tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26782243106683590382024-03-26T23:38:15.586-07:00Mosaic Movie Connect GroupMartinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.comBlogger753125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-84838563878382067682024-02-11T10:55:00.000-08:002024-02-11T10:55:35.691-08:00Book Review: Like Mother, Like Daughter<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuqlzEimJojL347dcL34A9S56wevAM3XBrVSsQxeEidTgim3n7YgvQV8jIdk0A4OPuZKt06M96J81QAFaVZyuRS92Q6RTjIPSSoJubOnlrSLPmLn2RuAkMH12q8L2dJd6Cr9BLWvWEmrPla-jes3dqUGAu39EB0WUMKXfxG1vgCMPyumCuaYTbtmKiVAs" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1007" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuqlzEimJojL347dcL34A9S56wevAM3XBrVSsQxeEidTgim3n7YgvQV8jIdk0A4OPuZKt06M96J81QAFaVZyuRS92Q6RTjIPSSoJubOnlrSLPmLn2RuAkMH12q8L2dJd6Cr9BLWvWEmrPla-jes3dqUGAu39EB0WUMKXfxG1vgCMPyumCuaYTbtmKiVAs=w215-h320" width="215" /></a></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br />Title: </span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Like Mother, Like Daughter</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Kimbely McCreight</span></span></span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: arial;">Knopf Publishing</span></p><p><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;"> July 9, 2024</span></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When NYU student Cleo arrives home for a reconciliatory dinner with her mother, she finds the door open, food burning in the over and blood on the floor. Katrina, her mother is missing without any sign of where or why. So begins this domestic thriller.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">McCreight's latest book is a slow-burner. After the compelling start, she slowly unfolds the characters: Cleo, the emotional student, Katrina, the buttoned-up lawyer, Aiden, the swaggering husband, and Kyle, the rich boyfriend / contemptuous drug dealer. And as she does so, new facets of each emerge. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cleo begins to see that there is more to her mother than meets the eye. There are secrets from her past that are coming back to haunt the present and determine their future.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Although opposites in many ways, Cleo is her mother's daugther and despite stern warnings from the police not to get involved, she takes it upon herself to investigate and solve Kat's disappearance. And it's not until almost the very end that McCreight drops a bombshell that ties the daughter in with the mother so that it becomes truly like mother, like daughter. A very fun and fast read.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-68462057978404186832024-02-04T11:49:00.000-08:002024-02-04T11:49:09.184-08:00Book Review: A Calamity of Souls<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81xy5qKVhcL._SL1500_.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; cursor: zoom-in; display: block; margin: auto; text-align: start;" width="211" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br />Title: </span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">A Calamity of Souls </span></span><p></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">: David Baldacci</span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: arial;">Grand Central Publishing</span></p><p><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;"> April 16, 2024</span></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The latest book by Baldacci is not another in a series, nor is it a thriller as such. It's a legal novel set in the south in the 60s, and is more Grisham than Baldacci. Indeed, it reminded me of A Time to Kill, that great story by John Grisham. But this book retains the fine points of a Baldacci tale: strong characters, great plot, and plenty of twists.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Set against the backdrop of the recent assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, a young black man is found in his rich employer's house standing over two dead bodies: those of his rich white employer and wife. Immediately arrested, indicted and all but convicted ... even before his trial. Enter Jack Lee, a young poorish white lawyer who takes on this all-but-impossible case. Then just as he is getting his bearings on the case, Desiree DuBose, a black lawyer from Chicago comes on the scene to take over the case on behalf of the accused and to fight for black civil rights. Jack decides to work with Desiree and discovers the ugliness of racism.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">With every turn, obstacles mount. The case is rushed to court. The judge is clearly not impartial. The jury is all white. Evidence emerges almost on demand for the prosecution. And yet, the pair of defense lawyers rise to each occasion, not giving up hope, expecting the best. And this is a story, unlike a non-fiction work, and so we expect a happy ending, a strong conclusion. And it is there that Baldacci wraps it up surprisingly well but in a very unexpected way. Happy ending? You'll have to judge for yourself.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This book excited me, angered me, challenged me and made me think a lot about racism and its effects in society. I suppose that is the sign of good art, to provoke contemplation. It is a great read!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.</span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-18550734540330619642024-01-12T14:51:00.000-08:002024-01-12T14:51:23.502-08:00Book Review: Ladykiller<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg9In8KTt_XjqpK0gXtvZkpHL6xMiMGyUzne-htS6W8MndUcBTksBamfayH4vJftzQDpMq4lBd78N0I226y00lHHnRyS5mnyVH7FclshYPNgP_1C9SvOr9x7sIBpaVYAs---Oq_aCrMIEKqir-LhmSHE7cO1hjTa0soCuORKc_c8btXwbxgbJmRPk5rm8" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="987" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg9In8KTt_XjqpK0gXtvZkpHL6xMiMGyUzne-htS6W8MndUcBTksBamfayH4vJftzQDpMq4lBd78N0I226y00lHHnRyS5mnyVH7FclshYPNgP_1C9SvOr9x7sIBpaVYAs---Oq_aCrMIEKqir-LhmSHE7cO1hjTa0soCuORKc_c8btXwbxgbJmRPk5rm8" width="158" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Ladykiller</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Katherine Wood</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Bantam</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> July 9, 2024</span></span></span></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I was told I would love this book, so I got a copy. At first I thought it was nothing special. Oh, I liked it but it seemed to be another typical mystery: two friends from opposite social hierarchies, throw in a beautiful Greek island, and one of the women goes missing. You know what I mean. But halfway through something happened. It went from meh to YEAH! From that point on, I loved it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The two friends, Abby and Gia have drifted apart, particularly when Abby told Gia she wouldn't attend her wedding to Garret, the man she met 3 months earlier. Estranged, <br />Gia invites her brother Benny and Abby to a Swedish resort hotel to reconnect. Except she doesn't show. She has disappeared. And secrets emerge that were buried 12 years ago.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The story alternates between Abby's journey in current time and Gia's life on her beachfront estate a month or two ago. As Gia writes her new book, this narrative becomes a key to unlocking her disappearance.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Not everything or everyone is who they seem or claim. With two different references to The Talented Mr. Ripley, it becomes clear that this tale, too, is one of deception and duplicity. But who is the real hero and who is the real villain? The second half of the book is a real page-turner. Enjoy!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-73797190155797297822024-01-06T13:06:00.000-08:002024-01-06T13:06:47.165-08:00Book Review: The Fury<p><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: arial;">itle: </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Fury</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJinBRAJRJOLTtNYqK9y804860qPREcbwnBc_cJzxvwg1D6qQisD_SkBxNWzFvH-lFxybBFHqQLELG8mdq4wIz7PWkY3S6wVNonBeE-WKlq8RKAp_uXm7kq3nvLbc4zfce86GKwuIka5XaHA4TTqteYkjf9ylgTc1yOK0NqEZNWQWtdpqKICrT9Ud-H3I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="993" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJinBRAJRJOLTtNYqK9y804860qPREcbwnBc_cJzxvwg1D6qQisD_SkBxNWzFvH-lFxybBFHqQLELG8mdq4wIz7PWkY3S6wVNonBeE-WKlq8RKAp_uXm7kq3nvLbc4zfce86GKwuIka5XaHA4TTqteYkjf9ylgTc1yOK0NqEZNWQWtdpqKICrT9Ud-H3I" width="159" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Alex Michaelides</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Celadon Books</span></span></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;"> January 16, 2024</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 4 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In his third book, Michaelides employs the literary trope of a narrator, Elliot Chase. And he not only narrates portions of the story, but he breaks the wall and speaks directly to the readers. Here's an example:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="padding-left: 40px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But before you start laying bets on which of us did it, I feel duty bound to inform you that this is not a whodunit. Thanks to Agatha Christie, we all know how this kind of story is meant to play out: a baffling crime, followed by dogged investigation, an ingenious solution—then, if you’re lucky, a twist in the tail. But this is a true story, not a work of fiction. It’s about real people, in a real place. If anything, it’s a <i>whydunit—</i>a character study, an examination of who we are; and why we do the things we do.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As he points out, this is not your typical "seven people on a beach island with a dead body" whodunit. Indeed, it takes more than half the book for the identity of the murder victim to emerge. So, it is both a whodunit and a whydunit. And it is a fun read trying to figure out both.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The story alternates in time and location, giving us 5 acts, like any decent play. Indeed, the narrator is a playwright and the heroine is a movie star, so should not be surprised that we revisit different scenes from the perspective of different players. And I enjoyed that. