Cold Sunset

 

Cold Sunset by William Boyd
11/3/26; 272 pages
Grove Atlantic
Gabriel Dax Novel #3 

Cold Sunset by William Boyd is a highly recommended literary espionage novel and the third book in the in this spy-drenched cold war series featuring Gabriel Dax.

In March of 1964 at the behest of Faith Green at MI6’s Institute of Developmental Studies, reluctant spy and travel writer Gabriel Dax meets with F.T. Falkner in Santa Monica. Falkner, a poet and former member of British intelligence in WWII, has information and a name. He believes Angus Fairford was a double agent for the Soviet Union. Faith orders Dax to talk to Fairford, who currently lives in Indianapolis. Once questioned, Fairford admits to being a double agent and agrees to identify others. Once Dax returns to his cottage in Britain, he soon realizes he is going to be targeted by a hitman and Faith wants him to travel to the Soviet Union.  

First, it must be mentioned that I started here, with the third book in the series and I think it would have been a more intelligent choice to start at the beginning. I could immediately tell I was missing backstory and connections from previous adventures. The first two books in the series are Gabriel’s Moon and The Predicament and I would recommend reading them before Cold Sunset. Because I was starting with book three, I also was a bit taken aback by our hero's heavy smoking, hard drinking, and promiscuity. I suppose it represents the 1960's, but it seemed a bit excessive. (This would apply to the description of what Faith is wearing too.)

The writing is quite good and the pace is even in this well-plotted novel. The chronological time line makes traversing the plot a breeze so readers can follow the action and drama along with plenty of treachery, subterfuge, and humor. It becomes clear that trust is a transitory idea that is best met with a cordial suspicion. Even though Dax is completely enamored with his boss, Faith Green, it is clear that she isn't trustworthy, but then this is a novel of spies and double agents, so who is? Even though I was missing backstory, I did enjoy this novel.

Cold Sunset is a great choice for those who enjoy cold war espionage novels and who have read the first two books in the series. Thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Madeline McKnight Signs Off

 

Madeline McKnight Signs Off by Evan Brooke
11/3/26; 352 pages
Atria Books 

Madeline McKnight Signs Off by Evan Brooke is a recommended literary novel, for the right reader.

Madeline McKnight's cancer treatment has ended and now she is waiting for the metastasized cancer to kill her. While in treatment, her doctor suggested journaling, which she considers a waste of time, so Madeline is calling it an annual report. In her report she rates how she is doing among other things. Madeline presents her former friend Cara's daughter, Bri Davis, who is a nursing student, a lucrative proposal if she will take time off from school to come care for her to the end. Bri, who has just broken up with her girlfriend and is drowning in debt, accepts. 

When Bri arrives at Madeline opulent "cabin" in the Poconos, she meets a woman who is still a force of nature and very much still resembles the former power player she once was on Wall Street. She also meets Lee, Madeline's boyfriend, Sue, her assistant and driver, and a Newfoundland name Hopie. This begins the fly fishing sessions and assisting Madeline in setting up a museum devoted to the life of Hetty Green, who was known as the Witch of Wall Street during the Gilded Age.

Chapters in the narrative alternate between the point-of-view of Madeline and Bri, with additional "reports" written by Madeline. This is technically an exceptionally well-written literary novel, but the actual content and plot would perhaps retain your attention more than it did mine if you are very interested in fly fishing, tying fishing flies, and Wall Street history involving Hetty Green, as the storylines are highly dependent upon this. I care zero about both so this narrative presented a struggle to hold my attention from the start and this continued right to the end. 

I liked Hopie. I didn't particularly like or care about any other character. Yes, Madeline reaches acceptance of things she did wrong in the past and Bri matures, experiences emotional growth, and becomes wealthy, but this novel is more dependent upon the plot (fly fishing and information/search for material about Hetty Green) rather than character development. Perhaps the better choice would have been to write a biography about Hetty Green, rather than adding her story to a fictional tale. I may be done with reading books about dying curmudgeonly old women. 

Madeline McKnight Signs Off would be recommended for those interested in a literary novel highly focused on Hetty Green and fly fishing. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel

 

There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel by Jason Pargin
11/3/26; 384 pages
St. Martin's Press
John Dies at the End Series #5 

There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel: A Novel of Giant Crabs by Jason Pargin is a highly recommended bizarre science fiction satire with horror elements featuring peculiar alternate universes threatening our world. And maybe giant crabs. Basically, it is hard to find a category for this entertaining 5th novel in the John Dies at the End series. Pargin opens the novel with a warning: "...you should not read any further if you are in any kind of emotionally fragile place or have recently eaten. What follows is an unflinching look at how the powerful can twist the rest of us in to grotesque tools to serve their own diabolical ends."

