LJ’s Comments (group member since Jan 01, 2008)

LJ’s comments from the EBMRG group.

Books for November 4th, 2025:
Havoc (PsySusp- Maggie Burkhardt-Egypt-Contemp) Standalone - Christopher Bollen
A twisty, atmospheric psychological suspense about a meddlesome elderly guest at a decadent luxury hotel who believes she has left her problematic past behind, until she decides to interfere in the lives of a young mother and her eight-year-old son, and finally meets her wicked match.

Helen – DNF – It was really dark. Couldn’t connect with the narrator. Hated the ending. Felt as though it was creepy just to be creepy. Not much of a mystery.
Kathleen – Good - It was propulsive and kept me reading, despite the unreliable narrator and the mostly unlikeable characters (tho through the eyes of Maggie, so who knows? They may all have been quite likeable IRL). Two psychopaths meeting and recognizing one another as kindred (and malevolent) spirits instantly despite a 70+ year age difference is an interesting premise. I was dying for another narrative point of view to see how really off the rails Maggie was perceived to be. In the end, I found it depressing more than fun, but well plotted and well written.
Nancy – Poor – The most interesting parts of this book was reading about Luxor and Egypt. Egypt’s heat was described so well I could almost feel it. But the story itself, about the continual competition between 81 year old Maggie and her 10 year old nemesis rapidly began to feel repetitive and tedious. And are we really supposed to believe a murdering schizophrenic could so easily travel from Switzerland to Egypt, with her antipsychotic meds being dispensed to her like candy along the way? And finally, the ending wasn’t shocking, it just felt tacked on.
Ron – G+ - This is probably the most disturbing book we’ve read since I’ve been in the group. Getting in the mind of a psychotic/insane who continually justifies her actions to herself is chilling. There are clear similarities to Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” in the lead characters’ mentalities and to Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” in the lead characters' self-talk. The book is also very well written, although it starts out slow. The setting is also well portrayed.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay

The God of the Woods (Susp-Barbara Van Laar-New York State-Contemp) Standalone - Liz Moore
Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

Gabriel – VG - Took me a while to get into it, but when I did I was quite impressed. Brings the world of countryside and small-town upstate New York alive, not just the environment but the milieu, the society. Made the stifling, corrupt world of the upper-class come alive too. Alice is almost as controlled and confined as Rosemary in Rosemary's Baby. Though the majority of the book isn't about the mystery itself, especially the detective work, the questions were answered in a well-done way. I didn't like the parts with Jacob Sluiter though--his interactions with Judyta were a shlocky cliche, not up to the level of the rest of the book. (Even if he was loosely based on a couple of serial killers in the area.) Also the title was unclear--other than one sentence, "Pan is the god of the woods," I couldn't see any connection.
Helen – DNF – Three pages in and that’s enough. Won’t read about kids in danger. She’s done with deep family secret plots.
Kathleen – VG - I really enjoyed this, and was already a fan of Liz Moore. It was the opposite of Havoc, with multiple points of view because there were SO many characters. It took a long time to sort them all out. The writing was lovely, but overall the book could have used an edit to shorten it--it was a very long read for the story line and it dragged in a few places. I liked all the women characters, and most of the resolution, which was unexpected for both Barbara and Bear.
Ron – EX - Very well written, with interesting characters, a complex plot, and a satisfying ending.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: G+

The Puzzle Box (AdvenThriller-Mike Brink-Japan-Contemp) Standalone - Denielle Trussoni
A lost imperial treasure. The world’s greatest puzzle master has twenty-four hours to solve the most dangerous mystery of his life . . . or die trying.
Gabriel – DNS - The premise could have been fun. The main character could have been interesting in better hands. But the characters were so lacking in interest as to be off-putting, and so was the prose style.
Ginny - VG – It deals with part of the world she finds interesting. Liked the idea of the puzzle box. Took the character of Mike as interesting and liked the concept of a cyclical objective interesting. She was engaged.
Helen - Okay – She liked the setting, Got 10% in and felt as though it was the adult version of Kingfu Panda. The solutions to the problems were too neat. No sense of struggle, and it took the characters too long to find things out. The relationships between the characters didn’t have good chemistry. The ending was too neat. It felt like a first draft.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay

Books for September 2nd, 2025 were:
CODED JUSTICE (Legal Thriller- Avery Keene – Washington, D.C. – Contemp) 3rd in series - Stacey Abrams
Former Supreme Court clerk Avery Keene travels down a dark rabbit hole into the breathtaking—and dangerously evolving—world of AI in the medical industry.

Gabriel – Good - In between OK and Good, so I'm rounding up. The plot situation was interesting, so it made me want to read it. The protagonists were interesting enough to not make me bored with the book, but not so interesting that I'd read a book just for them. The book revolved around a relevant, burning issue. Milo, the creepy AI, wasn't an original concept, but the story was good enough it didn't bother me.
Kathleen – VG – This is the first book she’s read by Abrams. It was really good. The research done was amazing, and very scary. Would like to character fleshed our more, but the writing and plotting were excellent. It showed both sides of AI, although the book was more about AI than the mystery.
Nancy – G+ - I continue to enjoy Avery as a brilliant but psychologically flawed protagonist. And Abrams is a decent writer who consistently presents interesting plot twists, examines both sides of every argument and is always the teacher, this time about AI, morals and technology. While all the minute details did sometimes feel overwhelming, I did always end up learning something new. But concerning the main group itself, in addition to their only discussing the case, I would have liked to have had more personal dialogue among the four group members. That would help to flesh them out as characters.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: G+

THE MISSIN PIECE (Legal Thriller – Dismas Hardy/Abe Glitsky – San Francisco – Contemp) 19th in series - John Lescroart
Paul Riley, in prison eleven years ago for the rape and murder of his girlfriend, was released but now dead. Attorney Dismas Hardy, agrees to represent the defendant, Doug Rush, the murdered girl’s father—and is left in the dust when Rush suddenly vanishes. Hardy asks PI Abe Glitsky to track down the potentially lethal defendant.

Nancy – Good - This police procedural was an interesting and fairly quick read. Its ending surprised me because I thought the killer would be the guy who waited tables at the Lily Pad. Most of the characters and their dialogue were well developed. I liked Abe Glitsky, who because he was a ex cop, was written as a character continually willing to put himself in harms way. Of course, he always managed to escape serious injury and potential death, sustained by his gun, drive and sardonic life view. Did have to employ some willing suspension of disbelief there.
Helen – Good – She was disappointed that Abe wasn’t in it more. She wanted it to be a defense attorney focus. The p[lot seemed twisty just to be twisty, and she didn’t care for the switching between characters.
Pete – VG+ - I am late to the works of Lescroart, but if this book is any indication of his talents, I will search out more titles by him. This is a very taut, well-paced 'who- done-it', OR actually, 'we think we know who done-it , let's prove it one way or the other'. Methodical, thoughtful pacing. If you enjoy a book with an even tempo, where investigators take the time to dot the 'i' and cross the 't', this is the book for you. The San Francisco-based setting adds to the enjoyment, too.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: G+

Guide Me Home (PolProc- Darren Mathews – Texas – Contemp) 3rd in series - Attica Locke
Retired Texas Ranger Darren Mathews is pulled out of an early retirement to investigate the case of a missing black college student from an all-white sorority—and soon finds a town that will stop at nothing to keep its secrets hidden.

Gabriel – DNF – It deals with a lot of important issues but it wasn’t enough to keep him reading.
Ginny – G+ - The opening scene was chilling, and she was hooked. The writing was lush. Good tension in the story. She appreciated the atmospheric content, and the struggles of the protagonist.
Helen – Good – It seemed to be one big political statement. You don’t need to read the first two books in the series. She wanted to like something about it, but found she was depressed in the end. The writing was good, but it really wasn’t the book for her.
Nancy – G+ - The mystery about Sera and her whereabouts was interesting; but more significant was about how all of that served as a backdrop to issues like immigration, class, politics and about the lives of Black and Brown people living under Trump. The MAGA duping of Joseph Fuller was very well done too. And Darren in particular was a believable character, made more so by the very detailed descriptions about each of his individual strengths, flaws and struggles.
Pete – DNF – He couldn’t get past the first two chapters.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay

Books for August 5th, 2025 were:

Bloody January (Thriller - Det. Harry McCoy – Glasgow – 1970s) 1st in series - Alan Parks
A Glasgow detective goes up against a wealthy family whose corruption runs deep in this gritty noir series debut set in 1970s Scotland.

Kathleen – VG - The author did a great job building tension and atmosphere. The complex relationships between the protagonist and the victims and the evil-doers kept me interesting and made it a compelling read. I had to read with Google next to me to look up the vernacular--"jakies"! It was certainly a dark side of Glasgow that I had never imagined. The characters were all deeply flawed, which made them fascinating, and I hope there are more of these to read.
Nancy – Okay - “Bloody January” is Scottish & Glaswegian noir and I enjoyed hearing the Scottish vernacular as spoken by each of the different characters. The book’s plot though was a basic police procedural with minimal mystery and more than enough murder and mayhem. The character of Detective McCoy was interesting but written without enough depth to make me care about him. Officer Wattie was more interesting and multifaceted. The second half of the book had more of variety in terms of action and was more interesting than the first. This is clearly the first book in a series so Park’s writing may improve in future books.
Pete - Okay - Hard-boiled and gritty like sandpaper is this book, set in 1970'e era Edinburgh Scotland. If Michael Connely's Harry Bosch series is comparable to 320 grit sandpaper, then this book by author Parks is 60 grit; in other words, very coarse. Coarse subject, coarse language, coarse lead detective. He's a hard protagonist to 'root' for. This book is being described as Scottish Noir, and I guess that is a fitting description. Just be prepared, it might 'sand' some readers the wrong way. I would not be comfortable recommending this book to others, though I have read where other reviewers say future installments of this series get easier to read. I am not a timid crime fiction reader, but after I finished this book, I felt like I needed to take a shower! Which could be a testament to the author's authenticity, I guess.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

The Bandit Queens (DarkCom- Geeta-India-Contemp) 1st book – Parini Shroff
A young Indian woman finds the false rumors that she killed her husband surprisingly useful—until other women in the village start asking for her help getting rid of their own husbands

Charlotte - - About half-way done and has mixed feelings about it. She’s finding it both irritating and fascinating.
Gabriel – DNF – Didn’t get that far. Author did a good job of portraying the oppression of women in rural India, but the character didn’t really come alive for him.
Helen – Okay – Liked the setting. The characters were believable but not likable. Three was no real mystery there; more of a slapstick noir and the comedy was absurd. Liked the ending scene about post-pregnancy
Kathleen – VG - I loved it. It wasn't perfect, and neither were the characters, but it was a fun read. They were flawed, interesting, and human. The overall theme of the oppression of women in India was interesting to me, along with the caste/class distinctions, and the relatable descriptions of village, small-town-type life. There were moments of suspending disbelief, and a bit of a Hollywood/Bollywood ending, but those were actually kind of fun, too. I enjoyed the fact that the killings were just taken in stride, as necessary evils, without excessive moralizing--that is an unusual treatment, and it made the book funnier.
Nancy – Okay - The book’s premise of a very poor Indian village where women were often just dirt under men’s feet was sadly believable. Most characters were interesting and clearly drawn if not always likable. And its ending, particularly after Greeta finally got what she wanted was interesting and clever. The book’s second half moved more quickly than the first which was often ponderous for me to get through. But lastly, I often wished for a glossary of names and terms to help with my confusion.
Ron - VG+ —The author takes the reader to a unique setting and invests the book with an almost cinematic sense of environment, vibrant characters, and a better understanding of the treatment of women in India, particularly in rural India.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

A Sea of Unspoken Things (Thriller/Susp- James Golden – California – Contemp) Standalone - Adrienne Young
a woman investigates her twin brother’s mysterious death while confronting the ghosts of her own haunted past.

