Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens

Allen Eskens is a talented writer. He is wonderful with character development in his stories, so the reader really cares about them and what happens to them. This particular story is about 15-year old Boady Sanden, living with his single mother (in Missouri) who seems a bit detached from life. She cares about Boady, though, and when he started getting into some trouble at the local public school, she decided to send him to a private school (St. Ignatius High School) instead. Boady is pretty much an outsider at this school, bullied and lacking in friends. Boady and his mother have no money (his dad died when Boady was 5 years old), so they both work a lot to survive. Boady is saving up money to leave town as soon as he has enough money, not even planning to finish High School.

This small Missouri town is the home of the CORPS, which is similar to the KKK. The "mystery" of this story is "what happened to Lida Poe?" Lida, a black woman, is missing. The story is that she left town after embezzling money from her employer. Meanwhile, the Elgin family buys the large home across the street from Boady and his mother (who live in a very small house). The Elgins have come from Minnesota and they are black. They are wealthy, intelligent and kind. Mr. Elgin is the person who's been hired to take over the company with the missing money. None of this sits right with the CORPS. 

Boady becomes friends with Thomas Elgin, who is Boady's same age. Boady's mother develops a friendship with Mrs. Elgin, so she starts coming out of her shell. The other significant relationship in Boady's life is the man who lives next door to them, Hoke. Hoke is a mysterious man who seems to always be looking out for Boady. He sits on his front porch daily and Boady joins him there often, just to sit and talk. Or just to sit. Hoke is constantly journaling when he is sitting on the porch, but he never shares what he is writing.

Thomas and Boady end up finding the headquarters of the CORPS and the body of Lida Poe on their "camping adventures". Things take a dangerous turn for them after that. A neighbor's house is burnt down, the Elgin family is harassed, and men drive down their street to throw large stones at the Elgins and Boady. One of the stones hits Boady's mother in the head, which causes a serious injury (coma and TBI).

The ending is bittersweet. Boady grows up a lot, which is good. His mother recovers, which is also good. But the ending is sad. I guess that's life. Very well-written book.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Well, I really liked this book - and then there was the ending. I am a fan of Ruth Ware and have read several of her books. This is a page-turner. It's creepy. It's mysterious. There are secrets that are unveiled over time. There is everything that you need in a good book. What I was astounded by was the extremely ambiguous ending. I don't need all the answers at the end of a book. I certainly don't need everything tied up in a neat little bow. Discussing different interpretations of not-clear endings of books makes book club more interesting. What threw me with this one is how abrupt the ending was - and how many things were left unsaid. I actually went online to search on what other people thought of the ending. Ha! I was not disappointed! Lots of negative responses for sure.

The story is about a young woman (Rowan) who applies for a nanny position at a home in the Scottish Highlands. The family is wealthy, so the nanny salary is generous. There are four daughters, ages 1 (?) - 14. The oldest is away at school, so Rowan is responsible for the three youngest while the parents work/travel. The area of concern in this new job is the fact that the last four nannies left abruptly, one after one night. There are rumors that the house (mansion, really) is haunted. The original owner's teenage daughter died after eating poison berries and the owner was never the same again, due to his grief.

It doesn't take long for Rowan to find out that the girls are a handful. Another challenge is the technology. It's like a "smart" house with camera's everywhere and an iPad that controls pretty much everything. Then there is a housekeeper who is definitely not friendly to Rowan when she arrives - and a chauffeur/handyman who lives on the property who is a little too friendly (wink, wink). Oh, and of course there are two large dogs because Rowan doesn't have enough on her plate!

The house (and it's creepy sounds & missing keys & the girl's mother randomly talking to her through the speakers set up throughout the house even though she is traveling) scares Rowan. After a few days she can't even sleep in her own room she is so frightened, so she sleeps on a couch in the common area. Since the book starts with Rowan being charged with murder, it's not a spoiler to say that one of the girls dies.

Suddenly, the book is over! The author jumps ahead two years after the tragic death event, but we have no idea what happens to Rowan - or any of the remaining daughters - or their parents. It's the oddest thing. There are some "hints" (I guess you could call them) at the end, but those hints are definitely open to interpretation! I don't agree with most of the online comments though. I have my own theory, but I don't want to ruin the book for anyone who decides to read it.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Worst Case Scenario by TJ Newman

I learned a lot about nuclear power and nuclear waste while reading this book. The story is set in Minnesota, which is where I live, but it's not factually based when it comes to location. Certainly Interstate 35 is a major highway through the state, and the Mississippi River runs through the state, but everything else is fictional, like the small town of Waketa, which is where the power plant is located in the book.