John texts his partners David and Amy to report that they need to go look at a very large log of severed arms and legs has suddenly appeared at the Spirit Nothing Store (seasonally swap out Halloween in name). John, David and Amy are local subject matter experts, or the local weirdos, who are called when the cops don't want the headache of some extra-natural event which can be common in their town. Police officer "Judy Justice" meets them there. There are footprints leading away from the body parts. Then there is a strange otherworldly visitor at the house who tells them he believes a Penetrator is here and brought the log of limbs. Oh, and one of the arms is identified as belonging to David, who still has both of his arms....

Each chapter opens with a countdown to how long before the Giant Crab Attack is coming. The pace is fast and the whole absurd complicated multiverse plot has multiples of multiples going on, threatened war, and non-stop action. The town is apparently a magnate for inexplicable events and appearances of... things. As the plot deals with a multiverse situation, there are a variety of different locations and scenes, some humorous, some gory. The characters are... originals. I was unsure if John and, perhaps, David were acting the fool or really were stupid. Amy is acknowledged by everyone to be the brains behind them. 

I somehow stumbled into this series without reading the previous novels because I loved I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom (9/24/24). This is the only one of the John Dies at the End series books I've read. It has been noted that you can read this addition as a standalone, but I still felt I might be missing something by starting here. I will totally admit to feeling lost and confused at first, but once I realized this novel follows its own rules and all I was required to do was read and follow along, all was good.

There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel is highly recommended. 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.

Molly is Missing

 

Molly is Missing by Samantha Hayes
10/26/26; 324 pages
Bookouture 

Molly is Missing by Samantha Hayes is a highly recommended domestic thriller that epitomizes everything a popcorn thriller should encompass. Set disbelief aside and enjoy this over-the-top soap opera.

Kim and Joel are looking forward to seeing their sixteen-year-old daughter Molly after her four day school history trip. Kim has been receiving texts from her documenting everything Molly has done and see. As Kim waits she sees Molly's best friend Jade get off the bus, but no Molly. Then Kim learns that Molly never went on the trip and that a text was sent by her, Kim, saying Molly was ill and would not be attending. Kim never sent this. The police are called and the search begins.  From the opening we know someone took Molly before the trip, so the question is who and why. Where is Molly?

The narrative alternates between Kim and Molly's point-of-view. The chapters are short and the pace is fast which allows the pages to fly by. There are plenty of secrets, lies, bad choices and cagey behavior among them all. The go-to approach is trust no one as Kim undertakes investigating on her own. There are also chapters from the past thrown into the mix with another story line that add little.

This one will require readers to set aside a huge, heaping dose of disbelief multiple times while reading. It really will hold your complete attention even when your shaking your head over what is happening and suspending disbelief repeatedly. The actual huge twist at the end was over the top, although parts were very predictable. It does reach popcorn thriller perfection and becomes a wildly entertaining soap opera of over-the-top drama. 

Molly is Missing is a great choice for those who love popcorn thrillers and can set any and all disbelief aside while reading. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Missing Wives

 

The Missing Wives by Morgan Greene
10/29/26; 348 pages
Bookouture
Detective Alexandra Marshall #2

 The Missing Wives by Morgan Greene is a very highly recommended investigative thriller. This is the second novel in the series featuring Detective Alexandra (Alex) Marshall from the Washington state special investigations department. While this could be read as a standalone novel, I would recommend reading the first novel in the series, The Girl Who Lived, for the background information on Alex. 

On her way home from an investigation Detective Alex Marshall is called by Captain Thomas (Tom) Doyle to the small town of Dunning, Washington to investigate a murder. Kevin Hsu and Dana Garcia are on their way, but Alex will be the first to arrive. What she discovers is a woman, Rebecca Cook, has been found strapped down to a chair and drowned in a stock tank in an abandoned barn. The chair contraption was built to dunk her repeatedly and clearly the murder was premeditated. The Sheriff, Lacey Mitchell is on site, but the situation is completely out of her depth and she has no control over the crime scene or her deputies. 

Then an envelope is sent to the police with the name April Gallagher on it, clearly indicating she is the next target. When Alex and Lacey go to the house to suggest that April accompany them to the police department for her safety, what they find is a group of belligerent, angry men: Grant Walker, Scott Cook, Brian Gallagher and David Harper. Even when they get April to the police department, a lawyer is sent to take her back home. Then she is missing the next day. What Kevin discovers is that they are all business partners who run a property development company called Dunning Real Estate Company (DREC) and they control the town. Their ethically questionable practices have included buying up land, closing water sources, pushing people out of town, and destroying lives.

The writing is excellent as it creates an sinister, suspicious, and dangerous atmosphere while keeping the tension high. It will be clear to readers early that the death of the women is due to the actions of their husbands. The perpetrator definitely has an agenda and is seeking retribution. As the action moves at a fast pace, the novel quickly becomes un-put-downable. It is clearly up to Alex to discover the reason for the murders and her investigation proceeds in a logical manner with clues followed up on and plausible discoveries made. 

