The Elias Network by Simon Gervais; The Summoner Trilogy by Taran Matharu

The Elias Network by Simon Gervais is the first in a new series featuring Caspian Anderson, a translator at the United Nations; except that is only a part of Caspian's portfolio.  He is also an assassin for Homeland Security.  At least, that is what he believes.  

The truth: the Onyx group has been disbanded, and Caspian's handler had no intention of notifying Caspian of the groups demise as she continues to have use for him.

As his current assignment takes place in Switzerland, Caspian begins to discover that the situation isn't exactly what it seems.  He doesn't follow protocol and instead rescues the family of his target.  

The plot is full of action, his girlfriend is also a spy, a female colleague is off her meds (and off her head), and his rival assassin has also been misled about his mission.  

Fast-paced and entertaining even if spy thrillers are not my usual choice.  

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley

Read in April.   349 pages.  Publication date:  Sept. 17, 2024 

In May, I read the following three in the Summoner trilogy back to back and found them fun, full of adventure, and also thoughtful in the sense that there are racial problems between dwarves, men, and elves.  These are YA books that are as entertaining for adults as for the younger crowd.  

The Novice introduces Fletcher, an orphan who has been raised by the local blacksmith.  Seems pretty normal, but you know the thing about orphans in fantasy, they are rarely what they seem.  As it turns out, Fletcher can summon demons, which comes as a stunning surprise to Fletcher, who thought the ability to roll his tongue was his best trick.  

I love all good fantasy and found The Novice so much fun, I went directly to the next book.  

"The appealing characters, fast-paced plot, focus on racial politics, and interesting demon varieties (demonology addendum included) make this an enjoyable read."―School Library Journal

Print length:  366 pages

The Inquisition follows up on Fletcher's adventures after his training as a battlemage and his imprisonment.  Again, orphans turn out to be more than expected, a trope fantasy novels often use. 

The characters and adventures kept me engrossed once again.  I loved the friendships developed in this series as well as the adventure.

Print length:  368 pages

 Battlemage takes Fletcher and his friends forward in their battles to save their world.  As in the previous books, the characters are likable, despicable, loyal, treacherous according to their roles.  Adventure, suspense, action, great characters.  Fantasy lovers should take a look at The Summoner trilogy!

Print length:  385 pages

 

The Instruments of Darkness by John Connolly

From blurb: "In Maine, Colleen Clark stands accused of the worst crime a mother can commit: the abduction and possible murder of her child. Everyone—ambitious politicians in an election season, hardened police, ordinary folk—has an opinion on the case, and most believe she is guilty."

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Colleen's lawyer is Moxie Castin and those familiar with the series know that Moxie is good; any who underestimate him will regret it.  He may not look like much and he certainly fails at healthy eating, but Moxie wins cases and Charlie Parker trusts him.  

The case hinges on a bloody blanket.  No body.  The assumption is that the amount of blood assures that little Henry could not have survived, and when Colleen's husband makes comments about Colleen's "failures" as a mother, public sentiment turns against her.

Although the evidence is circumstantial, there are those who see this as slam dunk case that will elevate their careers.  Moxie turns to Charlie Parker, who is initially reluctant to get involved, but after meeting with Colleen, Parker agrees to work on the case.

All the usual suspects (the Fulci brothers, Louis, Angel, Dave, etc.) appear and lend a hand.  An appealing new character gets involved, Sabine Drew--medium/psychic, who has had successes in the past and one demoralizing failure.  Hope to see more of Sabine.

As usual, Charlie Parker is a winner for me.  Now I have to wait for the next book.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for this ARC.

Publication date:  May 7, 2024

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Poetry Month and Crime 

In Praise of Librarians

 

Winter's Mourn and Winter's Curse by Mary Stone

 Special Agent Winter Black had an intense personal reason for joining the FBI--when she was thirteen, her parents were murdered, her younger brother abducted, and Winter was left for dead.  