I will admit, the only thing I really knew about nuclear power is what happened at Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986. I found it really interesting to read about nuclear power as an energy, what happens to the waste, how incredibly long the dangers last, the importance of water in keeping the waste in a "cooled" state. I understand that nuclear power is a low carbon energy, but it's still remarkable that we use nuclear power in this country, and that people are willing to work with it. Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

We like to believe that we are "safe" in this country and that Homeland Security will prevent planes flying into buildings and bombs being planted in high population areas to cause the most damage. We like to believe that there are safeguards in place to prevent a plane from flying into a nuclear power plant, which could potentially result in a worldwide disaster. This book shows how it could happen.

A pilot has a fatal heart attack while flying a commercial airliner. The co-pilot had stepped out to use the bathroom, so he is not in the cockpit when it happens. As the plane goes into a nosedive, the co-pilot is flung around the small contained area of the bathroom and is knocked out, blocking the door to prevent anyone from opening it. The plane, completely out of control, plows into a nuclear power plant. It could happen.

This is a fast-paced book. There are two main storylines. The local fire department tries to save a 5 year old boy strapped in his car seat in his family van that is hanging over the Mississippi River. His family is dead, having died when part of the plane (containing the fuel tanks) crashed into them while they were driving on a bridge. No one can approach the van due to the intense fire from the fuel tanks. Meanwhile, the people at the power plant, including the Fire Chief, Steve, try to assess the damage to the power plant and then attempt to contain the nuclear waste from entering the atmosphere and the water (Mississippi River), which would bring the waste through 10 other states unless it's contained.

People die, which made me really sad. They died because they were willing to sacrifice their own lives to save everyone else. Now I would like to read this author's other two books, Falling and Drowning.

Wendy's Rating: ****

One By One by Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware is very readable! This is the 4th or 5th novel I have read by her, and they are all really good. When I get nervous about what's going to happen in a book, I start reading really fast. That happened toward the end of this one. I had to stop myself from jumping ahead. 

The setting of this story is a ski chalet in the French Alps. I was definitely not familiar with some of the French names of things or French terminology, but I could infer what she meant by the context. And I learned some things!

The chalet is rented out for a week for a company retreat, so it was basically a work trip. The attendees consisted of the co-founders of a tech company called Snoop and eight others that either worked for Snoop and/or had voting shares in the company. The co-founders, Eva and Topher, were best friends but were in conflict about the next steps for Snoop. Eva wanted to sell it, profit handsomely (along with the other share holders), and move on. Topher wanted to keep it going (even though they were struggling financially) because the tech guy, Elliot, had developed a way to track the users, which Topher figured would attract more subscribers. The company was basically a music streaming service. People could "follow" users of Snoop and listen to the music the user was currently listening to. Meaning, at the same time. They would be listening "together". With Elliot's new contribution, Snoop would become a tracking device.

There were five people who had voting shares in the company (Topher, Eva, Elliot, Rik and Liz) and the idea was that after Eva and Topher each presented their plans for Snoop there would be a vote, with the majority ruling. Liz was caught in the middle. She no longer worked for Snoop, but she owned 2% of the voting shares of the company. Since Topher & Elliot were a team and Eva & Rik were a team, Liz's vote would be the deciding vote and she felt a sense of loyalty to both Topher and Eva for different reasons.

The other two people in the chalet were Erin and Danny, basically the "hosts" of the chalet. Danny was the chef and Erin took care of the guests' needs and desires.

Since this is a suspense novel, things heat up when people start dying and/or disappearing. Then the chalet is hit by an avalanche, which knocks out all power, all service, and all ways of communicating with anyone outside the chalet. So, no way to call for help.

A fast-paced read which I enjoyed very much!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang

This is a Hmong family memoir. I learned a lot about these people who don't have a country to call their own. It's very well written by the second born child of the last born child of the Yang family.

