Unsound

Unsound by Heather Critchlow
9/5/24; 349 pages
Canelo Crime
Cal Lovett Files #3

Unsound by Heather Critchlow is a very highly recommended mystery and the third book in the Cal Lovett series.

Cal, a true crime podcaster, has a life in transition. He is in the midst of the trial to convict his sister's killer. His daughter Chrissie is leaving home for the university in Edinburgh. He is the only one to keep track of his elderly mother and Shona, his girlfriend, wants them to live together. When unforeseen circumstances delay the trial, Shona brings a new case to his attention. A friend of hers had her nineteen-year-old son, Arran, disappear from college and seemingly from the face of the earth. Nothing was ever discovered by the police. His parents have been looking for closure for years. Cal heads to Edinburgh to look for clues about what happened to Arran.

The narrative alternates between the past and the present. Cal in the present day investigation is looking into Arran's disappearance. Alternate chapters follow Arran's story in the past when he arrives at the university and makes three close friends. Both time periods are equally interesting and compelling. The novel is well paced and the plot moves forward quickly with some surprising twists along the way. The final denouement was unpredictable. I thought I had figured it out but I was

Unsound is a well-written, compelling mystery and the third book in a series. The first two are Unsolved and Unburied. Admittedly, I started with Unsound and haven't read the first two - yet. Although it was still easy to extrapolate much of what happened in the two previous books, this novel was enjoyable enough that I'd recommend reading the whole series, if possible, before starting Unsound. I have a feeling that it would have made this third novel even more enjoyable.

In any event, Unsound is an excellent fast-paced mystery. Thanks to Canelo Crime for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Follow the Science

Follow the Science: How Big Pharma Misleads, Obscures, and Prevails by Sharyl Attkisson
9/3/24; 336 pages
HarperCollins

Follow the Science: How Big Pharma Misleads, Obscures, and Prevails by Sharyl Attkisson is a very highly recommended exposé of the corruption, subterfuge, propaganda, misinformation, and cover-ups present in the pharmaceutical industry and supported by the news media for decades.

As the epigraph states, No legitimate scientist ever declared science to be 'settled.' Once I started reading Follow the Science I could not put it down. It is well written, meticulously researched, clearly presented, and infinitely compelling and interesting. The number of passages I highlighted while reading is unprecedented. While still reading I immediately started sharing information with my family about the book. I preordered a hardcover copy. Everyone needs to read Follow the Science and it should be a call to action.

For many people Covid, the propaganda, and the growing number of health issues related to the vaccine have become the impetus for a growing disenchantment with the scientific establishment and pharmaceutical companies. For others this was a confirmation of the already present need to question Big Pharma, even while being labeled "anti-", or a denier, banned from social media, or attacked personally. Attkisson has spent years researching how the government, federal agencies, doctors, medical associations, and disguised nonprofits backed by industry push misinformation on the public. Even published medical studies are often unreliable and have been ghostwritten with the backing and support of the major pharmaceutical companies. Always follow the money.

There are so many truths uncovered in Follow the Science. Some of these include: 

The risks behind the small pox vaccination and numerous examples of other vaccine injuries and ineffectiveness.

The Baby Oxygen study (or SUPPORT), informed consent, and the subsequent death of some babies. 

The Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, that was approved with no completed study with collaboration between the FDA and Biogen and caused brain bleeding and swelling. 

How media companies are beholden to the drug industry which account for 75% of all ad spending. 

Fifteen examples that explain how nearly everything Americans have been led to believe about vaccinations is scientifically proven false. 

“The Biggest Coverup” is the shocking story of the links between vaccines and autism.

The documentation how the dangerous mercury preservative, thimerosal, is still in many vaccinations years after the media and medical establishment claimed it had been removed.

The herbicide atrazine and how it interferes with hormonal regulation and development. Big Pharma went after the researcher to discredit, intimidate, and threaten him while trying to bury his research. This was followed by a big lobby and money to influence the EPA decision on it's environmental safety.

The use of Viagra and a tie to blindness and deafness.

Widespread ghostwriting, when doctors sign their name to articles actually written by drug makers.

Pharmaceutical companies pay doctors to promote drugs, hide adverse reactions, control studies and public health through research funds, present compromised articles in medical journals, and drive the public narrative

A large portion of the book covers the numerous errors made during Covid by the CDC, FDA , and Big Pharma, including the overreaching control, propaganda, spread of false information, over counting, ethics lapses, fraud, and the overwhelming large scale harm the vaccines caused and are still causing through Long Covid/Long Vax.