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">What I didn't really enjoy was Elliot's monologues to the reader. Here is another comment early on: "I wish I knew how you felt about me, right now. Are you slightly charmed, even beguiled, as Lana used to be? Or like Kate, do you find me irritating, self-dramatizing, self-indulgent?" If I could have answered him, I would have agreed with his later statements. The book could have done with fewer of these "insights".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Still, in my opinion this is a better book than his last, but not quite up to the lofty standard he set with his debut novel, <i>The Silent Patient.</i></span></div><div><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-86362113138878492302024-01-01T08:00:00.000-08:002024-01-01T10:18:45.343-08:00Top Books read in 2023<p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Top Reads of 2023</span></b></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I read 120 books in 2023 (37,543 pages), my highest total since I started logging books back in 2001, and probably the most ever since I was a toddler and ready "Run, Spot, Run" and books of that ilk. It helps that I am only working part-time with 4-day weekends every week! The first book I read last year was <i>Deep Work</i> by Cal Newport (3 stars) and the last I read in 2023 was <i>Digital Liturgies</i> by Samual James (4 stars). The oldest book I read was published in 1990 (<i>Devil in a Blue Dress</i>) and the newest will be published in 2024 (<i>Twisted Lives)</i>. I rated 37 a 5/5, including the following books. These are the top ten books I read, in alphabetical order. Not surprisingly, most are crime/thriller but surprisingly three are science fiction/time travel, a genre I have started reading again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlPAGcBifCy0THFBWqSG_9orU6OYbqmCN4ZondlxvQR8UkAfFr3wy3ti2fSv-2p4mh-2Y00o0pXrsuhEGXMA_TH6nenL3kcmnLKVojtZd99Z4Da_qFnKSc13rUR8qeamjH66U1h1CnU-Y5_Gsaj-X4xr4z9Hoc3gTUqZ-dxNBjLe5fcUTlZ71xNiTcXmg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1014" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlPAGcBifCy0THFBWqSG_9orU6OYbqmCN4ZondlxvQR8UkAfFr3wy3ti2fSv-2p4mh-2Y00o0pXrsuhEGXMA_TH6nenL3kcmnLKVojtZd99Z4Da_qFnKSc13rUR8qeamjH66U1h1CnU-Y5_Gsaj-X4xr4z9Hoc3gTUqZ-dxNBjLe5fcUTlZ71xNiTcXmg=w135-h200" width="135" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>Ascension </i></b>by Nicholas Binge (2023)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Harold Tunmore, doctor, physicist and now adventuter, i<br />s contacted by a representative from a shadowy organization and asked to help investigate a mystery. But he is not told what, where or why. But his interest is piqued and he is in. It turns out to be an enormous, larger than Everest sized mountain that has suddenly appeared in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. As he and the other scientists on the team scale higher on the mountain, their memories start to morph, and paranoia sets in. With echoes of the classic 2001, this blends mystery with sci-fi in a deeply satisfying read.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span data-highlight="green" style="background-color: #b7f7d1;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_ez-GsApZ2QQtKqQG8ha5CX6IS2Q6wmWyU6Boi9aQcMk-MtB4AOUhA9XUwNhkJCV5rv5T1Qg3BMCRZYl2FZMZGsV9qmhnaa5KDV-IKkA4FWNUCqNoklTasUCr1TKjfS4gBbjOMYOZ5FOQz09bmK1PaMyjh6vTq9U4VfzM_bncYDlYDvBfwieGKLB-Liw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="994" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_ez-GsApZ2QQtKqQG8ha5CX6IS2Q6wmWyU6Boi9aQcMk-MtB4AOUhA9XUwNhkJCV5rv5T1Qg3BMCRZYl2FZMZGsV9qmhnaa5KDV-IKkA4FWNUCqNoklTasUCr1TKjfS4gBbjOMYOZ5FOQz09bmK1PaMyjh6vTq9U4VfzM_bncYDlYDvBfwieGKLB-Liw=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>Just Another Missing Person</i></b><i> </i>by Gillian McAllister (2023)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">One of two books by McAllister on this list, this is her latest and is pure crime/mystery. When 22-year olf Olivia goes missing, Julia is the detective assigned to the case. Olivia was seen on CCTV going into a dead-end alley and never coming out. Is it murder? The family wants answers, but the perpetrator has a different plan. His weapon is a secret: Julia's worst, dark secret. And she must frame someone for the murder or be exposed. What will she do to protect her secret? What would we do? This book kept me guessing till the twist in the final pages.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7DXMfV1G517Vo1o-QJf8gJG-_lsJhz24LyN238kR6UyHL8qxUFLBeZQLcX07Tg-XC4DFXScoxszah3CXBhfzxoR_GvzZEemY7zEwbqYKOdfkK5F4mBZ22XKQ1u3ZE-k_sHi5F7Eal3Y-SvqoZ6NjtjetAfNQYjipqDMpJu77EsbD0zXQJMRfCU5PRWWw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="977" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7DXMfV1G517Vo1o-QJf8gJG-_lsJhz24LyN238kR6UyHL8qxUFLBeZQLcX07Tg-XC4DFXScoxszah3CXBhfzxoR_GvzZEemY7zEwbqYKOdfkK5F4mBZ22XKQ1u3ZE-k_sHi5F7Eal3Y-SvqoZ6NjtjetAfNQYjipqDMpJu77EsbD0zXQJMRfCU5PRWWw=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></div><b style="font-family: arial;"><i>Lost in Time</i></b><i style="font-family: arial;"> </i><span style="font-family: arial;">by A.G. Riddle (2022)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In the future murderers are no longer sent to prison; they are sent to the past, the distant past, 200 million years prior. And crime is down, way down. Dr. Sam Anderson is the inventor of the<br /> time travel machine that authorities use. But one day he is arrested and accused, with his daughter, of murdering the woman he loves. Iron-clad evidence ensures his guilt and he is sentenced to life in prehistoric times. When he is gone, his daughter devotes her life to proving his innocence. But there are layers upon layers in this mystery and ultimately there are secrets that come out that make this one of the most intriguing time travel books of recent times.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9ApQi_tMEFdgRAlB7RJ9Y03q5_sU3jjhRDiOYJUI4s4uoVJUViI-UMTg7nGLqnEW7SZR2sDqcmxA4tD1oSPzVEHi85xJIy34AijbJ_4n2ODCbcVx50LT65zpuRIeQBnER9bRH8oEJKjkCq67vsmEu457wk8Blx9-47p6UISuw6ncycg1l4SX5LLIkm0E" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="987" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9ApQi_tMEFdgRAlB7RJ9Y03q5_sU3jjhRDiOYJUI4s4uoVJUViI-UMTg7nGLqnEW7SZR2sDqcmxA4tD1oSPzVEHi85xJIy34AijbJ_4n2ODCbcVx50LT65zpuRIeQBnER9bRH8oEJKjkCq67vsmEu457wk8Blx9-47p6UISuw6ncycg1l4SX5LLIkm0E=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span data-highlight="green" style="background-color: #b7f7d1;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>Red Queen </i></b>by <span style="color: #0f1111;">Juan Gómez-Jurado (2023)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">This is the English translation of the first book in the Spanish trilogy that came out at the end of the last decade. It features Antonio Scott, a genius detective who has the Holmesian ability to reconstruct crime scenes and solve insoluble mysteries. Her sidekick and chaperone is Jon Gutierrerz, a disgraced Bilbaon police detective who must partner her to avoid facing criminal charges. As members of a secret organization, they are assigned to solve the case of a macabre murder where the body of a teen from a wealthy family is left without a drop of blood. And then another child of a rich executive is kidnapped and faces a similar end. </span><i><span style="color: #0f1111;">Red Queen</span></i><span style="color: #0f1111;"> is a fast-paced thriller with a fantastic new female protagonist. </span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsAHURPSR04NsviP6q_P1fImgb45aY62n1BGYHRMI1Txt4ngjWjamxWyZOjtl_zHomjyg-wjt01JCLNAyt15Q5DVue0Pdp99HrZOpxFXKg7n_CXOSrMPuQGYWCLcfbs1kB4XIc_gI16OPObjAyVOhxleojlerdToZ7VAUuTvUNHb_hgoVF-y1has6q7zA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="991" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsAHURPSR04NsviP6q_P1fImgb45aY62n1BGYHRMI1Txt4ngjWjamxWyZOjtl_zHomjyg-wjt01JCLNAyt15Q5DVue0Pdp99HrZOpxFXKg7n_CXOSrMPuQGYWCLcfbs1kB4XIc_gI16OPObjAyVOhxleojlerdToZ7VAUuTvUNHb_hgoVF-y1has6q7zA=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>She's Not Sorry</i></b><i> </i>by Mary Kubica (2024)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This psychological thriller centers on an ICU nurse, Meghan Michaels, and a coma patient, Caitlyn. Caitlyn has jumped from a bridge and fallen 20 feet onto train tracks and arrives at the Chicago Hospital where Meghan works with barely a 50:50 chance of living. And Meghan becomes her nurse. Then we find out Caitlyn may havebeen pushed, and Meghan becomes emotionally involved with Caitlyn's care. In parallel with this, there is a man preying on woman which keeps Meghan and her teenage daughter worried. There seems to be two or three stories going on at the same time, all related to these two central females. But who is the heroine and who is the villain? It is only when the stories collide at the end of part 1, that a huge ball drops. With plot twists spiralling on plot twists, this is a really clever thriller that sucked me in and kept me reading. I was not sorry to have read this book! Look for it when it is published in April 2024.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLwiv9bCuxYd0IKRKXEEhQHcEUA-Qp2TzdGeIyKfvYPoRzh9XlrJInRVOm3Iq7Y6H0qXz6msOOGpjbXgL419rCOKkVwRyxRWE5KfmYtLXCzsWiH_chxzG65sUS5XmluhgKL3LrIWcPRni9zsV3ajUcGBH_oDc-xHvhfmyG8wN3fypc-QJ_RWnWUluDVbQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="987" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLwiv9bCuxYd0IKRKXEEhQHcEUA-Qp2TzdGeIyKfvYPoRzh9XlrJInRVOm3Iq7Y6H0qXz6msOOGpjbXgL419rCOKkVwRyxRWE5KfmYtLXCzsWiH_chxzG65sUS5XmluhgKL3LrIWcPRni9zsV3ajUcGBH_oDc-xHvhfmyG8wN3fypc-QJ_RWnWUluDVbQ=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>The Ferryman</i></b> by Justin Cronin(2023)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In a future where the outside world is deteriorating, the island utopia of Prospera lies hidden. Here, children arrive as developed teenagers while those citizens whose health monitor scores fall below 10% are ferried to the Nursery where their bodies are renewed and memories wiped. Life begins afresh. But Proctor Bennett, the ferryman who shepherds people through the "retirement" process, starts dreaming, which is impossible. And then the "support staff", who are the laborers making Pros<br />pera work, start to question the place in the social order. There is more than meets the eye in this futuristic sci-fi novel.