When Winter emerged from the coma resulting from the blow to her head, she found herself hyper-aware and more observant than she had been previously.  

from description:  "After human remains are discovered in the woods, someone will go to lethal lengths to keep an old mystery buried. Special Agent Black is pulled into an investigation that hits too close to home. In the town where her parents were murdered, Winter needs to find one killer...while being stalked by the shadow of another."

Although there is another of those pesky prologues, the first chapter grabbed my attention.  From then on my interest never flagged.  Winter has a special talent resulting from her traumatic brain injury that aids in her investigations, but that comes with consequences.  She keeps her ability to herself, much like Magnus "Steps" Craig in the Spencer Kope novels.

The plot was fast-paced and gripping and the characters imperfect and likable.  A dark plot without getting to graphic.  

Suspense.  2019.  Print length:  318 pages

There is a thread being carried through from Winter's Mourn as FBI Agent Winter Black continues her hope of finding and nailing the serial killer who murdered her parents and abducted her younger brother.  Winter's Curse, however, contains another complete case as the FBI becomes involved with a bank robbery that appears to be the first step in a sinister plan that involves more senseless deaths.

from description:  "A blessing? A curse? It’s not easy to possess the gift of knowing too much.

What at first seems like a standalone bank robbery becomes something much darker as a pair of masterminds hack their bloody way onto the list of the most notorious US heists. It’s not a job exclusive to the FBI, but Winter’s office nemesis, Sun Ming, is convinced that she holds the key to taking down the murderous criminals hungry for fame."

 Blessing or curse, Winter's gift is useful to a successful outcome.

The secondary characters continue to develop and other characters are also weaving themselves into the storyline.  

Like the first book, you have to be able to suspend disbelief.  A lot of people die and one of the villains is a not truly believable evil psychopath.  Nevertheless, this was another suspenseful and absorbing plot, and I can't wait to read the next book!

Suspense.  2020.  Print length:  290 pages.

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I've been making Halloween mail, embroidering, and trying to finish some garden cleanup.  Reading is still an everyday occurrence, and I'm glad I found a new series that reads quickly and keeps my attention.  

Enjoy you are enjoying Halloween Season!

A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong's sixth book in the Rockton series foreshadows changes that may take place.  Do the council want to close Rockton for good?  Is that the reason for fewer people being accepted into the community?

An injured woman stumble into a gathering of teenagers by a lake.  Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton happen to be there at the time and quickly realize this could be an attack by hostiles.  The woman doesn't speak English and is in bad shape.  Casey and Eric have a bad feeling about possible outcomes of this attack, and when they arrive at the tourists' campsite, they discover the remains of at least two men, although it is difficult to tell because of animal predation.

Casey has been pondering the reluctance of the council to admit to the problem of the hostiles, and as things go from bad to worse, Casey becomes more certain that the council is responsible for the hostiles, not simply for wanting to avoid doing anything about them.

I've liked every book in the Rockton series so far, even if this is not my favorite.  My curiosity about what comes next is intense.   

Armstrong's paranormal Darkest Power Trilogy  and The Rising Dark Trilogy would be good for the RIP challenge.  I actually liked them better than the Cainsville books.

Read in September.  I will mention this again closer to the date of publication.  

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Mystery/Suspense.  Feb. 2, 2021.  Print length:  368 pages. 

Life Sentence by Judith Cutler and Cold as Ice by Allison Brennan

Another series by Judith Cutler--this one features Fran Harmon, a Chief Superintendent, respected, overwhelmed, and months from retirement.

Fran's elderly parents demand her presence every weekend and in addition to the long drive, she is expected to cook, clean, take care of the garden, and answer each request from crotchety parents who belittle her and depend on her.

At work, after driving back after a long, debilitating weekend, she is trying to cover her job and that of someone else as well.  Exhausted and barely able to keep things together, Fran is struggling.

Mark Turner, colleague and friend, gets Fran a two-year-old case that will allow her some relief from trying to do too much.  Mark has long been a friend, and it is clear that they care for each other...and that the caring could develop into something deeper.

The case Fran is working concerns a woman brutally attacked and left for dead.  She remains in a vegetative state which has been pronounced permanent.  Will Fran be able to determine who assaulted the woman?  

