You'll Find Out

You'll Find Out by Lisa Jackson
2/25/25; 512 pages
Zebra/Kensington

You'll Find Out by Lisa Jackson is a recommended collection of two of her previously published romance novels, The Shadow of Time and Gypsy Wind. This is probably better suited for and will be appreciated more by readers who enjoy romance novels. When I see Lisa Jackson's name I'm looking for one of her suspense novels. For me she is a go-to author for novels of suspense, mysteries, and thrillers. These are well-written, but not one of my usual genres.

In The Shadow of Time, Mara, a new widow, has her true love Shane reappear. When she was pregnant, she had been told he was dead and ended up marrying another man. Now Shane is back and still wants her and his newly discovered daughter but someone is determined to sabotage their reunion.

Gypsy Wind follows Becca and her family's horse farm. Becca and Brig Chambers have a history and still both desire and distrust each other equally. This creates a tense atmosphere when he is back in her life and the past and present clash.

Romance readers might want to give this a try. Those looking for one of Jackson's thrillers can skip it. Thanks to Zebra for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Garden

The Garden by Nick Newman
2/18/25; 320 pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons

The Garden by Nick Newman is a highly recommended dystopian fairy tale-esque literary novel with gothic/horror elements.

Evelyn and Lily, two elderly sisters, live only in the kitchen of a decrepit manor and spend all their time caring for the garden, fruit trees, and tending the bees behind the stone walls that keep them secluded from the outside world. They have lived in isolation for years. Evelyn carefully follows the instructions of the almanac written by their mother, even though the information in it no longer resembles the world they live in where dust storms are always a threat. At the same time Lily takes the daily chores leisurely and prefers to dance or play. When a nameless young man is found hiding in the house it changes the dynamics of the relationship between the sisters.

In this eerie, slow-paced atmospheric novel it is clear from the start that something isn't entirely right with the sisters. Their life-long relationship is dysfunctional. There is character development but in their completely isolated and dystopian world their personalities are odd, childlike, and still subservient to their deceased mother orders. They are also still acting out their roles from childhood. Their deceased mother is almost another character and flashbacks to their childhood intimate she was likely abusive.

For readers many questions will quickly arise and most won't be answered. No location or time period is ever mentioned and it's likely the sisters don't know. We have no clear understanding why everything from outside the wall is to be feared. Some of the sister's ritualistic behavior is nonsensical. We know that huge dust storms can occur. We know they have been instructed to fear men. The tension increases when Evelyn begins to suspect someone is on their land, while the horror elements are slowly uncovered in a natural development of the narrative.

This is a well-written dystopian novel that has similarities to other previously published books in the same post-apocalyptic/isolated population genre, but is a unique, entertaining take on the trope.

Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Picks and Shovels

Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow
2/18/25; 400 pages
Tor Publishing
Martin Hench Novel #3

Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow is the excellent, very highly recommended period tech novel and the origin story of forensic accountant and computer security expert Martin Hench.

Martin Hench flunks out of MIT, but while there he falls in love with the emerging computer technology and programming along with all of the possibilities it represents. He also meets his friend Art, joins a group of assorted people all obsessed with programming, works for a dubious business, obtains a 2 year degree in accounting, and eventually he and Art make their way to San Francisco. There he picks up odd jobs until he talks to a predatory computer business, Fidelity Computing. He ends up working for the start-up company that was started by three of their best former saleswomen who are actively opposing Fidelity's business practices.

This is a well-written, completely compelling, detailed period drama that captures the time period and the excitement over personal computers along with the atmosphere in San Francisco and the growth of Silicon Valley as a technology hub. The pace is fast and the plot is engaging so the pages just fly by. It also confronts the very real issue of computer companies trying to lock customers into their brand alone rather than making parts (and operating systems) interchangeable.

Hench is a fully-realized, complex character with both strengths and flaws. All of the secondary characters are equally fully developed as unique individuals. Readers meet Hench at seventeen and into his early 20's while he experiences growth and learns many life lessons that will make him who he is later on in life.

This is the third book in the series, but the series has been presented in a reverse chronology so this starts in the late 1970s and continues into the early 1980s. It can be read as a standalone novel. The first novel in the series is Red Team Blues followed by The Bezzle (set in the 1990s).

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

Justice Bites

Justice Bites by James Chandler and Laura Snider
2/18/25; 314 pages
Severn River
Smith and Bauer #1

Justice Bites by James Chandler and Laura Snider is a highly recommended, gritty, legal thriller and the first novel in a new series.