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaCQdKVRIqFYCXKUd1ILcoH_U0LHiYBRQOH82yE2cXdjZXIKJ4RaAB5BBk0F-NIJgOTUYNhGoeXpioBsWbdvyX2VMNz17C20uUMWKgkrjEUB9PktRe8ITC2Tqn1-tZ6OMj5mnmqC-GePvcDGNbTX755ouO7Wr326kckeFOSkauMU9YlPnHX9pbEEkGiIE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaCQdKVRIqFYCXKUd1ILcoH_U0LHiYBRQOH82yE2cXdjZXIKJ4RaAB5BBk0F-NIJgOTUYNhGoeXpioBsWbdvyX2VMNz17C20uUMWKgkrjEUB9PktRe8ITC2Tqn1-tZ6OMj5mnmqC-GePvcDGNbTX755ouO7Wr326kckeFOSkauMU9YlPnHX9pbEEkGiIE=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>The Last Word </i></b>by Taylor Adams (2023)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The premise is simple here -- Emma Carpenter reads a cheap horror e-book and leaves its first rating on Amazon: 1-star. It is the worst book she's ever read. The author, surprisingly, replies asking her to remove the review. She doesn't, and he sets out to kill her. As she is house-sitting in a beach-front place in a secluded Washington State community, it becomes easy to cut her off from her others. And the scene is set. Heroine trapped alone without help, with a homicidal serial killer outside ready to break in and satisfy his sick urges. But there are secrets, slowly revealed throughout. And the twists and turns are so sudden and sharp I'm sure I got whiplash reading this book. Its fast-paced plot makes it a real page-turner. And just when you think you have it figured out, Adams throws another curve ball. You simply have to keep reading to the last word.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisHYgjVQz2x0NyMWi4RQB1AOCsvMgDTUMJeGdAH5TxsvP7cUGkghjH-iqx7Ti70BhcV7LpV_3B-IAAgYCIcJaAS8V9REVzU2fnh_meWPhb__13602QoeSkrN-7UqeTJ_HbOdRtoW8gwHdxAgNdZonUEAuj3FaNPH7DIYbXeEPn89iSm5rqjIk2Vy6ePaU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="984" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisHYgjVQz2x0NyMWi4RQB1AOCsvMgDTUMJeGdAH5TxsvP7cUGkghjH-iqx7Ti70BhcV7LpV_3B-IAAgYCIcJaAS8V9REVzU2fnh_meWPhb__13602QoeSkrN-7UqeTJ_HbOdRtoW8gwHdxAgNdZonUEAuj3FaNPH7DIYbXeEPn89iSm5rqjIk2Vy6ePaU=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>The Six Conversations</i></b><i> </i>by Heather Hollerman (2022)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The digital age has led to an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Conversation has gotten harder. Hollerman seeks to counter this by giving us tools to connect with people in community. Focusing on the social, emotional, physical, cognitive, volitional, and spiritual conversations, the book shows us mindsets to embrace and pitfalls to avoid as we rediscover the treasure of a conversation. Perhaps the biggest value in this book are the lists of 20 great questions you can use in each of the six conversations. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial;"><i>Twisted Lives </i></b><span style="font-family: arial;">by Tim Tigner (2024)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When catastrophe happens, your life can change dramatically in an instant. One simple choice can impact your future forever. If that happened to you, what would you do to get your job back? To get your kids back? To get your freedom back? This is what Federal Air Marshall Felix Sparks faces when he makes a choice on the job. Seeing a passenger in the first class cabin sexually attacking a crew member, Sparks has a instant decision to make. His intervention saves the airline attendant but ultimately costs him his job. But things spiral out of control from there, and he finds himself a wanted man. The story moves from California to China in a fast paced tale of revenge and murder. There are twists a-plenty. And at least twice when I thought the story was done, there was a sudden plot twist that turned everything on its head. Look for this book when it is published in 2024.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhXRgHLHTva2nb7_jZY4MZwXtxCiWHDePcdqdWAkyZFIs3KxNdaua2QoUsvGykUFFJfCoVpyHtyPP4lvZoUCw381e38gnOqx2TNGthQN_DcnhchmB9x7nS267u--zNPXPTtTXDHJ5uU1pHDUDYhttP81C-0lKT8EFMZ_bKmNR3Qxu6zfOB5tpxeCEOqh0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="994" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhXRgHLHTva2nb7_jZY4MZwXtxCiWHDePcdqdWAkyZFIs3KxNdaua2QoUsvGykUFFJfCoVpyHtyPP4lvZoUCw381e38gnOqx2TNGthQN_DcnhchmB9x7nS267u--zNPXPTtTXDHJ5uU1pHDUDYhttP81C-0lKT8EFMZ_bKmNR3Qxu6zfOB5tpxeCEOqh0=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span data-highlight="green" style="background-color: #b7f7d1;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>Wrong Place, Wrong Time</i></b><i> </i>by Gillian McAllister (2022)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Halloween night, after midnight Jen sees her 18-year old son, Todd return home and then stab a stranger to death. Murder outside her front door. Todd is arrested and Jen's world is shattered...until she wakes up the next day to find it is the day before Halloween! Can she stop the murder before it happens? With each night she goes to bed, she wakes earlier and earlier in time, with a quest to uncover the truth behind the murder. This is a kind of Groundhog Day murder mystery and is a really fun take on the crime novel.</span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-72058029588567545482023-12-17T10:48:00.000-08:002023-12-17T10:48:18.904-08:00Book Review: Supercommunicators <p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5mHLcpx5tILjUKJlD7NXGVGj_TnU2KX3slikipSkLrbwbhtkO-6l9Y6M-aQbkgD0F-2isCptlUOO4yKCAOvYwfWTDX0vpu4Lcgc-btvYm6Ti3mDawRf0_LGhDrMT9vItoo3RWw2mSLMxGaLkf2IdjL2iv2HMzGHPqZAAjNH2xdgaiZEYONfrGci1svAQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5mHLcpx5tILjUKJlD7NXGVGj_TnU2KX3slikipSkLrbwbhtkO-6l9Y6M-aQbkgD0F-2isCptlUOO4yKCAOvYwfWTDX0vpu4Lcgc-btvYm6Ti3mDawRf0_LGhDrMT9vItoo3RWw2mSLMxGaLkf2IdjL2iv2HMzGHPqZAAjNH2xdgaiZEYONfrGci1svAQ=w211-h320" width="211" /></a></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br />Title: </span></b></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: arial;">Supercommunicators</span><p></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;">Charles Duhigg</span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: arial;">Random House Publishing</span></p><p><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;"> February 20, 2024</span></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">: 4 out of 5</span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I am not a supercommunicator but would love to be. Duhigg, author of <i>The Power of Habit</i>, makes the case in his new book that we can all learn to be one, and he attempts to show us how. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The book is based on the premise that there are three conversations (and mindsets) and four rules. The three conversations are: a) what's this really about (decision-making mindset), b) how do we feel (emotional mindset), and c) who are we (social mindset). And the four rules are: 1) pay attention to what kind of conversation is occurring; 2) share your goals, and ask what others are seeking; 3) ask about others' feelings and share your own; and 4) explore if identities are important to this discussion. Sounds simple, right?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Much of this sounds familiar. I am sure I have come across this before, in other books on communication (and that's why I rated the book a 4 and not a 5). But what I really like about this book are the numerous stories to highlight each of the rules or tools. From NRA debates to Netflix culture to NASA interviews, Duhigg takes us on a delightful journey of supercommunicators.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another thing I like about this book are the tools he provides. Each chapter is filled with figures that provide simple tools for us to use. And then, if that is not enough, he summarizes each of the main sections with a short guide to using the ideas shared. If you didn't want to take notes in the narrative chapters, these are perfect.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Will I become a supercommunicator as a result of reading this book? Well, like all self-help books, it depends on whether I commit to adding the tools into my toolbox and putting them into practice. I sure will try. Time will tell.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-22024603520705582632023-12-07T21:31:00.000-08:002023-12-07T21:31:29.982-08:00Book Review: The Cure for Burnout<p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">The Cure for Burnout</span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1D6FyIilPtrxUbjsaWhYwyBdWd9b7V8IMbd2AAW6-o55NY1YfAVA7tdThsrK-2l7qqMc7GXbssuE47_62qtCp-ycX12pPQ58y0IhSV6ex5Me0SITstrmozATvJsmUw_adOHmd-RDf9puJ-D8CrFf5QKdi6gIMsDWxwATFhaSm09cRkgSTvlgmheZZun8" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1D6FyIilPtrxUbjsaWhYwyBdWd9b7V8IMbd2AAW6-o55NY1YfAVA7tdThsrK-2l7qqMc7GXbssuE47_62qtCp-ycX12pPQ58y0IhSV6ex5Me0SITstrmozATvJsmUw_adOHmd-RDf9puJ-D8CrFf5QKdi6gIMsDWxwATFhaSm09cRkgSTvlgmheZZun8=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></b></div><b style="font-family: arial;">Author</b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial;">Emily Ballesteros</span><p></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="color: #0f1111;">Dial Press</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;"> February 13, 2024</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Burnout was a huge corporate buzzword during Covid and remote working. Now that the pandemic is behind and companies have mandated return-to-wrkplace, they act as if burnout has been cured. But that is far from the truth. Burnout lives on in the lives of many workers throughout the US and worldwide. So this book is a great resource for those in the midst of burnout. It is written for the individual, not the manager, but we can all learn from Ballesteros.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The first part of the book outlines modern burnout and goes into the three types. It is interesting but perhaps the least helpful. If you are in the midst of burnout, you don't need to know what it is. You need help. Still, this is good introductory material.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The meat of the book, and what you paid for, is the cure. And that is found in the middle section, which devote five chapters to the five pillars of burnout management: mindset, personal care, time management, boundaries, and stress management. Filled with great illustrations, this is what I enjoyed the most. Each chapter contains tools to add to your toolkit, such as minimums, romanticization, gamification, reminders and accountability for personal care. I particuarly liked the tools for stress management, such as fact-feeling-story, tangible vs intangible list, cognitive reframing and burnout jenga.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The chapters are long but worth reading carefully while taking notes. I loved this book and have a new set of tools I plan to use when I sense burnout rearing its ugly heads.