Helen – NR – Skipped most of the middle. She couldn’t picture Jane at all. She was just a narrative voice. The character was just a cutout.
Nancy – Good - This book was a well done narrative, particularly when delving into the little town as a character surrounded by its lushly described forest. One interesting part of the narrative that stood out to me was when it discussed how some women, such as twin’s mother, felt pulled to physically leave order to psychologically survive. The second half of the book was definitely more enveloping than the first and I enjoyed each of its twists and turns. I did wish though that the characters of James and Micah had been drawn more deeply to allow me to really understand them as complete individuals.
Ron – Okay - The book was well enough written, had an interesting plot/mystery and at least semi-interesting characters. My big problem was that I could not get past the interminable references to the almost supernatural connection between the brother and sister, and the brother’s continuing effect on the whole environment around her.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay

Books for July 1st, 2025 were:
The Spy Coast (Thril- Maggie Bird-Maine-Contemp) – 1st in series – Tess Gerritsen
Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. When a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to the “Martini Club” of former spies. However, complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau.

Charlotte – G+ - She agreed with the observations of the group’s other members.
Don – G+ - Good solid plot; it kept me interested solid characters - I got engaged with them; enjoyed the action & various settings; The ending was consistent with the plot; I'd read another book by the author
Kathleen - Good/VG - Overall, a compelling, fast paced read. It took a while for the beginning threads to be woven into a cohesive story, but by then I was glad the author had set it up that way. I thought the characters were all interesting, even though many played minor parts--a good setup for the next book(s). There were some fantastical, Bourne-like elements (the exotic locations, instant international travel, the ability of all the players to jet around the world seamlessly), but those elements were also fun. As always with Gerritsen, good writing...the feel of the weather in Maine and in Asia was palpable. I thought the plot resolution was a little weak; it was obvious who the villain was but her desire for vengeance seemed disproportional. I will definitely read the next one.
Nancy - G+ - Maggie, the interesting main character, was well developed, multi-faceted and human. I felt like I really grew to know her as I read this book, while at the same time learning about the backstories and current lives of each of her 4 fellow spy’s all hiding in plain sight up in Maine. These five retired CIA operatives who made up the Martini Club reminded me a bit of the Thursday Murder Club. Except that the members of The Murder Club were in it for fun and mental stimulation while the spy’s in the Martini Club were each in it for preservation and revenge. I’d read more by this author.
Ron – VG+ - Excellent characters and very well written, with an interesting setting. Two quibbles: 1.) It seems clear at the end that there was no reason to kill the female agent who visited Maggie, let alone torture her, since killing Maggie was the whole object of the killer’s being there. This seems like an unnecessary add-on to build suspense. 2) It’s hard to conceive how Bela built her network, given that her mother wouldn’t even let anyone know she was still alive for fear of retaliation (thinking the Russians were the culprits) and her lack of involvement in her father’s business.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: VG

Holmes, Marple and Poe (Myst-Holmes/Marple/Poe – NYC – Contemp) 1st in series - James Patterson
In New York City, three intriguing, smart, and stylish private investigators open Holmes, Marple & Poe Investigations. The agency’s daring methodology and headline-making solves attract the attention of NYPD Detective Helene Grey. Her solo investigation into her three unknowable competitors rivals the best mysteries of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Gabriel – Okay - Sometimes fun, sometimes less interesting. The characters are fairly fun, the cases they solve less so. For a long time the cases often seemed almost forgotten--like it was random when the book picked up and dropped dealing with different cases. That improved later in the book. I was a little relieved when we find out the protagonists' names are probably aliases--made it less contrived. I could read the next book, or not.
Helen – Good – The drug use was so out of control, but she enjoyed the modern take of the characters. It took too long for the book to have a solid plot line.
Kathleen - Good. The good outweighed the bad, but there were a number of things that didn't gel for me. First, the good: the characters were fun and quirky, nicely developed with mysterious backgrounds that informed their special skills and also their relationships with one another. That's a great setup for future stories. The crimes that they solved, not so much. Most had little depth, and the solutions were cliched at best. The potential for more depth was limited by the sheer number of cases they worked on in the short span of the book, and for me it was hard to follow them to a satisfactory resolution. I got a kick out of the name recognition by people they encountered ("Homes, Marple and Poe? really?") but that gives a lot of unwarranted credit to the public, most of whom would probably say "huh?"
Nancy – VG - This book’s premise was new, fresh & clever. My only real critique of the plot was that about halfway through things began to feel choppy as the crimes to be solved very quickly piled up. Each of the main characters though were well developed and fun to read about. Their flaws & strengths gave each one some depth. Holme’s drug problem, while of course reminiscent of that of his great grandfather’s, was well done precisely because of its simplicity. The low key ending was logical & didn’t just feel like a splashy attempt to try to quickly tie up every single detail. I’d read more if this becomes a series.
Pete - Okay - Much like an over-produced song, this book had TOO MUCH going on, all at the same time. Too many characters, too many murders, too many plot lines--- cacophony! Just when I was getting ready to call DNF, around page 200 or so, the plot finally settled down into a singular story. I've read Patterson before, and I'm familiar with his style, but this novel just felt too forced and intentionally frantic. I would not read another book in this series (though I will read more James Patterson). On a side note, I went ahead and read the third installment in the Lee Ronin series, Gated Prey, by Lee Goldberg. I am really glad you introduced me to this author! His style reminds me of Michael Connely/ Detective Bosch series, albeit perhaps a little lighter in tone. I plan on reading all his novels in the future!
Ron – G+ - Quick read with interesting characters and situations, although the kidnapping plot was pretty easy to see through. I was surprised there wasn’t a follow-up chapter on Addison after she finds out about the betrayal of her husband and daughter.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE – G+

Courting Dragons (HistMys-Jester Will Somers–London– 1529) 1st in series - Jeri Westerson
1529, London. Jester Will Somers enjoys an enviable position at the court of Henry VIII. As the king's entertainer, chief gossip-monger, spy and loyal adviser, he knows all of the king's secrets – and almost everyone else's within the walls of Greenwich Palace. But when Will discovers the body of Spanish count Don Gonzalo, and a blackmail note arrives soon after demanding information about the king, is one of his own closely guarded secrets about to be exposed?

Charlotte – Good – Liked it, but it was a little too cute. Still, she enjoyed it most of the way through. The ending was not completely satisfying. Probably wouldn’t read another one.
Gabriel – Good - In between Okay and Good, so rounding up. An engaging protagonist, and the plot makes good use of the behavior and abilities of a royal jester and how that affects his ability to be an amateur detective. His complex love life and relationship with Marion Greene felt pretty new. Henry VIII is slightly jarring, how he' so different from what we know about him--but that's on purpose, because this takes place earlier, and (the author said) it will change in later books.
Ron - Good— Good historical setting, interesting characters, and decently written.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE – Good

Books for June 4th, 2025 were :

Lost Hills (PP- Dep Eve Ronin-LA-Contemp) 1st in series - Lee Goldberg
A video of Deputy Eve Ronin’s off-duty arrest of an abusive movie star goes viral, turning her into a popular hero at a time when the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is plagued by scandal. The sheriff, desperate for more positive press, makes Eve the youngest female homicide detective in the department’s history. Now Eve has to justify her new badge. Her chance comes when she and her burned-out, soon-to-retire partner are called to the blood-splattered home of a missing single mother and her two kids. The horrific carnage screams multiple murder - but there are no corpses.

Don – Good – Started off seeming like a great series but then it fell off. Some of the protagonist’s actions didn’t quite work.
Helen – Good – Read it awhile ago and thought it was interesting. She didn’t care for the ending but didn’t know how else it could have ended either. It seemed like a social commentary. Good writing.
Ron – VG - Well-written and suspenseful mystery with a strong, interesting female protagonist, some humor, and well-defined secondary characters. The mystery held together well, and the ending was satisfying.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: G+

OR: BONE CANYON (PolProc-Eve Ronin- SoCal-Contemp) – 2nd in series – Lee Goldberg
A catastrophic wildfire scorches the Santa Monica Mountains, exposing the charred remains of a woman who disappeared years ago. The investigation is assigned to Eve Ronin, the youngest homicide detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a position that forces her to prove herself again and again. This time, though, she has much more to prove.
Bones don’t lie, and these have a horrific story to tell. Eve tirelessly digs into the past, unearthing dark secrets that reveal nothing about the case is as it seems. With almost no one she can trust, her relentless pursuit of justice for the forgotten dead could put Eve’s own life in peril.

Don – Okay – This book didn’t seem much different from his first.
Nancy – Okay - Most of this book was interesting enough. And the female protagonist, Detective Ronin, mostly held my interest. But after about two thirds of the way through , I could no longer continue to believe the unrealistic way she was always portrayed. A perpetual superwoman who never seemed to be bothered by the possibility of being universally hated and/or mistrusted by almost of her fellow cops as well as by her bosses?! Even the fact that some of them tried to kill her, didn’t seem to bother Ronin in the long run. But most unfortunate was the book's disappointing ending, particularly because it followed a plot buildup that led the reader to expect that something dramatic was about to happen. Having the physical therapist as the killer just felt like a silly let down
Pete - VG+ Highly entertaining, and very well written. A quick and easy read! This is the second book in the Eve Ronin series, and just as delightful as its predecessor Lost HIlls. Our protagonist is once again pissing people off and solving crimes at a breakneck pace, assisted by her senior partner Duncan Pavone (aka Dunkin' Donuts). A wildfire has stripped a canyon hillside clean, exposing bone fragments. Not only does Eve have to wrestle with solving a crime, she has to deal with defending her methods to her fellow law enforcement officers (and her mother as well!). It's a tightrope walk for Eve, full of action and intrigue; I will definitely be reading more of this series in the future!
Ron - Good—Generally a good follow-up to the debut novel in the series, with the same strong female protagonist and a suspenseful mystery. However, I was very disappointed in the ending on two counts: 1. The identity of the killer made no sense to me and came completely out of the—a young hunk of a physical trainer, who has been having casual sex with the protagonist’s younger sister, is guilty of killing two 60+-year-old women in a rage because they wouldn’t have sex with him?? I was also both disappointed and surprised that at the end of the book, the protagonist goes against everything she has said and believed by agreeing to help on a TV show about her.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

Spirit Crossing (Susp – Cork O’Connor- Minnesota – Contemp) 20th in series - Willaim Ken Krueger
The disappearance of a local politician’s teenage daughter is major news in Minnesota. As a huge manhunt is launched to find her, Cork O’Connor’s grandson stumbles across the shallow grave of a young Ojibwe woman—but nobody seems that interested. Nobody, that is, except Cork and the newly formed Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police. As Cork and the tribal officers dig into the circumstances of this mysterious and grim discovery, they uncover a connection to the missing teenager. And soon, it’s clear that Cork’s grandson is in danger of being the killer’s next victim

Don – Good – Has read a lot of his books. This novel didn’t move as strongly. There were too many superfluous characters. The crooks were stupid, but he liked the relationship with Henry.
Gabriel – OK - Competently done, but I just wasn't enjoying it, so didn't finish.
Helen – DNF – Read about 10% and then skipped to the end. She found the writing to be very dull.
Kathleen – VG - I thought the writing was beautiful, and the sensitivity with which the spirituality and Waboo's visions were handled was excellent and educational. The topic of trafficking is a tough one to handle at any time, but was done well. It was wonderfully educational for me on the Native traditions and presence in northern Minnesota. That said, the bad guys and the plot were a bit obvious. This is my first William Kent Kruger story, so I am obviously missing some family history and hierarchy from not having read the previous books. That made it a little complicated to keep track of the characters. The main characters for the most part were interesting (Henry, O'Connor, Prospect in particular) and fully formed, and made me want to go back to the beginning to get to know them better. I felt there were really too many second-tier characters who were not well developed; that may also be because they have been fully described in previous books, but I found it distracting in this book. There were a few characters (Annie and Maria) who felt more like placeholders for a statement rather than relevant to the plotline. Despite these criticisms, I liked the book, will read more, and would recommend.
Linda – Poor - Tragedy played a central role in this novel. I tend to think that there is enough sadness in real life right now to want to see very much of it in fiction. I suppose that means I'm not in the mood for crime fiction.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay

The Murder of Mr. Ma (HistMys – Leo/Judge Dee- London – Hist) Standalone - John Shen Yen Nee / S.J. Rozan
London, 1924. When shy academic Lao She meets larger-than-life Judge Dee Ren Jie, his quiet life abruptly turns from books and lectures to daring chases and narrow escapes. Dee has come to London to investigate the murder of a man he’d known during World War I when serving with the Chinese Labour Corps. No sooner has Dee interviewed the grieving widow than another dead body turns up. Then another. All stabbed to death with a butterfly sword. Will Dee and Lao be able to connect the threads of the murders—or are they next in line as victims? Blending traditional gong’an crime fiction with the most iconic aspects of the Sherlock Holmes canon, Dee and Lao’s first adventure is as thrilling and visual as an action film, as imaginative and transportive as a timeless classic.

