Book Review: Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
In Bluebird, Bluebird, Attica Locke introduces us to Darren Mathews, a highly conflicted Texas Ranger. He’s been to law school, but has chosen law enforcement over legal work. He’s married, but separated. He wants to solve two murders in a tiny East Texas town, but...Book Review: Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer
Hope Never Dies from Andrew Shaffer was my antidote to last week’s fear and tragedy. It’s both mystery and humor, featuring fictional versions of Joe Biden and Barack Obama. If you like all the memes that feature the imagined tomfoolery of those two, you’ll enjoy this...Book Review: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Rebecca Makkai tells two intertwined stories in The Great Believers. One starts in 1980s Chicago, the other in 2015 Paris. Held within are the lives of two friends, Yale and Fiona, along with many others. In the mid-1980s, the world was just beginning to understand...Book Review: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
A.J. Finn introduces us to Dr. Anna Fox, child psychologist and agoraphobe, in her debut novel, The Woman in the Window. As my friend said upon seeing the cover, it’s a mashup of The Girl on the Train and classic movie Rear Window. Finn dives deep into the...Book Review: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (Cormoran Strike #2)
Robert Galbraith skewers an author who skewers the people in his life—and gets killed for it—in this C.B. Strike mystery. Of course, Galbraith is actually J.K. Rowling under a pseudonym. And she’s published many books and sold zillions of copies. There’s some irony in...Book Review: Out by Natsuo Kirino
Out is a gruesome, feminist Japanese thriller written by Natsuo Kirino. What a choice during a week when my circle of friends is all talking about women who experience sexual assault! It’s also a great representation of the genre from one of Japan’s pre-eminent female...Book Review: The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (Cormoran Strike #1)
Robert Galbraith creates a cracking good mystery in The Cuckoo’s Calling. Just in case you didn’t already know, Galbraith is the pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame. However, this is only my second Rowling book. I’m not a Potter fan. This series, though?...The Book Tour Stops Here:
The Druid of Death: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure by Richard T. Ryan
Richard T. Ryan creates a top-notch Sherlock Holmes story in The Druid of Death. He layers the familiar characters of Holmes, Watson, Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson against historic sites and Druidic lore. And of course, there’s a murder or three to solve! Since Ryan has a...
Book Review: Sourdough by Robin Sloan
Robin Sloan creates a story of the intersection of capitalism, science, and magic in Sourdough. And there’s a little romance too. But certainly not in a traditional sense. Lois is a computer programmer. When she decides to leave her comfortable Midwest life for a...Book Review: W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton
It’s ironic to feel that my time was wasted with a book called W is for Wasted. And it breaks my heart. Sue Grafton published her first book in the Alphabet Series in 1982. I found them, and their main character Kinsey Millhone, in about 1990. Luckily, I gobbled up...Book Review: V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton
Sue Grafton takes us back to 1988 in V is for Vengeance. This is the 22nd book in her Alphabet Series, featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. This particular story is a many-tentacled thing. Kinsey knows parts, and we know somewhat more. Grafton feeds each of...Book Review: Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews
Mary Kay Andrews offers us a pleasurable trip to Beach Town in this romancey, character-driven read. I’m not much of a “chick lit” or romance reader. But our #Booked2018 challenge includes a “beach read” prompt. So I decided to go literal and pick a book with “beach”...Book Review: Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
Elizabeth Strout invites us to visit small-town Illinois in Anything is Possible. It’s like being the new guest at your sister-in-law’s summer picnic. You meet one person, and spend a little time together. When they’re done telling you a story, you’re spun among the...Book Review: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
With her novel, A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara makes a beautiful piece of pottery. Then she drops it on the floor, where it shatters into pieces. Yet before the book finishes, Yanagihara has created what the Japanese call kintsugi. Kintsugi is the art of taking...Book Review: To Converge and Disconnect by Eric Ballein
To Converge and Disconnect is a very short debut novella from Eric Ballein. Set in a small town outside Las Vegas, it primarily occurs on a single day. The main character is a young Sherriff’s deputy named Royal Fields. He’s feckless, immature, and not especially...Currently reading
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