I liked the plot and Fran's developing relationship with Mark Turner.  As their friendship deepens into something more, each is able to offer support to the other, even as they are unsure about whether the other feels the same way.  

While I liked the Kate Powers books, I like these characters better.  Thanks, Cathy, for comment that gave me the heads up on this series. :)  Oh, and for New Tricks, which I am enjoying.

Read in August.

Kindle Unlimited
Police Procedural.  2006.  Print length:  396 pages.  

I've read a couple of books by Allison Brennan, and each one has been fast-paced and suspenseful.  On the minus side, the books are full of characters from previous books in the Lucy Kincaid series.   Nevertheless, the books can be read as stand-alones.   

from description:  Two years ago, FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid put psychopath Elise Hansen Hunt in juvenile detention for her role in an organized crime syndicate. Now eighteen, Elise has been released with a clean slate, and plans to take her revenge by making Lucy’s life hell. The plot begins with Lucy’s husband Sean Rogan, who has been arrested for a murder he most certainly did not commit.

Cold as Ice is certainly as suspenseful as the other books I've read.   

Strange how worried I can be for characters--when I know that in the end, things will work out.  Nevertheless, I worried about Sean, feared Elise, and cheered all efforts to make sure the characters I cared about turned out OK.  :)  Brennan knows how to ratchet up the tension and keep her readers on edge.  

Read in August; blog review scheduled for September 10.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Suspense/Thriller.  Oct. 27, 2020.  Print length:  480 pages.

The Dirty South by John Connolly

I've been reading Connolly's Charlie Parker series for years and was a little surprised to see this latest entry is a (sort of) prequel to the series.

After the vicious murder of his wife and daughter, Charlie Parker is pursuing the killer.  He ends up in Arkansas where young black girls have been brutally murdered, wondering if the same killer was at work.  Even after deciding the murders were not by the same man who killed his wife and daughter, Charlie decides to help when the Police Chief asks.  

This is a more straight forward murder investigation without some of the supernatural elements in most of the novels, but the book is every bit as engrossing as Charlie reveals the depth of corruption of a powerful family.

Connolly's writing is always haunting and suspenseful, and I enjoyed this glimpse into the way Charlie Parker moves from the hunt for the man who killed his family to using his skills as a former NYPD detective to solve other murders.

Recently, I found this:  

Should you read John Connolly’s Charlie Parker novels?  For me, the answer is an unqualified “yes”.  They are intriguing, entertaining and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny.  A complete list is here.  My only tip would be that although the first book, Every Dead Thing, was a big hit, I found it hard to get into, with an immense amount going on and multiple plot lines.  The second book, Dark Hollow, worked better for me; and the third, The Killing Kind, kept me up late to find out what happened next.  So if you are a Charlie Parker novice, you may want to consider not starting with the first book in the series.  Indeed, if you read Every Dead Thing later, once you’ve become familiar with the protagonist, it will give you the dubious pleasure of learning exactly what ghastly fate befell Parker’s wife and child in the opening chapters of the series. (Source)

The prologue of the first novel almost made me put the book down.  I think the idea of beginning with any of the other novels in the series would be better.  The evil in the Charlie Parker novels is papable, and it is the supernatural that makes them bearable, giving the reader and out, the evil isn't real.  (The Dirty South is a departure in the lack of the supernatural.) 

In 2014, I read The Wolf in Winter, for the R.I.P. Challenge and then went back and picked up all that I'd missed.  Now, I'm always on the lookout for more.  

If you are planning on Carl's R.I.P. Challenge this year, try Dark Hollow or any of the later novels in the series, but buckle your seat belt--good vs evil is a frightening experience.  


Read in June.  Blog review scheduled for Sept. 10.

NetGalley/Atria Books
Police Procedural/Thriller.  Oct. 20, 2020.  print length: 448 pages.

One by One by Ruth Ware and The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves

One by One by Ruth Ware follows a house party/country house mystery trope.  The location, however, is not a British village, but a chalet in the French Alps.  The title and plot are reminiscent of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.  

from description:  Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

The two caretaker/hosts Erin and Danny meet the members of a tech company who have gathered for a week of skiing and some important business decisions.

