Nobody's Fool - Harlan Coben

 Nobody's Fool - Harlan Coben

Pub. Date: March 25, 2025

She read

When disgraced former police officer turned independent detective Sami Kierce  was a college student traveling in Spain, he woke up one morning next to a dead woman and found himself holding a bloody knife. He fled the scene, but the incident changed the course of his life. Now, twenty five years later, he thinks he sees the woman he thought murdered. As he tries to find the woman, long held secrets unravel and danger is near.

This is the second in the Detective Sami Kierce series.  I read the first one, Nobody’s Fool, but it was in 2016 and since I have read well over 1000 books since, I honestly don’t remember it so basically this was a standalone for me and it worked as one. 

Multiple plot lines, an intriguing, twisty story, and colorful supporting characters make this another winner by Coben. It also raises some interesting social and familial issues. It is a fast paced, engrossing, hard to put down read.

Since Nobody’s Fool  was made into a Netflix series, I am looking forward to this one also being adapted.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #GrandCentralPublishing for the DRC.

*****

Breaking the Dark - Lisa Jewell

 Breaking the Dark  - Lisa Jewell

Pub. Date: March 25, 2025

She read

Jessica Jones has retired as a super hero and lives in Hell’s Kitchen, New York as a private investigator. When Amber Randall seeks out her services because her teenage twins returned from a trip to visit their father in the UK as changed people. They seem to have been replaced by “perfect” specimens. Jessica’s investigation takes her to a small village in England where she too seems to fall under some type of spell. Upon her return to New York, it is up to Jessica and occasional lover Luke Cage to unravel the mystery and put a stop to a nefarious plan.

My bad….I guess I responded to Lisa Jewell as the author (I have read many of her thrillers) and didn’t read close enough that this is a Marvel novel, the first in what is to become a series. Superheroes, sci fi and fantasy are not my typical genre choices. But, I approached the book with an open mind, suspended belief and thoroughly enjoyed the story/mystery. While it didn’t sell me on this genre, I did find myself totally engrossed in the plot.

If you enjoy Lisa Jewell’s writing, but are not a fan of fantasy/Marvel, do give this read a chance. You may like it as much as I did.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HyperionAveBooks for the DRC.

****

My Name is Emilia Del Valle - Isabel Allende

 My Name is Emilia Del Valle - Isabel Allende

Pub. Date: May 6, 2025

She read

In the 1800s, a young Irish woman about to become a nun has a relationship with a Chilean aristocrat and becomes pregnant, giving birth to a daughter she names Emilia Del Valle, after the father who abandons her. All her life, Emilia is told that, despite having a loving step father, she must connect with her birth father and collect her due. An independent spirit, Emilia wants to become a writer and begins writing dime novels under a male pseudonym. Her dream is to become a journalist and she does so for a San Francisco newspaper, but is told she must continue to use the pseudonym. She travels to Chile during their civil war as a correspondent and finally is allowed to use her real name. There, she discovers the barbarity of war, the love of her life, her birthright family, and searches for her soul. 

I really enjoy Allende’s writing and this book adds to her considerable body of literature. She is a skillfull story teller who writes beautiful prose. Allende is known for her magical realism, so the book is fantastical at times, but a truly compelling read. There is so much here….adventure, the brutality of war, especially a civil war, romance, family bonds, cultural heritage, historical accounting, as well as a strong and endearing female character. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and @RandomHouse for the DRC.

*****

A Darker Reality - Anne Perry

 A Darker Reality - Anne Perry

She read

Set in the 1930s, young MI6 agent Elena Standish is visiting Washington DC with her parents for her wealthy grandparents anniversary. She barely knows them, having met them only when she was a child.Her British father’s role as ambassador around the world prevented many visits. During the anniversary party, which President Roosevelt and Elenor attended, a young woman, Lila, is killed The evidence points to her grandfather and he is arrested. When Elena discovers the dead woman was a British spy, she works with another agent to uncover the truth. Could her grandfather’s right wing ideas and participation in the Free America movement have played a role in his arrest and just what information was Lila privy to? After all, her husband is a scientist working on splitting the atom and perhaps developing a powerful weapon of war. 

More than a mystery, this is an important book because of the social and political issues raised. Perry captures well the conflicting political views prior to the US entry into World War II.

