Don't Look For Me - Wendy Walker

 Don't Look For Me - Wendy Walker

She read

Molly accidentally ran over and killed her nine year old daughter.  The family, understandably,  has never been the same.... Molly’s guilt, her husband’s loss, her oldest daughter’s guilt for the role she might have played in the tragedy.

One stormy night, returning from her son’s football game four hours away, Molly’s car runs out of gas and she disappears.  After finding her car abandoned and later receiving a note from her, it is assumed that she just “walked away”.  But daughter Nicole has never given up on finding her mother. 

I really didn’t like this book for about the first half, but then Walker had me and I couldn’t put it down. Red herrings keep you guessing in this psychological thriller. Although told from different points of view and timelines, it was never confusing. The ending was a bit contrived, though. 

****

A Time for Mercy - John Grisham

 A Time for Mercy  - John Grisham

She and he read

This courtroom procedural sees the return of Jake Brigance, the hero of two prior Grisham novels.  The year is 1990 and Jake, still broke, is appointed to defend a 16 year old being tried as an adult accused of a capital crime.  Yes, he is guilty and, yes, there are extenuating circumstances.

Nobody captures the essence of the deep south or spins a yarn better than Grisham. There is always something to be learned about the law and the culture as the action leads up to the trial.  An engrossing, fast read that I didn’t want to put down.  This just seemed like the perfect book to escape into during these fraught days.  A best seller for sure!

He really liked it also...

******

Shelter in Place - David Leavitt

 Shelter in Place - David Leavitt

She read

The book opens with a group of Eva’s friends, devastated by the results of the 2016 presidential election, coming together at her country house in Connecticut to commiserate. 

They are New Yorkers, living in a world of the arts, decorating, publishing, writing, and for Eva’s husband, Bruce, finance.  It seems Eva is the Gertrude Lawrence to this non glitterati group; they all congregate at her homes, subservient to her control. 

Convinced she must flee the horrors that await the new Administration, Eva is hell bent on purchasing an apartment in Venice as an escape.  She in encouraged in this venture by her old friend, Min, who would love to spend time there. The catch is, she will only purchase it if her long time decorator, Jake, agrees to take on the project.  

I enjoyed this novel with its breezy, witty dialog and, for the most part,  “Rolex” or First World problems.  It is an entertaining, distracting, fast read.  

****

Dead Perfect - Noelle Holten

 Dead Perfect - Noelle Holten

She read

This is the third of the DC Maggie Jamieson series; it is the first one I have read. Maggie’s friend,  forensic psychologist Kate Moloney is being stalked.  When a young woman who has been made up to look like Kate turns up dead, it becomes evident that she is in danger and Maggie sometimes blurs professional lines in trying to protect her friend and solve the case.  

This is a decent police procedural/thriller, although Maggie was a bit too flighty for me and the resolution was somewhat predictable. It is a well paced, fast read that held my attention throughout.  

I’m sure if I had read the prior novel, it would have given me more background on the characters, but they were developed enough in this novel that it can easily be read as a standalone.  It ends with the set up for a sequel and although Maggie is not my favorite female character, I certainly will read it.

****

Invisible Girl - Lisa Jewell

 Invisible Girl - Lisa Jewell

She read

This is the fourth book I have read by prolific writer, Lisa Jewell; I liked it the best of the four and much more than her last book, The Family Upstairs.

Told from different points of view, this is a gripping psychological mystery. Jewell is an excellent story teller, weaving an intricate plot among the main actors.  With strong character development, some sympathetic and others not so sympathetic, I could not put this book down, reading it in two sittings.   

****

A Song for the Dark Times - Ian Rankin

 A Song for the Dark Times - Ian Rankin

She read

I can’t believe this is the first book I have read by prolific writer, Ian Rankin.  It won’t be the last!