Small-town lawyer Marko Bauer is an alcoholic who is consistently late so it is inevitable that he is late when meeting his new client, Nick, who is accompanied by his older cousin Allee Smith. Allee is newly released from prison where she was serving time on drug charges and needs to find a job. When she learns at the courthouse that the Yellow Lark Restaurant will hire ex-cons, she applies and encourages Nate to do the same. After working there for several weeks she knows that she needs to find something else.

Allee learns that Marko has been picked up for DWI, and will lose his drivers license so she visits him in the jail and proposes he hire her as a driver. He hires her and he also has her meet with a client he was just assigned. This begins a new beneficial partnership where they help each other and disclose a whole lot of small town corruption.

This is a fast paced legal thriller with two very flawed but intelligent protagonists who are up against a corrupt controlling family in a small Iowa town. The plot can be predictable at times but the discoveries along the way will hold your attention. You will also have to set some disbelief aside that no one ever saw or exposed the corruption as small towns are know for their gossip. It is an entertaining plot and Justice Bites will hold your attention throughout.

This seems to be the start of a new series and it will be interesting to see where it goes. The ending indicates a promising future partnership. Thanks to Severn River for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Every Precious and Fragile Thing

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis
2/18/25; 431 pages
Lake Union Publishing

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis is a highly recommended domestic drama.

Mallory Ward is a social worker who works with at risk youth in Boston. Due to a tragic and stressful situation there, Mallory is encouraged to take time off from work. She decides to returns home to Little Harbor, Rhode Island, and stay with her mother, Helen, a death doula who cares for terminally ill clients. The two have had a tense relationship but hopefully they can mend it. 

Making Mallory's visit more complicated is that Aiden is back in town visiting his mother, Estelle, in the house next door. He was the love of her life who who broke off their wedding plans ten years ago. The two have unresolved issues.

This is an extremely well-written novel which examines the complex relationship between mothers and their children, dying with dignity, repairing broken relationships, and confronting long held secrets. The narrative is told through Mallory's point-of-view as well as Helen's which include long descriptive letters she wrote to the love of her life who is gone.

The characters are fully realized, complex, and depicted as unique individuals with strengths and flaws. The past and present experiences of these characters all contain mistakes and secrets, but they all also long for a resolution and connection. What they seek may vary depending upon the relationship, but they all must admit to or confront their past to obtain the trust and reconciliation they currently need.

There are several big reveals and twists in this family drama. One huge twist was surprising but it also required setting a large amount of disbelief aside. Helen's long letters were also a bit too lengthy at times.  Every Precious and Fragile Thing started out strong for me but lost some momentum along the way.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Falls to Pieces

Falls to Pieces by Douglas Corleone
4/1/25; 285 pages
Thomas & Mercer

Falls to Pieces by Douglas Corleone is a recommended novel of psychological suspense.

Two years ago Kati Dawes and her teenage daughter, Zoe, fled the east coast and started living under new names and off the grid in Hawaii. When Kati's fiancé, attorney Eddie Akana, disappears while they are hiking, she is a suspect. Kati is desperate to find Eddie because she can't have any media attention or photos of her publicized. Noah Walker, Eddie’s law partner, agrees to help her while Kati is the main suspect, but then Zoe disappears and Kati is frantic.

The novel, which is divided into three parts, starts out at an even pace as Kati is worried about finding Eddie and also concerned about hiding her real identity. There are switches in the narrative between Kati, Zoe's private thoughts, and flashbacks to the past they are running from. The pace takes off and explodes during the last part of the novel when the number of secrets and twisted ties between characters and the action increases.

It does feel like the story was being told rather than naturally developing during several sections of the narrative. Part of the novel also ties in a wide variety of different subjects and current buzz words while following several different trails. There are numerous twists at the end, some of which readers might have suspected and some were surprises.

I actually enjoyed the novel more at the beginning and my enjoyment lessened as I kept reading. It could be over the massive amount of disbelief that kept creeping into my thoughts while reading.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger
2/25/25; 384 pages
Park Row Books

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger is a very highly recommended locked-room mystery/thriller. Unger is one of my automatically read authors and she delivers an excellent novel again!

Adele Crane and her two teenage children, Violet and Blake, have been struggling since her husband Miller disappeared along with millions of dollars he embezzled from his company five years ago. Now Blake has told her about a streaming reality competition called Extreme Hide and Seek run by adventurer Maverick (Mav) Dillan. The prize is a million dollars, something that would really help Adele and her children. Adele has had some success online as a health influencer, so she applies and makes the team.