Follow the Science 'will challenge your assumptions, open your eyes, and inspire you to take action. With its powerful message of truth and justice, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our healthcare system and their own family's health.'

Attkisson has been a journalist for over forty years and a New York Times best selling author. She is the recipient of five Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting. She has worked at CBS News, PBS, and CNN, and is a fifth degree blackbelt master in Taekwondo. Recently, disillusioned by the suppression and control of news by mainstream media, she became a nonpartisan investigative journalist, launching a Sunday morning national TV news program, Sinclair’s "Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson."

Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley
9/3/24; 320 pages
Random House/Bantam
Flavia de Luce Series #11

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley is the very highly recommended eleventh book in the Flavia de Luce series. This is an excellent addition to the series and fans will rejoice she is back after the previous book five-years ago, The Golden Tresses of the Dead. Readers new to the series will want to start with earlier volumes for the backstory and introduction to the characters.

After Flavia's father Col. Haviland de Luce died she inherited the family home, Buckshaw, in Bishop’s Lacey, as well as the oversight of her exasperating younger cousin Undine. Her older sister Feely (Ophelia) is off on her honeymoon and her sister Daffy (Daphne) is leaving for Oxford soon. Margaret Mullet, the cook at Buckshaw,  and Arthur W. Dogger, the gardener, driver, and butler, serve as trusted advisers and companions for the two girls. Dogger has accepted Flavia as a full partner in his detective agency, Arthur W. Dogger & Associates, Discreet Investigations.

When Major Greyleigh, a local recluse and former hangman, is found dead, suspicion falls on Mrs. Mullet, who was also cooking breakfast for him. Inspector Hewitt believes she cooked an omelet for him made with poisonous mushrooms. Together with Dogger, Flavia sets out to find the real killer and prove Mrs. Mullet's innocence. Much to Flavia's annoyance, Undine constantly inserts herself into the complex investigation, assisting in her own unique way.

Flavia is well established as a chemistry prodigy in the series set in 1950s England and it is a pleasure to be back in her world as she conducts another investigation. Undine plays a helpful, albeit also aggravating, role in the narrative. Along with the seriousness of the investigation there is a fair amount of humor along the way. This outing does take a dark turn with the exposure of a shocking secret that will perhaps open Flavia's character to some future complexities in her investigations. 

At this point Flavia is a well established character who is intelligent, resourceful, and innovative in her approach to investigations. Her knowledge of chemistry is phenomenal and she uses it in every case she undertakes. This plot highlights some personal growth that mark an increase in maturity. 

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust is an entertaining, compelling addition to the Flavia de Luca series. Thanks to Random House/Bantam for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Death at the Sign of the Rook

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson
9/3/24; 320 pages
Knopf Doubleday
Jackson Brodie series #6

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson is a highly recommended murder mystery and the sixth novel in the Jackson Brodie series.

In the opening, Brodie Jackson with Detective Constable Regina (Reggie) Chase attends a murder-mystery weekend at Rook Hall, part of Burton Makepeace, a now rundown estate during a blizzard. The novel then jumps back a week in time when Ian and Hazel Padgett, twin children of recently deceased Dorothy Padgett, hired Brodie to track down a missing Renaissance-era painting that belonged to Dorothy. They suspect their mother’s caretaker, Melanie Hope, stole the painting.

Brodie and Chase’s are following the suspected theft when their investigation leads them to other art thefts, including one at Burton Makepeace House where Lady Milton had a Turner stolen with the housekeeper the suspected thief. The stage is set. The players are ready. By night’s end, a murderer will be revealed.

Death at the Sign of the Rook pays homage to the masters of the genre, including Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, as well as modern mystery writers. There are many clever, hilarious parts along the way that will definitely keep you reading. Some chapters are wonderfully entertaining while, honestly, others (with the vicar) feel slow moving.

The characters are portrayed as fully realized individuals and most of them are interesting. Jackson and Reggie are wonderful characters. Even though this is the sixth book with Brodie, it can be read as a standalone.

As the novel moves toward the conclusion the pace quickens and it is absolutely compelling, entertaining, and funny farcical mystery. Naming the painting "Woman with a Weasel" made me laugh every time it was brought up. Thanks to Knopf Doubleday for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Not Their Daughter

Not Their Daughter by Laura Elliot
8/30/24; 424 pages
Bookouture

Not Their Daughter by Laura Elliot is a highly recommended domestic suspense novel following a woman's search for the truth about her family.