"When the Americans left Laos in 1975, they took the most influential, the biggest believers and fighters for democracy with them, and they left my family and thousands of others behind to wait for a fight that would end for so many in death. A third of the Hmong died in the war with the Americans. Another third were slaughtered in it's aftermath." The communist government who took over power of Laos in 1975 began a campaign to kill off the Hmong who believed in democracy and had fought alongside the Americans against a communist government.

Kao's family escaped into the Laotian jungle and after four years, ended up at the Mekong River in Thailand. They found a temporary home in the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. Kao was born at this Camp in 1980. She joined an older sister, Dawb. They lived at this Camp for a little over six years and then moved to the Phanat Nikhom Transition Camp to America, where they spent six months preparing to move to America. Thailand wanted to close all of their refugee camps.

Kao's family, along with some of her uncles & aunts and their families, arrived in the US in 1987. Kao's family moved to Minnesota. Kao's beloved grandmother (Youa Lee) moved to California and lived with one of her older sons. Kao was deeply affected by this separation from her grandmother, arguably the most important person in her life. The transition to America was a long and difficult one. The younger generation learned to speak English in school, but Kao's parents and many of her uncles & aunts did not. They were dependent on their children for communication with those outside the family. The entire Yang family ended up in America. By the time this book was written, there were 350 Yang family members, the majority of them living in Minnesota. Kao's own parents (Bee Yang & Chue Moua), who miscarried several babies at the Refugee Camp in Thailand, ended up having five more children in Minnesota.

Kao shares her family's journey and it's hardships (and blessings), but also the Hmong culture, folklore and traditions that are so important to the Laotians. This is a well-written memoir and I learned a lot from it.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Buried Prey by John Sandford

Lucas Davenport #21. I read the first 20 books in this series a long time ago! I have decided to catch up on some of the series I started years ago. Lucas Davenport has popped in my head often while reading Michael Connelly's series about Harry Bosch. I remember really loving how much Lucas changed - basically matured - over the years, and Harry is doing the same thing. This book was an interesting re-introduction into Lucas Davenport. First of all, the abduction/murder happened back in 1985 when Davenport was a new cop. The first 180 pages told the story of the original crime and Lucas' involvement in the investigation. I have to say, I'm not a big fan of Lucas from 1985! He was a womanizer and full of himself. It was hard to go back to that, and for awhile I wondered if I had changed my mind about liking him so much in the later books. Fortunately, the story switches to "present day" Lucas on page 181. I was able to confirm that I like the matured Lucas. Ha!

Two young sisters, blond-haired and blue-eyed, go missing in 1985. A homeless man named Scrape, with diagnosed schizophrenia, who everyone recognizes because he bounces a basketball around town, is accused of their abduction and murder. There is plenty of evidence. Lucas, a new cop who is asked to help out in this investigation in plain clothes (his introduction into being a detective) believes that it's a little too neat. The police get anonymous 911 tips about each and every piece of evidence, which seems suspicious. Lucas wants to go a different direction in the investigation. No one else wants to work that hard when they have such an "easy suspect" in Scrape. Lucas kept up his private investigation on another suspect (which he was unable to locate) for a year. Then he dropped it and moved on.

Now flash ahead to 2011 (I believe) and the bodies of the two girls are discovered. They had been buried in cement. The building was torn down and contractors were at the site digging up the old cement. Lucas knows who they are immediately. This time he will not stop until he finds the real killer. He feels incredible guilt for dropping the case all those years ago, especially since it's acknowledged that several other young girls were abducted and killed after the two sisters in 1985.

Lucas is a hot-head and people have to keep him in line. But he is the detective that I remembered. I am happy to be catching up on this series.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Wild and Distant Seas by Tara Karr Roberts

This book is separated into four different parts. Each part has a different narrator. The first part, narrated by Evangeline, begins in Nantucket in 1849. I got sucked into the story immediately because it reminded me of one of my all-time favorite books, Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund. It brought me back to Ahab and his ship Pequod and his fevered hunt for the big white whale. (Yes, I have read Moby Dick too, but didn't like it nearly as much!)