From the beginning, an awkwardness and differing opinions are evident among the guests.  Then Eva, one of the group, goes missing on a closed slope  and an avalanche isolates the group in the chalet.   Well, you know from the title what happens next.   

Told from two points of view, the book moves from the quarrels and divisions among the tech group to suspicion, distrust, and fear.

I didn't care for Turn of the Key, Ware's last book, but I enjoyed this one.

Read in May.  Blog review scheduled for Aug. 21, 2020.

NetGalley/Gallery Books
Suspense/Mystery.  Sept. 8, 2020.  Print length:  384 pages

Ann Cleeves always gets my attention and keeps it.  Her skillful plotting and her vivid depictions of Vera in action are something I look forward to.

Blizzard-like conditions contrive to make Vera Stanhope miss the right turn-off on her way home.  As she drives through the snow, she spots a car off the road.  When she stops to check, she finds the driver side door open and a toddler in the back seat.  With no sign of the driver, Vera takes the toddler her with to the closet house, which happens to be that of estranged relatives.  The wealthier and more sophisticated Stanhopes have a dinner party in progress, and despite her reluctance, Vera has no choice but to interrupt it.

Sitting in the kitchen, checking with the police, Vera is  shocked when the little boy's mother is found dead by a neighboring farmer who arrived on a tractor to pick up his daughters who were acting as waitresses for the Stanhope dinner.

The Darkest Evening kept me engrossed throughout, and I sped right through it, a little annoyed with my husband's interruptions in the afternoon.  :)  

Two slight changes from previous books  made me like it even more.  Of course, Vera is a bit unkempt and she is brusque with her colleagues, but she is a sharp and observant detective.  It is particularly interesting to see the way Vera sees Joe and Holly--her team, and the way they view her.

The Darkest Evening is the 9th in the series, but can function as a stand-alone.   Ann Cleeves has another winner in this one.  I recently saw this quote about Vera and found it apt:   

"... one of the most appealing fictional detectives to emerge since Andy Dalziel got into his stride..."
Martin Edwards, Spinetingler Magazine

Read in May.  Blog review scheduled for August 21, 2020.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Police Procedural/Mystery.  Sept. 8. 2020.  Print length:  384 pages.

The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea

After reading Melody's review, I found The Suicide House available on NetGalley.

Always susceptible to boarding school settings and secret fraternities, I couldn't resist giving this one a try.  I'd also read a couple of Charlie Donlea books that I'd enjoyed, and I was prepared for suspense.

Multiple characters and several timelines kept things up in the air for a while.  I was uncertain about what was actually going on and a bit concerned about whether or not I was going to like the book.

It wasn't until Rory Moore was introduced and the details nudged a familiarity that I felt more comfortable.  Which is weird, because Rory is an uncomfortable character.    I read Some Choose Darkness last year, and because I like autistic, obsessive compulsive characters with social anxiety, I even mentioned that I'd like a series with Rory.

I'm glad Donlea decided to use Rory and her partner Lane Phillips again, but I did think the book was overly complicated with the multiple characters and timelines.  Rory's role was more curtailed than I would have liked.  In a way, there is no main character because the shifting pov's are so frequent.  

So...a creepy book about murders and suicides in an isolated elite prep school with several elements I liked (Man in the Mirror initiation into secret club), but a congested plot.  Also a serious flaw in credibility that I can't mention because it gives away the killer.  

Donlea keeps the reader from settling on a suspect, or rather, keeps the reader switching from one possible suspect to another until close to the end.  So many characters, so many possibilities.  What the book fails to do is make the most of Rory Moore and Lane Phillips.

If you have a chance, try Some Choose Darkness.  

NetGalley/Kensington Books
Mystery/Suspense.  July 28, 2020.  Print length:  368 pages.

We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin

First sentence: "It takes about eight to ten hours to hand-dig a grave, more if you was doing it in the dark."  The novel begins with an epigraph, an excerpt from a crime documentary--the speaker is a cemetery gravedigger.  