Gabrielle (Gaby) Grace lives in NYC is an AM shock jock for NY Eyz with a call-in show called "Gaby's Good Morning Wake-up." She returned home to Trabawn, Ireland, just sixteen hours before her father's death from cancer. At his death bed the last words Gaby's father Dominick said to her was "I stole you."

When Gaby asks her mother, Cassie, why she delayed informing her about her father's health until the end and what his last words were, she became angry and then deflected the inquiry. Gaby has had a contentious relationship with her mother, Cassie, for years and left home as quickly as possible when she turned eighteen. Her younger twin sisters, Jessica and Susanne, love her, but are so different from her and know nothing about the comment made. At the wake she reconnects with a long time friend, Killian Osmond, who came to support her. Cassie is an alcoholic and after drinking heavily that night, yells at Dominick for leaving her to clean up his mess. What mess, Gaby wonders. 

Later, Gaby finds a newspaper clipping that she believes is a photo of her father, who has traditionally tried to stay out of all photos. She asks Killian about it as he works for the Bayview Dispatch paper. The man's name is Cormac Gallagher, a detective, and he is next to prominent politician Aloysius Russell. While researching these names, Gaby comes across the story of a baby girl, Isabelle, who was stolen from her crib as a newborn infant twenty-nine years ago. Could Gaby be the baby?

All of this and much more happens early on in the novel, grabbing your attention and increasing the desire to keep reading as Gaby tries to untangle the mounting number of secrets and get answers to her questions. There are plenty of twists along the way and the search becomes even more convoluted as answers don't come quickly and even more questions arise. Readers will have to set disbelief aside several times, but interest in reaching the final denouement will make that easy.

Gaby is a fully realized, sympathetic character and you will want her to find closure and move on with her life. There is a whole lot of drama that needs to take place before she even comes close to some semblance of the truth. The action unfolds like a soap opera, with twists and new information that keep the pages turning and the melodrama going until the final twist. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Meet the Parents

Meet the Parents by Emily Shiner
8/28/24; 298 pages
Bookouture

Meet the Parents by Emily Shiner is a very highly recommended, un-put-downable fast-paced psychological thriller. 

Owen, 41, is bringing home his girlfriend Gina, 28, to meet his parents, Grant and Marta Whitlock. Their cabin in the woods is actually a mansion on a sprawling estate. Marta immediately is hostile to Gina and Grant has wandering eyes. None of this really matters because they all privately know something about who the other person really is and what they are capable of doing behind their facade. The extent of what they'll do and what they know will be determined. Readers will know from the start only two people are going to survive, but which two is in question.

Meet the Parents is really a compelling, delicious cat-and-mouse page-turner that held my complete attention from start to finish. The narrative follows the present day get together, which is told through the alternating voice of Gina or Marta. Gina's past trauma is told through separate chapters set in the past when she was 8 years-old. The flashback chapters explain Gina's past trauma. The characters of Gina and Marta receive the most development.

This is a twisty psychological thriller right up to the end. The final denouement went a bit over-the-top, but the experience getting there was completely entertaining. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Dark Wives

The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves
8/27/24; 384 pages
St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books
Vera Stanhope Series #11

The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves is a very highly recommended mystery/procedural which explores the web of secrets surrounding a young man's death. This is the eleventh book in the Vera Stanhope series however it can also be read as a standalone mystery.

Early in the morning Josh Woodburn, a staff member at the Rosebank Home for troubled teen, is found murdered outside the home in the village of Longwater. DI Vera Stanhope, and her Northumbria Police team, DS Joe Ashworth and the new DC Rosie Bell, are called out to investigate. The only clue is the disappearance of one of the home’s residents, fourteen-year-old Chloe Spence, on the same night Josh was killed. 

In the process of the investigation the team is lead north to the wilds of the Northumberland countryside near the Three Dark Wives monument and the village of Gillstead where the body of another resident of the home, and older teenager, is found. Now Vera is sure Chloe is running scared and hiding from someone. She is determined to find Chloe before the killer does but must untangle the web of secrets involving the murders and the Rosebank Home.

