Review: The Appeal

The Appeal by John Grisham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We've all been bombarded by political ads on TV, radio and social media. Our mailboxes and emails have been filled with glossy pamphlets and post cards showing candidates for all sorts of offices. Almost all of them show the candidate with his/her family or glad handing constituents or roaming in some pastoral setting or urban neighborhood, usually one that is impoverished and filled with minority voters. Well, read this book if you'd like an insight into how those ads, pamphlets etc come into being--what sham groups are organized to be listed as sponsors, or where the money comes from, or if not clear how the donors are hidden from view. They all do it--no matter the party--and we are all hood-winked into giving our vote to the" best " i.e. most honest candidate. Ha

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Review: The Broker

The Broker by John Grisham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Surprise Joel Backman, the President on his last day in office has granted you a pardon! You've just gotten 14 years back to live your life as a free man. The CIA will give you a new name, move you to Italy, teach you the language and soon you will be on your own.

You know, if something seems to good to be true, it usually is. So, now that you are Marco, under the care of Luigi, no one is going to tell you your days are numbered. Only thing is, no one knows, including the CIA, who wants you dead! But that's the whole reason for the release--the CIA wants to know who wants you dead. It's a matter of national security. Buon Giorno!

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Review: The Last Juror

The Last Juror by John Grisham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ten years of change in Mississippi bracketed within the story of a horrendous rape-murder case and the murder of several of the jurors in the case. Both the history of change and the cases are gripping and fascinating. The ending is satisfying all around.

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Review: The Railway Murders

The Railway Murders by J.R. Ellis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are railways in Britain that still have steam engines and many use them to re-create that time of steam and industrialization to entertain locals and tourists alike. So, too, to increase revenue some of them allow movie or TV film crews to use the stations,tracks and trains as locations. Such is the case in the Railway Murders and it is one thespian, a renowned actor who has become somewhat past his sell-by date, who is the victim. Though respected for his acting ability, he is also renowned for his womanizing, thereby creating a large pool of possible murderers -- women scorned, men cuckholded. Why even among the crew there is a feasible couple--the director, whose wife, an actress has been the victim's lover. As a matter of fact, the wife just along for the ride and not acting in the program, spent the night before the murder with the victim!

Ah, but this is not as straight forward as it would seem. The victim was murdered in a moving railway car in which he was alone. AND, when the door was opened and his corpse discovered, no one was with it, nor had anyone exited the car after he entered it. So, where is the murderer??? How did they got in and out and not be seen at either time?

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Review: Dead Against Her

Dead Against Her by Melinda Leigh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bree Taggert has combated disgruntled deputy sheriffs ever since being elected Sherrif in a small upstate New York town, but nothing has been as threatening to her, her reputation nor her career as the video and photos that have been put on social media by an unknown virtual stalker. The onslaught of community hostility as well as the invective of at least one member of the town government is almost overwhelming. Trying to protect her young niece and nephew from the backlash only adds additional stress to a woman who is trying hard to be a good parent to her sister's children. Add to this, her relationship with Matt Flynn, a sometime investigator for the department is also under scrutiny.

All of this makes her investigation into the brutal murder of a former deputy, with whom she had difficulty and who resigned in anger, though some community members feel she forced him out, almost an afterthought. Tied to kitchen chairs, both he and his mother were killed with a single bullet wound to the head. In addition, he was brutally tortured as well. Some folks seem to think she may have been involved in the murder!

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Review: Murder at the Serpentine Bridge

Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea Penrose
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Probably the thing I like most about this series is how much of the plot is based on actual historical events in actual historical locations. At time there are also real-life characters portrayed doing what they did in life. All of this adds to the depth of and interest in the plot. In addition, the fictional characters form a small but interesting group of investigators of varying ages and social standing. Led by the Earl and Lady Wrexford formerly Sloane it includes a delightful pair of street urchins known as Raven and Hawk who have become wards of the two. In this book, they are joined by a young Lord of mixed race and unhappy family situation who soon becomes known as Falcon. The Wrexfords and the others of the group refer to the three as the Weasels--so perfect!

In this story, Falcon's uncle has come up with a design for a revolver, both a hand-gun version and a long gun version. In an attempt to get the plans the uncle has been murdered. So there are two issues at hand--who is the murderer and where are the plans? Since such a weapon in the hands of any country would create a major advantage in any war, the British want it for themselves, obviously, but more importantly, don't want it in the hands of any other country, friendly or not. And just as this moment, London and Oxford are teeming with heads of state and other dignitaries of all the major European powers and America for a sort of Universal conference to set the course for a world without Napoleon, who has been sent to Elba and no longer is a power with which to contend. But the void must be filled and this weapon would be a prize in anyone's hands--but who has a dog in the fight and how are they maneuvering to get their hands on the plan?



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Review: The Mitford Affair: A Novel

The Mitford Affair: A Novel by Marie Benedict
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Received an ARC to discuss on BookBrowse. This is the second of Benedict's books that I have read and this was as difficult as the first to get into. Over half the book is written in alternating chapters, each of which focus on one of three Midford sisters, Diana, Unity or Nancy. In this half it is confusing to keep the women straight since they had cute nicknames for each other that were not always clear to whom they referred. Also in the first half there is little action since the reader is put into the mind of the narrator and therefore is made a spectator looking through her eyes. I found this boring and very distancing from the character as well as the story.

Since I never finished the first book of hers that I tried, Her Hidden Genius, I decided to stick this one out to see if there was improvement the deeper into the story and indeed there was. Still, though more active since dialogue was introduced and Hitler became a main character with which these women interacted, the story still did not engage me. It was certainly not " an explosive novel" as promised by the blurb but rather a repetitive, tedious exposure of the obsessive minds of three spoiled aristocrats who sought escape from their boredom and gilded lives by pursuing a rabid political movement headed by a mad man.

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