscars was so competitive…or so dangerous…but it has two Hollywood starlets considering murder. I first met Teddy Fay back when the Will Lee series first started and Teddy worked with the FBI in Washington D.C. and then came along Ed Eagle series and the Holly Baker series where Teddy was computer genius at gathering and secret information for the government. These were all excellent books that were action packed...short on wasted words and descriptions and could have been as long a series as the Stone Barrington series. So far Teddy Faye is a fascinating character and has far topped Stone Barrington although Stone does appear in almost every book thus far. By only making brief appearances I guess it gives Stone time to buy multi million dollar airplanes and plenty of time waiting for some random beautiful woman to ring his doorbell and want to go to bed him In the meantime Teddy can dodge the bullets…disarm all the bombs and kill all the bad guys that would like nothing more than to kill him. So far Teddy has proven to be a wonderful, believable hero. Hope this trend continues and there is as many books featuring Teddy as there are featuring Stone.

Read and reviewed Rag and Bone by KJ Charles and Battle Ground by Jim Butcher. Was a bit disappointed with Battle Ground, which is volume 17 of the Dresden files, since it was pretty much one big fight scene (hence the title). However, I had to read it since I plan to continue with the series and needed to know what was going on. Hopefully the author completes his next series entry without a 5+ year long interlude.

That Darkness - Lisa Black
Gardiner and Renner series Book #1
4★

As a forensic investigator for the Cleveland Police Department, Maggie Gardiner has seen her share of Jane Does. The latest is an unidentified female in her early teens, discovered in a local cemetery. More shocking than the girl's injuries--for Maggie at least--is the fact that no one has reported her missing. She and the detectives assigned to the case (including her cop ex-husband) are determined to follow every lead, run down every scrap of evidence. But the monster they seek is watching every move, closer to them than they could possibly imagine. Jack Renner is a killer. He doesn't murder because he enjoys it, or because he believes himself omnipotent, or for any reason other than to make the world a safer place. When he follows the trail of this Jane Doe to a locked room in a small apartment where eighteen teenaged girls are anything but safe, he knows something must be done. But his pursuit of their captor takes an unexpected turn.
Maggie Gardiner finds another body waiting for her in the autopsy room--and a host of questions that will challenge everything she believes about justice, morality, and the true nature of evil.

When I started this book, I wasn’t sure that I was going to like it. More to the point…I wasn’t sure I was going to like that the heroine is essentially pulled over to the “dark side”. She goes from a fairly firm belief in what is right and what is wrong, to somewhere in the middle just waiting to fall one way or the other. This slip is enforced by a decision that she makes that is in total conflict with what we were lead to think that she embraces. Perhaps it’s just a different way to look at justice and revenge. Being the first book in this series it does give the reader insight into how Jack…a detective with more deep, dark secrets than you can ever imagine…and Maggie…a forensic expert that is a genius when it come to evidence identification, actually come to be together. It’s one of the strangest associations I have ever found in any book with the exception of maybe Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series. I believe that this is going to be the beginning of what will become a really good series if this pair stay involved.

The Book of Matt - Stephen Jimenez
Non-Fiction
4★

”There were two enormous tragedies that stemmed from this case. The first obvious tragedy is that a young man lost his life. Regardless of the criminal activity that Matthew Shepard was involved in, no human being deserves to be treated in the same fashion that he was. The second tragedy was how pathetic and how poorly the media handled this case. It has been painfully obvious to me for many years now that the media had absolutely no interest in learning or reporting the facts of this case. The media simply wanted to sensationalize this homicide as a hate crime instead of reporting it for what it really was about: DRUGS.” — Former Laramie Detective Ben Fritzen, a lead investigator on the Matthew Shepard murder

I have read several books and seen 2 movies documenting the tragic, grotesque, and senseless death of this young man. To date everyone still has an opinion but no one has an explanation …the complete truth, nor can they really answer the question of “why”? Why did it happen? Why this particular man?… and what... if any... were the events leading up to it? Drugs were, and still are, thought to be the reality, but the media and almost everyone else was convinced that it was simply because Matthew was gay and dared to say it.

From the Book “Fifteen years ago Aaron McKinney swung his .357 Magnum for the final time like a baseball bat into the skull of Matthew Shepard. Shepard was tied low to a post, arms behind his back, in a prairie fringe of Laramie, Wyoming. The murder was so vicious, the aftermath so sensational, that the story first told to explain it became gospel before anyone could measure it against reality. That story was born, in part, of shock and grief and the fact that gay men…this one really only a boy… like Shepard have been violently preyed upon by heterosexuals. It was also born of straight culture and secrets. This is not a left-wing or a right-wing thing. It is not a gay or straight thing…, it is not a religious versus atheist thing…It’s being a human being thing. . .

It’s now been 22 years since this happened and we have to wonder just how much has attitudes changed? No matter what your feelings are about homosexuality…you have to see that this goes way beyond the realms of sex and who you can or can not love…it more than likely had nothing what-so-ever to do with Matthews sexual orientation and more to do with the attitude that “you are different than me and don’t believe in the same things I do so therefore you are not only totally wrong…you have to… actually really need to… die for it.”

The last line of the book reads …“What is clear is that Matthew was as complicated and flawed an individual as we all are and that in no way invalidates his humanity, his right to life or the reaction to his murder.” As I finished the last page I thought to myself…I hope that this sad testimony to intolerance is not what we have become as a people. I do sincerely hope not.