Don – G+ - Agreed with Helen. It could have been a comic book. It was the lighter side of mystery. Liked the descriptions of how the Chinese were living in England at the time.
Gabriel – Okay - Should have been a good book. It put in a lot of not so well known things about the Chinese community in 1920s London; the world of London then, in its political and cultural complexity, some real Chinese figures, white historical figures like Bertrand Russell, Judge Dee ... These elements should have made it good, but the characters and world never really came alive.
Ginny – DNF – Not sure how she felt about it. She wanted to know more about the Chinese people, but couldn’t get through the book.
Helen – VG+ - Really liked it and thought it was fun. She liked the mystical element. The dialogue was great.
Ron - Good—Good sense of place and time and the attitudes towards Chinese people at that time in England. The mystery is good and the identity of the murderer makes sense, but his portrayal as almost a superman does not, given his depiction for the whole of the novel, including his reaction to Springheel Jack. The character of Judge Dee in the book is also a disappointment to anyone who has enjoyed Robert Van Gulik’s Judge Dee mysteries, particularly his derring-do and kung fu skills.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

Books for May 7th, 2025 were:

BEAUTIFUL UGLY (Susp-Grady Green-Scotland-Contemp) Standalone - Alice Feeney
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared. A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Gabriel – Okay - I found it compelling, and quite good at detail and sinister atmosphere. But unpleasant and disturbing enough that I wasn't planning to read anything else by Feeney. Grady and Abby had a terrible relationship and they both were no prizes. The novel gets more and more claustrophobic the more it goes along. The novel got much worse when we discover a bad thing Grady did--for all his faults that we know about, what he did was inconsistent with the
feelings he'd expressed to the reader. And the bad things the group did, while nightmarish, were far-fetched.
Nancy – Good - “Beautiful Ugly” was an enjoyable, if not completely logical combination of fantasy and mystery. Halfway through I had figured out who the woman in black was, but the unexpected ending with its crazy twist was still a decent vehicle to tell the whole story of Amberly and to tie everything together. Throughout the book you did need to have a willing suspension of disbelief, but I guess that’s what fantasy is all about - a completely isolated island of women brought together by anger and murder but still completely dependent on the men they killed in order to financially survive. But to bury someone alive, no matter how evil, then to simply go on with your life-now that’s a real stretch.
Pete - POOR/ reluctantly finished. This book had one of the worst plot twists of all time! But since I was 90 percent of the way through the book, I followed through to the end. The initial few chapters were exceedingly well written. Similarly, the middle chapters also held my attention, as the location (Amberly Isle) helped build a sense of intrigue and mystery. But the plot twist and ending? I felt ripped off! There seems to be a trend in fiction of late to create a narrator of a book, then halfway through the book reveal that the narrator is in fact not a reliable narrator. So if there are only two narrators, as in this book, who are we to believe? The core of this book is a missing woman, and her partner's attempt to wrestle with that reality. But was she killed, or did she simply disappear? That is what the reader will have to navigate during the course of this book. I found the first half of this book to be a true 5 star page turner; the second part of this book? Not so much. I would not read another book by this author.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay

EVERYBODY KNOWS (Susp-Mae Pruett-Los Angeles, CA-Contemp) – Standalone - Jordan Harper
Welcome to Mae Pruett’s Los Angeles, As a “black-bag” publicist tasked not with letting the good news out but keeping the bad news in, Mae works for one of LA’s most powerful and sought-after crisis PR firms, at the center of a sprawling web of lawyers, PR flaks, and private security firms she calls “The Beast.” After her boss is gunned down in front of the Beverly Hills Hotel in a random attack, Mae takes it upon herself to investigate and runs headfirst into The Beast’s lawless machinations and the twisted systems it exists to perpetuate. It takes her on a roving neon joyride through a Los Angeles full of influencers pumped full of pills and fillers; sprawling mansions footsteps away from sprawling homeless encampments; crooked cops and mysterious wrecking crews in the middle of the night.

Gabriel – Okay - I read it the last time we did. I remember that I gave it an OK, and I didn't like all the times the book uses the word "UNSAID" in all-caps. Another member didn't like it either.
Nancy – Good - The most interesting and well developed parts of this book were the main characters, primarily Mae but secondarily, Chris. Each of their continual inner dialogues kept me interested, particularly how they’d each repeatedly come around to choking on the reality that they themselves bore responsibility for the death and mayhem around them. And while both characters were certainly over the top, for me that largely kept things moving. (except for Chris’s obsession with his muscles (Popeye?) and the silly romance between he and Mae). The characterization of ‘The Beast’ was also a good descriptive tool. But the book’s ending was underwhelming and confusing. I guess though it was all about Mae burning up her world in order to finally get out.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES (So.Gothic/Sam Montgomery-North Carolina-Contemp) Standalone – T. Kingfisher
"Mom seems off." Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone. But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.
Gabriel – Good - It was compelling and effectively creepy. The horrible dead grandmother was compellingly hateful, even before I knew she was going to play a large role in the story. I really, really wanted to know why the mother
had changed her lifestyle so much. I didn't like it so much near the end when a villain shows up--it was shallower.
Ginny – NR – She will never look at a ladybug the same again. The book lost her at the very beginning. She wanted to know what happened to change the mother so much. The book was overlong.
Helen – VG+ - Not really a mystery, more of a paranormal. She appreciated that the author with upfront about it. The characters, and dialogue were good. She appreciated that the main character owned who she was as it made her choices work. The book ended really well.
Nancy – Okay - While this wasn’t the best written book I’ve ever read, it was enjoyable and often witty. It was an unusual combination of a fantasy and a cozy mystery story. What I liked most was Samantha’s character, her intelligence, her sense of humor and her assortment of quips. I also liked that she was written as a normal looking woman-not slender or gorgeous in the Hollywood sense of the word, but never self hating about it either. Many of her family and friends were interesting characters too. The book itself was a fun read, even with its too drawn out and over the top ending.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

Books for May 7th, 2025 were:
BEAUTIFUL UGLY (Susp-Grady Green-Scotland-Contemp) Standalone - Alice Feeney
Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared. A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible – a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Gabriel – Okay - I found it compelling, and quite good at detail and sinister atmosphere. But unpleasant and disturbing enough that I wasn't planning to read anything else by Feeney. Grady and Abby had a terrible relationship and they both were no prizes. The novel gets more and more claustrophobic the more it goes along. The novel got much worse when we discover a bad thing Grady did--for all his faults that we know about, what he did was inconsistent with the
feelings he'd expressed to the reader. And the bad things the group did, while nightmarish, were far-fetched.
Nancy – Good - “Beautiful Ugly” was an enjoyable, if not completely logical combination of fantasy and mystery. Halfway through I had figured out who the woman in black was, but the unexpected ending with its crazy twist was still a decent vehicle to tell the whole story of Amberly and to tie everything together. Throughout the book you did need to have a willing suspension of disbelief, but I guess that’s what fantasy is all about - a completely isolated island of women brought together by anger and murder but still completely dependent on the men they killed in order to financially survive. But to bury someone alive, no matter how evil, then to simply go on with your life-now that’s a real stretch.
Pete - POOR/ reluctantly finished. This book had one of the worst plot twists of all time! But since I was 90 percent of the way through the book, I followed through to the end. The initial few chapters were exceedingly well written. Similarly, the middle chapters also held my attention, as the location (Amberly Isle) helped build a sense of intrigue and mystery. But the plot twist and ending? I felt ripped off! There seems to be a trend in fiction of late to create a narrator of a book, then halfway through the book reveal that the narrator is in fact not a reliable narrator. So if there are only two narrators, as in this book, who are we to believe? The core of this book is a missing woman, and her partner's attempt to wrestle with that reality. But was she killed, or did she simply disappear? That is what the reader will have to navigate during the course of this book. I found the first half of this book to be a true 5 star page turner; the second part of this book? Not so much. I would not read another book by this author.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay


EVERYBODY KNOWS (Susp-Mae Pruett-Los Angeles, CA-Contemp) – Standalone - Jordan Harper
Welcome to Mae Pruett’s Los Angeles, As a “black-bag” publicist tasked not with letting the good news out but keeping the bad news in, Mae works for one of LA’s most powerful and sought-after crisis PR firms, at the center of a sprawling web of lawyers, PR flaks, and private security firms she calls “The Beast.” After her boss is gunned down in front of the Beverly Hills Hotel in a random attack, Mae takes it upon herself to investigate and runs headfirst into The Beast’s lawless machinations and the twisted systems it exists to perpetuate. It takes her on a roving neon joyride through a Los Angeles full of influencers pumped full of pills and fillers; sprawling mansions footsteps away from sprawling homeless encampments; crooked cops and mysterious wrecking crews in the middle of the night.

Gabriel – Okay - I read it the last time we did. I remember that I gave it an OK, and I didn't like all the times the book uses the word "UNSAID" in all-caps. Another member didn't like it either.
Nancy – Good - The most interesting and well developed parts of this book were the main characters, primarily Mae but secondarily, Chris. Each of their continual inner dialogues kept me interested, particularly how they’d each repeatedly come around to choking on the reality that they themselves bore responsibility for the death and mayhem around them. And while both characters were certainly over the top, for me that largely kept things moving. (except for Chris’s obsession with his muscles (Popeye?) and the silly romance between he and Mae). The characterization of ‘The Beast’ was also a good descriptive tool. But the book’s ending was underwhelming and confusing. I guess though it was all about Mae burning up her world in order to finally get out.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES (So.Gothic/Sam Montgomery-North Carolina-Contemp) Standalone – T. Kingfisher
"Mom seems off." Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone. But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.
Gabriel – Good - It was compelling and effectively creepy. The horrible dead grandmother was compellingly hateful, even before I knew she was going to play a large role in the story. I really, really wanted to know why the mother
had changed her lifestyle so much. I didn't like it so much near the end when a villain shows up--it was shallower.
Ginny – NR – She will never look at a ladybug the same again. The book lost her at the very beginning. She wanted to know what happened to change the mother so much. The book was overlong.
Helen – VG+ - Not really a mystery, more of a paranormal. She appreciated that the author with upfront about it. The characters, and dialogue were good. She appreciated that the main character owned who she was as it made her choices work. The book ended really well.
Nancy – Okay - While this wasn’t the best written book I’ve ever read, it was enjoyable and often witty. It was an unusual combination of a fantasy and a cozy mystery story. What I liked most was Samantha’s character, her intelligence, her sense of humor and her assortment of quips. I also liked that she was written as a normal looking woman-not slender or gorgeous in the Hollywood sense of the word, but never self hating about it either. Many of her family and friends were interesting characters too. The book itself was a fun read, even with its too drawn out and over the top ending.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

Books for April 1st, 2025 were:
HIDE (PolProc-Det. Harriet Foster-Chicago-Contemp) – 1st in series – Tracy Clark
When a young red-haired woman is found brutally murdered in downtown Chicago, one detail stands out: the red lipstick encircling her wrists and ankles. Detective Harriet Foster is on the case, even though she’s still grieving the sudden death of her partner. As a Black woman in a male-dominated department, Foster anticipates a rocky road ahead acclimating to a new team—and building trust with her new partner isn’t coming easily, After another victim turns up with the same lipstick markings, Foster suspects she’s looking for a serial killer. Through a tip from a psychiatrist, Foster learns about Bodie Morgan: a troubled man with a twisted past and a penchant for pretty young redheads with the bluest eyes. As Foster wades into Morgan’s sinister history, the killer continues their gruesome assault on Chicago’s streets.

