The Hanging Garden by Ian RankinMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Thursday, May 7, 2026
Friday, April 17, 2026
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Monday, February 2, 2026
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Monday, January 26, 2026
Review: The Widow
The Widow by John GrishamMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Almost stopped reading this--was on page 125 and it was slow and boring. Husband assured me it got better so I persisted. It was drilled into the reader in those first pages that Simon Latch is a small time lawyer in a small time town with a marriage falling apart. He also has a gambling habit, by the way. He finds himself approached by an 80+ widow with oodles of money who wants a will and he says a chance to make a bundle as her lawyer. He gets close, takes her to lunch, writes a will that will assure him of large fees upon her death--greed overrides his normally upstanding practice of writing simple wills for simple people. By the time she dies and her autopsy reveals she was poisoned with thallium while in the hospital recovering from a car accident and Simon is arrested and charged the scenario is firmly established.
Luckily, Simon has a former sweetheart who is now a Special Agent with the FBI--comes in handy. His gambling connections also help out. And he knows a local criminal defense attorney who believes in his innocence. The rest of the next 370 pages or so are spent with his indictment, trial, time in prison, independent investigation with side bars of interaction with soon to be ex-wife and three kids, other family he's trying to borrow from and a hippie hacker and her imprisoned boyfriend. ect. The last 10 pages are the full reveal, which I figured out during the trial and a ride into the sunset. Typical Grisham--rambles on for over 300 pages and then decides he's had enough and ties it all up in two chapters covering the requisite 400 page requirement for publication.
I like Grisham but if he mentions Simon's drink of choice--bourbon and ginger ale --one more time I will scream. I assume it is rot gut with cheap no name ginger ale. Somebody has got to teach this guy how to drink bourbon, for heaven's sake--or else send him to jail for life, please.
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Sunday, January 18, 2026
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Review: Gorky Park
Gorky Park by Martin Cruz SmithMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Far too long--repetitive and filled with too much insider sarcasm about Soviet politics. The first 200 pages were like molasses to wade through. Not until Renko meets the NYPD detective does it become slightly more interesting. The last segments were confusing--thought the book was over, but no, just two more, thankfully shorter, sections added to show Renko's relocations before ending up back in Mother Russia. Do not think I can go on with this series.
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Friday, December 19, 2025
Review: The Hidden One
The Hidden One by Linda CastilloMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Having read the first two books in this series I was very excited to win this one for review. I was not disappointed. Even though out of sequence it was not dependent upon the earlier installments to understand the story--truly a stand-alone book. The Amish community is so clearly explained and shown in these books and it is interesting to read the Amish Dutch to see how closely my translation meets the immediate English the author provides. The mysteries Castillo presents are always intriguing and Kate, as a former Amish woman, is an interesting character who though no longer a member of the religious community is both understanding and respectful to its way of life. Though some view her as an outsider, her ability to speak their language and her professionalism as Police Chief often makes the less than trusting confide in her. In this book, as well as the earlier ones I've read, Kate's earlier life is revealed in small segments. Here, she is outside her area of authority doing a favor for a former childhood friend who has been arrested for the murder of his Bishop. Kate is not only an outsider to the local Amish but also to the local law enforcement agency. As her own investigation turns up some new information someone who seems to want her either silenced permanently or, at the very least, driven out of town threatened her life several times.
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Review: Fallen
Fallen by Linda CastilloMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Disappointed because on page 50 I knew who the murderer had to be! Rachael has to be one of Castillo's least likeable victims! Headstrong, rebellious, lived life to the fullest, sure, but also selfish, vindictive and a liar. Nothing about her, even as a supposedly precocious child appealed to me. That said, no one should die in such a way. But, not liking her made the book less interesting. As soon as I deducted who the murderer was and why, as I said, on page 50, I remembered the opening scene and knew without a doubt that the red herring wasn't the one. Even the murderer cites the opening scene at the end. Much too transparent this time, Ms Castillo. Hopefully, just poor editing and not a change in style. I'm moving to The Hidden One , number 14, now so we shall see!