This is a well-written, complex, very satisfying procedural/mystery that moves at a quick pace as the dark secrets behind the murders are revealed with each new piece of evidence. Readers can follow along as the team investigates, but Vera keeps her thoughts private. Closely follow what Vera is looking into for clues where her thoughts are going. The plot is intelligently written and clues are followed logically in this compelling and entertaining narrative.

As a character-driven procedural, The Dark Wives includes skillfully written characters. They are all portrayed as fully realized individuals. Naturally those who have been following the series will know many of the reoccurring characters but this outing introduces Rosie Bell (after the death of Holly in a previous book, The Rising Tide) who is a pleasing addition to the team.

The Dark Wives is an exceptional mystery/procedural that also points out the pitfalls of a for-profit approach to child welfare. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Talking to Strangers

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton
8/27/24; 400 pages
Penguin Publishing/Berkley
DI Elise King #2

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton is a highly recommended procedural and the second book in the series featuring Detective Inspector Elise King following Local Gone Missing (2022). This is a good choice for those who enjoy procedurals.

In the small town of Epping in Essex, England, Karen Simmons, a popular hairdresser, is murdered and her body is left in Knapton Wood on the day after Valentine’s Day. Detective Inspector Elise King is back on the job after her mastectomy and chemotherapy. She is concerned about her ability to focus due to chemo brain, but is relying on notes to help her. Elise wonders if Karen was killed by a man she met online. 

Kiki Nunn, a journalist and single mother, is closely following the murder investigation while aggressively conducting her own investigation into Karen's life. This includes joining online dating apps and looking at any/all of the men she was seeing.

Annie Curtis, one of Simmons’s clients, never recovered from the death of her son, eight-year-old Archie, who was killed sixteen years ago in the same woods. Although the police arrested a man for the crime, Annie still has questions about the investigation and wonders if the murders might be connected.

The short quick chapters in the narrative alter between the point-of view of Elise, Kiki, and Anne to propel the story forward and increase the tension and suspense.  Although this is the second in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone novel. All the lead characters are fully realized individuals and the plot, while full of complications, is compelling. Admittedly, many fans of procedurals and investigative mysteries are going to figure out where everything is headed very early on, but it is an intriguing, thought provoking, intense, and entertaining journey to the end. 

The plot in Talking to Strangers has many complexities so part of the pleasure is following the different leads, disclosures, discoveries, and viewpoints heading toward the devastating resolution. Thanks to Berkley for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Spirit Crossing

Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger
8/20/24; 336 pages
Atria Books
Cork O'Connor Series #20 

Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger is a recommended mystery/procedural and the 20th novel in the Cork O'Connor series.

A Minnesota Senator's teenage daughter is missing which is major news. At the same time Cork O'Connor teams up with the Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police to identify the native women in a shallow grave. O'Connor's grandson found her when her spirit spoke to him. His son and and fiancée are involved with protesting the pipeline coming through the area. His daughter comes home with her girlfriend and some big news.

The writing is a bit choppy and some of the transitions are rough although the pace is fast. As the 20th book in the series, this novel is probably best read by those following the series since there appeared to be many reoccurring characters. It also requires you to believe a 7 year-old can have conversations with the dead. I could not accept this premise which made the novel less enjoyable. 

The sad truth is that there are many native women and girls who go missing every year. I'm not sure this novel is the way to tackle the problem as it simplifies it. It will also find more appeal with readers who appreciate a one-sided personal political/social agenda deeply woven throughout the plot. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

This Is Why We Lied

This Is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter
8/20/24; 464 pages
HarperCollins
Will Trent Thriller #12

This Is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter is a very highly recommended, exceptional investigative mystery. A character perfectly describes this procedural as “an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery with a VC Andrews twist.” This Is Why We Lied is absolutely one of the best novels of the year! Although it is the twelfth book in the Will Trent series it can be read as a standalone. Don't miss this one!

Georgia Bureau of Investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton have (finally) gotten married and are on their honeymoon at the McAlpine Lodge, a mountaintop property in northwest Georgia. The gorgeous setting promises a memorable and relaxing place for them to celebrate. Then they hear a bone-chilling scream during a swim on their first night. The two quickly dress and take off running toward the cry for help. Will finds the manager of the Lodge, Mercy McAlpine, viciously stabbed. She manages to say a few words to Will before she dies.

The murderer must be someone on the mountain after a predicted storm arrives and washes out the one access road to the property. There are eight guests along with the members of the McAlpine family. The family had a major disagreement hours before the murder. At that time Mercy threatened to ruin the lives of all the family members, giving every one of them a motive.  Will partner in the GBI Faith Mitchell arrives with others on the team to investigate.