Don – EX – Makes use of the characters well. Had one of the better endings.
Marcy – Ex - When I saw the cover of the book that said "A Detective Harriet Foster Thriller", I thought, oh no, I don't think I'll like this book. I don't like to be scared and avoid movies or books labelled "thrillers". But within a few pages I was hooked. What a great book. Tracy Clark keeps the momentum going with very short chapters and toggling back and forth between characters, actions and locations. Pairing Foster with Lonergan in the beginning of the book made you really appreciate the change to Li. You are left with a sense that Foster will move on and heal from the pain in her life. She would read another by this author.
Nancy – Ok - The Morgan family of killers and psychiatrist Dr. Silva were the best written and most interesting characters in “Hide”. In contrast, the writing about protagonist Harriet Foster began well enough, but fell flat pretty quickly because it lacked psychological depth and development. It also didn’t make sense that there seemed to be no investigation by the police or by anyone else into the death of her son or into the suicide by her long time police partner. Foster’s coping mechanism was described by her accumulation of small tokens like clips and marbles. Nothing more. Understandably, Foster became shut down and deeply repressed. But I would have expected her character to have become obsessed with finding out how each death happened and for the reader to find out more about how each death came to shape the trajectory of Foster’s life. Two lost opportunities in this book for depth of plot and character development. The book’s long ending was interesting enough but seemed to be there mostly to liven up the plot. Nonetheless, I always enjoy a police procedural and found this one interesting and easy to read.

Group Rating Average: VG+

WE ARE ALL THE SAME IN THE DARK (PsyThril- Odette Tucker-Texas-Contemp) – Standalone – Julia Heaberlin
It’s been a decade since Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving only a bloody handprint behind. Her pretty face still hangs like a watchful queen on the posters on the walls, all promising the same thing: We will find you. Tru’s brother, Wyatt, lives as a pariah, was cleared of wrongdoing, but was tried and sentenced in the court of public opinion and in a new documentary about the crime. When Wyatt finds a lost girl dumped in a field of dandelions, he believes she is a sign. The town’s youngest cop, Odette Tucker, can’t look away. She shares a wound that won’t close with the mute, one-eyed mystery girl, and is haunted by her own history with the missing Tru. Odette is desperate to solve both cases.

Don – DNF
Gabriel – NR - The book didn't pull me in--I just wasn't interested.
Nancy – VG - I was totally drawn in by this book’s slow and chilling build up. Southern Gothic is fairly new to me and the fact that this book was psychologically based along with being a thriller and a mystery really sold me on it. The three main female characters -Maggie, Odette and Angel-were each strong and complicated women whose imperfections made them all the more fascinating. And even the fact that the main male characters were stereotypically stunted brutes didn’t keep me from also believing pretty most everything that happened in this book’s small Texas town. I’d like to read more by this author.
Pete – VG – Kept him entertained and intrigued. Didn’t have a problem with the narrators or time jumps. Would read more.
Ron - G+--Well written with good characters, interesting points of view, and a good amount of suspense.

Group Rating Average: Good

HEAVEN MY HOME (PolProc-Teas Ranger Darren Mathews-Texas-Contemp) – 2nd in series – Attica Locke
Texas Ranger Darren Mathews is on the hunt for a missing child -- but it's the boy's family of white supremacists who are his real target.
9-year-old Levi King knew he should have left for home sooner; now he's alone in the darkness of vast Caddo Lake, in a boat whose motor just died. Levi's disappearance has links to Darren's last case, and to a wealthy businesswoman, the boy's grandmother, who seems more concerned about the fate of her business than that of her grandson. Darren has to battle centuries-old suspicions and prejudices, as well as threats that have been reignited in the current political climate, as he races to find the boy, and to save himself.

Don – Good – Really liked the story; it was fresh and new. Enjoyed the politics, but there could have been fewer characters.
Gabriel – Good - In between Okay and Good, so I rounded up. Fairly good characterizations. I like Darren Mathews and his complexity and contradictions. Didn't like his horrible mother as much, but she sure sets up a lot of tension. The awful, cold-blooded grandmother is a good villain
Nancy – Okay - The best part of “Heaven, My Home” was its richly layered depiction of the backwoods and swamplands of East Texas and the interwoven families of Blacks and Indians who lived there. All amid the racism that surrounded them-a good example of Southern Noir. Most characters were complex as well as being interestingly flawed. But some of their behaviors were just confusing. For example, why did the repeatedly quasi illegal behaviors of main character Ranger Matthews not result in him losing his job? And how did he & his best friend Greg maintain their friendship even when Greg suddenly changed his politics in order to court the incoming Trump’s new Justice Department? And finally, the book’s ending was okay but weak - makes me think there’s a third book in this series coming up. And on that subject, I wonder if this book wasn’t meant to be a stand alone and that we missed some significant details by not reading book one in this series first.

Group Rating Average: Good

Books for March 4th, 2025:

BLAZE ME A SUN (Susp-Sven Jörgensson-Sweden-Contemp) – Standalone – Christoffer Carlsson
In February 1986, the Halland police receive a call from a man who claims to have attacked his first victim. I’m going to do it again, he says before the line cuts off. By the time police officer Sven Jörgensson reaches the crime scene, the woman is taking her last breath. On the same night, Sweden plunges into a state of shock after the murder of the prime minister. Could there possibly be a connection? As Sven becomes obsessed with the case, two more fall victim. Having failed to catch him, Sven retires from the police. Decades later, the case unexpectedly resurfaces when a novelist returns home to Halland amid a failed marriage and a sputtering career. The writer befriends the retired police officer, who helps the novelist—our narrator—unspool the many strands of this engrossing tale about a community confronting its shames and legacies.

FROZEN RIVER (Mys-Martha Ballard-Maine-Hist) – Standalone – Ariel Lawhon
Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

THE RED HOUSE MYSTERY (Myst-Mark Ablett-England-1920s) – Standalone – A.A. Milne
At his house in the English countryside, Mark Ablett hosts a small party of diverse guests including a widow and her young daughter, a retired military officer, an actress, and a young socialite named Bill Beverley. During this party, Mark’s brother Robert unexpectedly returns home from Australia, where he has been for some time. Shortly after this long-awaited homecoming, Robert is found dead of a gunshot wound to the head, and, amidst the chaos, Mark suddenly disappears. Having arrived late to the party, Tony Gillingham, with the help of his friend Bill Beverley, endeavors to investigate the mysterious events of the evening. Aided, or at least tolerated, by an uninterested police force, Gillingham does his best as an amateur detective to gather evidence leading not only to the identity of Robert’s murderer, but to the discovery of Mark’s whereabouts.

DARK RIDE (Thriller-Hardy Reed-Contemp) – Standalone – Lou Berney
Twenty-one-year-old Hardy “Hardly” Reed is drifting through life. Then one day he notices two children, around six or seven, sitting all alone on a bench. Hardly checks if they’re okay and sees injuries on both children. Someone is hurting these kids. He reports the incident to Child Protective Service. But he's haunted by the two kids, his heart breaking for them. And the more research he does the less he trusts that Child Protective Services —understaffed and overworked—will do anything about it. For the first time in his life, Hardly decides to fight for something. But Hardly also discovers that the situation is more dangerous than he ever expected. Still, Hardly refuses to give up.

Gabriel – Good - A pretty original, interesting premise--a new kind of detective, a slacker who's changing. Some of the characters are likeable, like Hardy and Salvador, some are less likeable, some are vile, which they're meant to be. The plot kept me hooked too. Hardly was both admirable and amateurish. He was heroic, but if there was anyone else in the novel who was committed to protecting Tracy and the kids, it would be much better for that person to be the detective than Hardly. Eleanor got more likeable, though still spiky. One thing I would change is, I'd put in a few flashbacks (even short ones) to show Hardly before his transformation, when he was 100% slacker. The story opens when Hardly sees the kids and begins to transform, which is a good place to start, but, while we know what he was like, we never feel it. The realtor had a small necessary plot function, but the part about him being her boy-toy was barely relevant.
Nancy – Okay - “Dark Ride” was a short easy read and a somewhat dark action tale as opposed to being a true mystery story. Protagonist Hardly began as an amusing loser, becoming more interesting as he gained confidence and went about designing and acting out his solitary hero’s journey to rescue Tracy and her kids. Although the Marvel style ending was awkwardly worded, I did end up rooting for him and wanted to suspend credibility so that Tracy & her abused children could go free. Of course, there were also a number of storylines left hanging and several characters as well as details that were hard to believe-such as how did Hardly survive economically despite making almost nothing at his weird place of employment? But despite all this, I did enjoy reading “Dark Ride”.
Ron – VG --Well written with a warm, sympathetic, and unusual protagonist and interesting side characters. I was sad at the ending, but it does show that a life doesn’t have to be long to be important.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good


BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT (LegalThriller-Keera Duggan-Seattle-Contemp) – 2nd in series – Robert Dugoni
When Jenna Bernstein, disgraced wunderkind CEO of a controversial biotech company, is accused of murdering her former partner and lover, she turns to Seattle attorney Keera Duggan to defend her. When she was a kid, Keera saw Jenna for what she was: a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath. Now, with only circumstantial evidence against Jenna, Keera is willing to bury any trepidation she might have to defend a woman she believes, this time, to be innocent. If this is all just another devious game, Keera might be working to set a murderer free.

Nancy – VG - Our second Keera Duggan book. “Reasonable Doubt” was well paced with fully developed and believable characters. I particularly enjoyed the ying and yang characters of Keera and Jenna. You knew who to root for. And speaking for myself, it’s always good to have a realistic villain and even more psychologically interesting to make her a sociopath. And happily, ending with the continuing possibility of a romance between Keera and Detective Rossi means a third book could be in the works.
Ron – VG —Well-plotted and paced with an interesting protagonist and secondary characters. A very satisfying ending that is both anticipated and surprising at the same time because of the novel’s complexity.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: VG


ONCE UPON A RIVER (Hist/Susp-Multiple-England) Standalone – Standalone - Diane Setterfield
On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions. Three families are keen to claim her. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.

Gabriel – NR - It was not-bad literary fiction, but I wasn't enjoying it at all, so I didn't get far
Ginny – Ex – She loved that the Swan Inn is actually a real place. there was so much in the story that she loved; the story telling, she could see the characters and was totally hooked into the story. She just wanted to be in the Swan.
Helen – Okay – She loves fantasy and fairy takes but felt the author just couldn’t commit to the story being paranormal. The pace was too slow, and story too long, and with too many characters. It just wasn’t a fun read for her.
Marcy - VG+ - Loved this book. Set at that time I love most, when folk life is still alive, but the industrial, modern world is creeping in. Set in the upper regions of the Thames, a stranger, a young girl, is rescued from the river and three families claim her. Who is she?
Pete – VG+ - "This book contains a mystery within a mystery, a story within a story. A long-standing pub along the River Thames, famous for its 'story-tellers', is thrust right in the middle of its own mysterious story. Two travellers enter one night, very near death, but are revived, and slowly reveal their own stories. And what of the town-folk, with their own back stories? Which of their stories are true, and which are fiction? That's the journey you will take when you read this book. I found the book very entertaining and well-written, with rich character development. It sent me to Google to research the origin-source of the Thames River (Thames Head, near Kemble), and to read about some of the larger cities situated along its banks (Oxford, Reading, London). This book was well worth my time!"
Ron – Okay —Interesting characters and well written but too long and sometimes a slog to read.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: G+

FACE OF GREED (PolProc-Det. Emily Hunger/Det. Javier Medina-California-Contemp) – James L’Etoile
When a prominent Sacramento businessman is killed and his wife injured in a brutal home invasion, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina, are called to investigate. At first glance, it seems like a crime of opportunity gone horribly wrong, but Emily soon finds there might be more to both the crime and the dead man.
MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT (Myst-Lana Rubicon-California-Contemp) – Standalone – Nina Simon
In this 2024 Lefty Award winning Best Debut Mystery Novel, Lana Rubicon is a high-powered businesswoman But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage—and hoping that boredom won’t kill her before the cancer does. Then Jack—tiny in stature but fiercely independent—happens upon a dead body while kayaking. Lana pulls on her wig, determined to find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power.
CITY UNDER ONE ROOF (Susp-Det. Cara Kennedy-Alaska-Contemp) – 1st in series – Iris Yamashita
A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building.