Ready for a Brand New Beat: How Dancing in the Street Became the Anthem for a Changing America
Mark Kurlansky
4/5 stars
In this book, Kurlansky explores the phenomenon of how Motown and the song “Dancing in the Street” changed music in a turbulent time in the US in the 1960’s. Kurlansky also explores the events of the time period including the rise of the Beatles, Vietnam, the Civil Rights Act and changes in politics. Kurlansky is never boring to me and I enjoy his unusual book topics!

Orchids and Lies – Fiona Gartland
4.5★

Court stenographer Beatrice Barrington is at the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin, when a woman runs screaming from the Palm House. A man has plunged from the high walkway inside onto the flagstone floor below. He’s identified as gardener Paddy Hogan. Was it an accident? Or could it be suicide? Examining the scene, Beatrice believes neither is likely. She begins to suspect Paddy has been murdered, though the local gardaí seem to believe otherwise. Paddy’s sister Ava begs her to find the truth about his death and, though Beatrice has promised herself not to get involved and has been warned off by Detective Inspector Rebecca Maguire, she agrees. When her former lover, ex-detective Gabriel Ingram, returns from a long recuperation in Donegal, together they get drawn into the case. Investigating the lives of staff and visitors at the gardens, they uncover lies and deception but a motive for murder remains elusive

I always welcome a chance to “visit” the land that my grandmother loved and missed everyday of her life… Ireland. This is a wonderfully told story. It will appeal to those that love the mystery and the chase to find the killer and those that just want to sit and enjoy a really good book. The characters were so very well done and very likeable and believable. I especially liked Beatrice and Gabriel and how they interacted with one another. I’m also a big fan of mystery books that have a court case as a part of the story. Although this one had a court case…I’m not sure that it may have seemed out of place or even unnecessary in this case. At any rate I really enjoyed this book from cover to cover and will be watching for future ones by this author. I also have my fingers crossed that there is more of Beatrice and Gabriel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Poolbeg Press in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own.

Cover of Snow / Jenny Milchman
2.25 stars

When Nora wakes up one morning, she discovers her cop husband, Brandon, has killed himself. Nora had no idea this was coming, and she must find out what led to it. While doing so, she uncovers not only personal secrets her husband kept from her, but also some disturbing things covered up by the small local police force.

I listened to the audio, and sadly, the narrator had a very monotone voice that did not keep me interested at all, though it sounds like something that should be interesting. I did hear some of the secrets that were uncovered at the end... maybe they were meant to be exciting twists and turns, but I missed so much in between that it just wasn’t all that interesting. It started interesting -- and even having now finished it – I do wonder what led Brandon to kill himself...? I’d kind of like to just find a summary with all the spoilers.

Before I Go To Sleep - S.J. Watson
5★

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, evens the people you love–all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story. Welcome to Christine's life. Every morning, she awakens beside a stranger in an unfamiliar bed. She sees a middle-aged face in the bathroom mirror that she does not recognize. And every morning, the man patiently explains that he is Ben, her husband, that she is forty-seven-years-old, and that an accident long ago damaged her ability to remember. In place of memories Christine has a handful of pictures, a whiteboard in the kitchen, and a journal, hidden in a closet. She knows about the journal because Dr. Ed Nash, a neurologist who claims to be treating her without Ben’s knowledge, reminds her about it each day. Inside its pages, the damaged woman has begun meticulously recording her daily events—sessions with Dr. Nash, snippets of information that Ben shares, flashes of her former self that briefly, miraculously appear. But as the pages accumulate, inconsistencies begin to emerge, raising disturbing questions that Christine is determined to find answers to. And the more she pieces together the shards of her broken life, the closer she gets to the truth . . . and the more terrifying and deadly it is.

I don’t have enough good words to say about this book. When you think about your memories you have to define what is real…what is false… and how many are a little of both? We all will find that sometimes they fool us and lead us down the wrong paths…make us make unwise decisions. This is the heart and soul of this haunting and twisted story. We find out early in the book that Ben, her husband is not telling her all the truth…Dr. Nash isn’t either. Christine’s journal entries are misleading…where this story is going to take us is anyone’s guess. The ending is so worth the wait and I bet like me…you will change your mind about what is real and not real and still be wrong.

>24 JulieLill: I like Kurlansky too, but hadn't heard of this one. Thanks for the recommendation - its on my wishlist now!

Lying In Wait – Liz Nugent
4.5★

”My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.” On the surface, Lydia Fitzsimons has the perfect life—wife of a respected, successful judge, mother to a beloved son, mistress of a beautiful house in Dublin. That beautiful house, however, holds a secret. And when Lydia’s son, Laurence, discovers its secret, wheels are set in motion that leads to an increasingly claustrophobic and devastatingly dark climax.

All of the primary characters…including the dead woman, Annie… are complicated and well-rounded. You really can’t call any of them a “hero” or a “villain”. Liz Nugent has created a perfect blend of the macabre with a story that will make you feel unsettled…dirty… hunted…and shaken… but completely fascinated. My first read by Nugent but certainly not my last,

Kitty Cornered / Bob Tarte
3.5 stars

Bob and his Linda have a mini-zoo in their house: ducks, geese, rabbits, various birds and six cats. This book focuses on their cats and how they came to be in Bob and Linda’s lives.

I love how he showed each cats’ personality – they really are all different. There was humour in this book, and I discovered after that he has other books about their other critters – I’ve added one more to my tbr. I wasn’t necessarily impressed with a few things they did (indoor/outdoor cats; (at least) one was declawed; I’m not sure they really understand the best way to introduce cats, as they seemed to be the type that just let them “sort it out”), but maybe he just didn’t go into detail or explain? Really, though, you can see how much he loves his cats and he has some great stories, and some of them do include some of the harder things – the vet visits, peeing outside the box, shy/feral cats.