Evangeline is the matriarch of the family that follows. Evangeline ends up on Nantucket as a young woman and marries a tavern owner, Hosea Hussey. Unfortunately, Hosea dies early in their marriage. Lost at sea. She takes over running the tavern, pretending that Hosea isn't dead. Even when she gets pregnant by a sailor, Ishmael, who stops briefly in Nantucket before joining the fated Pequod and its mission, she continues to allow the townspeople to act like her daughter is Hosea's child. Her daughter, Rachel, is devastated when she realizes that Hosea cannot be her father.

Part two is Rachel's voice. She takes over the story in 1856. When she discovers that Hosea could not be her father, she becomes obsessed with Ishmael. She does whatever it takes to find out information about him. She suspects that he is still alive because she sees a story written in a paper out of Boston that tells familiar stories related to Nantucket, Ahab's ship, and her mother, simply with different names. She eventually uses her special power (a tad different than the special power that Evangeline has of being able to "track" people and command them to do her bidding). Rachel forces her mother to forget that she has a daughter and then escapes to Boston to find the newspaper that publishes Ishmael's stories.

Rachel ends up marrying the publisher of the newspaper and they have a daughter, who they name Mara. Mara narrates part three. She is only two years old when her mother decides to leave her husband to chase after Ishmael. At the last minute, she brings Mara with her. The ship is torn apart in a storm, which causes Rachel's death. Mara is taken to an old, dilapidated nunnery, and is raised by a couple of nuns. She falls in love at 16 with a young man training to be a priest. When the young man is forced to reject her upon the arrival of the Bishop, she flees with her fellow orphan, Otavia.

Part four begins in 1900 and is the voice of Mara's daughter, Antonia, aka Annie. The obsession of finding Ishmael continues, even though none of them, except Evangeline, even really knows who he is. Annie does her own research and thinks that Ishmael is in London. She makes secret plans to go to London. Her mother stops her and moves her to Moscow, Idaho. Annie is angry at her mother for years. She saves money until she is 17 years old and resumes her plan to escape to London.

The book's final chapter is set in Nantucket in 1905, with Evangeline once again the narrator. We finally find out what happened to her after Rachel put the "forgetting curse" on her. There are a lot of layers of emotion throughout the stories of these four women. They are all four determined and persistent. They each make some poor choices, but did the best they could, knowing what they knew at the time, I guess. I really enjoyed the journey.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Verity by Colleen Hoover

I heard so many things about this book, I figured I should read it and see what the hoopla was about. The main character, Lowen Ashleigh, is a writer who isn't great with promoting herself - or her books. So, her books are not great sellers. She is chosen, however, to finish a best selling series written by a very successful author, Verity Crawford. Apparently, Verity was involved in a serious car accident and needed someone to write the last three novels of her series. She writes from the viewpoint of the antagonist, so her novels are darker in nature.

Pretty much the opening scene is Lowen witnessing a violent death on the street. A pedestrian steps off the curb in front of a truck and gets run over. His brain matter splashes on Lowen, which is obviously traumatic. How exactly does this tie in to the book? Well it doesn't really, except it's how she first meets Verity's husband, Jeremy.

With some persuasion, Lowen agrees to write the three remaining books of this series. (Basically, her mother just died and she is deep in debt, so that alone should have persuaded her that this is a good and necessary opportunity. She was getting kicked out of her apartment too, because she couldn't pay the rent.) Anyway, Jeremy is the one who convinces her.

Lowen travels to the Crawford house to look through Verity's office to try to find her notes or outlines about Verity's plans for the remaining novels. She doesn't find any, but she does find an autobiographical book (in draft form) written by Verity. So, while she reads the first few books in the series and writes her own notes/outlines about the upcoming novels, she also reads Verity's autobiography "to get inside her head". What she reads is deeply disturbing. Lowen is also uncomfortable staying at the Crawford home because of Verity's presence, who is bed-bound unless her nurse transports her to the kitchen table for family dinners. But Lowen suspects something else is going on with Verity. Jeremy & Verity's twin daughters had both previously died tragically, within a year of each other. Their son, Crew, who is only 5 years old, is their only child left.

The book is definitely a page-turner and spooky in parts. There are a couple of twists in the story, one I was expecting, the other I wasn't. The ending is open to interpretation. I can see how this would be a good discussion for a book club. I did find myself thinking about the ending, and each character's motives, for days after I finished the book.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I heard this was a story about hockey, and that is certainly true. But it's about a lot of other things as well: relationships, friendships, team building, loyalty, honesty, community, grief, betrayal, abuse. Living in a "hockey family" myself, the messages really hit home.

