A Brush with Love - Mazey Eddings

 A Brush with Love - Mazey Eddings.

She read

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

First, a warning: I’m not a big fan of romance novels. The description of this one sounded like it could be modern and amusing, though.

Parts of it were witty and entertaining. Most of it, though, for me,  just went on and on and I found myself skimming…a lot.  It was sooo slow.  I really wanted to DNF, but I stuck with it….sometimes I have done that and it turned out I really liked the book….in this case, no. I thought the characters were very immature for 26….more like 16. I realize mental distress played a role here, but, really, all of them were so immature. 

I know some people really liked this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

**

The Match - Harlan Coben

 The Match - Harlan Coben

She read

Publication Date: March 15, 2022

An intriguing plot line.

I read the first Coben novel featuring Wilde, an aptly named person because he was once a child living on his own in the wilds of the Ramapo forests in New Jersey.  While this is somewhat of a sequel, it works well as a stand alone.  The individual I particularly enjoyed in the first book, Hester Crimstein, is also here as are the other supporting characters.

Coben is a prolific writer and story teller.  This is an engrossing read with twists and turns.  It addresses some contemporary themes such as the inane world of reality TV, online trolling, and DNA matching.  Although possibly a bit over the top, with a few relationships not explained well,  I nevertheless enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down.   

****

The Night Shift - Alex Finlay

 The Night Shift - Alex Finlay

She read

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

This is the second mystery/thriller I have read by Alex Finlay. Interestingly, I felt the same way about this one as I did about the other one (Every Last Fear). The ending was no surprise, but it was a fast, engrossing read with good character development and I enjoyed it. 

Although I typically do not try to guess,  “who done it”, I did know immediately, however, that didn’t spoil the story for me. There are some alternating timelines, as well as different POVs, but they were never confusing. There are a lot of characters here, as well as a lot of secrets to be discovered. 

I don’t like it when smart people do dumb things like Chris not revealing something that could get him disbarred. And, Keller’s actions, at 8 ½ months pregnant with twins, stretched credulity a bit.   

****

The Darkest Place - Phillip Margolin

 The Darkest Place - Phillip Margolin

She read

Publication Date: March 8, 2022

This is the fifth in the Robin Lockwood series; it is the second I have read.  It is a very fast, easy read.  I read it in an afternoon.

There are a lot of characters and multiples storylines introduced very quickly; in time, they do come together.  It was a decent plot.  A light legal procedural if you are so inclined. 

****

On a Night of a Thousand Stars - Andrea Yaryura Clark

 On a Night of a Thousand Stars - Andrea Yaryura Clark

She read; he will read

Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Some of us are familiar with a snapshot of Argentinian history through the play/movie, Evita.  This story focuses on the era of the return of Peron and subsequent military overthrow and takeover of the government in the 1970s and the stories of the desaparecidos, those murdered by right wing terrorists.  The story unfolds in two timelines as  Paloma, in 1998, visits Argentina and learns of her father’s history there in the late 70s.  His early story is told in separate chapters.  Dual timelines seems to be a very common device used by writers these days.  In this case, I think it worked very well and was not at all confusing.

I thought the story started out a little “fluffy”…but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.  Beautifully written, the brutality of the era and grief of the families are treated with respect. Romance, intrigue, family secrets, political suppression, man’s inhumanity to man…it’s all here. 

In the last four or so years, I’ve read a lot of novels about the atrocities of World War II in various countries, as well as some of the history of Latin American countries such as Chile.  I have viewed each of them as cautionary tales for our time.  A particular quote cited in the book struck me. It is from Golda Meir: “One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”  

*****

Evil Intent - Jane Isaac

 Evil Intent - Jane Isaac

She read

This is the fourth in the DCI Helen Lavery series; it is the second I have read and enjoyed. Although part of a series, I think Evil Intent would be fine as a standalone.

In this case, a series of dead bodies of young women with a pentagram carved into their chests is investigated by Helen’s team.  In addition, the half brother of a notorious criminal who was the nemesis of both Helen and, before that, her father, has turned up in town and his son has become a close friend of her son’s.  

This is not only a solid police procedural, but it also focuses on the affects of violence on victim’s families, as well as the impact of policing on an officer’s family.   It moves along at a good pace and I did not want to put it down! 

Helen is a strong, confident female character.  I’ve read too many authors with female leads who have flaws in the their personality make up. Helen is an emotionally mature individual and I look forward to reading the next in this series. Are changes coming?  As the story ends, Helen, who is Acting Detective Superintendent is about to say goodbye to her Assistant Chief Constable who has taken a job with another department.  