Hit List - Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington series #53
2★
When Stone Barrington finds his name on a hit list, he plans to lie low until the culprit is caught. But when this foe shows no signs of stopping until his deadly objective are realized in full, Stone is left with no choice but to face the problem head-on. Armed and alert, Stone joins forces with his most savvy connections to catch the perpetrator before the next strike. But it turns out this scum is an expert at evasion in more ways than one, and the international cat-and-mouse hunt that ensues has Stone questioning if he has become the predator or the prey

I really liked these early books but I had stopped reading this series because I found that I was disappointed with Stuart Woods constantly making Stone into a ridiculous play boy. This man obviously has much more sense than this and should have more character. Romance is fine but this man can’t keep his clothes on. I thought I would give it another try since I wasn’t the only one that disliked Stone’s “playboy” image. I thought maybe Mr. Woods would get the idea and tone it down…Of course he didn’t. Between the bedroom scenes with Stone and whoever rings his doorbell and an actual shootout in the streets of New York City…I think I’m through giving this any more chances. For now I‘ll just stick with the Teddy Faye series. So far Teddy has managed to stay at least half dressed…or maybe the ladies think twice about ringing an assassin’s doorbell.

The Venetian's Wife / Nick Bantock
3.5 stars

Sara works at a museum and isn’t looking for a new job when she is contacted by email, out of the blue, but someone she doesn’t know. This man is offering her a mysterious well-paid job, and their contact is to only be via email. It turns out he would like her to help him find and acquire 4 original sculptures from the 15th century. Meanwhile, she does miss seeing the man at work she has a crush on.

This is something very different, with illustrations peppered on most (if not all) pages; it was part in diary form and part email. This surprised me. I was a bit doubtful about it and could not remember why I added it to my tbr. I’m not that much into art, and it has an odd subtitle. It was good, though. It moved quickly, so was not very long and did not take long to read.

Hard Core Twenty-Four
Janet Evanovich
3.5/5 stars
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter is on the case when bodies show up without any heads. Diesel, a former associate shows up to help in the case to track down the killer. There is never a dull moment in Plum’s life.

The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill
4****

It is 1845, and Hannah Gardner Price has lived all twenty-four years of her life according to the principles of the Nantucket Quaker community in which she was raised, where simplicity and restraint are valued above all, and a woman's path is expected to lead to marriage and motherhood. But up on the rooftop each night, Hannah pursues a very different--and elusive-- goal: discovering a comet and thereby winning a gold medal awareded by the king of Denmark, something unheard of for a woman.

This was an extraordinary book full of the inner dialogue of a brilliant woman. Modeled after a real life Northeastern woman astronomer, this fictional heroine lives during a time of strict rules imposed by the Nantucket Quakers on dress, actions, and education. Hannah Price lives at home with her father, as her twin brother has earlier sailed out on a whaling vessel to earn the funds to marry. All Hannah wishes to do is watch the stars and gain the opportunity to control her own life. Into her life of measurement and repairing nautical instruments comes a dark-skinned man from the Azores who wishes to become her student. So she takes up the offer and both their lives are changed.

Reading this book in this moment in modern history is timely: as the Quakers discuss the sin of slavery, they are also unable to fully accept the African Americans and darker skinned peoples on their island. Their patronizing attitude towards others speaks volumes towards the later "hands-off" view of Northern Reconstructionists who fail to honor true freedom, including voting rights, land rights, and freedom of movement, of newly freed slaves in the South.

Set in the 1840's, Hannah's story is well told and her internalized oppression is a literary triumph. She remains true to herself, mostly, and merely wants to stand on her own two feet, gazing at the stars, and earn her own way in the world.

The Ruthless – David Putnam
Bruno Johnson series Book #8
5★

Pushed to his emotional limit, Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy Bruno Johnson struggles to hold his family together while immersed in his unrelenting career. His daughter, Olivia, is a teen mom to twin toddlers; her common-law husband, Derek Sams, is a thug; and one of their little boys has disappeared under his care. The overwhelming intensity demanded of Bruno on this personal level is compounded by the brutal shotgun murder of a superior court judge and his wife, both friends of his. Bruno cannot ignore these violent crimes even though he’s supposedly off the law enforcement grid—undercover—working an illegal gun sting. Tragedy strikes Bruno’s life on all fronts: family, friends, and professional—however, none of these colossal forces can match the unthinkable catastrophe that will forever dominate Bruno’s life.

I’ve read several the Bruno Johnson books, and David Putnam has been my friend on Goodreads for quiet sometime but…evidently I am a little slow on the draw because I never associated my friend being the author of one of my favorite series…DUH! My husband spent years in law enforcement and he has often commented that Bruno was so true to character of the men and women that he spent most of life with. He has said many times that who ever this author is he must have intimate knowledge of the inside workings to have created this fictional character.
Bruno reminds me of several mystery novel cops and private eyes, Harry Bosch, Jack Reacher, Elvis Cole… but he is indeed his own man…a strong and tough man with a wonderfully soft heart…and it may be that heart that will either get him in lots of trouble or save the day….again. It's clear from the start that Bruno and his partner plan on hanging on all the way to what is an exciting end. If you like any of the cops, private detective characters from the Michael Connelly, Lee Child or Robert Crais books you’ll diffidently give Bruno Johnson a place on your shelf. Thank you, David, for the copy of this book and I look forward to hopefully more of Bruno.