There are many different philosophies when coaching a sports team. I have experienced various philosophies about the best way to "run a team" over the years since all three of my sons were/are athletes. In this book, there are two main coaches. David is the coach of the junior team. He is a younger coach and well-loved. He focuses on the strength of the boys. He writes positive messages on hockey pucks and gives them to key players when he sees they need a "boost". The problem is, he dislikes the General Manager of the team, Peter. Peter was an extremely talented hockey player who moved to Canada to play with the NHL. When he was injured, not once, but three significant times, his hockey career was over. Eventually he is asked to come back to Beartown (a small hockey town in Sweden where he grew up) to be the General Manager. I never really understood why David doesn't like him. The second coach, Sune, is the coach of the A team (the upper team). He has been around a long, long time. He used to coach Peter when Peter was the star of the town. Sune is set in his ways, old, and "old school". The hockey board wants Peter to ask him to resign. Since it's a small town, there really aren't any secrets, so Sune knows what's coming and makes his peace with it before Peter even talks to him.

The star of the junior team is Kevin. His best friend, Benji, isn't the best hockey player, but he plays first line with Kevin because he makes plays that allows Kevin to shine - and score. The entire town of Beartown has their hopes set on Kevin. He is elevated to hero status. He will bring their team - and town - back into the limelight, which is where they were when Peter was the star. They have made it to the Nationals semi-final. All they have to do it win the semi-final game and then play in the final. Winning in the final would bring prosperity to the town once again since the win would guarantee a new hockey school being built there.

Now that I have explained, very briefly, the "hockey stuff", I can tell you that there are many, many layers in this story. Each and every character is multi-faceted. Many of them have a history of trauma of one sort or another. Some come from loving homes. Some have been severely neglected. Some are bullied because of their nationality or life of poverty. Some have suffered loss that has deeply affected them. The key mantra of this town however is "Hockey will save us. Just stay silent". When a girl is raped by a hockey player, everyone takes sides. Most of the townspeople side with the hockey player. Because. He. Is. A. Hockey. Player. I had to put the book down a couple of times just to take a break from the brutalness of this. Basically, she gets raped again - by the town.

This is a very well-written book. I found myself getting out my small post-its to mark certain passages. It's a deep dive into this small town and all the people who live there and their inner characters. At one point, Sune comments, "For me, culture is as much about what we encourage as what we actually permit." A very significant insight considering all this is happening in this town. I really loved the depth of this book.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Angels Flight by Michael Connelly

I really love this series. The more books I read about Harry Bosch, the more I want to keep reading. Angels Flight is book #6. I was super impressed that Harry, the chain-smoker, decided to quit smoking cigarettes at the beginning of this book and he stayed the course for the duration! There were several significant stressors for Harry this time around, in both his personal and work life, but he did not turn to nicotine to help him deal. 

Harry is definitely a flawed character who really struggles in his relationships. I have not been overly fond of the women that Harry has connected with during this series so far. This comment includes his wife, Eleanor Wish. Will he ever be attracted to someone that doesn't have their own trauma history? I think he needs someone more stable to help balance him out. I don't have high hopes for Harry & Eleanor, so maybe someone will come along in the future.

This story revolves around the murder of Howard Elias, a controversial lawyer who goes up against the LAPD consistently. His cases against the police center around racism, meaning he is always accusing the police of racism. Elias' most recent case involves clearing the name of a black man accused of raping and murdering the 11-year old blond-haired, blue-eyed white step-daughter of a prominent business man. Elias was ready to bring the case to court the following Monday, but was murdered in a targeted, vicious way before that could happen. Harry definitely runs into several roadblocks while trying to figure out what Elias knew. Most of the public (and honestly, the police department) thought it was a cop that killed him.