This is a gripping, heart-stopping, riveting, fast-paced thriller that just happens to also be a locked-room/isolated group mystery. The number of secrets and lies being uncovered is astronomical. There isn't one person who is not guilty or a suspect in some way. Just following the leads during the investigation will have you suspecting everyone. The McAlpine family puts the dys in dysfunctional. Some of the secrets that are revealed are shocking, including those of the guests. The final denouement was a stupefying surprise.

As the investigation unfolds, all the characters are going from cabin to cabin and one place to another. It is easy to follow their actions because to help readers visualize the area, there is a map of the lodge property at the opening so you can see where the action is taking place.

For those following the series, Will, Sara, Faith, and Amanda are well-known, fully-realized characters. The interaction between them is always a welcomed addition to every novel. The approach they all take to any investigation is as individual as they are. This is really a wonderful series with great characters. I can't wait for another installment! Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

City of Secrets

City of Secrets by P. J. Tracy
8/20/24; 304 pages
Minotaur Books
Detective Margaret Nolan #4

City of Secrets by P. J. Tracy is a highly recommended investigative mystery and the fourth book in the Detective Margaret (Maggie) Nolan series.

Los Angeles Police Detective Maggie Nolan and her partner Detective Al Crawford are called in to investigate a man found dead in his car in what appears to have been a car jacking. During the same time Bruce Messane, the co-founder of Peppy Pets, misses the meeting for the sale of his company for $100 million. Chief financial officer of Peppy Pets, Cynthia Jackson, tries to reach Messane to no avail. Then the dead man in the car is identified as Messane. Retired veterinarian Rome Bechtold, Messane’s former partner, has no current involvement with the company, but shortly after Messane's death Bechtold's wife, Nicole, is kidnapped. The complications multiply after this.

Clearly the case is much more convoluted and perplexing than just a murder case and Nolan has her work cut out for her. The enjoyment is found in trying to put together the pieces of the intricate investigative puzzle as each new piece is uncovered. The tension remains high and readers will be engaged in the narrative throughout the novel. There include some twists and surprises along the way.

As the fourth book in a series character development is ongoing. I've read books three and four now and felt enough background is provided to enjoy the series, although the complexities of the investigation rather than the personal situations are more my focus when reading procedurals. The members of the team work do well together. I think readers who are interested in complex investigation, especially with a strong female lead, can enjoy this as a standalone novel.

City of Secrets is a great choice for those who enjoy complicated investigative mysteries and procedurals. Thanks to Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Thing About My Uncle

The Thing About My Uncle by Peter J Stavros
8/20/24; 260 pages
BHC Press

The Thing About My Uncle by Peter J Stavros is a highly recommended coming-of-age story.

Rhett Littlefield, 14, is expelled from school and his mother sends him to live with his Uncle Theo in the hollers of Eastern Kentucky. After meeting his uncle's dog, Chekhov, Rhett settles into his situation. Uncle Theo is a great cook, tattooed, works out in his gym, spends a lot of time working on his garden, and is going to set Rhett on the right path. He puts Rhett on a strict homeschooling schedule and gets Rhett a mountain bike to ride some of the mountain trails. Rhett settles into his new situation, including no more of his mom's tuna mac.

The family all have secrets that end up getting exposed and past events are explained. The bond the grows between Rhett and Theo helps reconcile some of Rhett's misconceptions about the past by exposing  some of the secrets and revealing the truth about events that have influenced his whole life. Faith is also explored in a gentle way.

The Thing About My Uncle is a highly recommended, well-written debut novel that is compelling. As the characters grow to know each other and share secrets it prepares them for the explosive ending. Thanks to BHC Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Worst Case Scenario

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman
8/13/24; 336 pages
Little, Brown and Company

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman is a very highly recommended adrenaline-packed, heart-stopping, nail-biting thriller that starts out at a lightning-fast pace and doesn't let up until the end. WOW! This is an un-put-downable, must-read thriller!

A pilot suffers a widow-maker heart attack at 35,000 feet sending a commercial airliner filled with passengers crashing into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota. This catastrophic accident is a national crisis that has global implications. "Ordinary people—power plant employees, firefighters, teachers, families, neighbors, and friends— are thrust into an extraordinary situation as they face the ultimate test of their lives. It will take the combined courage, ingenuity, and determination of a brave few to save not only their community and loved ones, but the fate of humanity at large."

