The Bounty

The Bounty by Janet Evanovich, Steve Hamilton
3/23/21; 320 pages
Atria Books
Fox and O'Hare Series #7

The Bounty by Janet Evanovich and Steve Hamilton is a highly recommended action/adventure thriller.

Special agent Kate O’Hare and international con man Nick Fox work together using their strengths to solve cases. The two have been sent to the Vatican to work with Interpol and the Vatican stop a would be thief, but when the item stolen is not what was expected and is instead a map and, even more shockingly, the thief is identified as Nick's father, Quentin, the hunt is on to find Quentin. When he is found, it becomes clear that more is going than Interpol knows. There is an international organization looking for $30 billion in Nazi gold, and there is a race to find it before they do. Kate and Nick work with Quentin, and Jake, Kate's father, a professor and a retire British officer work together to find the clues and decipher what they mean. At the same time they have a group of bad guys after them at every step. The key is to find clues hidden across Europe, keep them away from the bad guys, and put them together to find where the gold is hidden.

The Bounty is one of those action/adventure thrillers that requires you to totally suspend disbelief and ignore all the impossibilities that occur at every turn in order to enjoy the adventure. The group travels all over, have contacts and the ability to get what ever supplies that they need at every turn, and manage to be talented and knowledgeable do all the impossible things. I easily set aside my disbelief to enjoy the action that ranges from the Eiffel Tower, to the Swiss Alps, to Great Britain, to Austria, to Slovakia, and to the Sahara. This is a movie waiting to be filmed.

I've read one of the previous Fox and O'Hare novels. With series character development often occurs over several books. At this point those following the series know the characters and those of us who haven't followed every book have to accept that we don't know all the back story. This is easy to do as the action is the main event here and the characters are just the vehicle to get the action done. This is great escapism.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Atria Books.

Danger in Numbers

Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham
3/23/21; 336 pages
MIRA Books

Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham is a highly recommended thriller/procedural.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Amy Larson and her experienced partner of two years, John Schultz, are sent to investigate a horrendous ritualistic murder on the edge of the Everglades. The FBI quickly joins the investigation because of a similar ritualistic murder that occurred. FBI special agent Hunter Forrest join the two. Hunter has information and knowledge that will focus the investigation as he specializes in ritualistic killings, extremists, and the occult. When John has a heart attack, Amy joins Hunter in investigating the murder. Amy sketches every crime scene and her sketches helped focus the investigation as she often captures subtle nuances that can be overlooked when viewing crime scene photos. Hunter and Amy work together and quickly determine the direction their investigation will take.

Hunter is a better developed main character, however Amy is not given the same character development. She is known for her proclivity to draw crime scenes, but her artistic ability seems to be a bit over-stated as a sketch wouldn't necessarily capture everything it is purposed to be able to do in the plot. Ask anyone who actually is talented at drawing. Hunter has a whole backstory to shore up his character and give it some depth. Both characters are portrayed as intelligent and insightful, as well as attractive.

While the investigation will hold your attention, there were not the twists or surprises that one expects in a procedural thriller. It is a very familiar plot with no real surprises. The key to enjoyment is simply to read, follow the clues, and reach the conclusion. The fact that a cult is involved does make it more interesting and frightening. The side story set set in 1993 actually raised the rating of the novel for me and added at least something beyond the unremarkable, familiar plot. Honestly, I could do without the partners attraction to each other as I would prefer the investigators to concentrate on the actual investigation. 3.5

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books.

Taking the Fight South

Taking the Fight South: Chronicle of a Jew's Battle for Civil Rights in Mississippi by Howard Ball
2/1/21; 280 pages
University of Notre Dame Press

Taking the Fight South: Chronicle of a Jew's Battle for Civil Rights in Mississippi by Howard Ball is a highly recommended autobiography from 1976-1982

Howard Ball chronicles the six years, from 1976-1982, that he, his wife Carol, and his three young daughters moved from the Bronx to Starkville, Mississippi. Ball accepted a tenured position in the political science department at Mississippi State University. The move, like most moves across country, was a culture shock for the Jewish family from the Bronx and an awakening to the societal conditions in Mississippi during the civil rights struggles at that time. Ball, a historian and civil rights activist, did not shy away from the task set before him. He and Carol immersed themselves in the community working to make integration a reality rather than just a law. He was active with the Mississippi chapter of the ACLU. The family remained close to their Jewish faith in a heavily Protestant area and received threats for his activism.

This is a riveting historical biography set during a very specific time and place in America. It is important to note that Ball lived in Mississippi from 1976-1982, which means 40 years have passed since his experiences there and much has changed in the world. After finding his notes from his time in Mississippi, Ball set out to share his stories from his time in the deep South. The chapters are written as recollections of events that occurred during the time his family lived there and the struggles and obstacles they experienced.