Mav and his team are holding the competition on the remote Falcão Island, at the site of an abandoned, dilapidated resort that is on the verge of collapsing. Adele's competitors are Malinka, a famous young mountain climber, and Wild Cody, a former kid's show host. Once Adele arrives, she can see there are internal struggles with Maverick's team. Complicating matter further is a huge storm heading for the island and a mysterious old woman, with muscular enforcers accompanying her, is warning them to leave.

This is exactly the well written and plotted mystery I needed. Once the plot is set up in this multifaceted, complex, and engrossing locked-room mystery/thriller, the action takes off at a fast pace. I was engrossed throughout. You think it's going to be a hide and seek game, but it is so much dangerous and becomes a fight for survival. There are so many secrets as the sense of dread rises with each page - and for multiple characters. Everyone is live-streaming leading up to the game increasing the tension as the views matter and determine success.

The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of several different characters, including Adele, her children, Maverick, his girlfriend Angeline, and more. Adele is a fully realized character and you will be supporting her all the way. All the other characters are also portrayed as realistic, complicated individuals with secrets and shortcomings.

It is so enjoyable to read a well-plotted and executed mystery/thriller that doesn't feel like every other thriller out there. Thanks to Park Row Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Unforgetting

The Unforgetting by Bonnie Traymore
2/11/25; 288 pages
Pathways Publishing

The Unforgetting by Bonnie Traymore is a highly recommended psychological thriller where secrets from the past haunt the present.

Reagan is struggling with postpartum when buried memories from ten years ago are trying to resurface. At a raging party ten years ago her friend Lanie was found the next day dead at the bottom of a ravine. Reagan's memories of the night are blurry because she was wasted and doesn't remember much from that night. But now she feels like she is remembering bits and pieces from the night. Then Ella invites Reagan and others to a gathering of remembrance and healing at her family's cabin in the Adirondacks where the death occurred. Reagan attends with hopes that it will help her recover her memories.

This is a fast-paced, quick read. As one would predict, the reunion is tense and uncomfortable, and the buried memories are disturbing. There isn't a lot of character development beyond that of Reagan, which is perfunctory. The rest of the characters are quickly slotted into their roles into the entertaining but familiar narrative trope. 

The good news is that the swift pace, high tension, and low page count will keep your interest high throughout. Thanks to Pathways Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Nothing Ever Happens Here

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass
2/11/25; 304 pages
Graydon House/Harlequin

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass is a recommended novel following two mysteries in a small Minnesota town.

Shelby and Mackenzie are best friends. The night Shelby survives an attempted murder is the same night Mack's husband, Leo, disappears. Fifteen months later, Leo is still missing and Shelby thought she was safe - until she receives a threatening note. Then a group of senior citizens, led by Florence, decide to investigate and discuss the cases along with another suspected murder on a podcast, which quickly goes viral, increasing the threats to Shelby. At the same time Mack is dealing with the financial mess Leo left behind.

This mystery involving Shelby's attacker and the disappearance of Leo were both interesting, however, the incompetence of the police was disappointing. The even-paced narrative has the feeling of a cozy mystery, especially after the farcical seniors enter the picture.  The ending is satisfying, although not entirely unexpected.

This novel is a good choice if you enjoy a group of wacky seniors crime solving and can set a major dose of disbelief aside. After the first unlikely occurrence which happens early on I was bothered. Then the (annoying) seniors entered the picture and from that point on the novel was just okay for me. The plot might have held my attention more if the group of seniors were left out.

Thanks to Graydon House/Harlequin for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Once You Were Mine

Once You Were Mine by Elizabeth Langston
2/11/25; 363 pages
Lake Union Publishing

Once You Were Mine by Elizabeth Langston is a highly recommended family drama following characters in dual time periods while exploring DNA testing and changing societal attitudes.

In 1968 seventeen-year-old Molly Mitchell is pregnant and her parents send her away to an abusive "maternity home." She is mistreated, shamed and condemned at the facility with the goal of coercing her into signing adoption papers. Her roommate there, Gwen, becomes a lifelong friend. After she leaves the home she works hard to make a life for herself.

In the present day Allison Garrett takes a DNA test and makes some startling discoveries. Because her mother was adopted, her background was a mystery. The results of the test show that Allison is closely related to her best friend, Bree. They are cousins. This sets into motion a search for answers and the truth in both families.

This is an even paced family drama that alternates between the two different time periods. It demonstrates the difference between a time when family secrets could be hidden and the current time when almost everything can be discovered and exposed. Although the genealogical research and ancestry question is the main story line, there are also several other subplots that are followed.

The characters in both timelines are fully realized and portrayed as complicated realistic individuals. Molly's story is basically the trauma she experienced at seventeen and then the life she made for herself afterward. The story of Allison and Bree follow complications in their daily lives along with the ancestry question, which shakes up both families and leads to tangled emotions.

