Remarkably Bright Creatures is a delight from the first page to the last. The three main characters (a senior, an octopus, and a young man) have all suffered from losses in their lives and cope on their own, but their lives intersect, and they find each other and themselves in the process. This book will not win any literary awards, … Continue reading →
The Trail is a story of a young man who is lost in his life in life in Los Angeles and an older man who is at the end of his life. Through family connections, they set out to backpack the John Muir Trail, a rugged and difficult route in the Sierra Nevada. Gil has lost his father, his job, … Continue reading →
A Sight for Sore Eyes is a compelling but disturbing psychological thriller written by master storyteller Ruth Rendell. She has written about 70 books and over the years I have read about 1/3 of them. Every one has been engaging, providing deep insights into characters that are reflections of ourselves and the people we know. Like Stephen King, she asks … Continue reading →
A Question of Blood is a Scottish crime novel by Ian Rankin, part of the John Rebus series. Rebus is a bit of an incorrigible character that gets the job done, but he can be hard-to-get-along with and prone to repeated bad habits and poor communications. The plot involves a school shooting and the suspect seems obvious, but the motive … Continue reading →
Robert Galbraith’s (J.K. Rowling) fifth book in the Cormoran Strike series is a a 927 page detective story about a 40 year old cold case concerning a missing doctor. It is intricately plotted and full of well-developed characters – investigators, suspects, and witnesses. The author takes great care to keep the dialogue fresh, characters believable, and plot development without resorting … Continue reading →
The Secret of Chimneys was published in 1925. It was one of Agatha Christie’s first novels and compared to her other earlier books at that time – The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and the earliest Poirot books, it doesn’t compare, nor does it age well. She wrote 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections. … Continue reading →
Career of Evil is the third book in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith, the pen-name for JK Rowling. We read the first two books and enjoyed them so we will continue to work our way through the series. This book was the best yet with some clever and skillful storytelling to keep us interested and intrigued. … Continue reading →
Act of Oblivion is a historical novel set in England and New England in the 1660’s. It chronicles the extraordinary events of the time which included a civil war, the execution of King Charles I, the hunt, capture, and execution of the named regicides, the members who had signed the death warrant, international manhunts, the life of Oliver Cromwell, a … Continue reading →
Dark is the Grave is a Scottish crime thriller, the first in the DCI Bone series. The book fits the billing – a thriller with many twists and turns, a crime unit working to find the killer, a damaged detective with his own demons, police-politics to manage, and a climax at the end. But, it felt like one long cliche … Continue reading →
The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller that follows the case of a woman, Alicia, who shot her husband 6 times in the head, then stop talking to anyone, including the police, the Courts, and medical staff. The story is told by her psychotherapist, Theo Faber, who works in the clinic where she is sedated and imprisoned. The story is … Continue reading →
The Thursday Murder Club is a whodunit novel featuring a small group of seniors living in a retirement home who get together once a week to discuss unsolved crimes. Some members of the group have a police background. Others were professionals who bring skills to any enquiry. When murders occur in their area, they set to solve the mystery. This … Continue reading →
Gwendy’s Button Box is a novella written by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. It is a coming-of-age story about a young girl who meets a stranger who gives her a strange box (beware of strangers bearing strange gifts). Most of the story follows Gwendy’s teenage years in Castle Rock and her interactions with the effects of the Button Box. The … Continue reading →
Michael Connelly started the Harry Bosch series in 1992 and the Bosch character has now appeared in 23 books. The latest book (2022) features Bosch and Renee Ballard (5 books) working cold cases in Los Angeles. All of the books are police/detective procedural stories. In this book, there are two cases on the desk, one which follows forensic clues to … Continue reading →
Blood Song is the first book in an impressive trilogy Ravens Shadow. It is the story of a young man, Vaelin al Sorna, who is left at age 10 to be part of the Sixth Order of the Brotherhood, as a warrior for the Faith. The first half of the book is a coming-of-age story following the 7 years he … Continue reading →
The Music Shop is a wonderful book. It is a story about ordinary people who strive for dignity and their guru is Frank who provides musical therapy in the form of albums selected to match each person’s needs. Joyce introduces us to a series of characters who are touched by Frank’s caring and his vinyl music shop becomes a hidden … Continue reading →
Pines by Blake Crouch is the first book in the Wayward Pines trilogy which was also made into a 10 part miniseries for TV. This book uses a limited point of view to bring the reader to a big twist/revelation at the end. It starts as a crime novel as the protagonist Ethan Burke, a Secret Service Agent, travels to … Continue reading →
