Never Ever Getting Back Together - Phoebe MacLeod

 Never Ever Getting Back Together - Phoebe MacLeod

She read

Jess Thomas runs a successful culinary business with her partner and friend, Alice.  She is thrown for a loop when catering a wedding as the best man is Jamie Ferguson, her first big crush who dumped her by text following a one night stand twelve years ago.  She avoids him at the reception, but when her car breaks down on the way home and Jamie stops to help her, she is forced to accept his help.  Although Jess is angry and suspicious of his every move, Jamie tries to prove to her that he has changed and is worthy of her. 

Rom coms are not my go to genre, but once in a while I like to take a break from mysteries, thrillers, and literary fiction and read something lighter.  This was entertaining, with many amusing lines. I loved the dialog between Jess and her sister! There is a lesson here about the problems and unhappiness that miscommunication and jumping to conclusions can cause.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #boldwoodbooks for the ARC.

****

Manner of Death - Robin Cook

 Manner of Death - Robin Cook

Publication Date:  Dec. 5, 2023

She read

Laurie Montgomery is the NYC chief medical examiner; her husband Jack Stapleton a pathologist recovering from an attack by a serial killer.  Ryan Sullivan is a pathology resident who, due to his significant personal history, is very unsettled performing autopsies during his rotation in the morgue.  Laurie tries to take him under her wing and when she mentions that there are been some recent suicides that were somewhat questionable as perhaps really having been homicides, he, with her consent, decides to review the cases.  Both Laurie and Jack warn him to only investigate within the department as they are still reeling from the murder of another reluctant resident who decided to look into a suspicious case. When Ryan finds a commonality among the deceased involving a medical practice and early cancer diagnostic testing, 

more lives including his own are in danger. 

Cook weaves an engrossing, fast paced tale; I did not want to put it down.  Told from multiple points of view, he taps into the very real fear of doctors benefitting financially from the tests they order.  I liked reading some of the not overly technical medical explanations involving forensic autopsies and testing for cancer.

I used to enjoy reading Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, but somehow got away from them.  When I saw this ARC being offered, I jumped at it and am glad I did. This is actually the fourteenth novel by Cook featuring Jack and Laurie.  Although this worked as a stand alone, I now want to go back and read the other thirteen!

Thanks to #netgalley and @putnambooks for the ARC.

*****

The Darkest Evening - Ann Cleeves

 The Darkest Evening - Ann Cleeves

She read

This is another book that has been on my TBR list for a long time.  I really like Ann Cleeves’ writing, having read her Two Rivers series.  The Darkest Evening  is number nine of ten in the Vera Stanhope series (there are also some short stories). Some of you may recognize the name Vera Stanhope from the very successful TV series based on these stories starring Blenda Blethlyn and available on a number of streaming platforms.

Vera is a bit overweight and unkempt, very forthright, and no fashion plate. She, however, is a stellar detective. While traveling home during a snowstorm in Northumberland, Vera comes upon a car on the side of the road.  The car door is open and there is a toddler seemingly abandoned and strapped into a carseat.  Taking him to the nearest residence to call for help is a bit uncomfortable for Vera as it is the residence of her snooty, upperclass relatives from whom she has been estranged.  When the body of the child’s mother is discovered on the property, Vera and her team investigate, revealing much family intrigue among both her family and the families of their tenants.  

This worked well as a stand alone and as my first introduction to Vera.  Cleeves is an excellent writer.  All of her books that I have read have been engrossing, well plotted, with good character development.  Her atmospheric, descriptive, detailed language draws the reader into the scenes.  I literally did not put this book down until I was finished. 

Ann Cleeves is  highly recommended for fans of British police procedurals and other mystery lovers.

*****

My Sister's Grave - Robert Dugoni

 My Sister's Grave  - Robert Dugoni

She read

This is the first in the popular Tracy Crosswhite series.  It has been on my TBR for a very long time as I have read all nine others, but missed this one.

In this introduction to Tracy, she is a detective with Seattle police department.  Twenty years ago, when she was a teacher in small town Cedar Grove, her younger sister, Sarah, went missing.  Someone was arrested for her murder and is serving jail time.  Because a body was never found, Sarah has always been unsettled about what really happened and even spent a lot of time doing her own investigation.  When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered, evidence is revealed that is contrary to what was used to convict the alleged killer.  Things just don’t add up and she contacts childhood friend, attorney Dan O’Leary, to request a new trial for the “killer” so that the truth can finally be uncovered.  When the prisoner is unexpectedly set free, it unleashes secrets, danger, and perhaps a lasting relationship for Tracy.  

This is one of my favorite series.  Tracy is strong willed and has a mind of her own, which can often get her into trouble.  Having read all the subsequent books, it was fun to see how Tracy has grown and changed a bit  as the stories have progressed.  What hasn’t changed, though, is that from the beginning, Dugoni writes a story that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go until you finish.