The novel starts out strong but does lose some energy in the middle. There were some ancillary subplots that could have been eliminated to tighten up the novel. Additionally, the maternity home was certainly a real thing years ago and adds a highly emotional hook to the plot, but that was not a universal experience of all pregnant teens. Honestly, many families can look into their history and find complications and secrets.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Not Our Daughter

Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker
2/11/25; 240 pages
Thomas & Mercer 

Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker is a highly recommended novel of suspense following a family on the run.

Greg and Amy Olsen were going to adopt the baby they were fostering, Marcy, when the court gave the birth mother, Candace, custody. That night Candace turns up at their house, covered in blood, and begs for them to immediately run away and save Marcy because "He's coming here... for her." She dies on their doorstep and Greg and Amy went on the run to protect their daughter. Thirteen years later they are living under the radar as Cole and Lisa Shipley and daughter Jade in a small Colorado town.

When Cole withdrawals money from a Cayman Islands account to treat Jade’s scoliosis. Since they were suspected in the death of Candace, the account was being monitored so the withdrawal triggers a new FBI manhunt. FBI agent Mark Burns, who was on the original case, is immediately in pursuit. Making their situation more perilous is the fact that the man who killed Candace is now also hunting for them.

This is a well-written, classic cat and mouse trope of pursuit and escape. Here an innocent family is on the run being pursued by the known and unknown. They have to use their wits and attention to details to evade being captured while sending evidence of their innocence to the FBI. You'll be cheering the family on and hope they can escape the clutches of the FBI, police, and the mystery man.

The plot moves at a lightning fast pace and the tension is high right to the end. The short page counts make this a quick read that will keep you engaged throughout. It can be a bit predictable, but there are more surprises and twists along the way that will keep your interest high.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Blood Ties

Blood Ties by Jo Nesbo
2/11/25; 384 pages
Knopf Doubleday

Kongeriket #2

 

Blood Ties by Jo Nesbo is a very highly recommended chilling and suspenseful Nordic noir/crime fiction and the sequel to 2020's The Kingdom. This can be read as a standalone but reading the first book in the series does add more to the complex back story. Robert Ferguson is the translator.

Brothers Carl and Roy Opgard are on their way to being moguls in the small Norwegian town of Os. Carl (mis)manages the area’s successful spa and hotel and has plans to expand while Roy owns an auto repair shop and convenience store. Roy plans to get financing to buy land and open an amusement park with the world’s largest wooden roller coaster and Carl also wants money to finance his plans. Threatening their success is a new highway to be built nearby, bypassing Os and taking tourist dollars away from them.

Roy must shrewdly (and violently) handle the situation and find a way to prevent the bypass from happening. At the same time Sheriff Kurt Olsen is determined to present new evidence linking the Opgard brothers to old crimes. Adding to the complexities is the return of Natalie Moe, who Roy rescued years ago as a teenager. Natalie is now in charge of marketing for the spa and showing an interest in Roy, which is mutual.

The slow-burning start helps set up the various schemes and plans the Opgard brothers have and also serves as a way to establish the character's role and history in their relationship. There are a lot of moving parts in the plot. There is no doubt that Roy is a killer and can resort to violence, but he is one with his own deliberate standards. His role is to be the enforcer for any plans he and Carl have. As the older brother he feels it is his job to protect Carl. This care isn't always reciprocated. The second half of the novel picks up the pace and the complexities, keeping you glued to the pages.

As expected the writing is excellent, capturing the atmosphere while portraying various characters as unique individuals. The brothers are connected by blood, as the title refers to, and Roy takes this burden on as his most important role. Carl abusing this tie to his benefit. Roy must confront the question how far does loyalty and family ties go. Those who read and enjoyed The Kingdom will definitely want to read Blood Ties.

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

Tell Me You Trust Me

Tell Me You Trust Me by Elle Owens
2/11/25; 301 pages
Thomas & Mercer

Tell Me You Trust Me by Elle Owens is a highly recommended debut mystery/thriller following a woman's search for her missing husband.

As he was leaving in the morning her husband Ethan implored Marissa to trust him. Now Ethan has disappeared, leaving Marissa and their eighteen-month-old son Logan behind. She contacts the police and her family is there to support and help her, but they are more demeaning to her than comforting. When she turns to the playlist she shared with Ethan, she sees a new song added by Ethan, "Trust Me," and the two begin to communicate through song titles. 

