Tuesday Book Review

Five-star review of What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline

This standalone novel by one of my favorite mystery and suspense writers is engrossing from the first moment on. When the Bennett’s car is stopped by two hoodlums on their way to their suburban Philadelphia home from the daughter’s field hockey game, it initiates a series of events that are horrific, surprising, exciting and moving, full of all the feels from fear through grief and anger all the way to familial love. We are with court reporter Jason Bennett through it all, not knowing who to trust or how to handle the family’s difficult situation. Recommended for all suspense fans.

  

Tuesday Book Review

Five-star review of Wizard of Most Wicked Ways (Whimbrel House Book 4) by Charlie N. Holmberg

This is another great entry in the Whimbrel House stories from one of my favorite recent fantasy authors. It continues the story of Owein as well as Merritt and Hulda. Owein is contractually promised to Lady Cora, a British noble, but is torn between her and Fallon, a shapeshifting Druid from Ireland. Meanwhile, Merritt and Hulda are raising three daughters in Whimbrel House on Blaugdone Island in Narragansett Bay. But first, they must all deal with the return of their old enemy, Silas Hogwood who is bent on revenge. Hogwood might not have all the magical abilities he had before in his last body, but it’ll take all their combined might with help from Queen Victoria’s League of Magicians. Many of the characters from the other books appear, and the children only add to the fun moments and show the soft sides, especially of Merritt and Owein. 

Tuesday Book Review on Wednesday

Five-star review of Operation Hail Mary, a Novel by Andy Weir

What would you do if you suddenly woke up on a starship far from Earth with no memory of how you got there or what you were supposed to do? That’s what happens to junior high school science teacher  Ryland Grace to start this story. As gradual, and mostly chronological memories return, he becomes familiar with his ship, his two (dead) companions and the task they were sent to perform. And they’re not alone. I enjoyed this story more than The Martian because there was so much hard science rather than plodding determinations of how many potatoes to plant and execution of that plan. The mechanics of the ship, the astronomy involved and so many more aspects of how Grace tried to accomplish his goal were fascinating to me. But it’s also a story about first contact and friendship, and what that means. I loved the characters, the way their minds worked and how their skills complemented each other. Can we please have another book with Grace and Rocky? I listened to the audiobook, which was very well done.

Tuesday Book Review

 

Four-star review of Excellent Women by Barbara Pym

This period piece, written in 1950, reflects life, especially for unmarried women, in post-war London. It also reflects the style of writing that was created in that time as well as the dry humor that we still see sometimes today in British stories. Mildred Lathbury, a woman in her early thirties, is the daughter of a clergyman who lives alone and works in the mornings at an agency that helps impoverished gentlewomen. We never learn what she does there. She is certain on a practical level that she will never marry yet daydreams about the men she meets. They include Father Julian Mallory from the nearby High Anglican church she attends; Rocky Napier who moves into the apartment below hers with his wife Helena; and Helena’s fellow archaeologist Everard Bone. The title refers to the unmarried women who help men with chores, do grunt work for the churches and are mostly unseen. Nothing significant happens in the novel, but it makes an interesting read.

Tuesday Book Review

Five star review of The Gemini Connection by Julie Hamstead

This different kind of spy story about two MI5 computer jockeys sent to find an asset is set off by the interception of indecipherable messages and the chance encounter of one of the two men with the asset, an anesthesiologist because of an appendicitis attack. The novel is filled with enjoyable characters in exciting situations. I don’t want to give away too much of this story, but I will say I hope it really is the start of a series as the subtitle A Bridges and Rivers Mystery implies. The plot contains scenes in Paris and Turkey including lots of action and humor. Even the love story is handled realistically. 

Tuesday Book Review on Wednesday

Four-star review of The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman

This time travel story that didn’t introduce any time travel until half way through would have been fine without that part of the novel, although I tend to enjoy stories that include time travel. I used that phrase three times in one sentence, but how else could I explain it? And yet, that was the main reason this stood out from the many stories about unwed young girls running away from home and joining a commune that turned out to be a cult. The best thing for me about the story was the emphasis on reading and words and how they take you out of the worst of situations. I’ll admit, I never read much Hawthorne in my life and might have been happier with another book (and author) to focus on other than The Scarlet Letter, although I guess it was appropriate for the story. The writing is beautiful and a few of the characters were very interesting. I’ve been to many of the areas mentioned in the story so that added to any enjoyment I got from the book. 

Tuesday Book Review on Wednesday

 

Four-star review of The Paris Assignment by Rhys Bowen

Not long before World War II, Madeleine Grant, a half-French, half-British student, meets Giles Martin at the Sorbonne. What follows is a sometimes interesting, occasionally romantic, and sometimes unbelievable story. I understood the need to include many scenes of abuse (not by Madeleine or Giles), especially during the war, but in addition the number of coincidental meetings were way too many. I’ve read other stories by Bowen and knew her penchant for happy endings but the manipulations to get there were also bothersome. On the other hand, like all of her work, this novel was well written, the characters were interesting, especially the heroine, and it was a fast read. I also learned more about what was happening in England and France during the war.

Tuesday Book Review

 

Five-star review of The Flying Fortunes by John Keir Cross

I first read this spy story, soon after it was written in the early 1950’s for teens, especially boys. I’d looked for the American version, the one I’d read, off and on for years, and finally tracked down a used copy of the British version. I was not disappointed when I read it again after all these years, as much fun as I remembered. The Fortune family of high-wire acrobats, kids included, become involved in a plan to steal something from the British government. Any more, and I’d be revealing spoilers. Suffice to say, the writing is fun, the characters too,

Tuesday Book Review

 

Five-star review of Into the Fall by Tamara L. Miller

 

I debated between giving four and five stars while I was reading this story about the mysterious disappearance of a husband and father during a camping and canoeing trip in the Ontario wilderness. The occasional questionable behavior of the characters and especially the questions no one ever asked deserved the four-star rating, but the twists and turns, the details and all of the excellent writing, especially the descriptions warranted five stars. If you like thrillers of this type, I recommend reading it. The back-and-forth storyline was easy to follow and the ending was satisfying.

Tuesday Book Review

Five-star review of Eleven Numbers by Lee Child

 

This is a novelette or long short story but is still a complete thriller about a mathematics professor recruited by the government for a tricky mission in Russia. Child’s ability to include so many twists and turns within such a short amount of time and then write a very satisfying ending is impressive. The main character could easily have a series of his own like Reacher, this time an espionage one. I’d certainly read it. 

Tuesday Book Review

Four-star review of Pike Island: A Thriller by Tony Wirt

 

Well-written story, probably worth four-and-a-half stars, with a couple of unexpected twists and turns told partly in the present and partly as a kind of flashback. Krista Walsh, the assistant to a newly elected congressman, must investigate threats he receives in the mail. I was with her at every place she visited and with one of the congressman’s friends through the events of twenty years earlier. Suspense was maintained throughout the story and tension increased. The ambition of politicians and the things they’ll do is reflected here but so are a number other real-life emotions.