I’m positive I have read other books by Sara Paretsky that featured “plucky heroine” V.I. Warshawski, Chicago PI – but I couldn’t name one or recall a plot – just went into this one expecting a well-written story to take my mind off the pandemic, crime, corruption, etc. And Overboard is definitely well-written, as expected. …
I am fortunate to live in an area where we can grow food outdoors year-round…but for those in locations where there is actual winter, or those who just like the idea of growing food indoors,How to Garden Indoors & Grow Your Own Food Year Round by Kim Roman is a great book. There are four …
In 2016, Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10 was a big hit, and I was among those who enjoyed it – a LOT. 2019’s Turn of the Key was a 3-star “meh” for me, then 2020’s One By One was a solid 4 stars. So I was eager to see whether her latest, The …
Several years ago, I became a big fan of Jason Kander, mostly as a result of hearing him interviewed and later by listening to his podcast Majority54. I was not his only fan: in President Obama’s last interview as President, Jason’s was the first name he gave when asked who gave him hope for the …
Nearly five years ago, I read and reviewed Shadow Man by Alan Drew, and I said it was “the best kind of novel: one that truly entertains the reader while making us THINK. Ben Wade is a great character, and I hope Shadow Man is the first in a series.” Then my (long) wait began, …
Last year, when I read and reviewed Chris Bohjalian’s Hour of The Witch, I wrote “I admit it: I have been a big fan of Chris Bohjalian, ever since I read Midwives several years ago. I consider Mr. Bohjalian one of the most reliable authors I read regularly, and I always look forward to his …
Christopher Reich worked at a Swiss bank for three years, which might be part of the reason why I originally thought his “insider info” would make for some really great storylines. But looking back, I only gave 3 stars to 2016’s Rules of Deception (#1 in the Ransom series) and also to 2018’s The Take …
I’ve been a fan of JohnSandford’s books for many years, and have generally enjoyed the Lucas Davenport books more than the Virgil Flowers ones…in fact, the last two Flowers books I have read, Holy Ghost and Bloody Genius, have been serious disappointments for me. So I was happy to see that the focus for Sandford’s …
OK, I admit it – the title Good Sh*t grabbed me. I have vivid memories of ““bathroom issues” going back MANY decades (missing the school bus to kindergarten because I was stuck in the bathroom, for example). And it seems that after retirement age, people’s lives way too often revolve around pooping – particularly in …
Jumping Sharks and Dropping Mics – what a great title! Gareth Carrol is a senior lecturer and researcher at the University of Birmingham in England, and has long been fascinated by idioms – what they are, where they came from, what they mean. Thanks to John Hunt Publishing and NetGalley I received a copy of …
I enjoyed Lucy Foley’s book The Guest List, so I was looking forward to reading The Paris Apartment. Thanks to William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley I received a copy in exchange for this honest review. So…I didn’t finish it. I may have missed something terrific, but TBH I didn’t care about any of the characters, …
John Glatt is one of my favorite authors in my guilty secret genre of true crime. His book The Perfect Father (the horrifying story of Chris Watts, who murdered his wife and two little girls), published in 2020, got five stars from me and Golden Boy (the story of member of the Manhattan elite Tommy …
Harlan Coben’s book The Boy From the Woods introduced readers to Wilde, who was basically a feral child living on his own in the woods when he was “found” as a young child. Other characters included Hester Crimstein, her daughter-in-law Laila (Wilde’s on-and-off lover) and Laila’s son Matthew, whose father David was Wilde’s best friend …
Austin Rogers, a former contestant on Jeopardy, has compiled a ginormous mass of facts, organized them into themed rounds, sorted by difficulty. The focus is on pop culture and history from the 1980s to the present. Also included are geography, sports, music, flags – something for almost everyone! Great choice for trivia buffs or anyone …
Megan Rapinoe became REALLY famous as a soccer player. She then found herself the focus of tons of opinions, pro and con, when she stood up for Colin Kaepernick. They have a lot in common, being true social justice warriors. In One Life, Megan tells her story from childhood to the present day. There is …
Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier is a highly anticipated book, and it sounded like it was just my type of thing: a woman in danger, in a psychological thriller, the kind of book that you just CANNOT. PUT. DOWN. You know, pandemic escapism at its best. The story revolves around a couple, Lyla …
Noah Hawley’s book Before The Fall was a favorite of mine back in 2016, so I was pleased to receive a copy of his new book, Anthem, from Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review. And wow, lots of hype around this one: “The first big novel of 2022” and an …
Lee Cole is an author who was born and grew up in rural Kentucky, and his novel Groundskeeping features an aspiring author named Owen Callahan who was born and grew up in Kentucky…hmm. I would not be surprised to learn that a boatload of the thoughts and feelings in the novel are drawn directly from …
If you enjoy stories with unreliable narrators, possibly unstable women, annoying characters in general, and a nice dose of gaslighting, here’s a book for you! Or possibly you just want something twisty and turny to get your mind off the death of democracy and a worldwide pandemic for a day or two, well, buckle up! …
In 1993, I read a book by Philip Margolin, recommended by my sister, and since then have enjoyed nearly all of his 20+ books. Legal thrillers are among my favorite genres, and he is often referred to as “the master of the courtroom thriller,” so I was pleased to receive a copy of The Darkest …