Ethan worked for her father, who subsequently presented her with evidence that Ethan was having an affair. Marissa doesn't know what to believe, after her brother Peter privately pointed out that their father has fabricated videos before. As her parents become increasingly controlling and dismissing of her capabilities, Marissa manages to slowly uncover the incriminating documents Ethan was hiding from her as well as the surveillance devices installed by her family.

Once I started reading Tell Me You Trust Me it was impossible to stop. Communicating through song titles was unique and the mystery was increasingly interesting as the plot unfolded. Following Marissa as she discovers new clues held my complete attention. There are a whole lot of hidden clues and evidence along the way. 

 

Admittedly, you have to suspend some disbelief, which I easily did, and the identity of the antagonists is clear early in the novel. Don't expect any shocking twists. The fast pace along with the amount of clues and evidence she discovers will hold your attention, which makes up for the lack of twists.

Marissa does experience growth in the novel and manages to care for and protect her son through the whole ordeal. It is satisfying to see her finally get a backbone and stand up for herself, however some of her cluelessness can be challenging to understand. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

 

End of August

End of August by Paige Dinneny
2/11/25; 320 pages
Alcove Press

End of August by Paige Dinneny is a very highly recommended literary family drama and coming-of-age story. This is an excellent, beautifully written debut and I look forward to Dinneny's next novel.

It's 1979 and fifteen-year-old Aurora Taylor and her nomadic mother, Laine, are heading back to Monroe, Indiana, to be with Gran because her Grandpa Jay has died. Years ago Jay helped Gran (Katherine) stop drinking and was admired by the community and loved by Aurora. Laine and Gran, however, always clash, so Aurora assumes this will be a quick visit, a fight will erupt between the two, and Laine will have them pack up and move again. Laine's MO is to always run away. Aurora has lived in eighteen different towns and attended thirteen different schools.

Once there, however, Laine begins an affair with a married mailman, so the two stay in Monroe. This gives Aurora time to actually make a best friend, while falling in love with Gran, the town, and her first boyfriend, the pastor's son Harry. Aurora knows that once her mother's affair ends, things will explode and Laine will want them to pack up and move again. Aurora wants to stay in Monroe but she also knows her mother's actions will reflect on her and may sabotage all her dreams.

The writing is excellent in End of August. Once I started reading I was immediately captivated by Aurora's story of her dysfunctional family, personal trauma, and the itinerant life she has been living. The narrative explores demanding mother-daughter multi-generational relationships and a longing for security and inclusion. The beautifully rendered prose within the even paced plot depicts the various characters while creating a sense of time and place. The complexities of family relationships along with personal trauma is handled with compassion and insight.

Aurora is a fully realized, complicated, sympathetic character and you will wish the best for her as she negotiates her troublesome life. As she approaches her sixteenth birthday, Aurora is mature enough to understand that she craves stability, something she has never experienced before as her mother's emotional instability and selfishness has never actually taken into account what would be best for Aurora. She loves having a best friend and accepts both her strength and flaws. She also has established a good relationship with Gran, seeing her start drinking again after Jay's death and then later stopping. Harry is also a wonderful character.

End of August is a wonderful coming-of-age story that you will remember. Thanks to Alcove for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

This Is a Love Story

This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer
2/4/25; 304 pages
Penguin/Dutton 

This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer is the highly recommended literary New York City story which covers decades of a marriage and family, while also serving as an ode to Central Park. The chapters are told from the point-of-view of each person and that of the park.

Central Park has been part of the lives and marriage of Abe and Jane for fifty years. The park witnesses their love, struggles, emotions, depression, and frustration. Now Jane, an accomplished artist, is dying from cancer, and Abe, a successful author, is recount their lives and relationship, every little memory, beginning with when they met. Next chapters unfold from the point of view of Alice, a graduate student who falls in love with Abe. The story of Max, the son of Abe and Jane comes next. He resents his mother, avoids relationships and is also well acquainted with the park. The narrative then moves back to Abe and Jane.

The narrative captures the complexity and intimacy of each person's story. There are parts of the novel that are quite touching, insightful, and poignant. There are beautifully written sections, but I can't say that about the whole novel. This Is a Love Story has a whole lot of potential but I struggled with the style of the writing. Then, once I was getting into the cadence of it, the switch in characters happened and I had to attend to a new characters emotions. 

I appreciate the story and the intense emotions, but the writing was a turn-off for me. These might have worked better as interconnected short stories with a clear delineation between them. 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to Penguin/Dutton for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

 

North of Ordinary

North of Ordinary by John Rolfe Gardiner
1/14/25; 224 pages
Bellevue Literary Press 

North of Ordinary by John Rolfe Gardiner is an exceptionally well-written, very highly recommended collection of ten short stories. The introduction is written by Christopher Benfey and the illustrations are by Maria Nicklin.