A Red Door – Kathryn Jarvis
4.5★

It’s an honest and moving story about the unraveling of a marriage and the breakup of a young family during the late 1980s AIDS crisis, a time when most people who had the disease kept it a secret for as long as possible. Seemingly, happily married, and mother to two young children, Kathryn is confronted with the possibility of infection and later the knowledge that her husband, who is diagnosed with HIV has been untruthful for a number of years, risking hers and their children’s lives. As the story unfolds, we see the anger and destruction brought about by betrayal and loss of trust in a time of crisis, but also the resilience and love that ultimately holds us together.

The book is beautifully written but often painful to read. It takes us back to a time when AIDS was something that many families found themselves victim to either directly or indirectly.. The family in this story is literally torn apart… not only by this devastating disease but by the actions of a loved and trusted family member. In spite of the topic and the heartache that you can almost feel seeping through the pages…it is diffidently a worthwhile and entertaining read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Black Rose Writing Publishers in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own.

Two for the Road / Jane & Michael Stern
3.5 stars

Jane and Michael Stern are married and have been travelling across the US since just after they married in 1970 to find local eateries (aka “roadfood”) and review them. This is a memoir of their travels and the food.

This was entertaining. Many chapters focused on an area and at the end of each chapter they included a couple of recipes of things they mentioned in the chapter. (Except the chapter on the awful food they tried (or smelled and didn’t try!) The recipes at the end of that chapter included foods that many people dislike). I’m not one who reads recipes, but each recipe had a story to go with it, so I did read that. I bake more than cook, and I’m not an adventurous eater. That was one of the nice things about this book – though there were some odd things, much of it was just “American” food (bbqs, pies, ice cream, steak, etc.). Although I don’t eat meat often, I really want to try a steamed cheeseburger (head to Meriden, Connecticut for that one)!

Unspoken - Ian K. Smith
Ashe Cayne series Book #1
4/5
Former Chicago detective Ashe Cayne is desperate for redemption. After refusing to participate in a police department cover-up involving the death of a young black man, Cayne is pushed out of the force. But he won’t sit quietly on the sidelines: he’s compelled to fight for justice as a private investigator…even if it means putting himself in jeopardy. When a young woman, Tinsley Gerrigan, goes missing, her wealthy parents from the North Shore hire Cayne to find her. As Cayne looks into her life and past, he uncovers secrets Tinsley’s been hiding from her family. Cayne fears he may never find Tinsley alive. His worries spike when Tinsley’s boyfriend is found dead—another black man murdered on the tough Chicago streets. Cayne must navigate his complicated relationships within the Chicago PD, leveraging his contacts and police skills to find the missing young woman, see justice done, and earn his redemption.

There must be something really wrong with me…I actually read the first book of a series…FIRST:) The story starts out grabbing your attention right away…but it while it doesn’t flounder exactly it does badly “wobble” from there on. I can’t say I didn’t like the story or that it was a bad read…after all getting to take a look into the secret lives of rich people is always fun and always revealing. I just wanted Ashe Cayne to be more accepted for what he was. For him to not have to feel that he needed redemption for anything. I liked the man and I believe this is gong to be a series well worth reading…but please we don’t need to know in glorious detail everything the man eats, and we don’t need another badly broken police detective. Just “slightly dented” would be acceptable.

The Underground Railroad
by Colson Whitehead
4/5 stars
This is the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Colson Whitehead about the life of Cora, a slave on a planation in Georgia. Cora is able to escape her planation with a fellow slave, Caesar who has knowledge of the Underground Railroad and the book follows her life in those turbulent times. Wonderfully written, it pulls you in the minute you start reading!

Where Shadows Dance - C. S. Harris
Sebastian St.Cyr series Book #6
4.5★
In 1812, surgeon Paul Gibson discovers a stiletto wound in the base of a corpse’s skull and immediately contacts Sebastian St. Cyr. And when another body turns up with the same injury, the lives of St. Cyr’s family are threatened if he doesn’t back off. Now, the pressure’s on to find the culprit before anyone else gets killed.

You can’t help but love Sebastian St. Cyr. He is a likable and honorable man as well as an aristocratic sleuth. He’s a rebel to the Ton and yet is easily accepted in their orbit. Every branch of the ruling government asks for his help to solve these complicated murder cases. Ms. Harris has plenty of fodder for many, many future books…which is a good thing. We hope to see how he deals with his love for Kat and his attraction to Hero Jarvis who has just reluctantly become his wife for very noble reasons. We are also waiting to learn the identity of his real father and the whereabouts of his mother. It seems that each book in this series just gets better and better. Maybe it’s because the reader sees the characters continue to grow and change. The entire series thus far has been historical fiction at it’s very best.

The Night Swim - Megan Goldin
4.5★
Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name…and the last hope for people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help? The new season of Rachel's podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. A local golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season 3 a success, Rachel throws herself into her investigation…but the mysterious letters keep coming. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insist she was murdered…and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody in town wants to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases…and a revelation that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

I am happily married to a retired vice detective who critiques every movie and TV show for “reality” … and I can see where this would be important to those that were out there dealing with the real reality every single day…but that isn’t extremely important to me. I’m a reader that just wants to be entertained. As a result I find that I love crime shows and police procedural books and movies. I watch and read them all and I don’t care if they meet my husband’s expectations or not. So I was really surprised when he read about half of this book…actually I was surprised that he read “Any” of this book as that is not how he spends his time. More surprising was that he proclaimed it nearly perfect except…of course there would be an “except… the biggie…THE TRIAL. I liked the entertainment and excitement of the trial…he found fault with the entire thing…wrong use of terms etc… So… if you are a perfectionist and require that even your fiction books be 100% correct in content…you are not going to make it past page 100. However if you love the thrill and the hunt and seeing the bad guy get his comeuppance in spades…you are going to devour this one. Good story, well written and so believable even though some of it is very disturbing.

