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 …
California’s best nature walks! But how can they narrow it down to just 32? I grew up on the Southern California coast, and have been fortunate to live in the far Northern part of the State (Humboldt County), the Bay Area, and now the Central Coast (Santa Cruz). Along the way, I’ve hiked for years …
A young woman named Lucca Marino works for a mysterious boss known only as Mr. Smith. Her job responsibilities are a bit murky at first, but clearly she is a con artist who is given a phony identity and the name of a mark…so now she is Evie Porter. Her mark is Ryan Sumner. As …
I am definitely losing it. I received a copy of Joe Hart’s latest, Never Come Back, from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved it, so I looked for more by him. Turns out Never Come Back is book #2 in the “Nora McTavish series” so I went back …
I haven’t eaten beef, chicken, turkey, veal or any other “meat” for many, many years. (I do eat salmon and halibut so I don’t call myself vegetarian but I work to eat healthy and focus on plants). I have looked at tons of recipes and tried many over the years, and am always happy to …
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.” When I reviewed her next book, The …