Ball writes that Judaism asks that they observe and obey the law but also that they vigorously debate, discuss, and disagree with each other as well as take legal of political action to challenge it. This affirmation of justice has shaped both his character and the mission of his work. Taking the Fight South showcases Balls fight for social justice during his six years in Mississippi many year ago. "Distinguished historian and civil rights activist Howard Ball has written dozens of books during his career, including the landmark biography of Thurgood Marshall, A Defiant Life, and the critically acclaimed Murder in Mississippi, chronicling the Mississippi Burning killings."

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the University of Notre Dame Press.

Saving Grace

Saving Grace by Debbie Babitt
3/16/21; 328 pages
Penzler Publishers

Saving Grace by Debbie Babitt is a highly recommended (maybe) debut novel of suspense.

Set in two different time lines in the small town of Repentance, Arkansas, Saving Grace follows Mary Grace Dobbs' search for her salvation from her past. In 2019 Mary Grace is the first female sheriff and the single mother to Felicity. In 1995 Mary Grace was an eleven year old orphan living with her aunt and uncle when two of her sixth grade classmates went missing in an event that rocked the town. Mary Grace still has guilt over the events in 1995. Her long-held guilt could be over her temper, a bully who made her life difficult, her cousin who was sadistic to animals, or her feelings over her parent's death. When a man who was a suspect in 1995 returns in 2019, it brings a host of emotions across the town, especially when a sixth grade girl disappears.

While the story will hold your attention for the most part as you try to figure out why Mary Grace has so much guilt, the actual novel is a bit choppy and uneven. The narrative alternates between the events of 1995 and 2019. The switching back and forth in time as well as the tense, first and third person, was not as successful in this novel as it has been in others. There are enough hints and suggestions in both timelines that imply something awful is coming, which will keep you reading even during certain parts that seem repetitious and rather long-winded and slow.

Mary Grace is a character who is hard to analyze and get a read on why she feels so condemned all the time. In both timelines, Mary Grace constantly bemoans her cursed state and lack of salvation and you won't learn the reason why until the very end. Granted the ending is really a shocking twist and revelation, but getting there was a struggle at time. Part of the issue could be the constant referral to what she did, to her reprobate state, but then nothing, no disclosures, for so long that you begin to doubt that anything of any importance actually did happen to her beyond the typical adolescent traumas. Nothing is really what it seems.

Character development is actually following the same rocky road. Because you don't know why Mary Grace feels cursed and evil and you don't see any indication of her behaving that badly. It seems like she may just need some therapy and perhaps medication. At the same time the townspeople are really reduced to caricatures of a type rather than unique individuals. It also felt like there was a bit of stereotyping the residents of an area of the country. (3.5 rounded up)

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penzler Publishers via Netgalley.

Search for Her

Search for Her by Rick Mofina
3/9/21; 512 pages
MIRA Books

Search for Her by Rick Mofina is a highly recommended twisty thriller

Grace Jarrett and John Marshall along with her daughter Riley and his son Blake are a blended family who are making a move across the country, from San Diego to Pennsylvania. Grace and John married two years previously after they both lost their first spouses and John a daughter due to tragedies. This move represents a big job advancement for John and a new start for the family, but 14 year-old Riley is upset about the move and being told to break up with her boyfriend, Caleb. Blake, seventeen, seems indifferent. As they start the trip in a rented RV, Grace confiscates Blake and Riley's phones so they will see the scenery rather than being glued to their screens resulting in Riley angrily stomps off to take a nap in the back.

As they enter Nevada, they decide to stop at the Silver Sagebrush, a huge truck stop complex. Grace makes the decision to allow Riley to keep sleeping and leaves her a note as the family goes inside. They return to the RV half-an-hour later and continue the trip. Grace asks Blake to check on Riley, which he pretends to do and then says she's sleeping. When Grace check a bit later, She realizes Riley's gone. John frantically tries to find a place to turn the RV around to return while Grace frantically calls the Silver Sagebrush to start the search for Riley. They are heading back when an accident totals the RV. All of this sets into motion a frantic search for Riley who can't be found at the truck stop as well as the exposure of secrets all the family members have been keeping.

Once the plot has been set into motion, the novel turns to part investigation and part family drama. There is no doubt that the intense drama and heart-stopping twists are all encompassing and will keep you glued to the pages. There are a few instances where you have to set disbelief aside, which you will easily do in order to follow the investigation. As a 14 year old missing from one of the largest truck stops in the country, she could be a prime target for all manner of nefarious deeds, so the main drama is the search for Riley. But you will also want to find out exactly what secrets the family is keeping since the existence of these huge secrets is teased all the way through the novel. The investigators question and look closely at the family members as suspects in Riley's disappearance.