The twenty third novel featuring now retired Edinburgh police Inspector John Rebus finds him trying to help out his somewhat estranged daughter, Samantha, when her partner disappears.  Meanwhile, former colleague DI Siobhan Clarke is caught up in the investigation of the murder of a wealthy Saudi student.  At some point, some of the people in both cases intersect…could the cases be related?  Or not?  

In two complex plots, with quite a few red herrings, Rankin moves easily between the storylines.  It is an engaging, fast read.  

Rankin does such a good job in his character development that I did not have any difficulty reading this as a standalone novel, not having read the prior twenty two in the series! Of late, it seems I have read quite a few police procedurals set in Scotland and do enjoy them.  I certainly will be adding Rankin to my list of goto authors.  

****

Leave the World Behind - Rumaan Alam

 Leave the World Behind - Rumaan Alam

She read

He tried it but gave up

There has been a lot of buzz about this book, especially since it is being made into a motion picture. Although it is not typical of the genre I enjoy, I thought I would try it.  Understand that this is not a light, beach read.  I think you will either love it or hate it.  No meh about it.

I surprised myself in that I really liked it.  You know the premise…I won’t go into it here.  Be advised, though, that you never really do find out what is going on in the world.  

What did I like about it?  The author’s use of language.  The descriptions…the almost stream of consciousness descriptions and astute observations of life.  This is a book that you want to take your time with, savor and reflect on those observations.  And, let the book be a warning…….

Still Life - Val McDermid

 Still Life - Val McDermid

She read; he will probably read also has he likes this series as well

I like Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie Historic Cases Unit police procedurals.  This is the third consecutive of six that I have read.  I really like the main character, a strong, intelligent, vulnerable, but not overly flawed, DCI.

Karen is balancing two cases.  A skeleton has been found in a van parked in the garage of a recently deceased woman.  She is drawn into the second case, albeit a current one, because one of the suspects in the years old killing of his brother has been found dead.  The familiar supporting characters are here, as well as a new female colleague, Sergeant Daisy Mortimer.   Still mourning the death of her love, Phil, Karen has established a new relationship with Hamish, who was introduced in the prior novel.

Although I think many of the twists were known to the reader before discovered by Karen, this did not detract from the readability or enjoyment of the story. I always like the the inclusion of topical issues in McDermid’s novels.  In this one, there is a hint of the pandemic to come and the book ends just as Scotland is about to go on lockdown for Covid.   

McDermid’s vivid descriptions of various locales place you right there in the middle of a scene.  And, all the food consumed….you can just about taste those bacon rolls, curry, and croissants! 

This reads well as a stand alone, but I think reading the prior novels will give provide more context.  Plus, they are a joy to read. 

*****

The Last Agent - Robert Dugoni

 I have enjoyed Robert Dugoni’s novels, especially his homicide detective, Tracy Crosswhite series.  Last year, I decided to try his The Eighth Sister, a very different genre, and enjoyed it.The Last Agent is a sequel that book.

Charles Jenkins, retired CIA agent, is called back to duty again to return to Russia to try to rescue Paulina Ponomayova, an agent who who saved his life in the prior novel.  Paulina may or may not be imprisoned at a notorious Moscow prison and Charles’ only hope of finding out is by enlisting the help of a former Russian agent who once relentlessly pursued him.  Can he trust him? 

Spy stories are not my favorite, but once again Dugoni lured me in with an easy to follow, suspenseful, engrossing, fast read.  As with many stories in this genre, I found some of the action a bit of a stretch and a little too convenient, but enjoyed this read and look forward to the next in the series as the ending foretells a sequel.    

Although this can be read as a standalone, reading The Eighth Sister first will provide much more context. 

Homeland Elegies - Akhtar, Ayad

 Homeland Elegies - Akhtar, Ayad

He and she read

Literate, well written fictional memoir based on experiences from the author’s life.  Although it centers on living as an American Muslim in a post 9/11 world, it is far reaching in its astute observations of many aspects of society including politics and economics.  Profound, insightful, honest, poignant, relevant, thought provoking. 

He loved it also

*****