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 / Simon Winchester
1.5 stars

Krakatoa is a volcano that erupted in 1883. I think it has erupted many(?) times since then.

Can’t tell much more about this, as I (unfortunately) listened to the audio. It was a male British voice (the author), so I recognized immediately that I was in trouble. I was bored. It didn’t hold my interest at all. It did seem to start with a lot of historical information about the area (Java, Sumatra). Beyond that, I think it took a long time to get to the volcano, but even then, I wasn’t really listening. For some reason, he went on about Islam at the end, though I’m unsure as to why. Despite listening to the entire thing, I’m having to read other summaries and reviews to find out what happened.

The Fireman / Joe Hill
3.5 stars

There is a new plague – a spore – that is spreading throughout the population. It causes people to suddenly burst into flames. When a nurse, Harper, comes down with it, her husband leaves her and she is driven from her home as there are people out there who are hunting down and killing those with “Dragonscale”. They are marked with an elaborate tattoo when infected, so it can be hard to hide. Harper ends up in the woods with a group of other people hiding out with Dragonscale, including a man they call “The Fireman”. Things take a turn for the worse at this camp when their leader is seriously injured.

This was good. It was long, but it was good. I liked that Allie, the teenager, was portrayed realistically – at least I thought so. Good and bad, temperamental, like a teenager. We also had some crazy characters and some power-hungry ones. I do wonder if there will be a sequel.

Every Step She Takes - Kelly Armstrong
3.5★
Genevieve has secrets that no one knows. In Rome she can be whoever she wants to be. Her neighbors aren’t nosy; her Italian is passable; the shopkeepers and restaurant owners now see her as a local, and they let her be. It’s exactly what she wants. One morning, after getting groceries, she returns to her 500-year-old Trastevere apartment. She climbs to the very top of the staircase, the steps narrowing the higher she goes. When she gets to her door, she puts down her bags and pushes the key into the lock . . .. . . and the door swings open. It’s unlocked. Sometimes she doesn’t lock it because Rome is pretty safe. But Genevieve knows she locked the door this morning. She has no doubt. What if someone is in her apartment, waiting for her: She should leave, call the police. But she doesn’t. Instead, she goes in. The apartment is empty, and exactly as she left it . . . except for the box on her kitchen table….a box that definitely wasn’t there this morning. A box postmarked from New York City… a box that is addressed to “Lucy Callahan.” A name she hasn’t used in ten years.

I love Kelly Armstrong’s Otherworld series so thought I’d try her new standalone. It’s okay but nowhere near the same league as her series books. This one takes a little while to really get going. Gwen is a secretive young woman with a hoped for life in Italy with her boyfriend Marco but as the story opens…her life is about to fall apart because someone knows her secret and they’ve left evidence on her kitchen table. Our heroine…Genevieve is not a very likable or a very smart person and her actions…or sometimes lack of actions… brings the story down from what it could have been. For most of the book she is just plain stupid making it really hard to feel anything for her but exasperation. I do have to give the book and extra half star for a fairly strong mystery. Like I said…not a bad book or story…just not a good heroine.

Don’t Look Back - Jennifer L. Amentrout
3★
Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.
Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash. But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night aren't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Samantha is having a very bad time…she wakes up one morning and finds that she can’t remember a single thing about her past… absolutely nothing. Two people say they are her parents…Burt are they her parents? They could be anybody as far as she’s concerned.. Her best friend Cassie is missing and could possibly be dead somewhere. Samantha was the last person to see Cassie that night before she disappeared but Sam has no idea even who Cassie is let alone where she could be. Sometimes a few vague memories will pop up but nothing she can hold on to. Does she really want to go back to the person that she was before? Before her memory loss she was popular, but very rude and extremely demanding. She’s also sure that certain people are hiding things that they don’t want her to remember? This story is filled with suspense and mystery….but I became a little tired of Samantha’s constant whining and indecisions. I also don’t think it was really explained what happened to caused the problem to begin with.

Vanish
Tess Gerritsen
4/5 stars
Jane Rizzoli is a homicide detective and is on the verge of having her first child at the hospital when she is entrapped into a hostage situation with a woman who was brought into the hospital in a body bag but still alive. Gerritsen weaves a tale of desperation that keeps you reading on to find out what is going on!

The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator / Joakim Palmkvist
4 stars

This is true crime in Sweden, a translation. In 2012, a man, Goran, disappears. His oldest daughter (in her 20s), Sara, is set to inherit her father’s forestry business. Goran was very well off (though stingy with what he spent). Goran had had a feud with his neighbour for a long time, and he had been upset with Sara for dating the neighbour’s son. It was longer than one would expect before Sara even reported her father missing. In the meantime, a woman named Therese had recently set up “Missing Persons”, a volunteer group who help police with searches.

The book gave a lot of info about police procedure -- what the police need to do and how they need to do it while investigating -- which I found quite interesting. I did think Therese took a few too many chances, though! Yikes! Overall, I found this really interesting and quite enjoyed reading it.

The Arrival / Shaun Tan
3.5 stars

This graphic novel is told entirely by illustrations. No words. A man is leaving his wife and child to travel (immigrate) someplace new.

This was well done. The illustrations are beautiful. I was able to figure out what was going on, at least at the start and end. There were a few things in the middle that confused me a bit. There were no words at all, and I felt like it was meant to represent how someone who doesn’t speak the language might interpret things, but some of it was just so odd, I couldn’t quite figure it out. And I felt like (if that’s why the no words), the man would have started to figure things out a bit more as time went on. The “story” is 3 stars (ok), but the illustrations brought it up for me to 3.5 (good). I want to rate it higher because it’s so original, but I’m just not sure. It really is a beautiful book, though.