This is the best thriller of the year. The writing is perfect, the pace is fast, the action non-stop, and the fear and terror is palpable. There is a large cast of characters but the focus is on preventing the potential spread of radioactive material across the Midwest. All the characters are working together on different parts of the complex disaster.

Chapters start with a countdown to disaster, starting at 16 hours and 38 minutes and heading to 0. The point-of-view alternates between various characters dealing with different situations. Every part and situation of the crisis is equally compelling. Every character is portrayed realistically. Just like Newman's novels Falling and Drowning, Worst Case Scenario will make an excellent movie.

For those who love thrillers: read Worst Case Scenario! Thanks to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Two Sisters

Two Sisters by Lorna Henderson
8/8/24; 294 pages
Choc Lit/Joffe Books

Two Sisters by Lorna Henderson is a recommended family drama full of secrets and reads like a soap opera. This is a revised edition of the novel that was originally published as Where Are You? by L.E. Hill.

Tara and Josie had their mother leave them when they were children. Now Tara and her family are living in their old childhood home and fixing it up. Josie is staying nearby with their grandmother after she left her husband. Their father lives in the same town. When builders find bones buried in the garden it starts an investigation. It also marks the start of one twist/reveal after another.

The narrative is told through alternate points-of-view in the present and the past, basically Tara and Josie with an unknown voice occasionally. One drama after another follows and quickly multiplies. 

The good news is that Two Sisters will hold your attention like any good, over-the-top soap opera does. These people have a constant barrage of one thing after another and plenty of hints along the way that they are all holding secrets. The bad news is that not all of the dramas/secrets are necessarily worth the suspense and some may induce eye-rolling. 

Still, you will keep reading to see what on earth is going to happen or be revealed next. Thanks to Joffe Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Burn

Burn by Peter Heller
8/13/24; 304 pages 
Knopf Doubleday

Burn by Peter Heller is a very highly recommended dystopian survival story full of personal reflection. This is an exceptional literary novel - one of the best of the year.

Jess and Storey have been friends since boyhood who go to rural Maine every year to camp and hunt. This year they emerge from the woods to find a bridge blown up and continue on to find small towns burned down and no sign of life. As they keep hiking, trying to find a way home, they search for food left in boats, encounter more destruction, and a few armed men. They knew all summer secession mania had been rampant in the entire state and had been spreading but they didn't expect this. Then the two discover a five-year-old girl, Collie, and know they have to help her survive while they try to find her family.

The narrative is told from Jess's point-of-view. In between the action scenes, Jess contemplates his failed marriage and memories of his long friendship with Storey. Jess's inner thoughts provides a keen insight into his personality and character while also bringing the setting and landscape to life through his descriptions. It also makes their journey through the war-torn area more poignant as the two long time friends try to find a way out of the danger, along with their new responsibility to Collie.

Actions the two men take for survival in this changed landscape during an unknown conflict are understandable and relatable. Their journey begs the question: What would anyone do if they faced and had to navigate the same high stakes dilemma on foot with little knowledge of what is going on? The divided country's strife is present in the civil war but Heller never gives political details or accusations.

Heller is an excellent writer and masterfully captures the descriptions of the natural world, the disconcerting journey, and the friendship of Jess and Storey. Burn is a literary wilderness adventure that melds with a dystopian survival story that is full of real emotional depth, courage, and thoughtful actions. Thanks to Knopf Doubleday for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Angel of Vengeance

Angel of Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
8/13/24; 352 pages
Grand Central Publishing
Pendergast #22

Angel of Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is the very highly recommended intricate thriller that continues the story started in The Cabinet of Dr. Leng that ended with a cliffhanger. Angel of Vengeance is absolutely not a standalone thriller. The four Pendergast novels in the Dr. Enoch Leng series are: The Cabinet of Curiosities, Bloodless, The Cabinet of Dr. Leng and finally Angel of Vengeance.

Readers have been anxiously awaiting Angel of Vengeance to conclude the story arc that left FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast, Constance Greene, and D'Agosta in an alternate version of NYC in the late 1880's where Constance is hoping to not only protect her siblings from Dr. Enoch Leng, but to defeat him entirely. Unknown to Leng, Diogenes, Pendergast’s brother, appears crossing through the time portal unexpectedly, offering to help for his own reasons. No spoilers here; read the series!