*****

Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson

 Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson

She read

This is a sweeping, multi generational, multi emotionally layered novel.

Beautifully written, I liked unique way of unveiling the story, with their deceased mother leaving a lengthy recording that disclosed years of family secrets. There is so much here; family relationships and regrets, Caribbean culture and diaspora, colonialism,  racism. 

The time frame shifted between then and now, but it was never confusing.

There were a number of characters, some of them with multiple names, but, again, never confusing as all was eventually revealed.   

*****

The Verifiers - Jane Pek

 The Verifiers  - Jane Pek

She read

Publication Date: Feb. 22, 2022

This is a very contemporary story with what I would call “snappy” writing to go along with it.  For me, the mystery was less a focus of the book than the family relationships, cultural stereotypes,  and learning a bit about the internet dating industry and the negatives encountered in our online world (algorithms bots, data mining etc).  Pek has a good sense of humor and although I thought it did drag a bit around the half way point, it was an easy,  enjoyable read. I also thought it a bit of a stretch that Claudia’s two siblings’ work was so closely related to the companies with which she was involved.   

I wonder if this is the beginning of a series?  I would enjoy reading more stories with these characters. 

****

Groundskeeping - Lee Cole

 Groundskeeping - Lee Cole

He and she read

Publication Date:  March 1, 2022

Some describe this as a love story.  Yes, there is a romantic relationship around which the story develops.  But, it is so much more.  Well written, this is an engrossing story, with good insight into the the different Americas that have been ripped apart by the politics of our times.  Through Owen, Cole captures the culture of hard scrabble rural life while also, through Alma,  addressing the horror of escaping religious persecution and war and immigrants building the American dream. Along with this, we have a delayed coming of age novel!   His observations are poignant, real, complex.   What a stunning debut for this author!

I wasn’t thrilled with the writing style; but the story won me over. There were no quotation marks; it felt like I was reading stream of consciousness.

Spoiler alert:  The ending is a bit ambiguous and some might be disappointed with it.  But, if you look at this novel as slice of life, and we have just been give a small taste of it, it kind of fits.

*****

He really liked this book also

Wish You Were Gone - Kieran Scott

 Wish You Were Gone - Kieran Scott

She read

Publication Date: Feb. 22

James Walsh has become a terrible husband.  He is an alcoholic and verbally, borderline physically, abusive to his wife and children.  Emma has had it and is preparing to serve him with divorce papers when he returns home one night, crashes his car through the garage wall and dies.  Something doesn’t sit right with Emma about the accident.  As she investigates James’ life, she learns more and more secrets and shares her concerns with her two best friends who, despite their love for Emma, openly dislike each other. 

The story was riveting…..I couldn’t put it down.  Although told from different POVs and different timelines, it was never confusing.  Although the resolution strained credulity a bit, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.  

****

You Can Run - Rebecca Zanetti

 You Can Run - Rebecca Zanetti

She read

I’m in a minority here, but I guess a romantic thriller isn’t the genre for me.

  

Maybe it is because I have recently read a number of excellent books, but I had a difficult time with this one.  I had to force myself to keep reading, hoping that it would improve.

I thought the writing a bit lightweight. If I am reading a mystery/thriller/police procedural, I enjoy the personal aspects of the characters, but like the mystery to be the main focus. I thought that the author tried too much to also make it a romance. There was too much attention to all the nuances of that. ..what one was wearing, how one felt, what strange feelings,  what a woman looked liked.  And do we really think that the character of Huck would be obsessed  so much about women’s clothes or that they were wearing French perfume or matching jewelry? That with pages of lovemaking were all a bit much for me; I also thought the case was a bit over the top.  And, what ethical FBI agent would work a case where a close relative might be a suspect?  Sorry, but it just was not the book for me.

**

The Blood Tide - Neil Lancaster

 The Blood Tide - Neil Lancaster

She read

Publication Date: Feb. 23, 2022

This is the second in the series; it is the first one I have read. 

 In this novel of  struggle for control of the drug market, the bodies pile up.   D.S. Max Craigie and his team investigate, finding not only gangsters, but crooked police and other law officers. 

I’m not sure if this novel truly qualifies as Tartan Noir, but it is certainly hard boiled, atmospheric, and fast paced. I liked it and look forward to the next in the series. 

Although having read the first in the series probably would have given me further background on these well developed characters, The Blood Tide  worked well as a standalone  

****