The character development is secondary to the action and suspense. They are developed, but it is all at a measured pace and based on keeping the drama, tension, and suspense moving along at a fast pace. Mofina knows how to deliver the drama and suspense and that is what will keep you frantically reading to the end.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books.

Hummingbird Salamander

Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer
4/6/21; 368 pages
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer is a highly recommended biotech speculative conspiracy thriller.

An unnamed security consultant “Jane Smith” is the narrator who states that is telling us the story of how the world ends. Jane receives an envelope with a note and a key to a storage unit. Inside the storage unit is a taxidermied hummingbird and a note from someone named Silvina with the words hummingbird ... salamander. Jane takes the hummingbird and begins to surreptitiously look into who Silvina is. Jane discovers the note was from Silvina Vilcacampa, a reputed ecoterrorist and the daughter of an Argentine industrialist. Her research, even though it was carefully undertaken, sets into motion a series of events that result in surveillance and danger from unseen and unknown enemies. Jane, though, is a strong, capable woman, physically and mentally, and she continues looking into Silvina's life even as the danger increases.

Hummingbird Salamander is an absolutely unique twisty thriller with a noir vibe. We have antagonists who are destroying the natural world and involved in exotic wildlife smuggling, but they aren't absolutely bad. We have protagonists who mean well, but are also running on the wrong side of the law. There are also endangered species, climate change, the approaching end of the world, a dark global conspiracy, and a host of unseen foes who want to stop anyone looking into any knowledge of whatever it is that Silvina was doing - but why? And the attacks are directed at everyone even remotely connected with Jane.

The thriller is extremely well written and carefully plotted to allow an increase of tension as the action carefully unfolds and the danger is ever present, ever increasing. The world described is certainly similar to the one we live in, although not entirely realistic, but in a future transmutation of the world. It is not a created new world/new reality. It does, at times have a sort of cinematic dream-like feeling. As if we are being shown the reality of what is behind the curtain, what could be a future.

Jane is a well-developed character, although not particularly likeable. She wouldn't care if you liked her either. She was a body builder, she is tall, strong, and already prepared with a go-bag to escape some threat. She is not afraid of defending her self. She does the unexpected in physical fights which put the men attacking her off-balance. She's in many ways a very good role model for women to be physically strong and mentally smart. On the other hand, she continues to call the large bag she carries "shovel pig" after her boss gave it that moniker. That's a little odd. But you will also follow Jane's actions with rapt attention right to the ultimate final revelations.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Farrar, Straus and Giroux via Netgalley

Falling from Trees

Falling from Trees by Mike Fiorito
2/9/21; 136 pages
Apprentice House

Falling from Trees by Mike Fiorito is a recommended slim collection of short stories which all have science fiction elements.

These very brief speculative stories explore consciousness, identity, climate change, and the human condition. The collection consists of all soft science fiction stories with the focus more on the concept than the actual science. Admittedly, I generally appreciate hard science fiction stories more than the softer conceptual variety. The stories presented are also almost too brief. An interesting idea/concept/setting/character is introduced in a brief narrative, grabs your attention, and then it's over. Smith is the only recurring character who makes an appearance in four stories. The collection is entertaining and a quick read, while the success of the actual content of the stories was rather hit or miss for me.

Contents:

Climbing Time  - Those with Asperger's lead the way when an alien species communicates through them.
The Love of a Dandelion - Colin loves drawing yellow suns.
The Thread - Aliens contact a man and tell him of their plans to save humans.
Twilight - The earth is annihilated with just a few random survivors.
Tiny Blue Oceans - A man is hopeful to overcome problems and find a way home as his capsule drifts between the earth and the moon.
Simulacrum - Roberto visits Lourdes.
Slow Time -  We follow the actions of a half man living with/in nature.
The Unending -  A man who lives by the tracks takes an odd late night ride on a train.
Everybody’s Perfect, Nobody’s Human -  A man attends a week long corporate event. Work will set you free.
The Purest Rain - A crew who left Earth evolves into one consisting of pure thought.
All of The Days - A couple is offered to have their son remain 6 forever.
The Three Bridges - An astrophysicist meets a magician.
The Long Way - Philip stops at the bakery to buy a loaf of bread.
A Star in Time - Willy and Smith talk about what they are going to do.
The Numbers Man -Smith walks into  Monroe's bar.
The Productions of Time - Smith visits the beach on the ocean.
Earth to Earth -Smith visits the Mojave desert.
Pale Leviathan - The heat is unbearable as climate change marches on.
Skies of Hell Flames - A dysfunctional couple drinks and argues.
Tomorrow’s Ghost -Liddy has reoccurring dreams of an alien while his wife is away at a climate conference.
Storytime - Twlf reads a story about earth to her son Pflx.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes from Apprentice House and TLC. 

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