The Venice Sketchbook - Rhys Bowen

 The Venice Sketchbook - Rhys Bowen

She read

I can’t believe it…this is the first book I have read by prolific writer Rhys Bowen. Although I thought it somewhat fairytailish, after the last few years, maybe it was just nice to escape into a fairy tale, albeit bittersweet.

Although somewhat formulaic, I found the story gripping; I couldn’t put it down. I liked how the plot unfolded by moving forward and backward in time.  As a bonus, the beautiful city of Venice is also one of the main characters….and I enjoyed revisiting some of my favorite experiences, locations, and foods.     

*****

Dead Secret - Noelle Holten

 Dead Secret - Noelle Holten

She read

This is the fourth in the DC Maggie Jamieson series; it is the second I have read. 

Maggie is a somewhat complex character who has shown some emotional growth since the prior novel; she is beginning to understand and accept herself.  

This is a solid police procedural.  It did not seem particularly fast paced, but it held my interest.  The plot line had twists and turns that were fairly easy to foretell; but it still made for a decent read. 

Just as in the prior novel the ending is a set up for a sequel.  While Maggie is not my favorite female protagonist, I will certainly read the next in the series.   

Girl, 11 - Amy Suiter Clarke

Girl, 11 - Amy Suiter Clarke

She read

Publication Date: April 20, 2021

Elle Castillo hosts a true crime podcast featuring cold cases of missing children.  In her sights is The Countdown Killer, who has not been active in 20 years.  Someone contacts her, saying he knows who the killer is.  Before she can meet with the informant, he is murdered and soon another child goes missing.  While Elle is attempting to help find the girl, another child, all too close to her, is taken.  Is The Countdown Killer back?  Is it a copycat? Is her podcast to blame?   

The plot is decent in this fast paced thriller.  Told primarily from Elle’s point of view interspersed with transcripts of her podcasts, the reader learns something about the minds and actions of serial killers and raises an important question about the role of society’s fascination with true crime programs and their focus on the perpetrators.  Elle’s involvement in the case,  initially at the invitation of the police department and her almost too good to be true husband, does strain credulity a bit, but does not take too away from a decent read.  

**** 

In Her Tracks - Robert Dugoni

 In Her Tracks - Robert Dugoni

She read

Publication date: April 20, 2021

I really like Robert Dugoni’s books, especially the Tracy Crosswhite series; this is the eighth, I have read all of them.  The character development is so good that it is not necessary to have read the prior ones, although they would give more background on  some of the characters.

This is a strong, cohesive story;  an engrossing and fast read. Despite having a painful personal history, Crosswhite is a capable, smart, fully functioning protagonist.  

This is a great series and the latest is a  real treat for Dugoni fans.  

Death with a Double Edge - Anne Perry

 Death with a Double Edge - Anne Perry

She read

Publication Date: April 13, 2021

From time to time, I have read some of Anne Perry’s Victorian mysteries.  They are literate, atmospheric, and well written. This is the third book in her new series featuring Daniel Pitt, the barrister son of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, the main characters in her earlier books.

The story is interesting, but somewhat plodding, with a lot of review of the evidence and facts of the case over and over again.  Perry’s detailed, descriptive language paints a strong picture of the characters and their environments and there is fascinating insight into the life and times of early twentieth century London. It is worth a read for those factors more so than as an enthralling mystery.  

****

Eternal - Lisa Scottoline

 Eternal  - Lisa Scottoline

She read

 I’ve read a number of books of this era and genre the past year and didn’t know if I was quite up to yet another one with all its heartbreak and inhumanity. Still, it is important that books such as these continue to be written and read….we must never forget and, hopefully, use the lessons from these books to become better human beings….or at least less hateful to each other.  

This well written novel follows the lives of a number of characters, but it is never confusing.  The characters are so charming that I almost didn’t want to read on because I knew the fate that would await some of them.  The story, which stretches in time from 1937 to 1957 is heart wrenching, yet hopeful.  Well researched, with a great sense of place… Rome, the Eternal City.  It is a long novel, but the story moves quickly. It is a powerful read.  

*****

When the Stars Go Dark - Paula McLain

 When the Stars Go Dark - Paula McLain

She read

Publication Date: April 13, 2021

It is 1993 and Anna Hart is a detective in San Francisco escaping from a personal tragedy.  Separated from her half siblings as a child and raised in foster care, she is passionate about her profession, seeking missing girls.  When she returns to her childhood hometown, she becomes caught up in the case of a local missing girl which just may be related to other cases in nearby California towns. Known for her historical fiction based on the lives of famous women, McClain is writing some of what she knows in this novel, having faced abuse growing up in various foster homes   

This book has been described  as “atmospheric” and the beginning was almost a little too atmospheric for me. I had difficulty getting into it.   But as it progressed, I did. The interweaving of true stories of missing girls was particularly effective.  

McLain is an excellent writer, although I found this book not particularly fast paced, sometimes getting bogged down, especially when Anna is dealing with her own demons.   The lives of many of the characters are disturbing, but oh too real.  

****