Although published in 2021, this book may be more pertinent now given what is happening worldwide. The Free America organization in the novel seems to parallel “America First”, a slogan often used to promote racist, xenophobic and isolationist ideas. Pointing out the wide difference in political views, a character notes that “this is healthy, but not when it turns violent.” There are some wonderful quotes in the text of this novel; one that has stayed with me is “patriotism is pretty universal and has been the justification for some of the worst acts on earth.”

There is some beautiful prose in this novel, especially when describing the landscape. Yes, there is some repetition, but I was able to easily overlook it for the message that this book conveyed.

This is the third in the series. Although I have read quite a few of Anne Perry’s many novels, I did not read the first two Elena Standish stories. This did work well as a standalone.There are two subsequent entries in the series; Anne Perry passed away in 2023.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @RandomHouse for the DRC.

*****

Hidden in Smoke - Lee Goldberg

 Hidden in Smoke - Lee Goldberg

Pub. Date: April 22, 2025

She read

Veteran arson investigator Walker and his fairly new partner, former US Marshall Sharpe are back in action chasing down arsonists. Both Walker and Sharpe, nicknamed Shar Pei because of his uncanny resemblance to one, are unique characters, a bit unconventional, but full of wit and intelligence. Best of all in this book, they have some opportunities to team up with Eve Ronin, a detective from one of Goldberg’s other popular series of which I am a fan.

With a few storylines, this is a fast paced thrill ride. I really enjoy the humorous wise cracks throughout the book and the relationship between the partners .A bit over the top at times, it is an entertaining read. An added bonus is insight into the investigative process involved in arson.

 This series is a unique take on crime fiction/mystery/thriller. The third installment,  I did read and enjoy the first two. Although characters from a previous story appear, this would work as a standalone.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasandMercer for the DRC.

****

Strangers in Time - David Balducci

 Stranger in Time - David Balducci

Pub. Date:  April 15, 2025

She read

Fifteen year old  Molly Wakefield returns to war torn London from evacuation in the country in the middle of WWII to find her mother and father no longer in their prosperous home. Fourteen year old Charlie is making his way through the devastation of his home city without parents or schooling.Widower Ignatious Oliver operates a failing bookshop while serving as an air raid warden. This unlikely trio meet and become fast friends, supporting each other as the life that Molly and Charlie once knew  is blown away. Add to that the fact that someone seems to be following  Molly as she tries to learn what happened to her parents, Charlie is running from the law, and Oliver may be involved in some nefarious war activities. 

I really liked this story.I could not put the book down, curious to see what would happen next to this trio. I am not a huge fan of some of Baldacci’s contemporary series that often strain credulity;  I enjoy his standalone books so much more. His recent Calamity of Souls I thought was one of his best. 

Beautifully written, with characters that truly come to life, Balducci paints a desolate picture of life during the London attacks in this latest addition to his body of work. Yet, there is hope. The resiliency of and the bond among the three gives them dignity and is heartening despite all the horror. I really appreciated the denouement to see what transpired in these characters’ lives after the war. This is a tale that will remain with me for a long time.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #GrandCentralPublishing for the DRC.

*****

The Scientist and the Serial Killer - Lise Olsen

 The Scientist and the Serial Killer - Lise Olsen

Pub. Date: April 1, 2025

She read

In the 1970s, at least 27 teenage boys in Houston were kidnapped, sexually assaulted, tortured, murdered and buried by Dean Corll, given the moniker “The Candy Man.” Many were reported missing, but the police never put the cases together and in many instances wrote off the reports as kids who had run away.The horror these boys experienced was only made known when one of Corll’s young accomplices killed him. As bodies and bones were dug up, most of them were in such decayed condition that they couldn’t be identified. They became known as the “Lost Boys” until thirty years later when forensic anthropologist Sharon Derrick was determined to put a name to as many as she could, an effort that took years and was made possible only by scientific advances.  

This is an important story; one that needs to be told and especially the lesson of how, along with prejudice against “ hippies” and homosexuality, 

reports of poor teenagers missing from dysfunctional families were basically ignored by authorities. Equally important is the recounting of Derrick’s relentless search for the identity of the lost boys. The account, unfortunately, gets bogged down a bit in details, shifting timelines, and repetition. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse for the DRC.

***