</span></div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-85428339195950280242023-12-02T13:55:00.000-08:002023-12-02T13:55:59.966-08:00Book Review: Black Wolf<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNJX_hNlSS-48Gzru8honUaOsrd0Ln1UAAfybGrs36WaOIKBLI-9Tem3Q9H-Hda2-naw7AJF7WthlYYsw3-mgeOkga-i9dv6qFyl6NCPKX_QbGySPw2UFDeGgHZzg1dCpQozSZscsLi56930dcKjL0jkvYSIme8HmS6XDLGFwyZXty8yYRJB06GIt0g3M" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="975" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNJX_hNlSS-48Gzru8honUaOsrd0Ln1UAAfybGrs36WaOIKBLI-9Tem3Q9H-Hda2-naw7AJF7WthlYYsw3-mgeOkga-i9dv6qFyl6NCPKX_QbGySPw2UFDeGgHZzg1dCpQozSZscsLi56930dcKjL0jkvYSIme8HmS6XDLGFwyZXty8yYRJB06GIt0g3M" width="156" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Black Wolf</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Juan Gómez-Jurado </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Minotaur Books </span></span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;"> March 12, 2024</span></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The middle book (or movie) in a trilogy is often a filler, a place holder whose job is to set up the final chapter. This sequel to Red Queen is likely the middle book in a trilogy but is more than a place holder. It is a twisty thriller in its own right.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This story has Antonia Scott called back into action chaperoned by Inspector Jon Gutierrez. A mafiosa has been murdered and his pregnant wife targeted but escapes an attempt on her life at a shopping mall. Scott's job is to locate the wife. But things are more involved and as the body count mounts, <span style="color: #333333;">Gómez-Jurado</span> shares some of Scott's backstory so we can learn how her magnificent detecting brain was formed.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">With fast pacing, short chapters, great chemistry once more between the two leads, this is a worthy follow-up to Red Queen. Although it is billed as the second in a series of two, the cliffhanger ending simply begs a final chapter. <span style="color: #333333;">Gómez-Jurado cannot leave us hanging with returning to bring closure.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-73790754511773022902023-11-23T08:00:00.000-08:002023-11-23T08:00:00.144-08:00Turkey Films 2023!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhba22Dwn6Rs3sI9Uep4fI-k0G1Xew8lcGO13_VINpUjBVMvkm1MDeOSXZp3-oZ0PME-gnLdfo0QezkPtTfpIlnYS0v3UcZsmeeDFhXPUXoIVX-F5nogX2VEpTRQOXjuY9bGEUoKhjxYA21Ipc1pKl0mz-W49TVZNmFFrZf6k5vOV_PGIF0shV_UY3yHtM" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1170" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhba22Dwn6Rs3sI9Uep4fI-k0G1Xew8lcGO13_VINpUjBVMvkm1MDeOSXZp3-oZ0PME-gnLdfo0QezkPtTfpIlnYS0v3UcZsmeeDFhXPUXoIVX-F5nogX2VEpTRQOXjuY9bGEUoKhjxYA21Ipc1pKl0mz-W49TVZNmFFrZf6k5vOV_PGIF0shV_UY3yHtM=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">2023 brought a new grandchild to the Baggs family. To honor and celebrate this new baby (and babies everywhere), this Thanksgiving I am giving thanks for babies and baby movies. So, for this year's Turkey films, I am focusing on movies that feature babies in one way or another. The Turkey Film blogposts date back over a decade to the first version in 2011 (<span style="font-size: 15px;">check out the "rules" laid out in the <a href="http://mosaicmovieconnectgroup.blogspot.com/2011/11/turkey-films.html" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: #6666cc;">first of these annual posts</span></a>). So, in no particular order, turkey films 2023:</span></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Happy and safe Thanksgiving to all.</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></span></div><ul><li><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Raising Turkey </span></div></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Turkey mama</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Three men and a Turkey </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Look who’s turkeying </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">She's having a Turkey </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Nine turkeys </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Turkeyed up</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Bridget Jones' Turkey </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Rosemary's Turkey</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Boss Turkey</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Happy and safe Thanksgiving to all.<br /></span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-38405532811912736432023-11-22T14:30:00.000-08:002023-11-22T14:30:12.480-08:00Book Review: Nightwatching<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiePZuZ-O-MnNIDlWmZQPPyfZKWWS_8k7e9dxcty6o4Ns2RD1mjHYbnMCVXO_AdzwXmngDQNkoycv3OkOdIfitPTxixpTAx0-xOZjPegle88xS7eV-W5vJqzTSJjKNDpATHCnio7E0wBCi5GLHbGow0bpneTpqYnSlcfpFhj8KkWOEZCBb65rDRlLwTgzs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="993" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiePZuZ-O-MnNIDlWmZQPPyfZKWWS_8k7e9dxcty6o4Ns2RD1mjHYbnMCVXO_AdzwXmngDQNkoycv3OkOdIfitPTxixpTAx0-xOZjPegle88xS7eV-W5vJqzTSJjKNDpATHCnio7E0wBCi5GLHbGow0bpneTpqYnSlcfpFhj8KkWOEZCBb65rDRlLwTgzs" width="159" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Nightwatching<br /></span></span><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">: Tracy Sierra<br /></span><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: arial;">Pamela Dorman Books <br /></span><b style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;"> February 6, 2024</span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 4 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What do you do when there is a snowstorm outside, a menacing intruder inside, and there is no help for you and your kids? This is the situation facing the heroine in Tracy Sierra's debut thriller. With the husband absent, the mother has to scoop up her two kids and hide in a tiny secret room behind a fireplace. Then she must decide whether to try to wait out the threat or leave her kids and run for help.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The premise has great potential. And the opening chapters are taut and terrifying, real edge-of-the-seat stuff. But the middle of the book slowed down and seemed mired in mundanity. It was only towards the end that it really came alive again. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a good thriller, not a great one. More action in the middle would have realized its potential. Still, this is worth a read and a good beginning for a new author to watch.</span></div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-11703158178126043222023-10-28T11:55:00.003-07:002023-12-28T12:18:58.859-08:00Book Review: She's Not Sorry<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0v8LUWJKv8Zcp4DSo6va_XNwu4LuaARJDe61kJcC4nK_ElQ8rFsu1n1aFNDAmLac4-uJ9UXudzp7-Tis8NOlhgBqEMbJBOlalEOIEUBQtiqbu9yePfFdGPLrirbA6sO0fCLFZ8VaeYlXbkHthLCKEdNEhHmspgojWB5_UZWaNa6JYpb3EmBUYInYDmhA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="991" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0v8LUWJKv8Zcp4DSo6va_XNwu4LuaARJDe61kJcC4nK_ElQ8rFsu1n1aFNDAmLac4-uJ9UXudzp7-Tis8NOlhgBqEMbJBOlalEOIEUBQtiqbu9yePfFdGPLrirbA6sO0fCLFZ8VaeYlXbkHthLCKEdNEhHmspgojWB5_UZWaNa6JYpb3EmBUYInYDmhA" width="159" /></a></div> <b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">She's Not Sorry</span></span><p></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Mary Kubica</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> Harlequin Trade Publishing</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> April 2, 2024</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This psychological thriller centers on an ICU nurse, Meghan Michaels, and a coma patient, Caitlyn. Caitlyn has jumped from a bridge and fallen 20 feet onto train tracks and arrives at the Chicago Hospital where Meghan works with barely a 50:50 chance of living. And Meghan becomes her nurse. Nothing special so far. Until we find out Caitlyn may have been pushed, and Meghan becomes emotionally involved with Caitlyn's care. In parallel with this, there is a man preying on woman which keeps Meghan and her teenage daughter worried.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There seems to be two or three stories going on at the same time, all related to these two central females. But who is the heroine and <br />who is the villain? It is only when the stories collide at the end of part 1, that a huge ball drops. With plot twists spiralling on plot twists, this is a really clever thriller that sucked me in and kept me reading. I was not sorry to have read this book!</span></div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-64412006753390574642023-10-20T16:48:00.000-07:002023-10-20T16:48:05.759-07:00Book Review: Twenty-Seven Minutes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx4M2mrV-bWsLmwGkFVedtFWik9NcWkDNnGZfUE60qRtOmLgS14hoU2HpbgIuz04GMpGbdFGuBT4J1c3rgsRuT046oL6q2my6GD_4UNOpSDxCjXY1elSxnMo7PFUnfQKX8MogAiQVyozDIaJv7fFL__I6OONcOItdgsLKbQdZgdctrmV83aSMRUXRtiS4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="348" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx4M2mrV-bWsLmwGkFVedtFWik9NcWkDNnGZfUE60qRtOmLgS14hoU2HpbgIuz04GMpGbdFGuBT4J1c3rgsRuT046oL6q2my6GD_4UNOpSDxCjXY1elSxnMo7PFUnfQKX8MogAiQVyozDIaJv7fFL__I6OONcOItdgsLKbQdZgdctrmV83aSMRUXRtiS4" width="160" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Twenty-Seven Minutes</span></span><p></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Ashley Tate</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> Poisoned Pen Press</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> January 30, 2024</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 3 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The premise of the book is great: a car crash on an isolated bridge, three high school students hurt, but the driver takes 27 minutes to call 911 for help. Why did Grant wait so long? As a result, his sister Phoebe died. And their small town is stuck in the aftermath of the tragedy, with lives disrupted and forever altered. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The story takes place 10 years later. Chapters alternate between four points of view: Grant, the other passenger, Becca, and siblings June and Wyatt. Also interspersed are flashbacks to that tragic night , exposing the events of that night little by little.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I found the story to be too slow, and strangely I got lost in the characters, having a hard time keeping track of who was who. I kept having to rethink who Becca and June were, and what their relationship to Grant was. I don't know why. The pace did accelerate as the end approached, and the climax was a surprise. But I probably would have stopped reading far earlier if I had not committed to writing a review. The book did not live up to its premise and potential. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span><br /></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-82499669203106145372023-07-20T11:20:00.005-07:002023-07-20T11:20:36.679-07:00Book Review: My Retirement My Way<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR8g08bwO5jFI0kDji55SU3JB8swB9BQJWY4RZV2lkV3T62G-bToyUapoo0fLRHrFne02o353U8aNfDQIE2O8r6BnKVwFz9alSRsggby-ZDhHEwymTtPeDC1WOLPgGz_L6O7ytHEWW6__Ju6Td42Rhj5cEIcM555p8SYKXYgPoGWU0mhDz7Nq-AmepaYM" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1991" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR8g08bwO5jFI0kDji55SU3JB8swB9BQJWY4RZV2lkV3T62G-bToyUapoo0fLRHrFne02o353U8aNfDQIE2O8r6BnKVwFz9alSRsggby-ZDhHEwymTtPeDC1WOLPgGz_L6O7ytHEWW6__Ju6Td42Rhj5cEIcM555p8SYKXYgPoGWU0mhDz7Nq-AmepaYM" width="187" /></a></div> <b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">My Retirement My Way</span></span><p></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Veronica McCain</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> Zeitgeist</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> April 25, 2023</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This workbook is intended for recent retirees, to help them through the first year of retirement and beyond. I am just over a year away from retirement, so not quite the target audience, but I found it hugely helpful in thinking ahead. To get the most out of the book, it does require active involvement, working through the various exercises which are intended to help you maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle in retirement.. I found myself completing them in my own journal, rather than in the book itself, since I plan to come back to them later, when I have just retired and probably a year or two into retirement. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Divided into three parts, I found the first part (retirement starts here and now) most useful. It helped me to define a future vision for my retirement. The second part deals with creating meaning and passion, and although some of the exercises were applicable, some will have to wait till I am in retirement. The third part, goals, was the least useful for me right now. That part includes exercises for defining goals, building plans, making/breaking habits, and I am familiar enough with these concepts not to need much of them. But if they are new to you, they would be extremely helpful.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I've read a number of books about retirement, and hence much of the material was not new. But being put into valuable exercise form, I think this is a great addition to the group. I recommend this if you are heading into retirement.</span></div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-42427999797293587522023-07-13T09:06:00.001-07:002023-07-13T09:06:18.282-07:00Book Review: Betrayal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizV4zLuy6smv66sVwP13TJa0G_LnqW6AlVUYlFD6cOJAJdTpmLoxuIEBw0nOXqHpH46iuCjMNxscOoKkGwppxR6Rn3359BrLd8Q6jgC4qUm7ljK7OMTCT2OSXKQK-Ra517yta39Gmsb76KyQLw32kphlvftRklHXH4Y2AEEGd3w8TzwIq17fRiWnDCF9Q" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="228" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizV4zLuy6smv66sVwP13TJa0G_LnqW6AlVUYlFD6cOJAJdTpmLoxuIEBw0nOXqHpH46iuCjMNxscOoKkGwppxR6Rn3359BrLd8Q6jgC4qUm7ljK7OMTCT2OSXKQK-Ra517yta39Gmsb76KyQLw32kphlvftRklHXH4Y2AEEGd3w8TzwIq17fRiWnDCF9Q" width="158" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Betrayal</span></span><p></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Phillip Margolin</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> Minotaur Books</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> November 7 2023</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As with most of his prior 6 Robin Lockwood legal thrillers, this seventh in the series is set in Portland, my home town. (It is great to rea<br />d about locations I travel weekly, or even daily.) Lockwood is a defense attorney and former MMA up-and-comer. And here, Margolin meshes the MMA and the legal aspects of Lockwood's life explicitly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This story involves Mandy Kerrigan a former MMA world champion and the fighter who ended Lockwood's fighting career ten years previously. In fact, we get some insight into the backstory of that bout and how it turned Lockwood towards her legal ambitions. In present day, after a fight in Portland that Lockwood attends with her new boyfriend, an assitant DA, Kerrigan finds herself accused of a multiple homicide. With no money and no one else to turn to, she asks Lockwood to be her lawyer. With Lockwood's boyfriend prosecuting the case, these two face off with only possible winner.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Margolin does a great job of character development throughout, and a solid plot that keeps things interesting, through the courtroom dazzle, right up to the last minute reveal at the 13th hour. Mixing drugs, Russian mobsters, and murder, even throwing in a little special forces action, this is a great read and a deserved addition to the Lockwood canon.</span></div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-47014622875024556772023-06-30T05:06:00.003-07:002023-06-30T05:06:17.447-07:00Book Review: Lone Wolf<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhaFBnr79buLbFOhaHkr36qr4Awm_FSq35jucLzuRq77Gw02ZqbiXYB_-eHtu1_9TSsQsIVmVLeU1dB60T-oeqH_mHgU1gf9Cd8EPhscEj5WLQP2i379CPDoyaJU190tkJoGXbe65gmpfGDR5wU2wEp1pUD_1k4vZJyjn1wr-I6dOkrRQr-WbrTF-7hHo" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="228" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhaFBnr79buLbFOhaHkr36qr4Awm_FSq35jucLzuRq77Gw02ZqbiXYB_-eHtu1_9TSsQsIVmVLeU1dB60T-oeqH_mHgU1gf9Cd8EPhscEj5WLQP2i379CPDoyaJU190tkJoGXbe65gmpfGDR5wU2wEp1pUD_1k4vZJyjn1wr-I6dOkrRQr-WbrTF-7hHo" width="158" /></a></div> <b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Lone Wolf</span></span><p></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Gregg Hurwitz</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> Minotaur Books</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> February 13 2024</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Book 9 in the Orphan X series starts <br />off with a whimper of a mission: find a missing dog! Not the normal sort of life and death mission requiring the assistance from Nowhere Man, Evan Smoak. Indeed, I almost gave up, but the presence or a female ninja lone wolf assassin piqued my interest. I'm glad I stuck with it, as it got better and quickly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After 8 books of lethal, don't-make--it-personal retributional missions and killings, Smoak faces his toughest challenge: meeting family and dealing with feelings. This is by far the most personal and evolutionary book in this series, and it shows both Evsn and his young female side-kick Joey grappling and ultimately coming to terms with their humanity. They are more than just killing machines. One of the trickiest issues here is the presidency of the HOA where Evan lives and he has to act as an intermediary negotiator, using words not weapons. This is well worth a read, especially if you are all caught up with the orphans.</span></div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-84837460352424882842023-05-25T10:14:00.033-07:002023-06-03T11:27:31.487-07:00Book Review: Fear the Silence<div class="separator"><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator"><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></b></div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Fear the Silence</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Robert Bryndza</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> Raven Street Publishing</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> July 6 2023</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8Xv1DNSQQ_RkEIC7wUVMQ_T-RbhhjqucUp7kNHW2TnJTpq_Lzm3zomvsuxt2AOPbFkxiVqvI4RHTGAHLZP5w43VE51L34iKXS1I1B4eAiMjI1xhaoBSRmNxXfMGBosdoMRJCsrx35ur7xervQDEW8X0oVE0wVKirFmQSqkAeFstUrGvdCwXC1W5hH" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="226" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8Xv1DNSQQ_RkEIC7wUVMQ_T-RbhhjqucUp7kNHW2TnJTpq_Lzm3zomvsuxt2AOPbFkxiVqvI4RHTGAHLZP5w43VE51L34iKXS1I1B4eAiMjI1xhaoBSRmNxXfMGBosdoMRJCsrx35ur7xervQDEW8X0oVE0wVKirFmQSqkAeFstUrGvdCwXC1W5hH" width="157" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The premise is simple. ER room doctor Maggie is confronted with her own husband Will's unexpected and unexplained suicide. Everything points to him having taken his own life. But she can't accept this. When she goes to clear out their vacation home on a remote Croatian island after the end of tourist season, clues start to emerge that there were secrets Will was keeping from her. And the powerful person whose secret could be devastating will go to any length to prevent this from happening.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Wow, what a fantastic suspense thriller. It took me by the throat from the first page and never let up. With each twist, when I thought the heroine was going to break through, it just got worse. Every situation seemed more hopeless than the last. Until the twist at the end. I'd never read a book by Bryndza before, but it's safe to say this won't be my last. This is well worth your time, unless you fear the silence. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><img alt="10 Book Reviews" height="80" src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/84a106626fa6fe78a147261350aaf8dd630c6d47" style="font-family: arial;" title="10 Book Reviews" width="80" /><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></b><img alt="Professional Reader" height="80" src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/d3026a98084c03e80537d081f137876303f52b23" title="Professional Reader" width="80" /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>
Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-20916632916291969352023-04-29T14:45:00.002-07:002023-04-29T14:45:23.865-07:00Book Review: The Stranger Upstairs<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi56qsE_zLnx522uUOEtr4xuqwQ4viqJOJ67p5Ifc1OOnM8iEKhfURxnbrXZuWJ4CuaD1mvUIKwkZqp21nujO-kU8ZkogWr1DcwvjxfxE7X4ch7sK2m-cEVE4PbEsfWxUpbxAKsJFdL4HWoCrtAW5XihfUf5DPqd7Md1gp5zf1_lDzZ6iBq880IFIyI" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi56qsE_zLnx522uUOEtr4xuqwQ4viqJOJ67p5Ifc1OOnM8iEKhfURxnbrXZuWJ4CuaD1mvUIKwkZqp21nujO-kU8ZkogWr1DcwvjxfxE7X4ch7sK2m-cEVE4PbEsfWxUpbxAKsJFdL4HWoCrtAW5XihfUf5DPqd7Md1gp5zf1_lDzZ6iBq880IFIyI" width="158" /></a></div> <b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">The Stranger Upstairs</span></span><p></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Lisa Matlin</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> Bantam</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> September 26 2023</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sarah Slade, a therapist and influencer, buys a Victorian house in a small Australian community, envisioning renovating it, sharing progress on her feed, turning a quick profit, and getting lots of endorsements. But the house was the scene of a brutal murder 40 years ago and has all the hallmarks of classic horror mansion. When the improvements start going wrong, and her marriage starts to crumble, Sarah starts to mentally disintegrate. Who or what is leaving her notes?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Billed as a psychological thriller, this veers more to the horror genre. The book oozes dread throughout, and with each page turned more hidden secrets are exposed. I didn't see the end coming. That's the sign of a great story.</span></div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span><br /></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-15845460908873697202023-04-11T16:27:00.000-07:002023-04-11T16:27:08.366-07:00Book Review: Simply Lies<p> <b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Simply Lies</span></span></p><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDN2nTb3mRePBJi01cyc2hGclg1mMxnpYlPH6YX8MUd1sroLyMJyhLeCjYGZVzSZ43i1EpLNXi3E4ZTlZGWBjunaUqvEu2QFELSWnzTdtRtvgYAauqZGySXwgzMrGeU5rowwaEa8HRMwgGHfP2uAwytNxKlg_hrQUvvt2BFQFKzaXjDQD3FqgA3SJb" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDN2nTb3mRePBJi01cyc2hGclg1mMxnpYlPH6YX8MUd1sroLyMJyhLeCjYGZVzSZ43i1EpLNXi3E4ZTlZGWBjunaUqvEu2QFELSWnzTdtRtvgYAauqZGySXwgzMrGeU5rowwaEa8HRMwgGHfP2uAwytNxKlg_hrQUvvt2BFQFKzaXjDQD3FqgA3SJb" width="159" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: David Baldacci</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> Grand Central Publishing</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> April 18 2023</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 5 out of 5</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div>David Baldacci rarely pens a boring book. His new book is certainly no exception. A stand-alone thriller, he features two strong women lead characters. One is a former cop, now work-from-home mom. A private investigator, Mickey excels at finding hidden money. The other is a con artist and possibly murderer. When the latter, Clarisse, cons the former into taking a field-work trip to a remote mansion to document the owner's possessions, she discovers a hidden room with a dead body and a secret message. From this unexpected discovery. Mickey becomes forced to pursue her own investigation and its a race between the two to discover the murderer, the reason, and the hidden treasure. With plenty of plot twists and villains, Baldacci interweaves the story from both Mickey's and Clarissa's perspectives. The book grabbed from chapter one and kept me guessing, furiously turning pages, until the very end. Another sure-fire hit from this great author.</div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. <br /></span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-68635677861017504262023-04-07T12:08:00.004-07:002023-04-07T12:08:41.140-07:00Book Review: Double Indemnity<div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Title: </span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Double Indemnity</span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGjoUV0Ux1EcSxkgmInoSTEMf8Afhlvip0yYhblr8Mu6S0fxoiyVl5utYmYLdqncJjFbjd3TAZFTgScyYUNSXSpMbfGAOxNrEHO36GaBu2Oo0Lpkk63o17gz16T_bBEGAT7uYPQW6ajITqKfly01XJ_uQHwJzNSf-_zCP8sF33x7zn-u7OsAwldc74" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGjoUV0Ux1EcSxkgmInoSTEMf8Afhlvip0yYhblr8Mu6S0fxoiyVl5utYmYLdqncJjFbjd3TAZFTgScyYUNSXSpMbfGAOxNrEHO36GaBu2Oo0Lpkk63o17gz16T_bBEGAT7uYPQW6ajITqKfly01XJ_uQHwJzNSf-_zCP8sF33x7zn-u7OsAwldc74" width="157" /></span></a></div></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Author</span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: Robert Whitlow</span></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publisher:</span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> Thomas Nelson</span></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Publication Date:</span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> June 76 2023</span></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Rating</span></span></b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15px;">: 3 out of 5</span></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I requested this ARC as it was billed as a legal thriller from a Christian author. I love courtroom thrillers and am a Christ<br />-follower, so it ticked all the boxes. But I found it to be slow and dull. I was expecting a trial mystery, but none of the action occurs in the courthouse. Certainly, one of the main characters is a young lawyer, but the protagonist is a young preacher. And it took way too long, in my opinion, to really take off. If I wasn't planning to write a review, I would have given up on this after the first 20%, which seemed to be background and character setting. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Whitlow does weave Christian themes into the story, and I like how he deals with prayer and the presence of God. But there was more discussion of sermon topics than there was of murder, until close to the very end. I'll give his other books a try, but hope they are faster paced and more exciting than this.</span></div><div><br /></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </span></span></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-83577869405041098732023-03-26T15:52:00.008-07:002023-03-26T15:52:51.321-07:00Book Review: The Last Word<p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijHY6lOnfkYap8jFtRvcNs0i1DVN--e1jTeutkrbzjjF5szh5R6YOCXvF3X1lKQGtAZxh1sqqViE3413u3xjjqZpRftAQAuq5Z9MO67bsncuyuZF3EJlMKS1No3v8FeqnUxnPjqB3wA9cDkLGTNKntZhVcW0pYAlhajOmnEcw-TEVvUpxMIDSjQN8b" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="291" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijHY6lOnfkYap8jFtRvcNs0i1DVN--e1jTeutkrbzjjF5szh5R6YOCXvF3X1lKQGtAZxh1sqqViE3413u3xjjqZpRftAQAuq5Z9MO67bsncuyuZF3EJlMKS1No3v8FeqnUxnPjqB3wA9cDkLGTNKntZhVcW0pYAlhajOmnEcw-TEVvUpxMIDSjQN8b" width="160" /></a></div></div><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Title: </b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">The Last Word</span></span></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b>Author</b>: Taylor Adams </p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b>Publisher:</b> William Morrow</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b>Publication Date:</b> April 25, 2023</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /><b>Rating</b>: 5 out of 5</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">I was tempted to leave a 1-star rating for this book, but was afraid that Adams might search for me, find me, and seek homicidal revenge on me, like in the book! All kidding aside, this is 5-star winner. I loved his earlier thriller, No Exit, as one of my books of the year. This one is at least as good, possibly even better. It's the best book I've read so far in 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>The premise is simple: Emma Carpenter reads a cheap horror e-book and leaves its first rating on Amazon: 1-star. It is the worst book she's ever read. The author, surprisingly, replies asking her to remove the review. She doesn't, and he sets out to kill her. As she is house-sitting in a beach-front place in a secluded Washington State community, it becomes easy to cut her off from her others. And the scene is set. Heroine trapped alone without help, with a homicidal serial killer outside ready to break in and satisfy his sick urges. But there are secrets, slowly revealed throughout. And the twists and turns are so sudden and sharp I'm sure I got whiplash reading this book. Its fast-paced plot makes it a real page-turner. And just when you think you have it figured out, Adams throws another curve ball. You simply have to keep ready to the last word.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am thankful to the publisher for a free advanced ready copy of this book and am happy to provide an honest and unbiased review.<br /></div></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-41242690357781659032023-03-12T08:39:00.006-07:002023-03-12T08:39:35.711-07:00Book Review: Death Warning<p> <b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Title: </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Death Warning</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzBLKEM0UPBWojQe_jJjn-heVgLpfstEx4NdlWxjaLrGdP4nIWoIo-GgTS-AYHFtOkvljbZUdcB3Y4qkwnz_n9LaYw_YURH4cyvtcmfW0-1Yj1-OwPURmvRsq46SlpUs8YYT4WRcHjlExF1L-cr4ri3BRfhP_5gz3Z7Kcp65T6WV1VMv_-ofwEwGVN" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzBLKEM0UPBWojQe_jJjn-heVgLpfstEx4NdlWxjaLrGdP4nIWoIo-GgTS-AYHFtOkvljbZUdcB3Y4qkwnz_n9LaYw_YURH4cyvtcmfW0-1Yj1-OwPURmvRsq46SlpUs8YYT4WRcHjlExF1L-cr4ri3BRfhP_5gz3Z7Kcp65T6WV1VMv_-ofwEwGVN" width="150" /></a></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b>Author</b>: Andrew Barrett<span> </span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b>Publisher:</b> The Ink Foundry</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b>Publication Date:</b> April 7, 2023</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /><b>Rating</b>: 4 out of 5</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: arial;">The latest Eddie Collins thriller starts with a bang: a body stabbed to death in a Yorkshire alleyway. Then within minutes there's another body. Suicide this time. Are they connected? Is it really suicide? As the bodies build up, Barrett takes us on a compelling and twisting journey to climax. Along the way, we meet a new character, Detective Sergeant Regan Parker and a new version of Collins: empathetic Eddie. For the first time, we see a softer Eddie, one who is willing to break the rules, not just for himself, but to help a grieving mother. I am not sure I like or believe this new Eddie. But we all grow or devolve in character. Definitely worth a read, if only to see Eddie behave more like a normal human.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Many thanks to the author. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review. </div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></span>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-48519522040898887232023-01-01T09:00:00.052-08:002023-01-01T09:00:00.187-08:00Top Reads of 2022<p> I read 91 books in 2022, my highest total since I started logging books back in 2001. The oldest book I read was published in 2001 (<i>Totally Bonsai</i>) and the newest will be published in 2023 (<i>What Have We Done</i>). I rated 22 a 5/5, including the following books. These are the top ten books I read, in alphabetical order. Not surprisingly, most are crime/thriller but surprisingly three are science fiction, a genre I read as a teen but have moved away from until last year.