The sentence grabs the attention and hints of theme without giving anything away.  Aside from graves, buried things becomes an essential part of the We Are All the Same in the Dark.  

Julia Heaberlin is skilled at keeping the reader in the dark...in the best possible way.  If you've read any of her previous books, you know that you will have plenty of clues and still find it difficult to predict what will happen.  Layer after layer is uncovered--personalities, memories, secrets, lies.  Expectations must be adjusted with additional information.  Seriously adjusted.  

The novel is dominated by three strong female characters, one of which has been missing for ten years and is presumed dead.  Ten years later, Wyatt, whose sister Trumanell disappeared a decade previously, discovers a young girl in a pasture by the side of the road.  He debates about what to do, she is surrounded by dandelions which has an association for Wyatt that both intrigues and frightens him.  

He takes the girl home, feeling almost as if he has been cursed.  When small town cop Odette arrives, she questions the girl who refuses to speak.  Odette's voice takes over the novel, but five years later the girl's voice will be added for the last portion of the novel.  

Odette was sixteen when she lost her leg in a car accident on the same night Trumanell disappeared, and she refuses to give up her quest to find out what happened.  In the meantime, she feels a strong connection to the girl Angel/Angie.  Odette knows the girl is running from something bad, and as an amputee, Odette feels connected to the girl who has only one eye.  She has a feeling that their meeting was somehow destined.

   

from description:  The discovery of a girl abandoned by the side of the road threatens to unearth the long-buried secrets of a Texas town's legendary cold case in this superb, atmospheric novel from the internationally bestselling author of Black-Eyed Susans.

Julia Heaberlin  knows how to pull the reader in.  Her characters are complex, her sentences and paragraphs flow easily, she uses structure to separate elements of the story until she is ready to bring them together.   

Her relationship with Texas is evident in each of her books, and she writes beautifully. Her settings, her complex characters, her suspenseful plots, and her ability to reveal just enough and not too much make her books exceptional.

(Dandelion heads have 150-200 seeds, and a single plant, up to 15,000 seeds to be carried by the wind.  The plant is a survivor.  It is also associated with wishes, hopes, dreams that fly into the wind seeking a receptive soil. )

NetGalley/Random House/Ballentine

Mystery/Thriller.  Aug. 11, 2020. Print length:  352 pages.

Blood on the Tracks by Barbara Nickless

Blood on the Tracks is the first book in the Sydney Rose Parnell series.  I actually started with the 4th book (Gone to Darkness--which will be published in August), but since I like the characters--and loved Clyde, Sydney's K-9 partner--I wanted more.  So...I found the first book in the series.

One of the most interesting aspects of the series is Sydney's experience as an Iraq war veteran and Marine, and both Sydney and Clyde have some unresolved issues from the war. 

Blood on the Tracks gives a great deal of background that I didn't have when I read Gone to Darkness.  It read fine as a stand alone,  but learning more about the background was intriguing.  The chapter epigraphs are particularly thought-provoking. 

Who is Sydney Rose Parnell?  She is a Marine war veteran who still struggles with PTSD and currently, a railroad police special agent.

Who is Clyde?  Clyde is also a Marine veteran, a Belgian Malinois, and Sydney's best friend and companion.  The background information explains their connection through Doug Ayer's, Clyde's handler in Iraq.

Plot?  A young woman is brutally murdered and the suspect is the Burned Man, an Iraq war veteran with gruesome facial scars.  This creates a personal dilemma for Sydney in two separate ways--she has a connection to Elise through Nik, who has been a father figure for both Sydney and Elise and through the Burned Man, whom she recognizes from an event in Iraq.

There are two parallel plot lines, one of which peters out when when evidence points in a specific direction.  The other plot line, however, I suspect will be amplified in another book.

Some misdirection and a twist that was not exactly what I expected.  The characters are well drawn and complex; the weight of grief, death, and war is evident in Sydney's responses and in the epigraphs to each chapter; the research into the effects of war gave a sense of realism and depth.  