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Sunday, November 23, 2025
Review: The Redeemer
The Redeemer by Jo NesbøMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
One of the reasons I read is to learn about places I've never been and things I've never known or thought about. The Harry Hole novels certainly give me some insight into the people, customs, geography, weather etc of Norway but this particular installment also revealed that the Salvation Army has a real presence there. Here in the US we, of course, are familiar with the uniforms and kettles that appear on cold street corners during the holiday season. And, if you are a lover of Broadway musicals, Guys and Dolls also gave a bit of an insight into the Army. On a personal level, the lady, who had the apartment next to ours and shared our garbage dumbwaiter in New York City, was a uniformed officer in the Army and was an interesting neighbor. She never interacted with any of us, but each morning she literally marched off somewhere, obviously to work, and returned each evening.
In this book, the Salvation Army and its practices serve as the framework to a series of murders to be investigated by Harry and his subordinates. It would appear that a paid assassin tried to kill one of the Armies soldiers, made a mistake and spent the rest of the book trying desperately to kill the right guy. While he was getting more and more frustrated, Harry is struggling with a new boss, who seems to want to get rid of him, as well as his addiction to alcohol. His personal life is in limbo since Reikel is unable to adapt to his lifestyle but still stays in touch and her young son,Oleg, is still very much attached.
I love Nesbo's writing--it is so easy to visualize the scenes and actions in the book. Especially when he uses a sort of " fade " approach. For example, one character is knocking on a door but the door opens and it is in answer to a knock by another character on a different door. One reviewer called it cinematic and that is the perfect description. The book is 500 pages long but it just flies--the action is non-stop and yet the characters are so well developed--even the most secondary ones.. A look from a woman on the railroad platform is as noticeable as the face of Harry's boss as he makes clear Harry is to do his bidding in a one on one confrontation in his office.
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Saturday, October 25, 2025
Review: Salvation in Death
Salvation in Death by J.D. RobbMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
27th Installment?/I'll never catch up. How does Robb keep coming up with these murders? This time a well respected, might even say beloved, priest is celebrating the requiem Mass for a prominent member of the congregation. The Church is filled with generations of relatives and neighborhood friends. It is the most sacred moment of the rite, the consecration and taking of Communion by the celebrant. He drops half the host into the chalice, lifts it to his lips, drinks and collapses in death. It doesn't take long to determine that he has been poisoned--cyanide. Who would want to murder this man who in his five years in the Parish has been actively involved in all its facets--especially with the Youth group ? It also doesn't take to learn that he is not the priest he has claimed to be--he is an imposter who is not a priest at all! First order of business then must be to determine who he is, why he posed as a priest and, maybe just as importantly, why he asked to be assigned to this particular Parish. Lots of questions, not many immediate answers and a few monkey wrenches thrown into the mix--like the poisoning of another religious leader in the midst of an arena full of followers during a mass celebration. Connected? Maybe.
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Friday, September 26, 2025
Review: A Shot to the Heart
A Shot to the Heart by James L. ThaneMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
On The Thane Train Again
Gave up on this author a couple books back, but this one is a winner! You know from the outset how the murder was committed and by whom, even why. What you don't know for a couple of pages is that the daughter of the victim ,Laura,a cardiologist, is not going to accept a sudden stroke, an accident, as the cause of her father's death. Nor do you realize just how meticulously the widow, Cyndi has planned it and its cover up. What follows is a delicious chess game between these two women,as various pieces fly off the board and the game culminates in a perfect checkmate,with the piece literally falling face up blankly staring the winner in the eye! One of the best books I've read this year!!!
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Thursday, September 25, 2025
Review: The Woman in Cabin 10
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth WareMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
The only reason I finished this book is because the reviews were so good that I thought I needed to get into it further. Then, I'd gotten into it so far it seemed I should at least see who was playing tricks on this woman, who I found weak, whiney and totally unappealing. The writing is sophmoric, boring and repetitive but finailly I reached the last third of the book--page 236 to be exact and the story became at least somewhat interesting and, maybe, a bit unsettling but not terrorizing. The last two pages could be the last two of any mystery when there is no body to identify so one isn't sure the person is truly dead. Not in the slightest original. Should I try another ot this author's books to see if there is any improvement in story development and character building or move on to one of my favorite authors whom I know to be more adept and satisfying? For the moment, it will be the latter.
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Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Review: The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life
The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex TrebekMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Bittersweet to read Trebek's memories and philosophy written when he knew his life was coming to an end. Some of the " chapters " were a paragraph long, others extended to a page and a half. Interestingly, there were some very profound thoughts and some themes that provided food for thought for the reader. What is courage? Does divorce always have to mean anger and recriminations? Is it enough to be really talented and good at what you do to succeed? He answers the question he found himself confronted with after he revealed his diagnosis--how did he want to be remembered? I'll leave it to other readers to hear it directly from him in his own words. As for me, his wish has been fulfilled.