Alex is an intelligent, insightful investigator and a fighter for justice, but she is also a very troubled, damaged woman, both physically and mentally. Her character receives more development in this second novel. She is running on very little sleep and she takes another beating. Lacey, the ineffectual sheriff, is a very frustrating character, along with her deputies who are out of control. Kevin and Dana are taken out of the action in the plot and have a reduced role.

The Missing Wives is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys murder investigations and especially those who read the first novel in the series, The Girl Who Lived. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Missing Molly

 

Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli
10/20/26 (originally 1/5/18); 336 pages
Poisoned Pen Press  

Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli is a highly recommended psychological thriller following a cold case where the answers are closer than they know. This is a re-release of the book originally published on 1/5/2018. 

Rachel Holloway returns from vacation to learn that the South Hackney Herald, the newspaper where she works, has 8 weeks to turn things around or they will have to close. Her boss, Chris Masterson has a plan coordinated with the new guy, Jacob, to do an investigative true-crime podcast looking into a cold case from 12 years early. They are going to find out what happened to twelve-year-old Molly Forster. Her father, mother, and sister Grace were brutally murdered, but Molly disappeared and was never seen or found again. Rachel's best friend, Vivian is thrilled with the idea. Rachel is not because she IS Molly Forester and she has spent years hiding from the killer. Three people know what happened and she is one of them.

This is certainly an entertaining thriller that will hold your complete attention. The fast-pace and short chapters work together to keep the narrative moving along. Because Rachel is Molly, readers are provided with inside information and details about her life, which is kept from her colleagues for the majority of the novel. She knows who did it and she also knows she is in danger if her identity is expose. Included in the novel are written scripts from the podcast. There are several times where the plot takes an unbelievable turn and/or you will have to set disbelief aside. The unbelievable plot points seem to multiple toward the end.   

Rachel/Molly is portrayed as a complex character with several major weaknesses. Other characters are also developed, although Rachel's best friend, Vivian, never really felt like a trustworthy friend to me. Because Rachel is involved with the podcast she also knows the direction of their research and can try to control what is happening without giving away her secret. This does bring several questions and doubts to mind and is not believable at all based on her role at the paper. In my final assessment, the novel is entertaining enough to overlook the flaws.

Missing Molly is a good choice for those who enjoy psychological thrillers and can set aside disbelief. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Hollow

 

The Hollow By Michael Connelly
10/27/26; 352 pages
Little, Brown and Company
Harry Bosch Series #26 

The Hollow By Michael Connelly is a very highly recommended investigative thriller. This can readily be enjoyed as a standalone despite the fact that it is the 26th novel featuring retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch.

Still recovering from knee replacement surgery 4 weeks earlier, Harry Bosch visits the grave of murder victim Jennifer Talbot whose case was never solved. He is leaving a vase of flowers on it when her ex-husband Gregory Talbot shows up. The two exchange words, Bosch leaves and Talbot takes the vase of flowers to give to his current wife, not knowing that the flowers were bugged and everything he says is being recorded by Renee Ballard and her team. They record him and his wife confessing to the murder. Now they need to file the charges.

When he returns home, defense attorney Mickey Haller is there to inform Bosch that the class action civil suit against MacLaren Children's Center, which was decades in the making, has been settled and he along with many others are entitled to an award for damages of $350,000. Over sixty years ago Bosch became a ward of the state and sent to the notorious MacLaren after his mother died. The news pulls Bosch back in time to 1963 when he first met his good friend Charlie Lamb "Chops" who was killed at MacLaren in 1965. At the time Chops death was barely investigated. Now Bosch wants to see the discovery papers from the class action suit and hopefully find clues about who killed Chops. He has his suspicions. Bosch's investigation leads him right into another, much larger, investigation involving the FBI.

It was a sheer pleasure to read this well-written, fast-paced, un-put-downable novel featuring compelling investigations covering decades. The writing is clear and concise while following the clues in the investigations and it will hold your complete attention. He manages to follow clues and piece together information that others have missed. The deep dive into events from the past, along with Bosch's memories, added a depth to the current discoveries. He doesn't want the payout, in fact he's going to donate it, what he wants is justice.

Bosch may be feeling his age now, but his mind is still as sharp as ever and he continues to put himself into harms way. Honestly, there were times when I wanted to caution him, "Be careful. You've just had a knee replacement and you are 75." I understand that he would ignore me and continue to do things his way. The final denouement, implemented in Bosch's immutable style, was absolutely perfectly.

The Hollow is an excellent choice for those who enjoy investigative thrillers and fans of Michael Connelly's novel. 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.