Friday, December 29, 2023

The Little Liar by Mitch Albom

 Horrifying tale of the Holocaust, and a young Jewish boy who is tricked into helping the Nazis.  Told from the perspective of 4 people, 3 Jews and a Nazi.

4 stars.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

23 1/2 Lies by James Patterson, et al.

3 novellas:  23 1/2 Lies, Fallen Ranger, and Watch Your Back.


  The best thing I can say about this is that they were short.  None were particularly suspenseful, but I did finish them.

2.5 stars.

                      

           

Friday, December 8, 2023

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

Audio.  8 hours.

Read by Graham Halstead

A mystery bookstore owner is drawn into a murder investigation when it appears the murderer is following a list of books he published called Eight Perfect Murders.

Excellent.

5 stars.

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman

 1960s housewife dissatisfied with her life goes on to work at the newspaper, albeit as a clerk.  When female remains are located, Maddie sets off to solve the case, and get a chance as a reporter.

5 stars.

Friday, December 1, 2023

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson

 Audio.  8.75 hours.

Read by Keith Szarabaijka, Kathleen Early, Helen Laser, and Micky Shiloah.

Joan reaches out to a former teacher, now a P.I., for help and he figures out more than she expected him to.

5 stars.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 The struggles of women in the workplace in the 1960's, especially those with the audacity to study science.

5 stars.

Sunday, November 26, 2023

The Forgotten Girls by Monica Potts

 Girls in rural Arkansas, and presumably other places, and why so many of them are left behind, both educationally and financially.

It was sad reading, but eye-opening too.  I can't begin to imagine the solution for this problem.

Non-fiction that was easy for me to read.  I often get bored by non-fiction within the first chapter, if I even get that far.  I venture nobody has read as many preludes without getting to chapter one than I have.

4.5 stars.

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister

 Olivia goes missing and DCI Julia Day must find her.  Is the case related to another missing girl from a year ago?

Some nice twists, but I did get a bit confused at times, as to what was going on.  Maybe that was intentional?

4 stars.

Monday, November 6, 2023

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeny

 A child is kidnapped from a supermarket.  Eighteen years later, the event sets off a chain of events.

It got a bit confusing at the end, but otherwise good.

4 stars.

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

The Guy Who Died Twice by Lisa Gardner

Audio.  1 hour, 37 minutes.

Read by Kirsten Potter.

Detective D.D. Warren has to solve a most unusual case.

5 stars.

 

Monday, October 30, 2023

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

 Anthony is accused of murder and only Hawthorne can help save him.

I didn't like this book because I don't like the story line of innocent people being framed.  Just my own quirk.  I'm sure others enjoyed it more.  I had to force myself to finally finish it.

3 stars.

Inside the Wolf by Amy Rowland

 This might have been a good book, but the amount of animals getting hurt/killed turned me off.  

Didn't finish.


Friday, October 27, 2023

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner

 Ridiculous premise saved by Ms. Weiner's excellent writing.

4 stars.

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

 Audio.  9 CDs.

Read by Stephanie Racine.

Family members are being killed, but by whom?  And why?  

The story seemed a little long, but I'm glad I stuck with it.  The twist at the end was really surprising.

4 stars.  (Added a half for the British accents.)

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Prom Mom by Laura Lippman

A girl gives birth in a hotel room during the prom.  Story of how this affects her life and that of the baby's father.

This book started okay.  The premise was fairly interesting and Ms. Lippman develops her characters.  Unfortunately, none of the characters are likable.  All the women love and protect this man who doesn't deserve it.  All of them are wrong in their opinion of him.

Then the ending takes a bizarre turn and wraps things up quickly without making much sense (to me).

2 stars

Thursday, October 5, 2023

Fire With Fire by Candice Fox

 Ms. Fox has written a half dozen or so novels with James Patterson.  I have enjoyed the books she's written with him, more so than his other co-authors.

This novel by Ms. Fox alone, was pretty good.  The plot premise was interesting, but it was a bit wordy at times.

A young rookie cop gets fired before she even gets a chance.  She teams up with Charlie Hoskins, an old-timer, to find a missing child before her parents blow up the police lab.

3.5 stars.

Sunday, September 17, 2023

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

 Jennette's mother pushes her into the world of acting to fulfill her (mom's) dreams.  Along the way there is bizarre/abusive behavior by Mom who appears to be a narcissist.  Mom encourages anorexia so J can play younger roles.  When her mother dies, J is released from many of Mom's nooses, and is currently in therapy.

Overall, a shocking and sad story, but somehow also made humorous by the author.

5 stars.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Cross Down by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois

 Told from the point of view of John Sampson, this reads like old-time Patterson.  

John, et al, keep a rouge general from waging a coup on the White House.

4 stars.

