FIVE DECEMBERS (HistNoir-Joe McGrady-Pacific Theater-WWII) – 1st book – James Kestrel December 1941. America teeters on the brink of war, and in Honolulu, Hawaii, police detective Joe McGrady is assigned to investigate a homicide that will change his life forever. Because the trail of murder he uncovers will lead him across the Pacific, far from home and the woman he loves; and though the U.S. doesn't know it yet, a Japanese fleet is already steaming toward Pearl Harbor.
Dianne - Okay - Found it too violent and derivative. Don – Okay – There was a lot to like about it, but not the end, which was not believable. Ginny – VG - I liked reading an older style of writing. I really liked the book and found it unpredictable even when it came full circle. At the end it felt drastically different than the beginning, which held my interest. I found some of the twists a bit hard to swallow (particularly the one long stretch in the middle) but I must admit Kestrel made it all worthwhile in the end. Nancy – Good – True Noir Ron - Good - I really enjoyed the setting and the characters. I was captivated throughout, but was disappointed by what I felt was an unbelievable ending over the last several pages.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good
BOOTLEGGERS DAUGHTER (LegalMys-Deborah Knott-North Carolina-Contemp) – 1st in series – Margaret Maron This smart, sassy series introduces Deborah Knott, candidate for district judge--and daughter of an infamous bootlegger. Deborah's campaigning is interrupted when disturbing new evidence surrounding a murder that has never been solved surfaces and she is implored to investigate.
Don – VG – Liked the drama and secrets of the small town setting. Good characters. The writing had an air of simplicity although the ending was implausible, but the story flowed well. Joni – Okay – She did get through it but the ending seemed forced. It read like a Hallmark movie want-to-be. Too much religion. Gabriel – DNF – Didn't care about the characters but liked the part about architecture. Ginny - G+ - The beginning of the book is SLOW as molasses, honey. Nevertheless, I did find the book well- written, the pacing was good, great character development. Maybe too much for me as she described the real feeling of living in the south and the strong sense of community. I especially enjoyed the poison-pen campaign. Linda – VG – Read it a long time ago. Liked the protagonist. LJ – VG - Read in 2016: I loved this book. The characters were so well drawn and the sense of place alive. Nancy – VG – Tobacco and politics. Liked the characters but the ending was a bit silly.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: G+
THE MAID – Nita Prose Molly Gray struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by. Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed.
Diane - VG - It was really clever. Gabriel – VG+ - Captivating, even with the late revelation. Ginny - VG+ - Molly the Maid is wonderful! Meticulous (shades of “Monk”) specializes in perfection giving the very best of herself to the hotel guests in her care. I took to Molly right off rooting for her. Knowing that she relies having watched TV’s “Columbo” Molly which is endearing to me, I liked her unyielding spirit which helped her navigate through lies and deception to get to the truth. I found this book a perfect combination of humor, suspense and an uplifting message. Joni – Poor – As a reader, she felt the ending threw her under the bus and it lost her as a fan. Kathleen – Okay – She felt robbed. She loved the character, but felt she'd seen it done better. Molly's personality seemed inconsistent. The other characters seemed one dimensional and stereotypical. The twist at the end was ridiculous and implausible. Too predictable. The fairy tale ending was annoying. LJ – Okay - The character of Molly was very well done from what I know about those with Asperger’s. There are a lot of very good points made by the author about people and other person‘s vision of them. The ethical and moral part of me has a problem with some of the actions Molly made as they seem inconsistent with her, but the story is very well told. Nancy – Okay – Felt Molly was accurately drawn. It was an easy read. Patrick – VG+ - Really enjoyed it. Loved that it was in the protagonists POV, and that the protagonist was a maid. Liked her perspective, and that it addressed social issues. Would love to see it as a movie. (LJR – I believe a movie is being/has been made). Ron – VG – Really liked it. Molly was quirky and the other characters were well-drawn. Molly had her own moral code. He like the ending even though it read like a fairy-tale ending.