The narrative immediately starts out at a frantic pace and keeps it up throughout the novel with plenty of action, plot twists, and surprises along the way. If you have been waiting for this novel and know the characters and their backstories, you will not be disappointed. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Fire and Bones

Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs
8/6/24; 288 pages
Scribner
Temperance Brennan Series #23

Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs is the very highly recommended investigative mystery and the twenty-third novel in the long running series featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. This time Tempe finds herself involved in a Washington, DC, arson investigation.

Dr. Jada Thacker, Washington’s interim medical examiner, calls Tempe and begs her to help identify victims of a deadly fire in an illegal Airbnb located in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington, DC. She agrees even though it means cancelling vacation plans with Andrew Ryan. Tempe ends up having to drive to the city and then stay with television news reporter Ivy Doyle who is a friend of Tempe’s daughter, Katy because all the hotels in the area are booked up. The team finds the expected four victims in the burnt rubble and an unexpected fifth corpse in a burlap bag in the building’s subcellar.

The history of the area, as the location where the group of bootleggers and racketeers known as the Foggy Bottom Gang operated, seems to be interesting but irrelevant - until it doesn't. Tempe stays on in DC longer than planned to help as the investigation expands after another fire occurs in the same area. She also wants to identify the unknown fifth victim found in the subcellar.

The writing is excellent in Fire and Bones. This outing of Tempe was interesting and the complex investigation held my complete attention. Along with the detailed investigation and the history of the area, Reichs occasionally lightens up the tension with humor. The plot will keep you fully invested in the action as the tension rises right to the end.

Tempe is a well known character to many readers, but Fire and Bones can be read as a standalone novel. Readers new to the series may not have all the background information and long running character development, but there is enough information provided in the narrative to meet Tempe Brennan. The case shines in this outing and that should hold the attention of anyone wanting to read a fast-paced and interesting investigative mystery. Thanks to Scribner for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

All the Way Gone

All the Way Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen
8/13/24; 352 pages
St. Martin's/Minotaur Books
Detective Annalisa Vega #4

All the Way Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen is a highly recommended investigative mystery and the fourth novel in the Detective Annalisa Vega series.

Annalisa Vega is now a private investigator after leaving the Chicago police force. Her first client is Mara Delaney, a professor who has written a book titled The Good Sociopath centered around Chicago neurosurgeon Craig Canning. The premise of Mara's book is that some sociopaths are beneficial to society, like Dr Canning who, even though he may lack empathy or genuine emotions, has saved hundreds of lives. Mara asks Annalisa to look into Craig's life because she suspects he may be responsible for the death of Victoria Albright and therefor may not be as good as her book claims.

Once Annalisa begins looking into the case she is presented with another case by her teenage stepdaughter, Cassidy Weaver. Cassidy's friend Naomi needs a new kidney and is trying to find her mother, Elizabeth Johnston, who abandoned Naomi when she was three.

As the complicated cat and mouse plot unfolds sociopaths pop up all over the place, keeping the tension and your interest high. Annalisa has been told that sociopaths only care about winning at all costs, and this is clearly the case. More than one person may have wanted Victoria eliminated and the two investigations are bringing out all the animosity between characters. There is some suspension of disbelief required, which is easily done. Clues are dropped about the guilty party, but you have to keep reading to learn the real story.

Although this is the fourth book in the series it can be read as a standalone novel. Following the whole series will naturally provide more back story and character development, but since Annalisa has left the police force and is now working as a PI, it changes her approach to a case, freeing her up in some ways. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

I Need You to Read This

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell
8/13/24; 304 pages
Atria Books

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell is a highly recommended mystery about an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder.

Alex Marks is a copywriter in NYC who applies to be the new writer for the advice column, Dear Constance that was originally penned by her hero Francis Keen. Francis was murdered and the paper is now looking for someone to step into her shoes according to Raymond, the retired police detective Alex has breakfast along with Janice, the owner of the diner. Alex applies and is thrilled, but trepidatious, when she is chosen to be the new advice columnist by the editor-in-chief Howard Dimitri.

Once she starts Alex faces mountains of letters and email that she must sort through and read to find the letter she is going to reply to for her first column. She also learns she has an assistant, Lucy. As she reads through the missives asking for her advice she notices that there are threatening notes among those asking for help. As more clues seem to surface regarding who may have murdered Francis, it seems Alex could be in danger too.