I found myself unable to put this down as I cheered on Sydney and Clyde, enjoyed reading about the trains and hobo population, watched Sydney deal with her mixed emotions about the Burned Man--her belief in his innocence and her fears of the event in the past becoming public knowledge.  

Kindle Unlimited.  I've already gotten the next book and started it!

Police Procedural/Suspense.  2016.  Print length:  386 pages.

Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman and Safe House by Jo Jakeman

I had looked forward to this one, and at first, I thought I might like it.  

That didn't turn out to be the case.  The behavior of the main character was off-the-wall questionable from the first chapter and became more questionable with each succeeding chapter.  

More filler than thriller.  And then there was the conclusion.  

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer
Feb. 1, 2020.  Print length:  314 pages.  

I really liked Jo Jakeman's previous book (under two titles at the time I read it--Exes' Revenge and Sticks and Stones), and I was excited about Jakeman's Safe House.

from description:  The morning after a terrible storm, a woman turns up in a remote Cornish village. She calls herself Charlie, but it's a name she's only had for a few days. She keeps herself to herself, reluctant to integrate with the locals. Because Charlie has a secret.

Before her ten months in prison for supplying a false alibi for her boyfriend, Charlie was Steffie Finn.  Now with a new name and hopefully a safe place to live without the burden of anyone knowing her past, Charlie is trying to come to terms with who she really is and fit into her new name and new life in a small village.  While in prison, Steffi received twisted hate mail, blaming her for the deaths of the two women her boyfriend killed. It is difficult for her to feel safe physically and she fears exposure that would incite more threats.

Part of the suspense is not knowing who it is that has made such an effort to find her.  Part of the suspense is waiting to see what the twist will be. Jakeman keeps the reader uneasy.

I liked  speculating about this and that possibility.  Until the author wants the reader to know, the guessing game is intact.  Written in past and present and in various perspectives, Safe House was a satisfying psychological thriller, although the conclusion felt rushed.  

NetGalley/Berkely Publ.
Psychological Suspense.  March 10, 2020.  Print length:  336 pages.

All the Best Lies by Joanna Schaffhausen, an Ellery Hathaway/Reed Markham Novel

Suspended police officer Ellery Hathaway and FBI Agent Reed Markham are back in Joanna Schaffhausen's latest novel.  

Reed asks Ellery's help in investigating a cold case, one that is intensely personal. Reed  knew he was adopted as an infant, and when he was eighteen, his father told him the circumstances of his birth mother's murder and Reed's subsequent adoption by the Markham's.  

In No Mercy, the previous book, a gift for DNA testing revealed secrets that made Reed question everything he thought he knew.  His foundation begins to crumble.

Reed and Ellery head to Las Vegas to delve into the unsolved murder of Reed's mother, Camilla.  A forty-year-old cold case presents multiple difficulties, and Reed is both determined and fearful of the outcome, which may destroy the family that raised him.

Schaffhausen does a good job of keeping the possibilities open, so there are several good options to keep the reader guessing.  Reed and Ellery have complicated pasts to resolve, but the two combine their strengths to support each other.

This series has gotten better with each new addition.  I'm really curious about where the next book will lead.

(I don't like either of these covers, but at least the second one has some connection to the story.)

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Suspense.  Feb. 11, 2020.  Print length:  336 pages.

Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz

The latest in the Orphan X series!  I've reviewed previous entries here.   I've thoroughly enjoyed The Nowhere Man who gives his help to those who need it.

From Description:
Taken from a group home at age twelve, Evan Smoak was trained as an off-the-books government assassin: Orphan X. After breaking with the Program, he reinvented himself as The Nowhere Man, a figure shrouded in shadows who helps the truly desperate. But the government didn’t let go of him easily, sending their best to hunt him down and eliminate him. All of them failed. With his deadliest enemies behind him, Evan is facing a new challenge—what is he going to do now that no one is after him?

Poor Evan, his training did little to help him adjust to an ordinary life, but it has given him the skills to help others against overwhelming odds.  When he accepts the call to the Nowhere Man from Max Merriweather, he intends for it to be his last mission.  

