May Not Finish This Series

The Edge by Catherine Coulter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The setting in the beginning was so similar to another of the series that I thought I'd already read it. Continued to be sure and found the sexual overtones off-putting-- looking at the librarian and practically raping her in his mind, the actual attack by one woman of Mac, the hero. Persisted a bit further hoping it would get better, which it did to some extent but since it is the series and I'd liked the first three installments decided to stay with it. Still, not really liking it until more than half-way through at which point the struggles in the rain forest finally worth reading. The ending a let-down with loose ends not totally tied up in the postmortem letter. Several characters superfluous and merely disappear. Will try the next book in the series but if it is no better this series will not be completed by me. Great disappointment.

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Wish I'd Read This First

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a second book in the Cuba story but I actually wish I read it before Next Year in Havana. Both, however, are engrossing and interesting. To hear the Cuban viewpoint of the rise of Fidel and what it is like to live in exile in the US is fascinating. Still, though I can understand the first arrivals to this country after Fidel took over and Batista was overthrown, it is still beyond my understanding how those born here still grieve the loss of " their " country. Although, in this book, several of the exiles seem to have begun to move on and see themselves not as Cubans living in America but Americans making a life for themselves. The stories both add to the tapestry that is the American culture, made up of many different broths. Just excellent books, both,

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Lots of Misdirection

The Vicarage Murder by Joyce Cato
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lots of Misdirection !

Fun,light who done it. Not sure why there is the suggestion of attraction between the Vicar's wife and the policeman,however.

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Very Light Reading

Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Very Light Readng

An okay mystery that is confusing rather than engrossing. Many of the characters are poorly defined and interactions are vague and boring. Good enough for a rainy day but even at that, I almost didn't finish it. Ending was abrupt and dissatisfying.

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Exciting Convoluted Thriller

Coercion by Tim Tigner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Exciting and convoluted thriller

Trying to find his team's killer takes Alex Ferris deep into the cold of Siberia and depths of a Russian conspiracy!

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American Dirt--Falls Short of Literature, Despite the Hype

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Review of an ARC provided by BookBrowse. A good novel, with some moments of excitement and others of suspense. Certainly not in the same class as Grapes of Wrath as the blurb says. The heroine and her son a bit more affluent and protected than most migrants from Central America trying to cross Mexico to reach the safety of the United States. The biggest unusual danger in this specific emigration flight is the riding of the trains--though Indians in India ride the roofs of trains as a matter of course. The dangers of rape, robbery, murder--always present when there is a mass of poor desperate people, whether trying to cross countries or confined in camps. Okay book, wouldn't rush out to buy it.

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Father of Lions--When Is It Important to Save Zoo Animals??

Father of Lions: One Man's Remarkable Quest to Save the Mosul Zoo by Louise Callaghan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well written book, though a bit repetitive. More than the salvation of the animals and the efforts of Abu Laith, his children, various friends, neighbors and merchants, the book gives a description of life in Mosul at various times. There are chapters describing life when Saddam Hussein, himself Sunni, was in power. As the present day story unfolds, Hussein is gone and the Shia Muslims are now in charge. Their army has checkpoints throughout the city and life is very regulated and not always pleasant for the Sunnis. Life gets much worse, however, when the jihadists of the Islamic State take over Mosul with no resistance from the American trained and supported army.
If there was one weakness of the book, it is that time seems to fly and the number of years in which Isis held the town is barely noticed. Still, the description of conditions for the people of the city and the efforts of some to leave is very tangible. I too love animals, and was happy to see that despite all the barriers put in the way, Dr Amir, an Egyptian veterinarian living in Austria and working for an animal rescue outfit called Four Paws was successful in getting them out of Iraq. He brought a military group to protect him and his crew and through negotiation and incredible self-control managed an almost impossible mission. Nevertheless, considering the conditions for the people of Mosul so far as water and food etc was concerned, I'm afraid my thinking was more in line with Lumia's , Abu Laith's wife and mother of his 12 children. At least two of which were born during this oppressive time and one of which has been born since. That fact also is hard for me to grasp as well--not enough food, a huge family and you bring in more mouths to feed--indeed, you take food from them and give it to the animals? That part of the story just left me shaking my head. Well, written book, though.

This review was of an ARC provided by Book Browse to discuss in their book club.

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