<br /></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK82Dg8-2dRH3pAMq5WEL5t7pnBePjsc8qAnryz2YGT2zaP9xuJESVrugXCA6jPfvaEbJA4penvw4soFxUlpqqOz6vYpL5LSqn6A24nTCtIpeafdd1zCZQv4Xro62cmdzngtxi3hhGpXE4OWfPCVeYlQ5hEbcUCcL4E2qdEEHR0P-zzpBV4MDomjFE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="231" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK82Dg8-2dRH3pAMq5WEL5t7pnBePjsc8qAnryz2YGT2zaP9xuJESVrugXCA6jPfvaEbJA4penvw4soFxUlpqqOz6vYpL5LSqn6A24nTCtIpeafdd1zCZQv4Xro62cmdzngtxi3hhGpXE4OWfPCVeYlQ5hEbcUCcL4E2qdEEHR0P-zzpBV4MDomjFE=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><b><i>Altered Carbon</i></b> by Richard K. Morgan (2003)</div><div>Not the sort of book I would have thought I would be reading in 2022, I came across this book in a Goodreads list of sci-fi murder mysteries. And this did not disappoint. Blending science fiction with crime noir, this is a unique crime thriller. Set centuries in the future when humanity can store our consciousness in a cortical stack at the base of the brain, the rich can set <br />up clones of themselves to use with their cortical stack and essentially live forever. When one of these Meths (Methuselahs) is found dead in his mansion, it is ruled as suicide. But his new clone hires an imprisoned detective, Takeshi Kovacs (this is the first of three books featuring this character), to be needlecast back to Earth and sleeved in a temporary body to solve this "crime". Was it suicide or murder? Nothing is as it seems in this tale.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiv0syI9U38VNem6KAs0v78EpQ3NQqTJRfETKl6BnmkalgO7EnFr0Sralk8vUIKxlIGhfmeBnoRLq8Rmsy1KAt7ngqMQBi7kMpCLusck1Bfh9AZEqGnhbU-YndVElnkypsIWlic8he6DnE6YwXDbHqv_9z-dSacOmwEqd7yaEPEtJXVthwzxYOC01ej" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiv0syI9U38VNem6KAs0v78EpQ3NQqTJRfETKl6BnmkalgO7EnFr0Sralk8vUIKxlIGhfmeBnoRLq8Rmsy1KAt7ngqMQBi7kMpCLusck1Bfh9AZEqGnhbU-YndVElnkypsIWlic8he6DnE6YwXDbHqv_9z-dSacOmwEqd7yaEPEtJXVthwzxYOC01ej=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b><i>Play Dead</i></b><i> </i>by Ted Dekker (2021)</div><div>Part thriller, part science fiction, the latest adult novel by Dekker centers on virtual gaming. When two teenagers are found ritualistically mutilated in an Austin park they appear to be linked to the mysterious game called Play Dead. The evidence seems clear, as an autistic young man is arrested as the killer. But a journalist, Angie Channing, who specializes in true-crime and dabbles in immersive video gaming herself, is not convinced he is the killer. As her obsession with the truth plays out, what she uncovers is too dangerous to be exposed. Dekker's book provides a warning against the possible dangers of virtual gaming and virtual reality.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZSgwc8dPXVaNIpUSEt-RIupj9qTWkV3TfyPS2dOEPbEURjcKw58QdtIs0a1cEyNNVfA90HcuJo9PX7DCiN-NctRHi5BQYSCrd3RVvb2_fPPSAG5ONIg7Ztg3xKLeuHW2upOcKPRD0PEQ7Orz8ou38UcCHAbAesjgxdxqKGGVp-u7Ff0qivro7cuBI" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZSgwc8dPXVaNIpUSEt-RIupj9qTWkV3TfyPS2dOEPbEURjcKw58QdtIs0a1cEyNNVfA90HcuJo9PX7DCiN-NctRHi5BQYSCrd3RVvb2_fPPSAG5ONIg7Ztg3xKLeuHW2upOcKPRD0PEQ7Orz8ou38UcCHAbAesjgxdxqKGGVp-u7Ff0qivro7cuBI=w132-h200" width="132" /><br /></a></div></div><div><b><i>Redemption Point </i></b>by Candace Fox (2019)</div><div>When I read this, I didn't realize it was the second book in the Crimson Lake Trilogy. It is indeed the direct sequel to Crimson Lake, in which police detective Ted Conkaffrey is arrested and accused of abducting and murdering a young girl. Now released from prison not proven guilty but with the stigma of guilt all over him, Ted has moved to Crimson Lake, a woe-begotten town in the depths of Queensland. In this town two young bartenders are killed and Ted is dragged into the investigation by Amanda Pharrell, an ex-con murdered-turned detective. Throw in the father of the abducted girl from book one who now wants revenge on Ted, and you have the setting for a compulsive slow-burn crime novel.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBjXp2UbBETul_6t_226LlHZQZjz-e6M1g6HNdqUSD1ywsWKLxMjU69eiER8vVsTgAbMOI7lSG11J_MVTfEKMZintFs8nlbsqkkODa52bnyYpPCO_wBU3NsKXQCyr0Qw8M3tg7qV6fiL26fTpxTN2R3TOTewkW_yXcFQrU5jSCWVxly9n28dPhpDja" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="228" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBjXp2UbBETul_6t_226LlHZQZjz-e6M1g6HNdqUSD1ywsWKLxMjU69eiER8vVsTgAbMOI7lSG11J_MVTfEKMZintFs8nlbsqkkODa52bnyYpPCO_wBU3NsKXQCyr0Qw8M3tg7qV6fiL26fTpxTN2R3TOTewkW_yXcFQrU5jSCWVxly9n28dPhpDja=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><b><i>The 6:20 Man</i></b><i> </i>by David Baldacci (2022)</div><div>Baldacci has produced so many great characters and great series, and seems to move on to a new one at the just right time. This is his latest and features a new hero, Travis Devine, a former soldier turned financial analyst living in the suburbs outside New York. Every day he commutes on the 6:20am train into Manhattan where he is an entry-level analyst. But one day, a former girlfriend and co-worker, Sara Ewes, is found hanging in a storage work at this work. An obvious suicide, yet Devine gets a text about her death before the police. And he is visited by a military intelligence officer who coerces Devine into conducting a clandestine investigation into the killing. In this high-stakes conspiracy thriller, Devine finds himself run<br />ning out of time while being in the bulls-eye of the unknown killer. Baldaci has a sure-fire new series success on his hands. </div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhh_OoMtoB4Q61mdWpRDhTfI5yvk5qvxiyfyysHyyI36e6cg7P499KG_P1uriXNEF7snoE-2T0Gs1WqpHBdnVrVqVsTEZ61Xeq5Ut6NGEOYXVSQ7j-wedwoWx0zWzEKxAfDAeTpmv-N-w87q--0kl-XFnUrz5SaySYRS0ukjBOehmuA7Wmk1-ntuim4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhh_OoMtoB4Q61mdWpRDhTfI5yvk5qvxiyfyysHyyI36e6cg7P499KG_P1uriXNEF7snoE-2T0Gs1WqpHBdnVrVqVsTEZ61Xeq5Ut6NGEOYXVSQ7j-wedwoWx0zWzEKxAfDAeTpmv-N-w87q--0kl-XFnUrz5SaySYRS0ukjBOehmuA7Wmk1-ntuim4=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><br />The Handler </i></b>by M.P. Woodward (2022)</div><div>Here's a CIA thriller with a twist: the CIA operative is disgraced and no longer working for the government. When a CIA mole in the Iranian uranium enrichment programs wants out, the only person he will trust to get him out is John Dale, the disgraced spy. And the only person who the CIA wants to handle John is Meredith Morris-Dale, Dale's ex-wife. Relationships, Russian interference and rogue spies intertwine in this complex thriller.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKdyfqMXMjmAJAQ2SS3Q-XHMpRRnJzRO_KBPXbALO4-Z7wzqSYWnWoIoYGy4xjwm5_nywceR_Kmfo9eTJqxjqwmd1xXQFjEJIZMocGuez2z36Q8q0rHXdBIIUTDJsrLoOnhaKavcgt3e_t0AjJ2PKyt4_1JvaNGR3W_YDhpEiP1H6qQM1pCIIkww92" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKdyfqMXMjmAJAQ2SS3Q-XHMpRRnJzRO_KBPXbALO4-Z7wzqSYWnWoIoYGy4xjwm5_nywceR_Kmfo9eTJqxjqwmd1xXQFjEJIZMocGuez2z36Q8q0rHXdBIIUTDJsrLoOnhaKavcgt3e_t0AjJ2PKyt4_1JvaNGR3W_YDhpEiP1H6qQM1pCIIkww92=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b><i>T</i></b><b><i>he Last Party</i></b><i> </i>by Claire Mackintosh (2022)</div><div>One of the last books I read last year, partly because it was only published in November, Welsh writer Mackintosh sets her murder mystery by a lake that spans the borders of Wales and England. Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests on New Year's Eve and then turns up dead in the lake the next day. With so many people at the party, both from the Welsh village and the handful of expensive vacation cottages at The Shore, Lloyd's development, who is the killer. Mackintosh interweaves chapters from before New Year's Eve with chapters afterward as Welsh Police Detective Ffion Morgan working with English Detective Leo Brady strive to solve the case. What complicates the matter is that almost everyone had a reason for wanting Rhys dead. There are many twists and turns all the way to the very end. I can't wait for book 2 in the DC Morgan series.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7El8UTjjM8h5J5YxHJ8_e3NHz-r_UTL1XGI_mExu1YdeK3v74Q-xFINQX-5l__BuwdDmrRG0vM9pW3PZS6UIlqjkdngA4BbVOsUO18ygzLTuK1hmap3RU_DNNkWLKbO5mcaKmMJYC3xu2TxM7YFporloMZ63sLXsPbpI-KXM466IQxWQD8OF7zafp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7El8UTjjM8h5J5YxHJ8_e3NHz-r_UTL1XGI_mExu1YdeK3v74Q-xFINQX-5l__BuwdDmrRG0vM9pW3PZS6UIlqjkdngA4BbVOsUO18ygzLTuK1hmap3RU_DNNkWLKbO5mcaKmMJYC3xu2TxM7YFporloMZ63sLXsPbpI-KXM466IQxWQD8OF7zafp=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b><i>The Lies I Tell </i></b>by Julie Clark (2022)</div><div>When con-woman Meg Williams returns home after ten years, Kat Roberts is waiting. Meg Williams has spent the last decade morphing into verious guises, Maggie Littleton, Melody Wilde, etc., all with one aim: to ease herself into someone's life and walk away with that person's money. But ten years' ago a phone call from her ruined Kat's life. Now she will do what sh<br />e must, to get close to Meg. With both women telling lies and playing a game of cat and mouse, this domestic thriller slowly reveals what lies behind Meg's cons. Who is being conned by whom? And why? Who is seeking justice and who is being played? There is s much going on in this twisted tale.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span data-highlight="yellow" style="background-color: #ffef9e;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1LG6te1jAoF4T9K1gpbUWTcCXTCnX8VkHA8ZI6jKEV79dc9XfWTx1-G4-8Rrzl8iImv3x3Coz9jPbih0D8XGM8sGq57O85-uO7_5LOkMVozcTSrlfV-QHSH3lbHNlFL9E9sNPQsKGn1-AGOFbi8jmzb-aKrVFXlkrw8To4ZgTRHAJli66oB6JCvUg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1LG6te1jAoF4T9K1gpbUWTcCXTCnX8VkHA8ZI6jKEV79dc9XfWTx1-G4-8Rrzl8iImv3x3Coz9jPbih0D8XGM8sGq57O85-uO7_5LOkMVozcTSrlfV-QHSH3lbHNlFL9E9sNPQsKGn1-AGOFbi8jmzb-aKrVFXlkrw8To4ZgTRHAJli66oB6JCvUg=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b><i>The Professionals </i></b>by Owen Laukkanen (2012)</div><div>This has a great premise: four students graduate college and then realize the job market is so grim they cannot earn enough to pay back their student debt. But they come up with an alternative: kidnap to survive. By careful targeting and low ransom demands, and moving state to state, they stay off the FBI map. That is, until they target the wrong man with mob connections. With the kidnap gone wrong, they devolve into murder bringing in FBI Agent Carla Windermere who becomes unwittingly partnered with Minnesota State Investigator Kirk Stevens. This is the first book in the Stevens and Windermere series, and is still one of its best. If you like crime thrillers, check out this book and then the rest in the series.