But...each time he thinks he has completed his assignment, he discovers there is another angle, a higher-up that must be taken care of before Max is safe.  While the books are not realistic, the reader roots for Evan Smoak as he dedicates himself to saving others, one innocent at a time, and Coleridge's term "suspension of disbelief" is eagerly accepted.  

I have no idea where Hurwitz will take Evan next, but please don't leave the Nowhere Man behind.

Read in September; blog review scheduled for Jan. 

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books
Thriller.  Jan. 28, 2018.  Print length:  400 pages.

Nameless Series by Dean Koontz and When I Was You and The Stillwater Girls by Minka Kent

In a series of six short stories or novellas, Dean Koontz presents different episodes in the life of a man who doesn't know his own name, can't remember his life prior to two years ago, and suspects that his amnesia has been induced at his request.

His mission is to take down targeted evil doers.  He doesn't know who assigns the targets, but with each case, he is provided with a fake name, appropriate identification, a thorough background of the individual...and anything else he might need.  The operation is well-organized and well-funded, but the man knows little more than his own role.

Each short story/novella takes an hour or so to read and is like an episode in a book with each case resolved before another assignment appears.  

In an unusual move, the "Nameless" series is only released in electronic and audio formats, and you can download them free if you are an Amazon Prime member.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz comes Memories of Tomorrow, part of Nameless, a riveting collection of short stories about a vigilante nomad, stripped of his memories and commissioned to kill. Follow him in each story, which can be read or listened to in a single sitting.

I went through the series in late December and enjoyed them.  Dean Koontz knows how to capture and hold your attention. 

When I Was You by Minka Kent.  Brienne Dougray was brutally attacked and barely survived.  Now she suffers from terrible headaches and memory loss and a near constant fear that her attacker will return.

When an attractive doctor becomes a tenant in her home, Brienne feels more secure, but her fear of her unknown attacker keeps her largely housebound and depressed.  Her old active and more social life has disappeared.

Then she discovers that someone has stolen her identity and is imitating her life in alarming detail.  Brienne is forced to leave her house to find out more about this woman.  What she discovers is more complicated and disturbing than what she originally assumed.

Interesting, but not exceptional, I liked it enough to get another of Kent's novels.


Thomas & Mercer.
Psychological Suspense.  Feb. 1, 2020.  Print length:  282 pages.

The Stillwater Girls is another standalone by Minka Kent.  Two young women are living alone in an isolated cabin in the woods.  Their mother left months earlier to try to get medical help for their younger sister, but never returned.  Food is running low, winter is coming, and they don't know how they will survive.

When a strange man shows up at the cabin, he tells them he plans to take them to town.  Having been raised to fear any outsider and told never to leave the forest, the young women are terrified and eventually escape after drugging the man.  

Not very believable, but entertaining.  There are actually two parallel stories being told that coincide, but the plot seems too contrived.  

Thomas & Mercer.
Mystery.  2019.  Print length:  256 pages.

Both books kept my attention and had some interesting characters and plots, but felt a little too convenient.  I liked, but didn't love them.

Last Reviews of the Year

We celebrate Christmas at the camp.  The kids came on Tuesday, Christmas Eve.  Erin and her crew left on Friday.  Amelia and her crew were back on Saturday.  It was a long and merry week, and after the final clean-up detail some good memories remain.  And a few extra pounds.

Guess who the Boomers are!
And I don't consider it a criticism, Mila.  :)

There is no WiFi at the camp and spotty cell reception, and I get home to find more iffy computer problems.  I'm still a little tired from the post-Christmas stuff (cleaning, clearing, etc.), but that is part of the process.  High energy, too much good food, fun and games with the kids--followed by the slow settling back into a normal routine.  The whole celebration takes about five days before everyone heads home, and I'm slowly becoming ready for the final chore here at our house--packing up the Christmas decorations.  