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Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Review: Strangers in Death
Strangers in Death by J.D. RobbMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hard to believe I've read 26 of these books and there are at least that many more to go. The story never disappoints--set in 2060 it is fun to imagine how the city will be long after I'm gone. Some of the things Robb sets up appeal but I'm glad I won't be around when real food and COFFEE are at a premium. The traffic and lack of parking spaces seem pretty much the same as it is now. Although the setting is drastically different the the crimes are, unfortunately, the same. Vicious murders, often committed not by strangers but by relatives or acquaintances with greed, jealousy, money etc still the motives. In this case, the solution to the crime has been used in other fictional genres, yet even though one example is a classic, the thought never crossed my mind. Didn't occur to Eve and her team either. Still, once the pieces came together, the whole thing just made perfect sense. Added to the complexity and interest of the crime at the heart of the story is the ongoing development of the characters and their relationships. This makes the series all the more addictive.
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Friday, July 25, 2025
Review: The Lightning Rod
The Lightning Rod by Brad MeltzerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The second in Meltzer's Zig and Nola series and I'm still not sure I like Nola, but will admit, she's pretty complex and seems to be getting a little less emotionally guarded. Zig is a mortician and has, for most of his career, worked at Dover Air Force base where most fallen military bodies are brought to be prepared for burial. He's considered an artist since he has performed miracles it would seem to make many of these wounded and damaged bodies whole enough to be viewed by families and friends with a minimum of despair at the trauma the fallen has suffered.
Nola--Nola is in the Army--she's an artist, too. Her job is to paint, sketch, draw military events and personnel at some of the most chaotic situations. She has suffered trauma too--primarily emotional and most in her childhood. She is self-contained, a loner with little empathy or social warmth or grace. As a young girl she save Zig's daughter from a disfiguring if not life threatening accident at Girl Scout camp. His daughter died at 12. He has a soft spot for Nola and since she always seems to get into dangerous situations, he finds himself either bailing her out or working with her.
In this story, a former colleague of Nola's has been murdered--she was in his crew during a operation called Grandma's Pantry and found him to be a good leader and mentor. She wants to know why he's dead. Zig has been appointed the one to prepare the man's body. There is a lot of mystery about why, least of which is that the guy is not full time active--he's National Guard --and is getting pretty elaborate treatment. When Nola shows up at the funeral, Zig knows there is a mystery to be solved and Nola is somehow involved. And off they go, into another convoluted case which brings some revealing facts about Nola--maybe she's not so bad--
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Review: How the Light Gets In
How the Light Gets In by Louise PennyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Using the birth of the Dionne Quintuplets as inspiration Penny weaves a tale around the death of the last Ouellet quint. Marie-Constance had been a patient of Myrna's in Montreal. Her childhood had been traumatic and when her therapy sessions ended, she and Myrna became friends. After a short visit to Three Pines she'd returned to Montreal, intending to return for the Christmas holidays. When she failed to appear Myrna appealed to Gamache to investigate her disappearance. Although involved in the investigation, Gamache is simultaneously attempting to discover what his nemesis, Francoeur, is planning for the Surete, for Gamache whose department he has gutted, and for Jean-Guy Beauvoir whom he has all but destroyed. This is perhaps the most tension filled of the series so far as it builds to a plot that, if successful, will impact not just Montreal, not just Quebec but all of Canadian stability.
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Saturday, July 19, 2025
Review: The Elias Network
The Elias Network by Simon GervaisMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Caspian and Liesl seem to be falling in love. He's pretty sure he wants to spend the rest of his life with her, but he has some pretty deep secrets about his work. He isn't just the translator at the UN he's told her he is. Liesl, on the other hand, finds Caspian physically and sexually appealing but his bland personality has her wondering if she should break it off. She is an accountant--or at least that is what she said she is. Still, he is off in Switzerland skiing so perhaps she'll run it by her real boss, who had wanted her to maintain their relationship. She needn't decide before his return. What she doesn't know is that Caspian is working black ops for a secret Federal organization and in Switzerland he's on a pretty dangerous assignment. The outcome of which causes Liesl's boss to encourage the affair until he can figure out if Caspian is the notorious Elias!
The ways of spycraft are convoluted. Just try to keep up, especially since some SDRs (Surveillance Detection Routes ) can be over 2 hours long!
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