All the stories in this collection are character studies of a variety of characters across a span of different years. The insightful writing handles the failures and struggles of his characters in a thoughtful, profound manner, revealing moments in their individual lives with discernment. As with any short story collection some stories will resonate with different readers more than others, but as a whole this is an exquisite collection that most readers will greatly appreciate.

The stories include: 

Tree Men: a college student takes time off and works for a tree service.

North of Ordinary: a man remembers a flirtation with a female classmate at a strict Christian college

Freak Corner: the narrator reflects on what his deaf sister and a transgender neighbor experienced at the hands of the neighborhood bullies, the Knox brothers, in the 1950s.

Their Grandfather's Clock: a grandfather along with his younger second wife visit his daughter and her family.

Virgin Summer: a young man on a student-exchange trip to France is taken as a last minute exchange of host families to a villa and experiences some historical and social enlightenment.

The Man from Trenton: a writer with his wife on an Amtrak quiet car are beset with a loud man on speakerphone and a confrontation ensues.

The Voice of the Valley:  the postmortem tale of an ambitious and wily women who bought a tiny radio station.

Familiars: two couples who’ve taken vacations at a North Carolina beach house together for 17 years find their friendship begins to wear thin.

In the Time of Magic: a man who is a university's returning scholar after a five year gap shares his story with another older student.

Survival: Lester, a frail elderly man, recounts the story of each house he passes as he walks to a graveyard.

Gardiner is truly a master maker of sentences. Thanks to Bellevue Literary Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via LibraryThing. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

 

Open Season

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman
2/4/25; 288 pages
Ballantine Books
Alex Delaware #40

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman is a very highly recommended procedural and the fortieth novel set in LA featuring Psychologist Alex Delaware joining Homicide Detective Milo Sturgis in an investigation.

The body of a young woman who was drugged and murdered is dumped near an emergency clinic. As soon as they seen to be narrowing in on a suspect, the man is found murdered, shot in the neck by a bullet with a full metal jacket from a .308 rifle. A sniper is suspected, but who and how does it tie to the murdered young woman. Soon, based on the weapon used, the case expands to previous incidents with similarities.

As expected, the writing is excellent, the pace is fast, and the journey to the finding the killer is compelling. Following the investigation to the different cases, directions, and questions that arise with the detectives is intriguing. All of this is naturally accompanied by Alex's keen insights that assist in discovering what is really going on with these cases. It is a pleasure to follow the disclosure of new information and where each new clue leads the team.

At this point, fans of the series know these characters well and what to expect from them. For anyone not following the series, this can be enjoyed as a standalone procedural. You won't have the history, but you will still be able to appreciate the twists the investigation takes on the way to a surprising final denouement.

Thanks to Random House/Ballentine Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Amorphous Breaking the Mold

 Amorphous Breaking the Mold by Steven Burgess
1/1/24; 338 pages
sbgbooks.com

Amorphous Breaking the Mold by Steven Burgess is a recommended quirky, unique science fiction novel told through the dialogue of the characters. The group of characters are a diverse mix - all of them with distinct personalities. It all starts when an object from outer space crashes into a restaurant at a golf course and releases a pulsating yell ooze.

The plot, such as it is, all unfolds through the dialogue of the characters who all display unique personalities and can be entertaining, humorous and absurd. They are also caricatures of a type of person rather than fully realized individuals. There are some informative chapters about slime mold before the slime mold hits.

This novel perplexes me. I think I would actually enjoy it as written more as a performance piece. If the description pointed this out ahead of time I wouldn't have been expecting the science fiction novel I expected to be encountering. With all the dialogue and interaction between characters, I think it could work as a TV show or film. As a science fiction novel it failed for me. The alien doesn't arrive until later in the novel. If I'm reading sci-fi I want the alien encounter front and center, and a lot of real action accompanying some hard facts directly in the story.  

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

 

Johnny Careless

Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade
1/28/25: 240 pages
Celadon Books

Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade is a highly recommended procedural and the debut novel of a veteran screen writer and showrunner for Blue Bloods.

Police Chief Jeep Mullane has returned to head up the small police department in his hometown on Long Island’s North Shore after working at the NYPD, as his father did. Jeep is used to being the blue collar guy among the wealthy. His best friend growing up was Johnny Chambliss, nicknamed Johnny Careless, son of the elite Chambliss family. When a body washes up on a beach in Bayville, Jeep can immediately identify him from the tattoo on his ankle. Jeep has a matching tattoo so he knows it is his friend Johnny.