FIRE, BURN! (MurderMys/TT-D.S. John Cheviot-London-1950s/1829) – Standalone – John Dickson Carr
A woman is killed in a well-lit corridor, dying before the eyes of three witnesses who, impossibly, detect no foul play. For more than a century, this baffling murder lies cold in the files of Scotland Yard until it is discovered by Detective-Superintendent John Cheviot, who yearns to apply modern scientific policing to the grisly old case. He is about to get his chance. Taking a cab to Scotland Yard, Cheviot steps out in front of Old Scotland Yard and sees a beautiful woman beckoning him. Suddenly it is 1829 and Cheviot is a member of the newly organized London police force. He might now have an opportunity to solve the most puzzling murder in the Yard’s history, but in a time before fingerprints and ballistic analysis, he will find police work to be far more baffling and brutal than he is used to.

Gabriel – NR - The idea is interesting--the kind where the detective finds himself in the past, has to adapt in order to solve the mystery. I found it boring in execution. Maybe it was the characters. The appendix was also interesting in theory but not in practice.
Helen – DNR – The pacing was too slow, the characters flat and stereotypical. There was nothing original, and the story didn’t move well.
LJ – Good – The female character seemed vapid by today’s standard but Carr cleverly researched the language, social morays of the time, which I found fascinating.
Marcy – DNF – She was intrigued by the description of the book, and the idea of being able to use his current knowledge of forensics in the past, but the story didn’t really go there.
Nancy - Okay - Clearly, the objective of this historical crime novel was to be creative, not historically accurate. But it was still enjoyable to read Carr’s imaginary version of the very early days of Scotland Yard and how a bewildering murder came to be investigated and almost magically solved by a time traveling policeman in the 1800’s. I could envision most of the book’s very well drawn characters as well as all their detailed clothing and physical settings. The plot vehicle of time travel and vocabulary was fun and book’s simple and cliched ending felt almost secondary. “Fire, Burn!” kept me interested and reading, but really might have worked better as a shorter novella.
Ron –Good--Well written and researched time travel mystery with a good sense of time and place about the early days of Scotland Yard. I liked the sense of the protagonist actually slowly forgetting details of his previous life as he becomes accustomed to his new one. I also didn’t guess the real murderer as even a possible suspect, although this was clearly due to no discernible clues given by the author even in terms of his character. The main problem I had with the book was the illogic of much of it, even aside for the time travel aspect—Lady Cork’s going to the police about stolen birdseed when she knew Margaret Renfrew stole her jewelry yet never even confronted her, the fact that Hugo Hogben didn’t come forward earlier to accuse Cheviot and the he was believed by Mayne without ever questioning him about how he happened to be in the upstairs room or seeing him as a suspect himself, and the almost superhuman abilities of the protagonist.

GROUP AVERAGE RATING: Poor

FAIRIE TALE: A NOVEL (Mys/Fantasy-Phil Hastings-Pennsylvania-Contemp) – Standalone – Raymond E. Feist
Phil Hastings was a lucky man-he had money, a growing reputation as a screenwriter, a happy, loving family with three kids, and he'd just moved into the house of his dreams in rural of magic-and about to be altered irrevocably by a magic more real than any he dared imagine. For with the Magic came the Bad Thing, and the Faerie, and then the cool. . .and the resurrection of a primordial war with a forgotten people-a war that not only the Hastings but the whole human race could lose.

Gabriel – Poor - I'm not much of a horror fan. Also the characters didn't have much depth or complexity. And the supernatural elements didn't seem to have much worldbuilding logic behind them.
Helen – DNR – Packing was very slow, the characters flat and stereotypical. Didn’t feel there was anything original, and it didn’t move well.
Nancy – VG - I’ve never read a book classified as fantasy or science fiction but because I’ve heard Gabriel and others in the group talk so enthusiastically about these genres, I decided to give “Faerie Tale” a go. My only criticism of the book was its pacing; the first half is quite slow and the second was almost too fast. But that being said, I really enjoyed it. The depictions of all the characters was wonderful-all the fairies, and all the little people etc., both good and evil-so clearly described and so realistic that I felt like I could really see them. I also really enjoyed the book’s accompanying stories about the lives of each of the family members living a house that hid so many secrets.
Ron - Good—More fantasy and conspiracy theory than mystery, but well-written with interesting characters. A little too long.

GROUP AVERAGE RATING: Okay

TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON (Thriller-Ariel Pryce-Lisbon, Peru-Contemp) – Standalone – Chris Pavone
Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone—no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong. She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, at each confronting questions she can’t fully answer: The clock is ticking. Ariel is increasingly frustrated and desperate, running out of time, and the one person in the world who can help is the one person she least wants to ask.

Ginny – Good - The premise hooked me right in, but I betrayed my gut belief was proved correct. Too many male authors cannot write a woman character. The women in some way victims, ineffectual, and overall limp just like Ophelia in Hamlet. It takes a woman to write about women. The author created such an interesting premise, and I was ready to follow Ariel on a life-threatening rollercoaster, but it didn’t happen. The story was too long, too populated with characters, too many cellphones tossed away, along with too many streets and places though normally that wouldn’t bother me because it’s an overseas location. Frankly hallway through the book I still had no concept of what her husband was like so at that point and cared less. I found the book’s constant negativity and cynicism annoying. I stayed up reading late at night still reading and wondering where exactly things are headed. However, never have I read an epilogue that shocked me. However, what was the purpose of the goat, and what did that maid find???
Helen – DNR – Read about 60% of it, but skipped a chunk in the middle. Men cannot write women properly. There were too many twists, and the author clearly had an agenda. The whole “me, too” agenda became too much. Found the last paragraph to be one, complex sentence.
Pete - VG- An entertaining read, albeit perhaps a bit too long and with a few too many plot twists. Right from the get-go, the book does a good job of capturing the confusion and disorientation one must feel having a loved one kidnapped from a hotel, in a foreign country, in the middle of the night. Setting the story overseas, with language issues, and time-zone differences, and a Fourth of July holiday, all add to the stress level. The big take-away for me: women are quite often not listened to, not taken seriously. Past lives are exposed, hidden secrets revealed, tranquil lives upended. Would I read another book by this same author? Probably not, though.
Ron – EX - I love this book. I count it in the top ten of all the mystery books I have ever read because it works on so many levels. It is extremely well written, with exceptional dialogue, and reads in a “can’t put it down” manner. The characters are well-drawn and the ending is one of the best over. After I first read the book, I thought the author cheated by misleading the reader as to what was in the protagonist’s mind, particularly early on. Upon reflection, though, I think this was actually a stoke of genius. He has the protagonist, who was an experienced actress, get into the mind-set of the character she is playing for the role of her life.

GROUP AVERAGE RATING: G+

HARD RAIN (PI-Annie McIntyre-Texas-Contemp) – 2nd in series – Samantha Jayne Allen
In shock and found clinging to a tree branch, Bethany Richter is pulled from thrashing floodwaters that have decimated the town of Garnett, Texas and killed a dozen others. Six months after solving the murder of a local waitress, Annie McIntyre is working as an apprentice P.I. when she's handed her first solo case: uncover the identity of the man who rescued Bethany before he was swept downriver. When Annie's search turns up a different victim—shot dead, not drowned—Annie questions if the hero they seek is actually a killer.

GO FIND DADDY (PI-Ed Runyon-Ohio-Contemp) – 3rd in series – Steve Goble
When a cop is murdered in rural Ohio on Donny Blackmon's property, the case seems open and shut. Donny must've done it—he's a known cop-hater, and he's already fled. Believing her husband is innocent, Donny's wife calls Whiskey River Investigations, the new one-man PI agency run by former sheriff's deputy Ed Runyon, to see if Ed can find her husband. Ed soon realizes finding Donny won't be easy. Donny trusts no one, and he's gone completely off the grid. But Ed finds something the police have missed and begins piecing the puzzle together. The closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he finds. But he took the job, so Ed is going to find Donny Blackmon—or die trying.

THE BELL IN THE FOG (HistMys-Det. Evander “Andy” Mills-San Francisco-1952) – 2nd in series – Lev A.C. Rosen
San Francisco, 1952. Detective Evander “Andy” Mills has started a new life for himself as a private detective―but his business hasn’t exactly taken off. It turns out that word spreads fast when you have a bad reputation, and no one in the queer community trusts him enough to ask an ex-cop for help. When James, an old flame from the war who had mysteriously disappeared, Andy wants to kick him out. But the job seems to be a simple case of blackmail, and Andy’s debts are piling up. He agrees to investigate, despite everything it stirs up. The case will take him back to the shadowy, closeted world of the Navy, and then out into the gay bars of the city, where the past rises up to meet him, like the swell of the ocean under a warship.

ROGUE JUSTICE (Thriller-Avery Keene-Washington D.C., Contemp) – 2nd in series – Stacey Abrams
Supreme Court clerk Avery Keene is back, trying to get her feet on solid ground after unraveling an international conspiracy in While Justice Sleeps. But as the sparks of Congressional hearings and political skirmishes swirl around her, Avery is approached at a legal conference by Preston Davies who believes his boss, Judge Francesca Whitner, was being blackmailed in the days before she died. Another shocking murder leads Avery to a list of names – all federal judges – and, alarmingly, all judges on the FISA Court. As Avery digs deeper, she begins to see a frightening pattern – and she worries that something far more sinister may be unfolding inside the nation’s third branch of government. With lives at stake, Avery must race the clock and an unexpected enemy to find the answer.

Linda – VG+ - This is a sequel to While Justice Sleeps which I read. It has the same strong female protagonist, Avery Keene. In Rogue Justice Avery discovers a terrible threat to the entire U.S. There are a number of important revelations by the end of the book, but it didn't seem completely resolved. So I suspect there will be a sequel.
Nancy – VG - I enjoyed the very detailed and plot driven “Rogue Justice” that educated me in all things political. Unlike many other mysteries it also had a plethora of in charge and powerful female characters-head FBI agents, head of the Supreme Court and Director for the FBI. If only! Avery and her intelligent buddies, were a great Scooby Doo gang. You admired them all without needing to love any of them, especially Avery who had an out of this world intellect and coolness for a 20 something year old going through constant trials and tribulations. Of course almost everyone was able to forgive her missteps while choosing to follow her lead. And who better than Stacey Abram’s to write a book that so well mirrors our current political situation. Let’s put her next book on our reading list.
Ron – VG - Well-written and well-paced, with interesting characters, a timely plot, and a satisfying ending.

AVERAGE GROUP RATING – VG

REDEMPTION (PolProc-Deputy Eva Duran-New Mexico-Contemp) – 1st in series – Deborah J. Ledford
After four women disappear from the Taos Pueblo reservation, Deputy Eva “Lightning Dance” Duran dives into the case. For her, it’s personal. Among the missing is her best friend, Paloma, a heroin addict who left behind an eighteen-year-old son. Eva teams up with tribal police officer and longtime friend Cruz “Wolf Song” Romero to tackle a mystery that could both ruin her reputation and threaten her standing in the tribe. And when the missing women start turning up dead, Eva uncovers clues that take her deeper into the reservation’s protected secrets. As Eva races to find Paloma before it’s too late, she will face several tests of loyalty—to her friend, her culture, and her tribe.

Gabriel – Okay – The characters were good enough to keep him reading. There was some Native American culture, but he’d have liked there to be more. The psycho villain was a bit boring.
Linda – Good - I very much disliked the multiple viewpoints. It seemed to me that the main protagonist police detective Eva Duran, could easily have been the single narrator for the entire novel. It's true that she wasn't aware of everything that went on as it happened, but she is an investigator who finds out things. I gave it three stars which is a G rating. I liked the focus on Native American characters.

AVERAGE GROUP RATING – Good

METROPOLIS (PolProc-Bernie Gunther-Berlin-1928) – Last in series – Philip Kerr
At central police HQ, the Murder Commission has its hands full. A killer is on the loose and though he scatters many clues, each is a dead end. It's almost as if he is taunting the cops. Meanwhile, the press is having a field day. This is what Bernie Gunther finds on his first day with the Murder Commission. He's been taken on because the people at the top have noticed him--they think he has the makings of a first-rate detective. But not just yet. Right now, he has to listen and learn.

Ron – VG - Excellent lead character and well-drawn secondary characters. Very well written with a lot of accurate historical information and an almost cinematic setting true to the times.

