Published January 5, 2026 James Grippando’s series featuring Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swytek is a reliably enjoyable source of reading material for fans of legal thrillers (which I am!). In The Right To Remain, the latest — the TWENTIETH in the series (!), Grippando’s skill comes through and I definitely recommend this one for …
Publication Date January 27, 2026 I am certain I have read at least one book by Thrity Umrigar, but can’t remember a THING about it…which won’t be the case with her latest, Missing Sam, which I just read (thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review). The …
Publication Date When I read and reviewed Tana French’s standalone novel The Witch Elm in 2018, I noted that I would have enjoyed seeing more of the Dublin Murder Squad characters (Antoinette Conway, Stephen Moran, and others), but that I had enjoyed getting to know a “whole new cast of characters.” Her next book was …
Publication Date February 3, 2026 I recently saw a promotional flyer for an event at local (wonderful) independent bookstore. Bookshop Santa Cruz “… welcomes award-winning investigative journalist Scott Eden for a discussion with Steve Palopoli about A Killing in Cannabis: A True Story of Love, Murder, and California Weed.” Great timing! Thanks to Spiegel & …
Originally published March, 2019. (Reissued) Legal thrillers are among my favorite genres, and William Bernhardt has been a reliable source of entertainment for years. He has both standalone and series offerings, with his series featuring Ben Kincaid and Daniel Pike among the most popular. I was happy to receive a copy of The Last Chance …
Publication Date December 30, 2025 (just in time for New Years’ Resolutions?) As someone who has had an up-and-down journey with my weight over the years, I am generally curious about the latest/greatest/whatever guaranteed way to lose weight…and have known several people who have been or are taking one of the GLP-1 products (Wegovy, Mounjaro, …
Publication Date February 10, 2026 Several years ago, when I received a copy of James Lee Burke’s book The New Iberia Blues, I noted that James Lee Burke’s series featuring Detective Dave Robicheaux was then at more than twenty titles, and since Burke has long been one of my husband’s all-time favorite authors and Robicheaux …
Every few years we are treated to a new movie or series (generally on PBS) by Ken Burns, focusing on a single time or “thing” – The Civil War, Baseball, The Civil War, to name a few. Now the topic is The American Revolution, with a six part, twelve hour series coming out in November, …
Publication Date November 11, 2025 Again, a new standalone thriller from Philip Margolin? Yes, Please! Since 1993, when my sister recommended one of his books, I have been a fan of Philip Margolin, and since then have enjoyed nearly all of his 20+ books. Legal thrillers are among my favorite genres, and he is often …
Publication Date November 11, 2025 Have I really been a fan of T. Jefferson Parker for FORTY years? Wow. A couple of years ago, when I reviewed his book A Thousand Steps, I wrote: “When I first read T. Jefferson Parker’s Laguna Heat back in 1985, I had recently moved to Santa Cruz and was …
Fans of LeCarre, Graham Greene, etc will love the latest from William Boyd! Thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley, I am the happy recipient of an advance copy of The Predicament in exchange for this honest review. The story is set in 1963. In Guatemala, a CIA agent named Frank Sartorious is working as turmoil …
Publication Date October 14, 2025 In the past few years, Lee Goldberg has made his way onto my list of reliable/favorite authors…you know, the ones that when you see they have a new book, you think, “YES! Definitely gotta get THAT one!” In 2022, there was Movieland, in 2023, Malibu Burning and Calico, in 2024 …
Publication Date November 11, 2025 David Baldacci is an extremely prolific novelist after having a successful career as an attorney. His first novel, Absolute Power, was turned into a good movie in 1997 starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman. Since then, he has written MANY books, both in series (Atlee Pine and Amos Decker, to …
Publication Date October 21, 2025 Almost exactly 2 years ago, Michael Connelly released Resurrection Walk, Book 7 in the “Lincoln Lawyer” series featuring Mickey Haller, and I loved it – FIVE stars. In that story, Mickey and his half brother Harry Bosch (yes, THAT Bosch) work together, Mickey having hired Harry as an investigator to …
Publication Date October 21, 2025 John Grisham is one of those authors whose work is devoured by his fans, who generally find him reliably entertaining. I haven’t read all of his books, and I might be wrong but I think that over the past few years, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag – …
Publication Date October 14, 2025 I’ve realized recently that much of the reading that I find most enjoyable is in the thriller category…with the spy thriller being possibly my favorite genre (when it’s well done). I was super interested in Christopher Reich’s latest, The Tourists, and was pleased to receive a copy from Thomas & …
So there I was, minding my own business, watching Bill Maher and hoping to find ways to laugh about the demise of democracy…then Andrew Ross Sorkin came on…and I wondered, where do I know that name from? When I realized he was the author of 2009’s Too Big To Fail, which scared the crap out …
Publication Date September 2, 2025 I had not read Nathan Harris’s book The Sweetness of Water, but had heard enough rave reviews to know that I wanted to read his latest, Amity. Thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley, I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. And I’m looking forward to the discussion …
Publication Date September 2, 2025 I haven’t read anything of Patrick Ryan’s, so I can’t say I was a fan going in…but I was really looking forward to reading Buckeye after I heard and read so many glowing opinions. I tend to really love multigenerational family sagas(when well done), and a story that spans World …
Mike Lupica is an author (and former newspaper columnist), enjoyed by sports fans for many years in the New York Daily News. He is also known for his many appearances on the all-sports-all-the-time ESPN network. Everyone knows who James Patterson is. Their latest endeavor is The Hamptons Lawyer, a crime novel/thriller collaboration. The Patterson/Lupica collaboration …