Mourning the loss of his friend, Jeep is also questioning what happened to Johnny and, since he can't investigate the death, undertakes his own investigation into Johnny's death. Jeep knows many of his friends secrets and the corruption among the wealthy elite and eventually has a colleague give him clues to follow. At the same time he is under pressure from the local mayors to break up an organized gang who are target stealing expensive cars in the area.

The well-written narrative moves between the present day action to flashbacks from Jeep's past following incidents, many involving Johnny, that are spaced about a year apart, leading up the the present. This develops both the characters of Jeep and Johnny, while showcasing their friendship and how it changed over the years. Since Jeep knew Johnny's family, he is privy to inside information and has insight into their characters too. 

As the even-paced plot unfolds, there is a lot of political and societal expectations heaped upon Jeep's shoulders. This is an intricate mystery that has many moving parts that don't all connect as expected, but it does reach a satisfying conclusion. Johnny Careless is a police drama that is a quick read and compelling throughout.

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

The Train from Platform 2

The Train from Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel
1/17/25; 320 pages
HarperCollins

The Train from Platform 2 by Stephanie Steel is a highly recommended locked-room mystery set in London on an incapacitated underground tube train.

Former Detective Inspector Jessica (Jess) Hirsch is stuck on the London Underground train after the power goes out along with the lights leaving the train incapacitated and in darkness. Jess takes charge and goes to see what is happening with the driver. It is then she finds him dead, stabbed, and the wires cut in the cabin. The car behind them is empty of passengers, so Jess knows that one of the people she's with in their car is a killer and her investigative experience kicks in. Stuck with her are teenagers Chloe and Liam, tough Carling drinker Scott, exhausted business man Saul, anxious red-head Amelia , uni-student protestor Isa, and American influencer Jenna.

This is a classic, deliberate locked-room mystery with a small cast of characters and almost everyone of them is a suspect to some degree or another right up to the end. Don't expect a fast-paced thriller, but do expect the tension to rise gradually as they all know one of them is a killer. When the emergency lights go out and they are relying on cell phone lights, for those who still have power, the atmosphere closes in and becomes more claustrophobic.

Jess is a great character and her investigative instincts are strong. As Jess questions her fellow passengers, she can tell that several are lying or holding something back. The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of all the characters, with the exception of Liam.

The Train from Platform 2 is a well-plotted, well executed locked room mystery. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Tartufo

Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton
1/28/25; 352 pages
Grand Central Publishing

Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton is a recommended farcical tale tale, highly for the right reader, involving a giant truffle. The rural Tuscan village of Lazzarini Boscarin is in decline when local truffle hunter Giovanni Scarpazza finds a giant truffle, un tartufo. The worth of truffle has the power to change the course of the village by both helping the citizens and revive interest in visiting it. A large cast of colorful characters from the village come to life in this over-the-top humorous novel.

It is helpful that the cast of characters are listed at the beginning of the narrative so readers can follow who everyone is and all the connections between them. Honestly, there are almost too many characters, all of the quirky but not all of them play an essential role in the novel. Some of this unrestrained writing style is also found in the excessive descriptive passages. At first I appreciated it, until it began to grate and got in the way of actually telling the story and slowed the pace and my appreciation of the novel down.

There is an interesting story woven in all the excesses, which made it an average okay novel for me. Perhaps those who like the author's writing style will appreciate Tartufo more. 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.

Hope

Hope by Andrew Ridker
1/30/25; 433 pages
Duckworth Books/Farrago

Hope by Andrew Ridker is a recommended literary domestic drama.

"The year is 2013 and the Greenspans are the envy of Brookline, Massachusetts..." Scott Greenspan is a cardiologist overseeing a clinical trial and is caught falsifying data which starts the exposure of a series of scandals. His wife Deb works as a volunteer who helps resettle refugees. She also asked Scott for an open marriage so she can also be with her girlfriend. Their daughter Maya works in NYC for a publishing house and makes a series of bad choices. Their son Gideon, who wanted to be a doctor, drops out of college after his father's scandal and undertakes a dangerous journey.

The narrative is told through four different sections, each one focused on the point-of-view of one of the characters. The first is husband and father, Scott, second is daughter Maya, third is wife and mother Deb, and fourth and final is son Gideon. The story is told over the course of approximately a year. Each section opens with the time period covered. 

The writing is good and there are some humorous and poignant moments but it also feels like the story has been told before. This is a drama but it is also an in-depth character study. Making this even more challenging was the fact that none of the characters are likable or engaging. Finally, the slow pace covering this family and their interpersonal relationships over a year made reading Hope a bit of a struggle at times. Perhaps some editing and tightening up the story would have helped.