AVERAGE GROUP RATING – VG

DON’T BELIEVE IT (Susp-Sidney Ryan-St. Lucia- Contemp) – Standalone – Charlie Donlea
The Girl of Sugar Beach is the most watched documentary in television history—a riveting, true-life mystery that unfolds over twelve weeks and centers on a fascinating question. Grace has spent the last ten years in a St. Lucian prison, and reaches out to filmmaker Sidney Ryan in a last, desperate attempt to prove her innocence. Delving into Grace’s past, Sidney peels away layer after layer of deception. But as she edges closer to the real heart of the story, Sidney must decide if finding the truth is worth risking her newfound fame, her career . . . even her life.

Gabriel – OK - Till the shock twist at the ending, which I didn't like, or how the story went forward afterwards. The characters were a little engaging. The brother was both bad, and a problematic portrayal of disability. The investigating for an almost real-time documentary series was the most interesting part. Though I don't know if an unexpected outcome really would have hurt the ratings. The book jacket said that Sydney starts to question the subject's innocence, but that doesn't happen till about 100 pages from the end.
Ginny – VG+ - This is my first introduction to Charlie Donlea and now he will be added to my list of authors to keep my eye on. The book has a number of aspects which worked well for me because of how they changed my preconceived notion of island life which I didn't think I'd be interested in; however, they held my interest throughout. It was in college I learned about Aristotle's 'unities' of time, place, action and how the Ancient Greeks built upon this format to make their plays plausible, readable and life-like. (O just reread this in my Ancient Greek Plays book). The format is essential for the audience's understanding which is still uses today. Don't Believe It enhanced nearly all my senses especially the sense of place. The initial format of the first 4 chapters prior to the Part 1, changed my displeasure with the use of alternating chapters. Using the points of view beginning with the killer, the victim, etc. And each chapter began with time, place and action. My next surprise will grabbed me was the intro of Sidney's reasons for making the documentary which further catapult her success. Another once annoying ploy of dividing the book into parts readjusted my liking this kind of formatting. My interest in honed in on the whodunnit.
Helen – Good – Really liked that the author was brave enough to do what he did. It was an enjoyable, quick read.
Joni – Ex - I loved Don’t Believe It. I couldn’t put it down. The characters were fascinating, the plot filled with very unexpected twists and turns, and the end was perfect. I couldn’t figure out the role of Gus in all of it until well into the book. I was stunned by the last death and who committed that murder and who was convicted. Just a wonderful read. Such a relief after The Last One. (Pun intended)
Nancy - Good- I’d actually like to give this book 2 different ratings. A Good Rating for the absorbing first half of the book that focused on the interesting and believable characters of Grace and documentarian Sidney. But I Rated the second half of the book (following Sidney’s death) as Just Okay: The supposedly savvy protagonist naively puts herself in danger and is murdered, her closest friends illogically sacrifice themselves out of love for her, and two important characters (Grace & Marshall) just disappear without explanation. Finally, the book’s ending just petered out without tying up loose ends and felt lazy and unsatisfying.
Ron - Good—Well-written story with good characters and a good, unforeseen twist at the end which is also a train wreck of plot holes. He liked the first ¾ of the book, but the ending didn’t make sense.

AVERAGE GROUP RATING: G+


THE RED QUEEN (PolProc-Jon Gutierrez/Antonia Scott-Bilbao, Spain-Contemp) – 1st of series –Juan Gómez-Jurado
Antonia Scott—the daughter of a British diplomat and a Spanish mother—has a gifted forensic mind, whose ability to reconstruct crimes and solve baffling murders is legendary. But after a personal trauma, she's refused to continue her work or even leave her apartment. Jon Gutierrez, a police officer in Bilbao—disgraced, suspended, and about to face criminal charges—is offered a chance to salvage his career by a secretive organization that works in the shadows to direct criminal investigations of a highly sensitive nature.

Gabriel – DNF- Didn't hold my interest. The idea of the reclusive, Nero Wolfe-like forensic scientist could have worked, but she didn't interest me.
Ginny – G+ - Read the book; watched the television series. The book gave her greater empathy. She didn’t think the character being gay was that relevant. Loved the way her mind worked. Some parts were more violent than necessary.
Ron - NR— A promising story with an interesting character that flames out with a spectacularly horrendous ending that makes a mockery of the story up to that point and is complete nonsense, while setting the stage for a series of follow-up novels. The idea that everything in the elaborate planning and execution in the novel was set up to get to the protagonist is laughable. She was already is the worst place possible in her life, constantly contemplating suicide and it would have been easy at any point to kill her. The process of her becoming a Red Queen was also so stupid and self-defeating as to be completely unbelievable. She had a one-in-a-million mind when she started out and in order to get some degree of further improvement, they made her into an erratic agent who has to be given one pill to get maximum ability and one to get her down to earth—a seesaw between super intelligence and completely erratic behavior or incompetence. The idea that the woman villain was not the other villain’s daughter also make no sense given his acceptance of her. At first I thought that making the inspector gay was superfluous in the same way saying his hair was black was superfluous because it doesn’t seem to have any impact at all on his job, but I came to the understanding that the author did a smart thing to make him both more acceptable to the protagonist and remove any thought of romantic involvement to impede the story. If you want to read it, good luck to you.

AVERAGE GROUP RATING: Poor

THE APOTHECARY ROSE (HisMys-Owen Archer-England-1363) – 1st in series – Candace Robb
York, 1363. Master apothecary Nicholas Wilton provides a healing potion for a wounded soldier at St. Mary's Abbey.
When Brother Wulfstan administers the special physick to the pilgrim and a fellow knight, tragedy strikes. Is the poisonous potion an accident, or a deliberate act of murder? Owen is sent to investigate by the Archbishop of York, disguised as an apothecary apprentice assisting Wilton's wife, Lucie.
Gabriel – Good - Not the best in the series, but still good. Characters were compelling. Owen was still somewhat like a soldier, only beginning to find his feet as a detective. Brother Wulfstan is interesting and somewhat appealing in his saintliness and self-accusation. Good sense of time and place, and how people lived in the Late Middle Ages. The only thing I disliked was Anselm. He was like a character from a lesser, pulpier book.
Helen – Good – Setting was very compelling. Liked how they worked around what they didn’t know. A bit of a believability stretch, but she liked it.
Ron - VG+—Well-written and researched historical novel, with excellent lead characters and a well-thought-out plot.

AVERAGE GROUP RATING: VG

THE BRANSON BEAUTY (PolProd-Sheriff Hank Worth-Missouri-Contemp) – 1st in series – Claire Booth

When the tourist showboat The Branson Beauty runs aground on an Ozark lake, new sheriff Hank Worth is responsible for getting all the passengers off safely, which he does—all save one. He finds a murder victim in the captain’s dining room, a beloved local athlete who wasn’t even supposed to be on the boat. Now Hank must unravel her movements and hunt down her killer while navigating the cutthroat politics and dark secrets of the small town that he now calls home.

Joni – Okay - Paddlewheel boat. Semi-locked room kind of plot. Sounded like it had some promise. It didn’t. I kept thinking of oatmeal. Bland, dull, predictable. The characters, plot, and even the setting were tedious at best. The victim was too good to be real. I’ve already pretty much forgotten the rest of the characters and I just finished the book last night. The PTSD trigger did not ring true for me and seemed gratuitous. Since I got through it, I’ll give it an Okay.
Nancy – Okay - This book was a quick, easy to read police procedural, a genre I enjoy. Clearly a first novel whose characters were initially interesting but unfortunately then went on to become flat, undeveloped and repetitive. Main character Sheriff Hank for example, although likeable, was for the most part, simply a stereotypically cool, tough lawman who couldn’t seem to stop scowling. With the exception of the story line about boat pilot’s PTSD, I never really came to care about any of the book’s characters or about the mystery of who killed Mandy. Hopefully future books in this series will be better developed. I’d be willing to give another one a try.
Ron – G+ - Well-written, good protagonist and secondary characters, with a couple of well-placed red herrings. Obviously the first book in a planned series.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good


SLEEPLESS CITY (Susp-Nick Ryan-NYC-Contemp) – 1st in series – Reed Farrel Coleman

Every cop in the city knows his name, but no one says it out loud. In fact, they don’t talk about him at all. He doesn’t wear a uniform, but he is the most powerful cop in New York. Nick Ryan can find a criminal who’s vanished. Or he can make a key witness disappear. He has cars, safe houses, money, and weapons hidden all over the city. He’s the mayor’s private cop, the fixer, the first call when the men and women who protect and serve are in trouble and need protection themselves. With conflicted loyalties and a divided soul, he’s a veteran cop still fighting his own private war. He’s a soldier of the streets with his own personal code. But what happens when the man who knows all the city’s secrets becomes a threat to both sides of the law?

Gabriel – Okay - It made me want to keep reading, but not to want to read the rest of the series. The author tries to balance Nick Ryan being socially conscious and macho/super-tough--does an OK job mostly, but not great. Some of the characters were pretty interesting. It was somewhat enjoyable to read. But it sometimes jumped between different plot threads/different "missions" Nick was on. And the main villain was over-the-top.
Nancy – Poor - Maureen Corrigan calling this book’s author a hard boiled poet was of course impressive. Author Reed Coleman has indeed written a tough as nails very detailed police procedural about Nick Ryan, a very hard boiled protagonist. I still like police procedurals, dark TV shows and books but the violence in “Sleepless City” was almost too much even for me. I guess the author felt all those violent details were required to justify an antihero like Nick Ryan. Ryan’s perfect looks, constant unearthly calm and never ending success against enormous odds in the face of constant potential death, never made him completely believable to me. His big ego and repeated immorality sure didn’t make him very likeable either. There were some plot holes too. Even so, after employing my willing suspension of disbelief, I did end up rooting for him and did like it when he threw those medals away. But did every female character in this book need to be gorgeous, need saving and use limited and canned dialogue? I’m so sick of this depiction of women in mysteries-please make it stop.
Joni – DNF – Only made it through two chapters. It was just too violent for her.
Ron – VG+ - Fast-paced, well-written police procedural with a unique twist, fascinating lead character, and distinctive and interesting secondary characters. The book almost makes
vigilantism an attractive option. The weakness of a book like this is that it makes the villains into cartoonish monsters. The four major villains in this book who are either assassinated or get another form of divine retribution have absolutely no humanity or redeeming features. Three of them greatly enjoy hurting other people and the other has absolutely no empathy for any of his victims.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay


THE LAST ONE (Thriller-Caz-mid-Atlantic Ocean-Contemp) – Standalone – Will Dean

When Caz steps onboard the exclusive cruise liner RMS Atlantica, it’s the start of a vacation of a lifetime with her new love, Pete. On their first night they explore the ship, eat, dance, make friends, but when Caz wakes the next morning, Pete is missing. And when she walks out into the corridor, all the cabin doors are open. To her horror, she soon realizes that the ship is completely empty. No passengers, no crew, nobody but her. The Atlantica is steaming into the mid-Atlantic and Caz is the only person on board. But that’s just the beginning of the terrifying journey she finds herself trapped on in this white-knuckled mystery.

Gabriel – Okay - Frustrating to a large degree. The revelation about their situation took over 100 pages to happen. And then ... what keeps happening, their lack of success, is like watching them being kicked when they're down over and over. And the end is a shocking twist for the sake of having a shocking twist. But I'm giving it an OK because the characters were, not great, but good enough to make me care what happened to them. And I was in suspense about how they would cope with their situation, and if they'd be able to improve it.
Helen – Poor – Thinks the author needs psychiatric help. The plausibility was seriously lacking. She couldn’t connect with any of the characters and the last sentence was ridiculous.
Joni – Poor - The pacing was good enough to keep me reading to the end. That is my last positive comment about it. I got through it quickly, mostly because I kept skipping the repetitive parts about how traumatized Caz was by her father’s gambling problem. Take all that out and the book would be 100 pages shorter. The characters were shallow and oddly unlikeable. The premise was idiotic. The writing was awful. WTF was up with the dogs? It was never explained. If I write what I thought about the ending, I would get kicked off Facebook for months. When I finished it, I wanted to throw it across the room, but I have it on Kindle. Since AARRRRGGGHHH isn’t an official EBMRG rating, I’ll give it Poor.
Nancy – Okay - This book was fun and a good antidote to the violence of “Sleepless City”. The final ending on the airplane was a bit of a surprise, although I felt like I should have seen it coming. Caz was a good narrator of her inner voice and psychological experience. The other characters felt more flat and the book itself probably could have done the job in fewer pages. I did enjoy my initial mental picture of the two big red lips on the TV though. Clearly the whole story was bogus from the start, but was still a decent beach read.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay

SCORCHED GRACE: A SISTER HOLIDAY MYSTERY (Thriller/Susp-Sister Holiday-New Orleans, LA-Contemp) – 1st in series – Margot Douaihy
Saint Sebastian’s School becomes the target of a shocking arson spree, and the Sisters of the Sublime Blood are thrust into chaos. Patience is a virtue, but punk rocker turned nun Sister Holiday isn’t satisfied to just wait around for officials to return her home and sanctuary to its former peace, instead deciding to unveil the mysterious attacker herself. To piece together the clues of this high-stakes mystery, she must at last reckon with the sins of her own past.