 If you like police procedurals with strong female MCs, and are not familiar with Robert Dugoni’s works, do become acquainted with them.  The books work as stand alones as Dugoni does a good job of filling in background information in each one, but I think it is much more satisfying  to read all of them now that I have. 

*****

The Helsinki Affair - Anna Pitoniak

 The Helsinki Affair - Anna Pitoniak

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

She read

Forty year old Amanda Cole, CIA agent, has just stumbled onto some information that eventually leads to her being made station chief in Rome.  One of her first assignments implicates her father, a career CIA employee, as a possible Soviet spy.  This sets up an ethical and moral dilemma for her.  Will she pursue the lead or bury it?

Taking place in Rome, London, Russia, Finland, all the intrigue of the cold war is here.  With Finland physically so close to Russia, Helsinki has seen a lot of KGB and CIA action.  I liked the female characters, especially Kath, an older, savvy, top notch spy.  In addition to the Cold War espionage, there is also a very contemporary plot line involving stock manipulation.  

There are two timelines, Amanda’s present day investigation and her father’s past involving an affair in Helsinki.  As the excitement peaks, the action quickly alternates between the two.  The writing is fast paced, engrossing. I did think some of the characters were pretty loose lipped with confidential information.  But, after all, this is a work of fiction.

Spy fiction is not my go to genre and I don’t like the James Bond, hard to believe action stories.  This one had a decent plot, not too much incredulity, and not a lot of violence; what there was was not overly graphic.  It was refreshing to have a female centered spy thriller

The end of the book introduced some continuing story lines, perhaps hinting at a sequel or possible series?  I certainly would read another book by Pitoniak featuring these characters.   

Thanks to #netgalley and @simonbooks for the ARC

****

The Favorites - Rosemary Hennigan

 The Favorites - Rosemary Hennigan

Publication Date:  November 14, 2023

She read

Jessie Mooney travels from Ireland to Philadelphia to enroll in a graduate law program at Franklin University.  She is thrilled to have been accepted into a very competitive Law and Literature class there not because of its cachet but because of its professor, Jay Crane. She wants to become one of his infamous “favorites” because she blames him for her sister’s death and has a plan.

Set during the 2016 election and the very beginning of the #MeToo movement, there are  important issues here: questions of the nature of justice, retribution, right vs legal, male power, consent, sexual predators, injustice, victimization, the inadequacies of the legal system, and is stalking ever justified?.  This is a very slow burn…and maybe more a fizzle than a burn.  For fans of dark academia, there is much grist for a book group discussion, including the ending.

Thanks to #netgalley and @htpbooks @graydonhousebooks for the ARC.

***

Day - Michael Cunningham

 Day - Michael Cunningham

Publication Date:  Nov. 14, 2023

She read

There are three parts to this novel, all taking place during one day, April 5, three years apart.  The first being 2019, the second 2020 during Covid (which is never mentioned by name) lockdown, the final one year later.  As the novel opens, Isabel works at a magazine but is not on solid ground emotionally or with her marriage. Dan, her husband, is a never has been rock singer and house husband to their children, Violet and Nathan.  Robbie, her brother,  rounds out the household and provides some cohesion to the family.  Other characters are Garth, Dan’s brother and sperm donor to Chess, and baby Odin.

This is a novel of love and loss, claustrophobia, finding one’s self. The prose is beautiful.  Cunningham’s insight into the world of children is uncommonly astute. I think he provides the best description of the world of a 17 month old that I have ever read. I liked that Cunningham is cognizant that despite all the negatives that came from a year of being sequestered, there were some positives such as Isabel having the opportunity to really get to know and appreciate her daughter.  

So many of our lives were affected and continue to be by the pandemic.  I tend to wonder how one can write a contemporary novel without acknowledging it.  Cunningham keenly recognizes the impact during those lockdown months and the aftereffects that changed many of our lives.  This is a welcome  read for aficionados of literary fiction. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse for the ARC.

****

So Late in the Day - Claire Keegan

 So Late in the Day - Claire Keegan

Publication Date:  Nov. 14, 2023

She read

I am not usually a fan of short stories, but when they are from an author whose writing I enjoy, I can’t resist. I have read two novellas by Keegan that I really liked; when I saw this offering, I jumped at the chance to read it. 

So Late in the Day is a book that consists of three provocative short stories.  What they all have in common is that they touch on the tensions involved in male/female relationships. 

There is misogyny, danger, sadness, and, in one story, triumph.  Keegan’s vivid descriptions pull the reader right into the unfolding scenes.  Especially evocative was the drive the main character in the second story embarked on as she traveled to a writing retreat, as well as the description of the property and its locale  

Keegan proves once again that one doesn’t have to be wordy to be profound and affecting. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #groveatlantic for the ARC

****

Past Lying - Val McDermid

 Past Lying - Val McDermid

Publication Date: Nov.14, 2023

She read

In this, the seventh in the DCI Karen Pirie police procedurals, it is 2020 and Pirie’s Historic Cases 3 person team joins other Scots in Covid lockdown.  They are called back into action when a librarian contacts one of them because a manuscript in the archive of a recently deceased crime novelist seems provide an answer as to what happened to a young woman who went missing a year ago.  Struggling to comply with lockdown rules and also avoid Pirie’s dreaded superior, “Dog Biscuit”, the team unravels a story of jealousy, deceit, retribution.