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

 The title had me worried, but this was a real page turner.  A woman dies by falling off a cliff.  But did she jump, or was she pushed?  (Dr. Winkle?  VINkle!  It is hard to tell, the injuries would have been the same.)

5 stars!

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

 Four residents of a retirement village solve murders.

4 stars.

Saturday, August 12, 2023

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

 Audio.  10.5 hours.

Read by Dylan Moore

The lives of many ordinary people are intertwined with that of Jonathan Alkaitis, who is running one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history.

5 stars.

Monday, July 31, 2023

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

 The story of 4 sisters and how their love saves a young man in distress. 

5 stars.

Thursday, July 6, 2023

The 23rd Midnight by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

 Latest in the Women's Murder Club series.

Cindy is kidnapped, and I didn't care if they found her alive or not.  

3 stars.

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Before He Finds Her by Michael Kardos.

 Audio.   10.5 hours.

Read by Julia Whelan


Ramsey Miller murders his wife and 3 year old daughter.  Or did he?

Several twists I didn't see coming.


5 stars.

Monday, May 15, 2023

The Hike by Susi Holliday

 Squabbling sisters and their spouse go for a hike in the Alps.  Only 2 of the 4 hikers return.

It started a bit slow, but I'm glad I stuck with it.


4 stars.

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

 When 3 couples go on a vacation, things go poorly.

4 stars.

Friday, April 28, 2023

The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry

 Three moms who are best friends.  Each has a son, and they're good friends as well.  When one winds up dead, another in ICU,  and the third in the psyche ward, the moms set out to learn what happened.  

4 stars.

Saturday, April 15, 2023

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

 A small child is found wandering and her mother is found dead.  The girl has been the victim of severe physical abuse.  After bonding with her in the hospital, a kindly doctor and his nurse wife take in the girl as a foster child, and ultimately adopt her.  They get more than they bargained for.

Very engaging, but lose a star for animal abuse.

4 stars.

Saturday, April 8, 2023

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

 Maya watches her best friend drop dead as she's sitting across a table from her boyfriend.  It seems like a fluke, until seven years later when she sees a video of another woman die while sitting across from yet another woman.

The reveal was a bit of a stretch.

3 stars.

Friday, March 31, 2023

All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato

 Molly's husband is murdered and she must work with the police to find out why and by whom.  But will she reveal her secret, to further the investigation?

4 stars.

When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica

 Audio.  10 hours.  

Read by Jayme Mattler and Julia Whelan.

This was such a great novel until the "it was all a dream" part.  It was probably a 5 star until that point.  I think my eyes rolled out of my head.

3 stars.

Thursday, March 16, 2023

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

 Cooper and Finch, his daughter, are off the grid and hiding out in a cabin in the forest.  How long until something brings trouble to their doorstep?

4.5 stars

Friday, March 10, 2023

The Ex by Alafair Burke

 Audio.  7.75. hours

Read by Xe Sands.

Olivia defends her former fiance when murder charges are brought against him.  But did he do it?

4.5 stars

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

The Noise by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

A strange noise is causing people to run non-stop.  Is it some kind of warfare?  Something naturally occurring?  Honestly, by halfway through I stopped caring.

 I had high hopes for this, as J.D. Barker has collaborated on at least one book I enjoyed.  This book was just too long.  I don't know how else to say it.  I literally had to force myself to read the last 10 pages so I could return the book to the library.

2 stars.

3 Days to Live by James Patterson, et al

 This was a collection of 3 novellas: 3 Days to Live, Women and Children First, and The Housekeepers.

All were readable, but rather implausible.  Women and Children First was the best of the three.

3.5 stars on average.


Friday, February 10, 2023

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

 I was so excited to see a new book by Ms. Ng.  I loved Little Fires Everywhere.  This book did not grab me the same way.  Dystopian fiction about the plight of Asian Americans after The Crisis.  I get that Asian hate is a thing now, though I can't imagine why.  So I guess this book provides a glimpse of that at an extreme level, so maybe important to read, but not as enjoyable as her other books.

3.5 stars.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Audio.  9 hours, 9 minutes.

Read by George Newbern.

Set in Sweden, Ove is an old man ready to die, but things keep popping up, thwarting his plans.  I actually teared up at the end, very unlike me.

Finished this in January, but forgot to log it.

5 stars.

 

Saturday, January 7, 2023

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

 Three generations get together at the family homestead on Cape Cod for Ruby's wedding.

I almost gave up on this book a dozen pages in or so.  I'm glad I stuck with it.  Great characterization, although there were some coincidences that were hard to believe.

4 stars.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Audio.  15 hours.

Read by Carrie Coon and Key Taw.

Lily, a young woman, is found dead.  Was it an accident?  Or did her boyfriend, Asher, learn Lily's secret and kill her?

Interesting twists and a lot of information about bees.

4.5 stars.