2019 Books read and scheduled (or not even reviewed yet):

Westering Women by Sandra Dallas
The Janes by Louisa Luna
Into the Fire by Greg Hurwitz
Things in Jars by Jess Kidd
The Museum of Desire by Jonathan Kellerman
The Perfect Kill by Helen Fields
Sword of Shadows by Jeri Westerson
The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan
 Who Speaks for the Damned  by C.S. Harris
The New Husband by D. J. Palmer
 The Chess Queen Enigma by Colleen Gleason

I wasn't especially taken with the first book in the Stillhouse Lake series and didn't follow up with the next two books.  However, after reading Bitter Falls, I kind of regret that... because I did enjoy this one.

Gwen Proctor attempts to lead a normal-as-possible life despite her horrific background as the wife of a serial killer-- stalked by those who hated her husband and by those who admired him.  Her kids, Lanny and Connor, are her priority, but she knows she can't fully protect them from even the every day problems of life, much less from the bullies and trolls concerning her husband.  

Although Gwen, her partner Sam, and the kids have found some security in Stillhouse Lake, things have changed and  are at best uncomfortable and at worst dangerous.  

When Gwen gets a new missing persons cold case--that of a young man missing for three years--she focuses on it, turning up new and disturbing information that will result in a terrifying situation for Gwen, her partner Sam, and the kids.

Characters from previous novels play their roles in this one.  Some characters I recognized from the first book, others were new to me.  It didn't matter that I skipped books 2 and 3 in the series; Bitter Falls didn't cause any confusion.  Rachel Caine's skillful recap fills in all you need to know to enjoy the plot.

I may go back and pick up the books I missed--or not--but I will be looking for the next one.

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer
Mystery/Thriller.  Jan. 21, 2020.  Print length: 336 pages.


Journaled to Death by Heather Redmond is entertaining enough for a couple of hours.  

from description:  
Journaling vlogger Mandy Meadows strives to preserve her hyper-organised life while searching for her cousin's killer in this twisty mystery: first in a brand-new series.

A light cozy mystery.

Read in October.  Review scheduled for  

NetGalley/Severn House
Cozy Mystery.  Feb. 4, 2020.  Print length:  224 pages.

The Crossing is the first in a new series featuring Detective Louise Blackwell by Matt Brolly.   The Crossing begins with the brutal murder of a pensioner, an older, retired woman with no known enemies.  Among other injuries are two puncture wounds in her wrists.  Then an elderly Catholic priest is also found murdered in a grisly manner.  Are the murders random or selected for a personal reason?

Shocked at the murder of two elderly and seemingly good people, Louise struggles to find the connection.  Louise is also being harassed by a former partner who seems determined to see her fail.  (I despised him!)

Since it is the first in a new series, some of the characters are being introduced and will probably be developed further in successive books.

 NetGalley/Amazon Publishing
British Detectives.  Feb. 15, 2020.   

 And one of my favorites of the year:


Erik Larson's The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz is sharply focused on the man, his family, and friends from May 10, 1940 when Churchill took office until America finally enters the war.

The book is meticulously researched and still personal and relatable.  Churchill is presented in all his glory and all of his eccentricities.  Letters and diaries from friends and family fill in life during the period from Hitler's invasion of the Low Countries and the rapid fall of France, the crucial evacuation  at Dunkirk, the fear of occupation, and the devastation of the Blitz.

One thing I was not aware of was that in 1937 the Mass Observation Diary Project was formed.  The Archives provide primary source material of the everyday lives of the 500 volunteers.  An excellent source at any time, but during those years preceding and during the war--an amazing resource.  

A pioneering social research organisation, Mass Observation was founded in 1937 by anthropologist Tom Harrisson, film-maker Humphrey Jennings and poet Charles Madge. Their aim was to create an 'anthropology of ourselves', and by recruiting a team of observers and a panel of volunteer writers they studied the everyday lives of ordinary people in Britain. This landmark digital project opens up revolutionary access to the archive. (Source:  the above link)

 The Splendid and the Vile ranks among my favorite nonfiction books this year (or ever), an absolutely engrossing account of disasters, courage, and defiance; of great leaders, elegant language, and of ordinary people.

Read in November.

NetGalley/Crown Publishing
History/Nonfiction.  Feb. 25, 2020.  Print length:  464 pages.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays!  And now we await the New Year and hope for peace, compassion, courtesy, and kindness in 2020.