Publication Date April 23, 2024 Years ago, when I was fumbling my way through a divorce, a new marriage, family (siblings) issues, and moving to a new place, I stumbled onto a book by Nancy Thayer and found it somehow soothing. It had a happy ending, and it just felt like everyone in the story …
Publication Date January 30, 2024 In 2019, I read and reviewed Kiley Reid’s debut novel, Such A Fun Age, so I was pleased to receive a copy of her second novel, Come And Get It (thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review. I found Such a Fun Age to …
Publication Date May 28, 2024 I’m a retired librarian, and I read a LOT of books. Over the years, two of my favorite genres seem to have been “Southern Gothic “and “Mystery/thriller” and finding authors who combine the two is AWESOME. Greg Iles has been a favorite, and while I haven’t totally loved every single …
Publication Date May 28, 2024 I’m a big fan of well-done true crime. I also read WAY too much not-so-well-done true crime, and I occasionally get very curious about stories where someone just VANISHES off the face of the earth. (Bryce Laspisa or Patti Adkins come to mind). I had heard of the disappearance of …
Publication Date April 9, 2024 Over the years, I have read MANY books by John Sandford, and have reviewed at least a dozen, with several being part of the Prey series. In 2019, writing about John Sandford’s Neon Prey, I wrote “There aren’t many authors whose latest book I eagerly await, and who maintain a …
Publication Date May 21, 2024 Some time ago, I read James Comey’s novel Central Park West, I found it to be “a fast-paced plot including lots of juicy tales of corruption, and terrific legal storytelling. There are also a couple of unexpected twists, and an ending I didn’t see coming…Four stars, almost five.” The protagonist, …
I always enjoy Linwood Barclay’s books. They are reliably good and I count on spending time with each new one ASAP so I was happy to receive a copy of I Will Ruin You from Willia)m Morrow and NetGalley in exchange for this review. The protagonist, Richard Boyle, is a high school English teacher. (Right …
Anne Lamott has always amazed me with her willingness to bare her soul and just pour her heart out to her readers. Years ago (the 80s, maybe?) she used to come to our local bookstore (Capitola Book Cafe) and do readings. Those events were magic! And I have such great memories of her fiction (especially …
A quote about the latest Anna Quindlen novel, After Annie, says “A new Anna Quindlen novel is always cause for celebration,” and if I were asked whether I enjoy reading her novels, I would say “yes,” but then if asked to name my favorite, I’d be…stumped. Can’t think of any titles, in fact! But after …
Publication Date February 13, 2024 Although I was only ten years old at the time of the crime, I vividly remember the shocking death of Lana Turner’s boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato, and how Lana’s daughter Cheryl Crane was charged with the murder. Casey Sherman’s book A Murder in Hollywood is subtitled “the untold story of Tinseltown’s …
Publication Date January 23, 2024 Over the past several years, I have enjoyed several books by Australian author Jane Harper, and she has become one of my favorite authors. The Dry, Force of Nature, and The Lost Man (all of which featured Federal Investigator Aaron Falk) were all five-star reads…and while I admit to being “an easy grader,” …
Published January 1, 2024 When I read Gregg Olsen’s novel The Hive, I said “I’m not sure whether Gregg Olsen is inconsistent, or I am, but it sort of seems like I don’t know what to expect when I pick up one of his books. There have been some excellent ones in the true crime …
Publication Date February 6, 2024 I’ve been an off and on fan of Kristin Hannah’s books, but was particularly interested in The Women when I read that the story began in Southern California in the mid-1960’s, then moved to Vietnam. I graduated from San Clemente High School in 1965 and then got married in ’68, …
Publication Date July 9, 2024 I live in a beach town, and every year there are a few books that I see LOTS of people reading as they relax on the beach. Well, good luck this coming summer relaxing while reading Kimberley McCreight’s Like Mother, Like Daughter! I remember in May of 2020, it was …
Publication Date February 6, 2024 I enjoy psychological thrillers, but had not previously read anything by Freida McFadden (One By One, The Co-Worker, The Housemaid) , so I had no expectations when I received a copy of The Teacher from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The story has two …
Publication Date May 7, 2024 When I read and reviewed Rich Waters by Robert Bailey, I wrote “I’m a fan of legal thrillers: think Scott Turow, John Grisham, Michael Connelly, William Landay. Somehow, I stumbled on Rich Bood by Robert Bailey. The protagonist, Jason Rich, is famous for his billboards from Alabama to Florida, featuring …
Publication Date January 23, 2024 This book has multiple points of view, told by three sisters. One of them, Emma, has discovered she is pregnant around the same time her husband loses his job, so they need a place to live. Emma’s family home is available, owned by her and her two sisters, It’s been …
Publication Date May 9, 2024 This book is a great idea! True crime fans will love it, and at our group meeting, I found that even those who are not aficionados of true crime books had fun with it. There are hundreds of questions, in a variety of formats (multiple choice, etc) so it will …
Publication Date January 16, 2024 I have been incredibly eager to read Lee Goldberg’s Dream Town (#5 in the Eve Ronin series). I have read and enjoyed 1-4 (Lost Hills, Bone Canyon, Gated Prey, and Movieland), and after seeing and hearing Lee at Bouchercon in San Diego, I am solidly a fan! Regarding the series, …
Publication Date June 11, 2024 A few years back, I reviewed another of James Lee Burke’s Robicheaux novels, and got the opinion of one of the biggest Robicheaux fans on the planet – my husband. I gave it four stars, and noted that “My husband found it well-written, as expected. He also enjoyed the repetition …