The Dead Travel Fast - Deanna Raybourn
3★

A husband, a family, a comfortable life: Theodora Lestrange lives in terror of it all. With a modest inheritance and the three gowns that comprise her entire wardrobe, Theodora leaves Edinburgh—and a disappointed suitor—far behind. She is bound for Rumania, where tales of vampires are still whispered, to visit an old friend and write the book that will bring her true independence. She arrives at a magnificent, decaying castle in the Carpathians, replete with eccentric inhabitants: the ailing dowager; the troubled steward; her own fearful friend, Cosmina. But all are outstripped in dark glamour by the castle's master, Count Andrei Dragulescu. Bewildering and bewitching in equal measure, the brooding nobleman ignites Theodora's imagination and awakens passions in her that she can neither deny nor conceal. His allure is superlative, his dominion over the superstitious town, absolute—Theodora may simply be one more person under his sway. Before her sojourn is ended—or her novel completed—Theodora will have encountered things as strange and terrible as they are seductive. Obsession can prove fatal…and she is in danger of falling prey to more than desire.

This was an entertaining enough read, but not especially what I like to read. Yes…another book that fit a challenge category :) The characters were pulled from a movie set actors list…a spirited heroine,…an ominous housekeeper…a darkly handsome but mysterious Count. Their dialog is peppered with clichés, and they exhibit too many improbable motivations to be taken seriously. Surely, real people would not behave in such ways…but then surely real people wouldn’t be playing with vampires either. There was a positive side. The plot contains some very clever twists…the atmosphere is created so realistically that one can share the chills with the Theodora, the heroine when the wind carried the cries of wolves in the night… and the description of the castle was a brilliant piece of work. The readers that like Victorian romances and wish to work and play with vampires will more than likely like the book a lot

The Woman Outside My Door / Rachel Ryan
4 stars

When 7-year old Cody comes out of the bushes in the park and tells his mom his “new granny” gave him sweets, Georgina panics. The only grandmother Cody ever knew, Georgina’s mother, died 6 months earlier. At home, Cody gets phone calls; if Georgina answers the phone, the person on the other end doesn’t speak. Other odd things start happening. Georgina feels that someone is stalking her little boy. However, Georgina is still dealing with the loss of her mother, plus there are things going wrong in her marriage.

I thought this was really good. You can’t tell if she is a reliable narrator. I was annoyed by Georgina’s husband, Bren, who kept dismissing her fears. I felt like he changed his mind a bit too quickly, though, when he started believing Georgina’s fears. He shouldn’t have dismissed them so quickly to start with, but he also seemed to come around too fast, in comparison with how he’d originally reacted. Even still, it kept me reading. It’s a fast read and kept me wanting to find out what was going on.

The Dreamers - Karen Thompson Walker
4.5★

One night in an isolated college town in the hills of Southern California, a first-year student stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. She sleeps through the morning, into the evening. Her roommate, Mei, cannot rouse her. Neither can the paramedics, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. When a second girl falls asleep, and then a third, Mei finds herself thrust together with an eccentric classmate as panic takes hold of the college and spreads to the town. A young couple tries to protect their newborn baby as the once-quiet streets descend into chaos. Two sisters turn to each other for comfort as their survivalist father prepares for disaster. Those affected by the illness, doctors discover, are displaying unusual levels of brain activity, higher than has ever been recorded before. They are dreaming heightened dreams—but of what?

The story weaves itself in the well known concept of a sudden mass breakout and the reactions that follow...but this takes a slightly different twist. Of all the things science has provided answers for and medical science has gathered and published papers on, perhaps what happens when we sleep may still have unanswered questions. We understand how the process takes place but the things called "dreams/nightmares that our minds and brains provide are still less really understood. Some researchers say that our dreams are more or less meaningless...a "kitchen junk drawer"...the brain’s "information dump" at the end of the day. These dreams that have taken on epidemic qualities are something else entirely and are more dangerous and more powerful than the anyone could have ever imagined. They are the result of a chronic wide spreading pandemic that starts in the fictional college town of Santa Lora, California, then quickly spreads causing the sleeper to slip into an eventually fatal unconscientious. The inter connectedness that is so essential to being part of a community is also what makes the townspeople fatally vulnerable. One thing does creep in however...chaos. And then....some of the sleeping start to awaken. The relief of being conscious is however short-lived as their lives have been irrevocably altered. They are confused and they also must confront their incredible, horrifying visions. They find themselves caught in a dilemma as they discover that the dreams and reality cannot be separated. With clinical precision and psychological depth the author delivers a vivid all too real picture similar of our real ongoing national anxiety.

Half Spent Was the Night / Ami McKay
2.5 stars

This is a short story sequel to Ami McKay’s “The Witches of New York”. In this one, our three witches are preparing for Christmas. They are invited to a ball, but they don’t know the host and are unable to figure out why they were invited.

I listened to the audio, and I may not have that summary exactly right, but it’s something along those lines. I caught bits and pieces of the story, but missed much of it. I even went back and re-listened to the second half because I felt I missed all of that half (it was short, the second half was only 41 minutes). I wanted to like it. I like witches and I like Christmas, but it just didn’t hold my attention. Caught a bit more of the second half the second time around, but not much.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards – Lilian Jackson Braun
3***

Book # 1 in a cozy mystery series featuring James Qwilleran, a newspaper reporter in an unnamed Midwestern city, and an extraordinary Siamese cat, Koko.

I’m sure I’ve read this before, because it was vaguely familiar, but I did not have it on my “read” list on Goodreads, so decided to give it a go.

