Thayer I’m not a big fan of “women’s fiction.” In fact, two years ago I began my review of Nancy Thayer’s Family Reunion by saying “I admit it. The phrase “women’s fiction” generally makes me shudder. I don’t quite equate it with the phrase “bodice ripper,” but almost. “ I DID give that one three …
Over the years, Linwood Barclay has been more or less what I think of as a reliable author: I mean, if I am searching for something to take me away for awhile, his books are usually able to fill the bill. So when I was offered a copy of The Lie Maker from William Morrow …
In 2019, I stumbled across Adam Mitzner’s book A Matter of Will. It was one of those legal thrillers I love – the kind that keep you up reading until the book is DONE. I hadn’t realized that he had been publishing since 2011, and I looked forward to reading more of his work. I …
I was curious about Former FBI Director James Comey’s novel (Central Park West), and when I saw the blurb describing it as “…a masterful blend of legal thriller, police procedural and psychological drama,” I was intrigued because those are among my very favorite genres for escapist fiction. A couple of things Comey knows VERY well …
I was a tiny bit apprehensive as I began reading Congresswoman Katie Porter’s book I Swear (subtitled Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan) because I really like and admire her, and didn’t want to be disabused of my positive view. She represents the place where I grew up, which has been referred to as being …
In 2015, I read Michael Robotham’s The Night Ferry, then in 2016 I was KNOCKED OUT by Close Your Eyes! 2017’s The Secrets She Keeps was not quite as terrific (for me) as the other two, so maybe that is how I missed 2019’s Good Girl, Bad Girl, the first in a series featuring Cyrus …
A few weeks ago, I was watching the Rachel Maddow show, and she discussed the story of the cyber surveillance tool named Pegasus. Developed originally by a company called NSO (a private group based in Israel) as a way for the good guys to monitor the bad guys, it has apparently morphed into a tool …
I kept seeing the word noir used to describe Edgar Award winner Jordan Harper’s latest, Everybody Knows. After a few hmmms, I looked it up, thinking I was unclear as to what it really meant. I got this: “a genre of crime film or fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity.” Thanks to Mulholland …
I was intrigued by the blurb and promo material for The House In The Pines by Ana Reyes. I mean, even Reese spoj=ke highly of it…but hmmm not all her choices resonate with me. But WTH, it is the dead of winter (at least what passes for winter on the central coast of California), and …