Originally published by Viking in 7/23 this review is for the kindle edition being released on1/30/25. Thanks to Farrago for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Mailman

The Mailman by Andrew Welsh-Huggins
1/28/25; 360 pages
Mysterious Press/Penzler Publishers

The Mailman by Andrew Welsh-Huggins is an excellent, action-packed thriller and the first book in an entertaining new series featuring Mercury Carter, a highly-skilled freelance courier.

Mercury (Merc) Carter, a former postal inspection agent, is currently working as a mailman, a one-man delivery service. He takes great care to make sure his deliveries go directly to the intended recipient. When he arrives with a delivery at the Indianapolis home of married couple Rachel and Glenn Stanfield, he comes across a gang of violent criminals there, led by a man called Finn, who are about to torture the couple for information. Due to Merc's training as a federal agent, he is able to incapacitate the two goons sent out to eliminate him.

Finn and gang escape with Rachel as a hostage. Merc, with an injured Glenn in tow, takes off in pursuit of the men, so he can make his delivery to Rachel. Along the way he encounters numerous dangerous situations, which he skillfully handles, while uncovering a much broader conspiracy.

Once I started this well-written, high-octane, action-packed thriller it was quickly un-put-downable. This is a great choice for those who like intricate, fast-paced, intriguing thrillers where the clues followed are like a puzzle that must be solved. It is so satisfying to follow Merc's tenacity as he uncovers new clues and handles the numerous threats along the way.

Merc is an intelligent, determined, perceptive, and resourceful protagonist that never misses a delivery. He is an engaging character whose backstory is told in short segments as the present day action unfolds so readers are introduced to him while seeing his skills in action. Merc is comparable to Lee Child's Jack Reacher.

The Mailman introduces a new series full of action and I look forward to Mercury Carter's next delivery. Thanks to Penzler Publishers for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Vanishing Point

The Vanishing Point: Stories by Paul Theroux
1/28/25; 336 pages
HarperCollins

The Vanishing Point: Stories by Paul Theroux is a highly recommended collection of 18 short stories with settings ranging from New England to Hawaii to Africa. As expected, the writing is excellent in the collection. These insightful stories are about men experiencing aging,  reliving memories, longing for fulfillment, and the passing of time.

With any short story collection it is natural for some stories to resonate with various readers more than others. While I found the majority of the stories were compelling and insightful, others were less pertinent for me. It should be noted that the majority of the stories were really written for a male audience and in a few the situations were off-putting for me. This is a good, but uneven collection.

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

Hold Strong

Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, Chris Crabtree
1/28/25; 555 pages
Lake Union Publishing

Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree is a very highly recommended, exceptional historical WWII fiction based on real events from the Pacific theater. Hold Strong will certainly be one of the best books of 2025.

Sam Carlson and Sarah Haber are high school sweethearts from a small town in Minnisota. After high school Sam goes off to join the National Guard while Sarah, an excellent student who excels at math, has a scholarship to attend college and plans to be a teacher. Sam's unit suddenly becomes active and become part of the army as a tank unit. After the Japanese bomb of Pearl Harbor, Sam is sent to the Philippines and subsequently captured as a POW. He is one of the few survivors from the Bataan Death March, endures brutal horrors at a POW camp and, as one of 1,800, ends up on the notorious Japanese Hell Ship, the Arisan Maru.

Sarah went on to earn her masters degree and decided to accept an offer to go to Washington, DC, and work on code breaking. Sarah's natural skills allow her to quickly move up the ranks and become one of the few women to work at an secret, classified facility breaking codes from the Japanese.

What makes this an exceptional novel is the absolutely outstanding quality of the writing and the fact that it is based on real historical events. The amount of research that went into this novel is commendable. Included at the end are a comprehensive Afterword, Bibliography and End Notes.

Chapters which follow the atrocities Sam survives contrasts with those following Sarah's work as one of the first WAVES. Both are working for their country, using their abilities the best they can and based on real people. Their devotion for each other is inspiring. However, Sam's storyline is the most impactful and unforgettable because of the sadistic, vicious treatment he and others endured. His survival against insurmountable odds never seemed to be guaranteed.

The cruel, barbaric horrors that the POWs endured at the hands of the Japanese in WWII is fully covered here for those who never learned about the war crimes that occurred in the Pacific theater. The Bataan Death March should be a known fact by everyone. The conditions and treatment of the prisoners at the Japanese POW camps was brutal and inhumane. Over 21,000 POWs were killed on the Japanese hellships.

Hold Strong truly is an epic novel that is based on the most shocking war crimes of World War II. Thanks toLake Union Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.