Charlotte – Okay – Nice idea but so disjointed.
Don – Okay – Real the beginning but it really fell off. The idea was good but it was poorly developed.
Gabriel – Okay - I got up to 10 pages. Nothing wrong with it, I just wasn't enjoying it. Seemed fairly original. I'm not surprised that the author is a poet, because it was kind of poetic--I liked the rhythm of her sentences. Not enough to make me keep reading though.
Helen – Poor – Felt like a first book as it needed serious editing. The characters were flat and not believable. The main character really needed to be in therapy. The dialogue wasn’t great, and there was way too much description, especially with the constant mention of everyone being sweaty, which was more of the focus than the mystery.
Kathleen – Okay - I thought the main character of Sister Holiday was really interesting, but the story never captured me. Sister Holiday's internal musings were random and largely unconnected; she leaped to conclusions of guilt for nearly every character before finally identifying the culprit. It was also not clear why she considered herself a sleuth, and weirdly inserted herself in situations where she clearly didn't belong. The motives for the crimes, especially the setting up of Sister Holiday were muddled and never felt resolved. Positives were her own quirky characteristics and some of the characters who had potential to be interesting, but are as yet undeveloped.
Nancy – Poor - because of all of its implausibility, but ultimately changed my rating to OKAY+ because the book’s descriptive narrative as spoken by Sister Holiday was so much more interesting than was the book’s mystery itself. And while the city of New Orleans and Sister Holiday were clearly the book’s primary characters, her fellow nuns and her young students were its least well written characters. Her ex lover Nina was much better done. I’m not sure if I’ll read another book in this series, but would if her narrative continued to explain how she comes to terms with her part in her mother’s death.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay


THE SNOWDONIA KILLINGS (Thriller-DI Ruth Hunter-Wales-Contemp) – 1st in series – Simon McCleave
Detective Inspector Ruth Hunter lives with the pain of her partner’s mysterious and unsolved disappearance. About to hit fifty, the veteran police officer trades in the crime-ridden streets of London for a more peaceful life in rural North Wales. But Ruth has barely settled into her new position in North Wales Police, when the body of a brutally murdered woman is discovered…with strange symbols carved into her skin. Teaming up with an obstinate deputy, Ruth struggles to eliminate anyone from a long line of suspects. When another slain victim is discovered with the same cryptic markings, she’s forced to re-think the investigation.

Charlotte – Okay – The story made her glad she doesn’t live in Wales. The book seemed disjointed. It was okay, but she wouldn’t read another.
Corona – Poor - Well I don't try to figure out the culprit but I knew this one early in the book anyway. - The story seemed to be written from a template: Wounded, successful detective, moves to a low-key place, Mysteriously lost loved one, Soul-wounded, flawed detective. (Two in this story.), Surprise multiple murders in low-key place. Surprise/heartbreak culprit that isn't a surprise at all. Am I jaded?
Don – Okay – Kind of enjoyed the story but the concept of alcoholism is a significant element to the location. Liked that the dealt with it. Liked the Plot.
Joni – VG_ - It was a ripping-good read. Although it was over-written, and a bit absurd, she loved every page.
Kathleen – DNF - My remaining life is too short to read a book with such bad writing. I was already impatient with the tone and cliches in the descriptions of Snowdonia, and when I got to the characters he lost me. So, so banal and sexist. I made it through Chapter 1 and gave up. I realize I may be in the minority here because there are many books in this series (I can only hope they have better editors) and there are many 4 star reviews on Goodreads, so obviously some readers had a different and more positive experience.
Ron – Okay - Decently written and an unusual setting, but the protagonists are not compelling characters. Too much emphasis on Nick’s drinking ups and downs, a ridiculous cliffhanger at the end regarding Ruth’s missing lover, too many instances of certainty that they have solved the killings, and several plot holes/inconsistencies.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay


EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE (Thriller- Ernest Cunningham-Australia-Contemp) – 1st in series – Benjamin Stevenson
Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate. I’m Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I’d killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it’s a little more complicated than that. Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.

Charlotte – DNF – Read the sample, but found the style irritating.
Corona – DNF – The style irritated her.
Gabriel – Good – Between Okay and Good, so I'm rounding up. Creative, clever, but the cleverness and innovation only worked up to a point. The characterization was just okay. The plotting was competent (unlike a lot of mysteries) --everything was explained. Good enough that I may read the sequel. I was annoyed that we know about one killer relative at the beginning, and then it takes around 100 pages to find out about any of the others, when, because of the title, the killer relatives are the main attraction.
Joni – VG+ - Adored it even though it was over-written and absurd. She loved every page.
Helen – VG – Really liked it and even read the sequel. It does have an unreliable narrator, lots of twists, but she appreciated it.
Ron – VG – Quirky with good dialogue and interesting characters, but with some plot loopholes. The use of the microdots didn’t make sense and the leap at the end was hard top believe.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

IMMORAL (PolProc-Lt. Jonathan Stride-Daluth, MN-Contemp) – 1st in series – Brian Freeman
For the second time in a year, a beautiful teenage girl has disappeared off the streets of Duluth, Minnesota—gone without a trace, like a bitter gust off Lake Superior. The two victims couldn’t be more different. First it was Kerry McGrath, bubbly, sweet sixteen. And now Rachel Deese, strange, sexually charged, a wild child. The media hounds Lt. Jonathan Stride to catch a serial killer, and as the search carries him from the icy stillness of the northern woods to the erotic heat of Las Vegas, he must decide which facts are real and which are illusions.

Don – VG – Liked a number of the twists. Was captivated by the author’s voice, the teenaged jailbait worked as did it being a story with a different, flawed character.
Gabriel – DNS - It wasn't terrible, but I didn't get far. It was unoriginal, formulaic,
with nothing to interest me.
Joni – Good - I finished Immoral at 5:17am after staying up most the night reading it. It was one of the most engaging books I’ve read for awhile. Lots of twists, unexpected connections, and flawed people. My only quibbles were the dog being killed (I skipped over several pages because of that) and letting his soon to be ex wife get by with killing Rachel. I would have given it a Very Good, but the dog thing knocked it down to Good. I might read more of him.
Marcy - Very Good - Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is suffering from an ugly case of déjà vu. For the second time in a year, a beautiful teenage girl has disappeared off the streets of Duluth, Minnesota—gone without a trace, like a bitter gust off Lake Superior. The two victims couldn’t be more different. First it was Kerry McGrath, bubbly, sweet sixteen. And now Rachel Deese, strange, sexually charged, a wild child. (Goodreads Intro). This book really kept me reading. The author did a great job at creating a very unsympathetic character in Rachel. Stride's rebound marriage to Andrea was disappointing. Overall, good read and I would be open to reading another.
Nancy – Poor - I found the characters of Maggie and Stride to be fairly strong and particularly enjoyed their humorous back and forth dialogue that came from being long time professional partners. I actually wondered if Stride’s girlfriend Andrea might appear as a surprise and shocking witness for the prosecution, having continually pumped Stride for case information about Rachel. Though that plot twist didn’t come to pass, the book’s real ending involving Andrea, Robin and Rachel felt too drawn out to me, exacerbated by Stride’s overly moralistic diatribe about ghosts and the responsibility he felt for Rachel’s death. And on a final note, the detailed sex scenes between he and Serena were a bit much. While a few well written scenes of intimacy can certainly add to a story, the detailed scenes in ‘Immoral’ sometimes just felt like salacious substitutes for good writing.

Group’s Average Rating: Good


SMALL MERCIES (Thriller-Mary Pat Fennessy-Boston, MA (Southie)-1974) – Standalone – Dennis Lehane
Mary Pat Fennessy is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of “Southie,” the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart. One night Mary Pat’s teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn’t come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances. The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched—asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don’t take kindly to any threat to their business.

Don – Ex – Because he grew up during that time, he appreciated that Lehane explores who these people were and their lives. He created a really good story with so many excellent elements. The character of Mary Pat was particularly excellent.
Helen – VG+ - Very well written, very believable. Found it hard and frustrating to read, but that’s what made it so believable.
Nancy – Ex - Dennis Lehane is an impressive writer and storyteller. His writing in “Little Mercies” is very clear and his detailed writing style is interesting, clear and amazingly almost always accurate. He is also a master of creating nuanced and interesting characters and Mary Pat is just one example. I moved to Boston at the beginning of busing, stayed for about 25 years and knew women like her. I didn’t live in Southie, but lived and worked in a similar working class city not so far away, in a project like Mary Pat’s ‘Colony’. But the bottom line for me in reading “Little Mercies” was that Lehane wrote about an important time in Boston’s history and did it in a real and straightforward way. The psychology of the period was intense and fascinating. Lehane, who grew up in Dorchester, managed to write that history in a fairly nonjudgmental manner while also painting a realistic picture of what Boston was like back then. For better or worse, reading this book really made me feel like I was going home again.
Ron – Ex - Powerful and beautifully told story with an amazing lead character and well-drawn secondary characters. It stands out for its feel of place and time.

Group’s Average Rating: Ex


NO REST FOR THE DEAD (Mys-Jon Nunn-San Francisco, CA-Contemp) – Standalone – 25 writers/one mystery
When Christopher Thomas, a ruthless curator at San Francisco’s McFall Art Museum, is murdered and his decaying body is found in an iron maiden in a Berlin museum, his wife, Rosemary, is the primary suspect, and she is tried, convicted, and executed. Ten years later, Jon Nunn, the detective who cracked the case, is convinced that the wrong person was put to death. In the years since the case was closed, he’s discovered a web of deceit and betrayal surrounding the Thomases that could implicate any number of people in the crime. With the help of the dead woman’s friend, he plans to gather everyone who was there the night Christopher died and finally uncover the truth, suspect by suspect. Solving this case may be Nunn’s last chance for redemption…but the shadowy forces behind Christopher’s death will stop at nothing to silence the past forever. In this innovative storytelling approach, each of these twenty-five bestselling writers brings their distinctive voice to a chapter of the narrative, building the tension to a shocking, explosive finale.

Don – Okay – Prefers short stories as a compilation. Not everything working here.
Gabriel – Okay - It's the fourth mystery I've read by multiple authors. The others were all made up one author at a time, sometimes each author playing get-out-of-this-one with the next one. This book was carefully planned and organized by the editor-writers, which made it seem like an almost seamless novel. I might not have guessed it wasn't by one author. But it was mediocre and formulaic. I might not have finished it except for the novelty of being by 24 authors.
Ginny – Okay – A bold venture that held her interest to a degree but it did reach a point where she was getting confused. Love that it was done for charity.
Joni – Okay – Remarkable that 24 authors could come together, but there were way too many plot holes and the death scene seemed gratuitous.
Marcy - VG - ** spoiler alert ** When Christopher Thomas, a curator at San Francisco's Museum of Fine Arts, is murdered and his decaying body is found in an iron maiden in Berlin, his wife Rosemary Thomas is the prime suspect. Long suffering under Christopher's unfaithful ways, Rosemary is tried, convicted and executed. (Goodreads Intro). When I first read in the intro to the book that it would be written alternately by 26 different and well-known writers, I couldn't imagine that it would be a smooth read, but it was impressive how the chapter glided from one chapter to another pretty seamlessly. It was an enjoyable read. My one "give me a break" moment was when they had Christopher still living in the Bay Area 10 years later -- I don't think so. Otherwise, fun to read.
Nancy – Good – I enjoyed this book, even learning about how capital punishment gets carried out and all the inhumane problems that happen. I really enjoyed reading chapters written by authors who were new to me. The story began well, interesting throughout, but I did have to work a bit to keep each voice straight. Most of the characters, although not each one, were well developed, The ending was interesting but a bit over melodramatic and rushed in the end.
Ron – Okay—Interesting concept with so many authors and well-written, but ultimately it doesn’t work, with too many plot holes and unbelievable scenes. Part of the problem is that with so many authors there is almost a complete lack of character development. I did feel the first part was pretty good, but the second half was bad. I also guessed the plot twist early on.