I love cozy mysteries, and this is a great series. Qwilleran is a good amateur detective. As a reporter he is appropriately curious and has a great excuse for gathering information. In this first outing, he’s been assigned to the features desk, writing about the local art scene. No, he’s not the art critic, he does public interest pieces on artists and events. Being somewhat new to town, he has a lot to learn and he’s finding quite a lot of intrigue in the local art scene … even before a prominent gallery owner is found murdered.

I like the way that Braun uses Koko to help Qwilleran. This is not a talking cat! (Although Siamese are known for their loud and interesting vocalizations.)

An altogether satisfying cozy mystery, and I recommend the series.

Fair And Tender Ladies –Lee Smith
5*****

Ivy Rowe is born around the beginning of the 20th century in the mountain cabin where her parents have settled. She is in the middle of a pack of eight children and we learn about her life through the letters she writes, beginning at age 12 to a pen pal in Holland, or to her teacher, and continuing through her long life as she writes to her friends and family over the decades.

What a marvelous character! Ivy is curious and adventurous, intelligent if lacking education, forthright, determined, and self-reliant. She makes mistakes and deals with them. She finds love in the wrong places and then with a good man. She observes the workings of the world as it changes around her but remains true to her tiny corner and her mountain ways. She raises children – her own, her neighbor’s, her grandkids. She helps her neighbors, advises her siblings, dares to dream big, and resolves to live well and true to herself. And through it all she writes these wonderful letters, full of all the emotions of life – joy, despair, hope, dejection, enthusiasm, resignation and love, always love.

The landscape is vividly portrayed and practically a character. I’ve driven through some of these mountain areas in Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina, but even if I had never seen them with my own eyes, I think I would have a clear picture in my head based on Smith’s descriptions. I could hear the bees buzzing, smell the fragrance of a summer meadow, feel the leaves crunch underfoot on an autumn afternoon, or smell the smoke from a chimney fire welcoming me home on a cold winter evening.

Smith also uses a vernacular dialect throughout. However, Ivy’s language (and spelling) improve as she grows from a 12-year-old with limited education to a grown woman who loves to read. There were a few times when I really had to stop to think before I could puzzle out what a word was. For example, Ivy mentions “hunting sang” and continues writing about “sang” … and it wasn’t until she mentioned that it’s only the root, “which looks like a headless man” that I finally realized that she was talking about ginseng. Still, I really enjoyed the colloquialisms Smith used, which gave a definite Southern flavor to the text.

Phantoms / Dean Koontz
4 stars

When Jenny, a doctor, arrives in her small town of about 500 people with her much younger sister Lisa, to whom Jenny is now guardian, the place is still like nothing she’s ever experienced. When they arrive at home, they find her housekeeper on the kitchen floor, dead. The phone is not working, so they head next door to use the neighbour’s phone to call the police, but the neighbours are no where to be found. And no working phone. Jenny and Lisa investigate a bit further to find people either missing or dead.

I really liked this one. A bit creepy to be reading by myself after dark, but isn’t that what horror is for!? The author has a note at the end about the writing of the book, which was also interesting.

Here, and Now, and Then - Mike Chen
5★
He’ll go anywhere and any when to save his daughter. Kin Stewart is an everyday family man: working in IT, trying to keep the spark in his marriage, struggling to connect with his teenage daughter. But his current life is a far cry from his previous career…as a time-traveling secret agent from over a century in the future. Stranded in suburban San Francisco since the 1990s after a botched mission, Kin has kept his past hidden from everyone around him, until one afternoon, his “rescue” team arrives—eighteen years too late. Their mission: return Kin to 2142, where he’s been gone only weeks, not years, and where another family is waiting for him. A family he can’t remember. Torn between two lives, Kin’s desperate efforts to stay connected to both will threaten to destroy the agency and even history itself. With his daughter’s very existence at risk, he will have to take one final trip to save her—even if it means breaking all the rules of time travel in the process.

I never expected to like this book so much. Time travel is not something that I usually choose to read but my librarian friend said she thought that I would like the premise of the story if not everything in the story. Kim is a time travel agent that only left home in 2142... two weeks ago... but has been in the 1990’s on Earth for over a century. What makes this story so incredibly good is that the characters and their story work their magic far beyond the text…and long after the book is closed. A suspenseful, emotional and moving thriller about a father who has families separated by a century, and a daughter that he needs to save. The essence of the story is one that is ageless. It’s about a parents love for his child…the one he can remember and the one he can’t because of the 150 years that separates them…but that doesn’t change the lengths that he will go to in order to protect them. Rescue arrives from his future and choices have to be made. The choices available to him are heart wrenching. One family will have to be left behind….and he will forget they ever existed and one daughter may never be found. This is a really, really good mystery, but it absolutely will be loved by sci-fi fans also. “Thank you” to my friend for this recommendation.

Every Secret Thing
Laura Lippman
4/5 stars
Alice Manning and Ronnie Fuller were childhood “friends”. After being kicked out of a birthday party they ended up walking home. On the way they find a young baby on a street porch alone. Thinking it was abandoned they took the child and hid her and the baby ends up dead. The two girls are convicted and the story picks up from their release from juvenile detention. Now another child has disappeared and the girls are suspected in the case. Compelling story!

Circling the Sun / Paula McLain
3 stars

Beryl grew up in Kenya in the early 20th century. Her mother left when she was only 4-years old, and took Beryl’s brother with her, home to England. But, Beryl and her father wanted to stay in Kenya on their farm. Beryl grew up quite independent (though she married a few times). She went on to train horses and eventually she learned to fly.