This is a clever plot that utilizes the intriguing technique of a book within a book combined with Covid lockdown and the pain many people faced with separation and loss. McDermid paints a vivid picture of Edinburgh and I enjoy her ongoing story of the plight of Syrian refugees in the city.  Kudos to her for continuing to shed light on them. 

I really like the main character. Pirie is strong, intelligent, empathetic, vulnerable. In her quest for truth and justice for victims’ families, Karen often makes no friends. Constable Jason is endearing.  Sargent Daisy can be both earnest and flippant, and I wouldn’t turn my back around her.  

This reads well as a stand alone, but reading the prior Pirie books may  provide more context.  Plus, they are a joy to read. They are among my favorites and are a “must read” for me. Incidentally, Karen Pirie is also a Britbox series. 

*****

Blood Betrayal - Ausma Zehanat Kahn

 Blood Betrayal - Ausma Zehanat Kahn

Pub Date:  Nov. 7, 2023

She read

The Community Response Unit (CRU) is investigating two officer involved shootings. A young Latine man is killed during a Drug Task Force raid in Denver while a young Black graffiti artist is shot by a reliable, veteran officer in Blackwater Falls. 

This is the second in the Blackwater Falls series.  I liked the main characters and most of the supporting ones, a diverse group of individuals whose culture and background experiences interact with and enhance their professional responsibilities.  This is a very good story, well paced, with important, timely social and political issues. 

The story does seem to be a bit uneven as it covers various relationships and diverse concerns. I did not read the first book in the series and because there is so much emphasis on the interpersonal connections, I would have liked to have had more background on the characters.  I also would have liked to have known  more about the CRU and just how it fit (jurisdiction?) with both the Denver and Blackwater Falls police departments.  Still, this is a worthwhile read.

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress @minotaurbooks for the ARC. 

***

Search History - Amy Taylor

 Search History - Amy Taylor

Publication Date: Nov. 7, 2023

She read

After a breakup, Ana moves from Perth to Melbourne to start afresh working at a startup in an uninspiring job. She meets Evan and begins a relationship with him.  At first, she resists doing an internet search to find out more about him.  When she succumbs, she discovers his last partner, Emily, died in a bike accident almost a year ago, but Evan never mentions her and is resistant to any discussion about her. Soon Ana finds herself obsessed with all things Emily.

I enjoyed this debut novel.  Quite contemporary, there is humor and poignancy.  Taylor captures well the angst so many women go through in life, walking on eggshells, calculating how their significant other might or might not react to what they say or do.  Women have always had to deal with so much in dating  relationships; Search History illustrates how our tech obsessed world compounds these issues.

Thanks to #netgalley and @randomhouse #dialbooks for the ARC

****

The Porcelain Maker - Sarah Freethy

 The Porcelain Maker - Sarah Freethy

Publication Date:  November 7, 2023

She read.

In 1929 Germany, Bettina, an avant garde artist and Max, a Jewish architect, fall in love.  As they realize what is happening in their country and the danger that lies within, they plot their escape. When their plan is foiled, Max is sent to Dachau and Bettina finds herself pregnant.  To save her baby, she marries a rising officer in the SS.  While at Dachau, Max’s skills are put to use in the porcelain factory opened there to promote the Nazi ideal.  Bettina’s daughter, Clara, grows up not knowing who her father was and, in 1993, she and her own daughter set out to discover his identity. The timelines shift back and forth between the 1930s and the lives of Bettina and Max and Clara’s 1993 journey of discovery.

This debut offer is well plotted, beautifully written, and deeply affecting. I found myself wanting to race through to find out what happens.The book raises intriguing questions : What would one do to protect loved ones? What will one risk to express outrage through art? What painful stories should be shared? What are the differences among sacrifice, preservation, and complicity? I have read quite a bit of World War II historical fiction, especially those focusing on the Nazi atrocities.  With its focus on the role of the porcelain factory in advancing their propaganda, this was a unique perspective and I learned quite a bit. Even though I have visited Dachau, I wasn’t aware of this factory being a part of it.

There are a lot of World War II era historical fiction stories; I like to find those with varying foci. What they all have in common, though, is that I see them as warnings for our time. We need to never forget man’s inhumanity to man and atrocities committed in the name of hate. We need to be sensitive to the dangers of cult like figures, hatred, and how easy it is for the unthinkable to become reality or a nation to be led astray.

Thanks to #netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC

****