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbJFbPXFzjMvBfaq2bEjAim48li3_gcxBMmDhxz5ZVDueUC2Pcl8BCWESrBAQOwG-eAPMdU70kTZpHMGz_nbhEXe2DhYirH6Jz_q7k_TqWDOIxgG3GC0ioVsFZm2qE1gD6N0wzx--wx1ziadV3Ug7QNbdo3raRYt3L2ZMbrQlP68h7PEYUbyMHYIb9" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbJFbPXFzjMvBfaq2bEjAim48li3_gcxBMmDhxz5ZVDueUC2Pcl8BCWESrBAQOwG-eAPMdU70kTZpHMGz_nbhEXe2DhYirH6Jz_q7k_TqWDOIxgG3GC0ioVsFZm2qE1gD6N0wzx--wx1ziadV3Ug7QNbdo3raRYt3L2ZMbrQlP68h7PEYUbyMHYIb9=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b><i>Two Nights in Lisbon </i></b>by Chris Pavone (2022)</div><div>This was the first Pavone book I read and it wasn't the last in 2022. A woman in Lisbon in a hotel wakes to an empty bed. Her husband missing, no note and he is not answering his phone. With the police not taking his disappearance seriously, and neither the American Embassy, Ariel Pryce has investigate for herself. But she realizes she doesn't really know what her husband is doing in Lisbon or why he brought her along. With time running out, Ariel must turn to the only person who can help, the person she has been running from. This is a great international thriller, taut with tension, a real page-turner.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXf99HaWpjOnA7pQosYii-x8Z_2kR1byWSUQXbFdwohwDnDcogDarU8mAG5DRb1QjR0KwoQCI6N1Zq1Ch-xg09p5HRXxQPDaOfR__3fexox260rj4XErSdbJg508vLkF6RyEmfcKwynki3l4CmxAGUegNqofZs7QQs4Z9AvdOZLGNljYjEHqV5N8Y1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXf99HaWpjOnA7pQosYii-x8Z_2kR1byWSUQXbFdwohwDnDcogDarU8mAG5DRb1QjR0KwoQCI6N1Zq1Ch-xg09p5HRXxQPDaOfR__3fexox260rj4XErSdbJg508vLkF6RyEmfcKwynki3l4CmxAGUegNqofZs7QQs4Z9AvdOZLGNljYjEHqV5N8Y1=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Upgrade</i></b> by Blake Crouch (2022)</div><div>Perhaps the best book I read in 2022, this sci-fi thriller focuses on gene splicing, DNA manipulation. The protagonist, Logan Ramsey, finds himself thinking sharper, reading better, seeing better. At first he explains it away, but finally he cannot deny it: his genome has been hacked and he has been upgraded. But what has happened to him is part of a much larger plan, and he cannot escape. His only choice is to fight fire with fire. Balancing a thriller with ethical discussion about gene engineering, Crouch posits the future evolution of the human race. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The very last book I read in 2022, finished yesterday on New Year's Eve, was another science fiction book that I rated a 5/5. And I'm adding it as a bonus, as it feels like a great fit to this list.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAJVGu90DOYFuRgEtdNtLcTNa2dJz1BiP9V0FdaD4o8CKTCiuoS57Wh4wnlh1eIijotY_ZoOvrQGT__HBIxjP57V1zlZRwiM4Jauk_EwGWwGaNxaBUavjY2OftgQSTM9DMkg8lOKZLjT1RQYhrSQ0TzzYlOtgEigQOdAtZC1ur4TZSfLunXkF5spEK" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAJVGu90DOYFuRgEtdNtLcTNa2dJz1BiP9V0FdaD4o8CKTCiuoS57Wh4wnlh1eIijotY_ZoOvrQGT__HBIxjP57V1zlZRwiM4Jauk_EwGWwGaNxaBUavjY2OftgQSTM9DMkg8lOKZLjT1RQYhrSQ0TzzYlOtgEigQOdAtZC1ur4TZSfLunXkF5spEK=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></div><b><i>Lock In</i></b> by John Scalzi (2014)</div><div>Another murder/suicide sci-fi mystery, this one set in the not too distant future after a global viral pandemic (sound familiar?). This virus left millions dead, but also millions that survived had their brains changed to be locked in, unable to move or communicate with the physical world. These victims were known as Haydens after the syndrome. Others, Inegrators, survived with their brains changed in ways that allowed them to host these Haydens and allow them to temporarily take control of a physical body and experience the world again (or for the first time). When a man is found dead in a hotel room alongside a blood-soaked Integrator, the FBI is called into investigate. What seems cut and dried at first, unravels into a complicated conspiracy with the virtual world of the locked at stake. <br /></div></div><div><br /></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-36874820117235402842022-12-09T15:51:00.001-08:002022-12-09T15:51:08.923-08:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGMpXMYzgEP6eqZ3NOAktbb6HmsqsV0sVYMF6cLDSHS9XyDOKBSCF06_xFgfPQvO9ukV2v3R97NwehPHYfci5jUsid7ereZeFLLgxyjPYg_ph98g3gw_UYynm0T3cyFtxlk0OhE9sxEFmJTV_-K4rQnsj6e2ye-Oq9y1Jfe8tiUl2L32-JfAgIC690" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGMpXMYzgEP6eqZ3NOAktbb6HmsqsV0sVYMF6cLDSHS9XyDOKBSCF06_xFgfPQvO9ukV2v3R97NwehPHYfci5jUsid7ereZeFLLgxyjPYg_ph98g3gw_UYynm0T3cyFtxlk0OhE9sxEFmJTV_-K4rQnsj6e2ye-Oq9y1Jfe8tiUl2L32-JfAgIC690" width="158" /></a></div> <b>Title: </b>Murder at Black Oaks<p></p><p><b>Author</b>: Phillip Margolin</p><div><b>Publisher:</b> Minotaur Books</div><div><b>Publication Date:</b> November 8, 2022</div><div><br /><b>Rating</b>: 4 out of 5</div><div><br /></div><div>Phillip Margolin's latest legal thriller is his attempt at closed room murder mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians. As a closed room murder it is a little disappointing. Only 20% of the book is in the closed room. But that mystery is devious and intriguing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again the heroine is Robin Lockwood as the defense attorney hired to right a wrong and free an innocent man convicted years ago. This ties in with the opening part of the book that goes back in time to an earlier pair of crimes. The plot moves forward but with too many interweaved crimes, both from the past and the present. I counted three murders that Lockwood solves, but I prefer Margolin's books that are more focused. Nevertheless, this kept me guessing most of the way and has me eager for the next installment of the Lockwood files. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an advance review copy for free; I am leaving this honest review voluntarily. </div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-15432195455358628532022-12-03T10:37:00.006-08:002022-12-03T10:38:50.607-08:00<div class="separator"></div><p> </p><br /><b>Title: </b>What Have We Done<p></p><p><b>Author</b>: Alex Finlay</p><div><b>Publisher:</b> Minotaur Books</div><div><b>Publication Date:</b> March 7, 2023</div><div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Amazon.co.uk: Alex Finlay: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle" class="n3VNCb KAlRDb" data-noaft="1" height="400" jsaction="load:XAeZkd;" jsname="HiaYvf" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81sGnHG5lAL._AC_US218_..jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: auto; -webkit-user-select: text; height: 218px; margin: 19.4px 0px; width: 218px;" width="400" /></div><b>Rating</b>: 4 out of 5</div><div><br /></div><div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Alex Finlay's latest thriller focuses on the impact of an event, kept secret but not forgotten, on the lives of 5 teenagers. 25 years ago, these 5 parentless teens living in Savior House, a place as depressing and dismal as it should be inspiring, commit an unthinkable act that will define their future lives. </div><div><br /></div><div>The book bounces back and forth between the past and the present, slowly revealing what the act was and why it happened. Meanwhile, in the present the past catches up to them as their lives are in danger from an unknown enemy.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found the story compelling, although I was a little disappointed that it took two-thirds of the story before the three main protagonists were reunited. At that point, they could collectively ask, "What have we done". There are plenty if twists to keep you reading to the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an advance review copy for free; I am leaving this honest review voluntarily. </div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2678224310668359038.post-70190186140401881342022-11-24T07:00:00.002-08:002022-11-24T08:39:24.813-08:00Turkey Films 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7LiOhDHQQtRX0n3Tou5mqI7TL39cTQrfJE_PU1KC2WC2kHfVduE1twCMxXhk5Gp_1EVW0zudxDxKF7NGp5hGMLpEuNxkmX1l9LRKYBKixj8h-hww2Sy9k34lMaYwaO6-YdF2efCeKcYkq99eWqEfMsv5rluMLghv6v6h-KOFyqe-eBYXeHiK_p8Dc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7LiOhDHQQtRX0n3Tou5mqI7TL39cTQrfJE_PU1KC2WC2kHfVduE1twCMxXhk5Gp_1EVW0zudxDxKF7NGp5hGMLpEuNxkmX1l9LRKYBKixj8h-hww2Sy9k34lMaYwaO6-YdF2efCeKcYkq99eWqEfMsv5rluMLghv6v6h-KOFyqe-eBYXeHiK_p8Dc=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div>2022 continued the work-from-home and dual offices. The dining room remains an office, so the new Thanksgiving tradition is a small chicken pie dinner with one of my kids. A continued tradition is the Turkey films, which dates back over a decade to the first version in 2011 (<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">check out the "rules" laid out in the <a href="http://mosaicmovieconnectgroup.blogspot.com/2011/11/turkey-films.html" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: #6666cc;">first of these annual posts</span></a>).</span></span><p></p><img data-hash="987bf8b9db4141a3248eb343fe4e277b" data-natural-height="612" data-natural-width="612" data-type="image/png" /><div>With the unprecedented occurrence of the World Cup in November, I'm choosing to recognize and honor the beautiful game, the world's sport. But since there are barely any movies about football (soccer to Americans), I am expanding this to all forms of football and even include other ball-sports.</div><div><div data-en-clipboard="true" data-pm-slice="1 3 []"><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Happy and safe Thanksgiving to all!</span></span></div><div backgroundcolor="white" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Bend it like Turkey</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Remember the Turkeys</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Friday Night Turkeys</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Turkey Maguire</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">The Blind Turkey</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">We are Turkey</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Turkey Durham</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">A Turkey of Their Own</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Field of Turkeys</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">White Turkeys can't Jump</span></span></li></ul>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01635841382544836698noreply@blogger.com0