America teeters on the brink of war, and in Honolulu, Hawaii, police detective Joe McGrady is assigned to investigate a homicide that will change his life forever. Because the trail of murder he uncovers will lead him across the Pacific, far from home and the woman he loves; and though the U.S. doesn't know it yet, a Japanese fleet is already steaming toward Pearl Harbor.
Dianne - Okay - Found it too violent and derivative.
Don – Okay – There was a lot to like about it, but not the end, which was not believable.
Ginny – VG - I liked reading an older style of writing. I really liked the book and found it unpredictable even when it came full circle. At the end it felt drastically different than the beginning, which held my interest. I found some of the twists a bit hard to swallow (particularly the one long stretch in the middle) but I must admit Kestrel made it all worthwhile in the end.
Nancy – Good – True Noir
Ron - Good - I really enjoyed the setting and the characters. I was captivated throughout, but was disappointed by what I felt was an unbelievable ending over the last several pages.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good
BOOTLEGGERS DAUGHTER (LegalMys-Deborah Knott-North Carolina-Contemp) – 1st in series – Margaret Maron
This smart, sassy series introduces Deborah Knott, candidate for district judge--and daughter of an infamous bootlegger. Deborah's campaigning is interrupted when disturbing new evidence surrounding a murder that has never been solved surfaces and she is implored to investigate.
Don – VG – Liked the drama and secrets of the small town setting. Good characters. The writing had an air of simplicity although the ending was implausible, but the story flowed well.
Joni – Okay – She did get through it but the ending seemed forced. It read like a Hallmark movie want-to-be. Too much religion.
Gabriel – DNF – Didn't care about the characters but liked the part about architecture.
Ginny - G+ - The beginning of the book is SLOW as molasses, honey. Nevertheless, I did find the book well- written, the pacing was good, great character development. Maybe too much for me as she described the real feeling of living in the south and the strong sense of community. I especially enjoyed the poison-pen campaign.
Linda – VG – Read it a long time ago. Liked the protagonist.
LJ – VG - Read in 2016: I loved this book. The characters were so well drawn and the sense of place alive.
Nancy – VG – Tobacco and politics. Liked the characters but the ending was a bit silly.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: G+
THE MAID – Nita Prose
Molly Gray struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by. Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed.
Diane - VG - It was really clever.
Gabriel – VG+ - Captivating, even with the late revelation.
Ginny - VG+ - Molly the Maid is wonderful! Meticulous (shades of “Monk”) specializes in perfection giving the very best of herself to the hotel guests in her care. I took to Molly right off rooting for her. Knowing that she relies having watched TV’s “Columbo” Molly which is endearing to me, I liked her unyielding spirit which helped her navigate through lies and deception to get to the truth. I found this book a perfect combination of humor, suspense and an uplifting message.
Joni – Poor – As a reader, she felt the ending threw her under the bus and it lost her as a fan.
Kathleen – Okay – She felt robbed. She loved the character, but felt she'd seen it done better. Molly's personality seemed inconsistent. The other characters seemed one dimensional and stereotypical. The twist at the end was ridiculous and implausible. Too predictable. The fairy tale ending was annoying.
LJ – Okay - The character of Molly was very well done from what I know about those with Asperger’s. There are a lot of very good points made by the author about people and other person‘s vision of them. The ethical and moral part of me has a problem with some of the actions Molly made as they seem inconsistent with her, but the story is very well told.
Nancy – Okay – Felt Molly was accurately drawn. It was an easy read.
Patrick – VG+ - Really enjoyed it. Loved that it was in the protagonists POV, and that the protagonist was a maid. Liked her perspective, and that it addressed social issues. Would love to see it as a movie. (LJR – I believe a movie is being/has been made).
Ron – VG – Really liked it. Molly was quirky and the other characters were well-drawn. Molly had her own moral code. He like the ending even though it read like a fairy-tale ending.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: G+