Group’s Average Rating: Good

THE LAST DEVIL TO DIE (Mys-The Thursday Murder Club-Kent, England-Contemp) – 4th in series – Richard Osman

It's rarely a quiet day for the Thursday Murder Club. Shocking news reaches them—an old friend has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. The gang's search leads them into the antiques business, where the tricks of the trade are as old as the objects themselves. As they encounter drug dealers, art forgers, and online fraudsters—as well as heartache close to home—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim have no idea whom to trust. With the body count rising, the clock ticking down, and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out?

Gabriel - G+ - Protagonists as engaging as ever. The mystery was fairly interesting.
The scene with Connie and her husband was poignant. I liked the
scammer's comeuppance.
Helen – G+ - It’s a solid, believable cozy/genre mystery. The subject of Alzheimer’s is really well handled and done with dignity. Liked that there were several mysteries.
Kathleen – Ex – Really liked it. It can be read as a standalone. The characters were very well drawn. She especially loved the delicate way in which Alzheimer’s was handled. There was so much depth to the characters, it really doesn’t qualify as a cozy.
Nancy – VG - “The Last Devil to Die” read like a cozy mystery given depth by its well done depiction and dialogue about death, grief and Alzheimer’s. Elizabeth’s own sometimes violent past, Stephen’s realistically portrayed dissent into illness and Elizabeth and Stephen as a couple, all rang true. And in spite of how silly it was for each of the book’s characters to speak with complete frankness to some very violent individuals, this element did move the plot along and provided some good comedic moments. I was charmed by every character in The Thursday Murder Club because each one was described as a complete individual in addition to their part in solving the book’s multiple mysteries. And finally, except in the interest of plot development, it was refreshing that none of the characters were simply stereotyped as doddering old seniors playing detective.
Ron – Ex — Reading this book is like reuniting with old friends, each one unique and interesting with a bevy of other characters who are also well-drawn. The plot is interesting and this is by far the most poignant entry in the series, with a tender debate of longevity vs. a good death. I love the humor of these books and the interaction of the characters

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: VG


THE LOST VAN GOGH (Thriller-Luke Perrone-Contemp) – Standalone – Jonathan Santlofer

For years, there have been whispers that, before his death, Van Gogh completed a final self-portrait. When Luke Perrone, artist and great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and Alexis Verde, daughter of a notorious art thief, discover what may be the missing portrait, they are drawn into a most epic art puzzles. When only days later the painting disappears again, they are reunited with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith in a dangerous and deadly search that will not only expose secrets of the artist's last days but draws them into one of history's darkest eras. Beneath the paint and canvas, beneath the beauty and the legend, the artwork has become linked with something evil, something that continues to flourish on the dark web and on the shadiest corridors of the underground art world.

Helen – Okay – the author knew his stuff and really told you about it. Too many characters, multiple person voices in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd voice. You didn’t learn the protagonist’s name until page 52.
Joni – VG - Overall, I liked the book. I did find it a bit of a challenge to follow all the characters and who they were actually working for. I was especially interested in all the references to the “Degenerate Art” show that the Nazis had put on. I read about it some years ago and found it amusing that it was so much more popular than they planned. It is tragic that so much of that work was destroyed. I probably would not read more by the same author but I gave the book a Very Good.
Kathleen – Good – A diagram of the characters would have been nice as she found it hard to keep track of them. It was not the best book, but she would have liked the depth of knowledge the author had about the art. She couldn’t identify with the characters, and the book read as though it was a second draft.
Linda – VG - This is a dual period standalone crime novel. The crime is the theft of a painting. I thought it was well written and well researched, but I didn't find it original or unusual in any aspect.
Nancy – VG - I continued to read this book, it really grew on me. The sections about the Nazi’s and the relationship between Perrone and Alexis were especially interesting and well done. I also learned lot about how the art world works. I enjoyed the convoluted plot where everyone was double crossing everyone else, but had put in some work keeping all the interesting characters straight. But it was the well written (and historically documented) sections about the Nazi’s and how they conducted their art robberies and mass murders was what really drew me in.
Ron – Okay - For me, the book started out well but continued to devolve into what I felt was a weak, scattershot, and unbelievable ending. None of the characters held my interest, with the possible exception of Anika.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good


DOG WILL HAVE HIS DAY (Mys-The Three Evangelists-Paris-Contemp) – 2nd in series – Fred Vargas

Keeping watch under the windows of the Paris flat belonging to a politician's nephew, ex-special investigator Louis Kehlweiler catches sight of something odd on the pavement. A tiny piece of bone. Human bone, in fact. When Kehlweiler takes his find to the nearest police station, he faces ridicule. Obsessed by the fragment, he follows the trail to the tiny Breton fishing village of Port-Nicolas—in search of a dog. But when he recruits "evangelists" Marc and Mathias to help, they find themselves facing even bigger game.

Gabriel – DNF – It didn’t hold his interest. Mart was the most interesting character.
LJ – VG+ - The book was mercurial and wise; wonderfully weird and French. It made me stop and think. Vargas work is hard to qualify, but it find it wonderful.
Nancy - G+ - Although it did take the book a good 100 pages to get there, its interesting & convoluted plot as well as its many quirky and entertaining characters drew me in. Also grew to appreciate Louis’s style of thinking and speaking. The plot tied up loose ends enough and was made better without a cloying ending to Louis’ relationship with Pauline as well as by not needing punish all the bad guys into oblivion (even though one of them happened to be an old Nazi). Exposing all guilty parties and leaving some of their fates up to the law and some ultimately up to the town made the ending much more clear and satisfying.
Ron – VG+ - Well written, with unique and interesting characters and a good dose of humor. The author is one of the best I’ve come across in her description of the inner workings of her characters’ minds.

GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good

SKIPPING CHRISTMAS (Novel- Luther and Nora Krank- Caribbean Cruise-Cont) – Standalone – John Grisham

For something completely different… Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That's just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they'll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty; they won't be hosting the annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't even going to have a tree. They won't need one, because come December 25 they're setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences - and isn't half as easy as they'd imagined.

Charlotte – DNF – She didn’t realize it really wasn’t a mystery and kept waiting for a body to appear.
Helen – DNF – She started it, but didn’t finish it as she doesn’t care for slapstick humor.
Joni – Okay - I got halfway through it thinking it seemed very familiar. I am embarrassed to say that despite it sounding like Christmas With The Kranks, I thought it had to be different as I didn’t know Grisham wrote anything like that. Duh!! Anyway, a fast read, some funny scenes, knew how it would end. Not a mystery. But, at least I can say I have finally read Grisham. And never will again. I rate it a Fair as it did have some guffaws in it.
Marcy – Poor – Wow! John Grisham is so hit or miss! Okay, so I thought this book would be about some murder that took place on a cruise they were planning to take. No, it's not a mystery at all. It is all about them skipping all the Christmas rigamarole because their daughter is away in Peru for a year. About 65% of the book is about the grief they get from all the neighbors, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, etc. because they're not celebrating the holiday. Very soon not only does that become very tedious and repetitive, but it's clear that the Kranks live in a neighborhood of friends who really do care about them, so it's annoying the Luther Krank doesn't seem to acknowledge his blessings. Before too long, it occurred to me that their daughter will probably call at the last minute because she's surprising them with an unexpected visit and that's exactly what happens. The rest of the book is about how those awful neighbors all pitch in to give the daughter a wonderful Christmas to remember. But what about those comment's about the fiancé’s skin color, and sigh of relief when he's not too dark!

Group Rating Average: Poor


EVERYBODY KNOWS (Suspense-Mae-Los Angeles,CA-Contemp) – Standalone – Jordan Harper

As a “black-bag” publicist tasked not with letting the good news out but keeping the bad news in, Mae works for one of LA’s most powerful and sought-after crisis PR firms. After her boss is gunned down in front of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Mae takes it upon herself to investigate and runs headfirst into The Beast’s lawless machinations and the twisted systems it exists to perpetuate.

Gabriel – Good - I’m rounding up to good. Thought the cynicism would be crushing, but was just a little. Kept me reading. The repetition in the narration was a little annoying.
Helen – Good – It was interesting. She felt as though she’d read this before because it wasn’t so far fetched. The ending was realistic. The writing was good although there were a lot of inaccuracies.
Joni – Poor – The only thing she liked about the ending is that it ended. The characters were pathetic or loathsome. The only thing she liked was that the dog wasn’t harmed. The conspiracy was so far fetched, even QAnon wouldn’t buy it.
Kathleen – G+ - Liked the pace, and the descriptions of LA were very interesting. The characters were morally ambiguous. The capitalized phrases were annoying. Although the story was interesting, she had mixed feelings about the ending. She did like that not everything was tied up at the end.
Nancy – Good - For me, this book was a combination of old fashioned potboiler & thriller with some mystery thrown in. As a native Angeleno, I knew every location the story traveled to and enjoyed that. But even so, all the driving eventually felt to me no more than a flat travelogue. The story was also slow going for me until 100 pages in. I was most involved in Nevaeh’s whole story. The characters of Mae and Chris were written well enough although the character of Chris was more fleshed out than Mae. The book’s ending was a bit meh for me. I don’t know why Mae alerted Algar before the really bad guys could kill him-maybe just to stick it to them in the end? Also, the end of Mae and Chris’s relationship felt lackadaisical and anticlimactic.
Ron – G+ - Something completely different for a mystery with interesting characters, no real heroes, a bleak vision, and a satisfying ending.

Group Rating Average: Good


THE SECRET WITNESS (PolProc-Sheriff Billie Gray/Solomon Shepard-Utah-Contemp) – 1st in series – Victor Methos

Tooele County sheriff Elizabeth Gray leads the investigation into the double homicide. When the letter leads detectives to yet another body, Gray calls on an old friend for help. Former prosecutor Solomon Shepard is still struggling to recover from the deadly courtroom attack that ended his career—until Gray asks for his help on the Reaper case.

Charlotte – Good – Liked this the best. She enjoyed it. It held her interest and the characters were interesting. It wasn’t as gruesome as some serial killer books.
Gabriel – Okay - Didn’t love the characters, but they were okay at holding my interest. It only glamorized serial killers a little, didn’t make them godlike. Didn’t like what happened to the girl, but I suppose the book had to be gritty. Didn’t like the final twist—over the top.
Joni – VG - I liked the book. The pace was very good. The characters were interesting. I especially liked Solomon and his sense of humour about his agoraphobia. It had a different rhythm than a lot of books in that the killer is caught halfway through and the rest of it is about how the case will be handled in the courts. The connection between the Reapers was not a surprise. I did think the mother was overly naive and would have done something to make sure her son got help earlier in his life. I give it a VG and would read more.
Marcy – Okay – She was skeptical in the beginning, but it wasn’t too gruesome. There didn’t seem to be too much of an investigation, nor was there much sense of place.
Nancy - Good - a fairly quick, interesting and easy to read courtroom procedural with an ending that unfortunately felt a bit flat and predictable. The main character of Solomon was the book’s best written, with enough depth and development to make me actually care about him as a person. Sheriff Billie Grey and Braden the psychopath were each most interesting when interacting with him. But Sheriff Grey’s character unfortunately became less important as the story developed. The minor character of Dr. Fuller, actually had some of the book’s best written and interesting dialogue when testifying about Braden in court at Solomon’s behest.
Ron – Okay – Not an author he’d read again. He hated the ending.

Group Rating Average: Good