Included along with Alex's narrative are excerpts from letters people have written, asking for advice. As readers follow Alex, it also becomes obvious that Alex is running from someone or something and her adoration of Francis Keen is based on Alex's past. Alex's current, quiet, reticent life is clearly based on something in her past, something she fears.

I Need You to Read This has the feel of a cozy mystery, in part because of the letters written by people asking for advice, something which seems dated. It also has a creepy atmospheric element. You also have to set some disbelief aside while reading but that was easily done. Clues are gradually revealed along the way creating tension right up to the quickly occurring ending. Overall, this is an entertaining novel. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Lost Coast

The Lost Coast by Jonathan Kellerman, Jesse Kellerman
8/6/24; 368 pages
Random House/Ballantine Books
Clay Edison Series #5

The Lost Coast by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman is a very highly recommended mystery/thriller and the fifth book in the series featuring private investigator Clay Edison written by the acclaimed father-son duo.

Clay Edison is now a licensed private investigator after leaving the position of coroner's investigator. Chris Villareal, who is referred to Clay by a former client, needs help investigating a monthly payment he noticed while managing his grandmother's estate. It seems to be a simple case of real estate fraud that leads Clay to look at a remote community called Swan's Flat on Northern California’s remote Lost Coast. After reassuring his wife Amy that he will keep in close contact with her and not do anything risky, Clay sets off to investigate the lot Villareal's grandmother purchased.

Once there the situation is odder and more secretive than Clay anticipated. The roads are nearly nonexistent, there is no cell service, and the locals are few, reticent, and duplicitous. He is shot at by one local and another is trying to con him into buying one of the lots. It seems the area has been running an elaborate real estate con for decades. There is another mystery in the area as a local bulletin board in the nearest town is full of posters for missing people and on it Clay recognizes something that makes him expand the case.

The Lost Coast is an extremely entertaining, well-written mystery that it full of intrigue, deception, secrets, and interesting characters. The complexity of the case increases with each new turn in the investigation, which keep interest high, the pace fast, and the plot compelling. It works well as a stand alone novel, although after reading it you will likely want to go back and read the previous novels in the series.

Clay is a charismatic character who will immediately garner your support and loyalty. He is trying to follow the advice of their couples therapist and keep Amy informed of his actions, situation, and safety level. All the characters are fully realized and interesting. Part way through the novel Clay teams up with Regina, another PI, and the scenes with the two working together are golden and sometimes hilarious. I hope to see her team up with Clay again in the future.

This really is a smart, interesting and un-put-downable investigative mystery. I'm looking forward to the next installment. Thanks to Random House/Ballantine for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Agony Hill

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor
8/6/24; 320 pages
St. Martin's Press
Frank Warren #1

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor is a highly recommended mystery set in rural Vermont during 1965. This is the first book in a new historical mystery series featuring Frank Warren. In 1965 the winds of change are blowing across the rural state of Vermont as a new interstate highway is under construction which will bring new people and opportunities to the area. This is also a time of  protests against the war in Vietnam and the Cold War.

Franklin Warren arrives in Bethany, Vermont, after accepting a position as a detective with the state police, and immediately called up to investigate a death in a barn fire along with help from Trooper Goodrich. By all appearances it is a death by suicide where Hugh Weber set fire to his barn and himself, with the door barred from the inside. There was a similar case where a farmer immolated himself in his barn protesting the interstate highway. Warren has his doubts that this is a copy cat case because Weber was so disliked in the area. Sylvie Weber is left a young widow with four boys and is also pregnant, seems reticent and self-contained.

A companion story line follows Warren's neighbor Alice Bellows, widow and amateur detective who clearly has her own secrets. She collects information, keeps track of Warren's investigation, and also conducts one of her own over stolen merchandise from a store. Alice is intelligent, insightful woman whose husband was part of the intelligence community.

The excellent writing captures the atmosphere of New England during this time in history while introducing us to the fully realized characters. All of the characters in this novel come to life along with the setting. Both Warren and Alice are exceptionally well written. There is a large cast of characters readers will be introduced and all of them add something to the atmosphere of the novel.

The plot is full of intrigue while being intricate and nuanced as the investigation unfolds in a slow, even pace. The numerous details do slow down the pace, but add to the rich experience reading Agony Hill. All of the details will likely serve readers well in future installments of this new series. I'll be looking forward to the next novel featuring Warren and Alice in Bethany, Vermont. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.