I listened to the audio and missed parts of the book. I have no idea where her second husband came from, but I didn’t like him, nor her first husband (first husband was worse, but the second husband – though seemed better initially, really wasn’t). I didn’t like Beryl much, either - particularly the sleeping with a friend’s (or acquaintance’s?) husband. I guess there weren’t really any characters I liked. The first chapter started off with something about the flying, and it took ages to get back to it. I began to second-guess that Beryl had even done that, but they finally came back around to it almost at the end of the book. And I don’t think she ever came back to what happened with the “ornery” horse. I wanted to know! What happened!? Overall, though, I’m rating the book ok.

Elephant Speak: A Devoted Keeper's Life Among the Herd / Melissa Crandall
4.5 stars

Roger Henneous was a zookeeper, taking care of the elephants at the Oregon Zoo, for three decades between the 1960s until he retired in 1997. He did not use punishment as an incentive to train them to do things, but used rewards. The Oregon Zoo was the premier zoo in North America for the care of their elephants.

This book follows his life, along with the elephants he loved and took care of for all those years. Zoos also progressed a lot during this time (even still, Roger and the other keepers never got as much as they wanted for their elephants – it all takes money). He finally retired after a few years when he lost both parents, as well as a number of the elephants.

I loved this. It is sometimes hard to read about wild animals “behind bars” at zoos, but I still loved this story and I loved the elephants. Roger and his staff did as much as they were able to to help those elephants. There were still a few things I didn’t agree with (bull hooks, no matter how “gentle” they were while using them), and some of the (now) controversial things the author quoted Roger on from more recently on why they did the things they did.

In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, And Fun In The Sandbox
Carol Burnett
3.5/5 stars
Carol Burnett talks about her show The Carol Burnett Show, highlights some of the famous guests who appeared on it, her fabulous cast and some of her favorite episodes during the eleven years of the show’s run. Definitely for fans of her show! I enjoyed it.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi
4****

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army. What everybody knows is that when you reach retirement age, you can join the Colonial Defense Force. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living.

What a great book! I had never read Scalzi before this one, but after seeing him on DragonCon Virtual this year build a burrito in his kitchen (includes lasagne, BTW), I went to my library and put this book on hold.

And the premise of leaving Earth as an old person to go fight in the interstellar war is brilliant in its execution. Of course your body will become young again, just not in the way it's imagined. And this is not a nice universe like Star Trek or McCaffery would envision: humanity is literally fighting every other sentient species out there. Cooperation is almost nil, hence the need for a constant army.

The combination of high tech with human thought is well done, and Scalzi does not shy away from having known characters killed off. Not the narrator, at least not in this book, but we get to know people and then, like in war, they are killed in action.

Lock In by John Scalzi
5*****

Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever, and headaches. But for the unlucky 1 percent - nearly five million souls in the United States alone - the disease causes "lock in": victims are fully awake and aware, but unable to remove or respond to any stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge.

Oh my gosh, what a timely book! Published in 2014, John Scalzi takes the knowledge that we were due for a pandemic and creates Haden's Syndrome. He also creates the socio-political backstory that gets us to a brand new FBI agent who is also the artificial intelligence being that is inhabited by his "locked in" body.

And to avoid being pedantic or too explanatory, Scalzi uses the plot and conversations to explain much of the daily life of the characters. He does provide an explanation of Haden's Syndrome right at the start of the book, and I did refer to it several times while reading. But the economic factors, the consciousness trapped in a body, the different recovery rates, the AI that walk among us, and even a celebrity background are all explained as the story unravels.

Oh, and it's a police procedural. Just for the mystery fans out there, it just has a sci-fi, all-too-modern twist to it. Which adds to the plot rather than detracts from it. I mean, really - I could compare it to Joseph Kellerman or Patricia Cornwall in its intrigue and whodunnit-ness.

The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
4****

The collapse of the Flow, the interstellar pathway between the planets of the Interdependency, has accelerated. Entire star systems--and billions of people--are being cut off from the rest of human civilization. The evidence is obvious, but there are those who still try to rationalize, delay, and profit form these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.

35) October Category 5 - The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
4****

I bought it because of the interview earlier this year that John Scalzi did on NPR, in part because of the political intrigue and in part because most of the main characters are women. And the snark is just the right amount without being cynical.

This third novel in the series was a little harder for me to get into, either out of sheer exhaustion or because I had not entered this world through the first two books. That said, it was still an easy book to pick up and read and not feel completely lost. The POV shifts from character to character, and again, I am amazed that any writer is able to write such complex female characters. Even the TV series "Lost" killed off three complex women characters when the writers couldn't pigeon-hole them into traditional TV roles. But I digress.

A great, complex book about the intrigues that happen when a society grows so lopsided that all food and trade goods are controlled by a few monopolies belonging to highly-placed families. Space travel is possible, but the Flow is collapsing and it doesn't seem like humanity is going to survive in their isolated space colonies. All this as our Emperox is learning how her life has changed since becoming the inter-galactic ruler of a vast, sprawling empire with great technology but a limited time for its humans. How it all gets, well, solved is brilliant.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
5***** and a Heart

I have read this book so many times since 1978 (yes, really), and I still love it. It is so full of almost-anachronistic elements, and every time i pull something different from it. This time is was Molly Magrue who, upon meeting the Unicorn and Schmendrick, cries out "How dare you come to me now, when I am this!". I wondered about that when I was 13, later in my 20's, and now I connect with it. And the parts that take place in Jack Jingly's Merry Band I read with more understanding.

Read for the SFFKit October challenge as a classic, because I needed some fantasy to balance out all of the sci-fi this month!