The LAPD brought in IAB and the FBI to assist Harry (who was the lead detective on this murder) to try to prevent the expected rioting in the streets of LA. After doing some research though (with Edgar and Rider of course), Harry decides to reopen the case of the 11 year old's death. So both investigations were running simultaneously. There are twists and turns, and some surprising discoveries. I would have read it in one sitting if I had had the time!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

This is a book of connected short stories. The setting alternates between Vietnam and "present day". (1990s) The narrator is Tim O'Brien, who is also the author, but he states several times that these stories are fictional. They are fictional, with elements of truth. It reads like an autobiography. His point is that fiction reads like the truth and reality reads like fiction, and sometimes it's really hard to know the difference. Tim says, "In any war story, but especially a true one, it's difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen." And also, "And then afterward, when you go to tell about it, there is always that surreal seemingness, which makes the story seem untrue, but which in fact represents the hard and exact truth as it seemed." Whether these stories are actually true or fiction - or a mix of the two - the sentiment is the same: War is Hell. 

War changes people, and never for the better. Tim's first story is the title of the book. He talks about what people carry to war. Different things matter to different people. Soldiers carried things that reminded them of home and things they felt they needed to protect themselves in battle. Everyone carried a heavy load, and I don't just mean possessions. Tim, and so many others who fought in Vietnam didn't believe that this war was just, or had a specific purpose. Most didn't know what they were doing there. During World War II, people knew they were fighting against Nazism and the persecution of Jews, the disabled and the non-Aryans that were not perceived as part of the superior race. Vietnam was different. Soldiers didn't know what they were fighting and dying for. So in addition to carrying their heavy packs, guns and ammunitions, they carried their emotions which were equally heavy. Sadness, guilt, shame, anger, distrust, anxiety, depression, feelings of helplessness, loss, lack of control. 

A few of the stories focused on the loss of Tim's friends, Ted Lavender, Curt Lemon and Kiowa. An unique story told of a soldier who sent for his 17 year old girlfriend, who arrived from the US, and "joined" the unit. Can something like that really happen?? I have no idea. They were out in no man's land with no superior officer on site, so maybe?? Anyway, she was this sweet little thing who got so wrapped up in the war that she actually left her boyfriend's unit and stayed with a small group of green berets, who were loners and had a different "mission". Soldiers felt responsible for the loss of their friends and didn't know how to process their grief and feelings of guilt. Some did horrible things to their enemies, animals, each other. Some killed themselves after the war. Some shot themselves to get out of the war. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The last story is called, "The Lives of the Dead". Tim explains that "stories can save us." Stories give life to those that are dead. That's how some people survive their trauma.

Wendy's Rating:****

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

This was an interesting premise. I enjoyed the book as a whole, but it took me a bit to get into it. Some of the early chapters seemed immature and silly, like it should be youth fiction. I'm sure I rolled my eyes a few times. As we get to know the main characters, Clementine and Iwan, I found it more interesting.  Clementine travels back in time by 7 years one day after entering her aunt's apartment (that was willed to her after her aunt's death six months previously). Her aunt had always told her that there was a magical component to the apartment, and Clementine believed her aunt on some level, but had never experienced anything magical herself.

So, Clementine meets Iwan in her own apartment, with Clementine being her current age and Iwan being 7 years younger. It's pretty obvious who Iwan is in Clementine's current time, but of course it doesn't occur to Clementine for far too long. Eye roll.  Clementine's aunt had told her to never fall in love with someone she meets in a different time, but she does, of course.

You are probably wondering what I liked about the book by now! I actually liked the character development. We oftentimes think we want something when we are younger, and maybe even succeed at what we thought we wanted - or what was important to us at the time. But people change. Priorities change. We don't always have to stay the same. The cliche "life is a journey" applies here. A person's life doesn't have to follow a straight path. More often than not, it's more rewarding to following a winding path through life with some switchbacks included.

Clementine doesn't initially like the current day Iwan when she figures out who he is. Or she thinks that he has "lost" some of the charming, innocent, idealist goals he had 7 years previously. She thinks he has "sold out". I love how she came to terms with her own unrealistic perceptions about Iwan, as well as herself and both of their goals, past and present.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Seduction in Death by JD Robb

Eve Dallas #13. This story starts out with an accidental murder and progresses into planned murders in the context of a game between two intelligent young men, Kevin & Lucias, who are themselves products of an experiment. They are bored entitled twenty-somethings who decide to use sex-enhancing drugs (illegal and extremely expensive) to compete against each other by racking up points by doing things to young women they meet online. Think rape and murder. They both present as psychopaths, since they have zero feelings of remorse for what they are doing. They simply want to win the game. What's difficult for Eve and Co is figuring out who the next target is since these two are extremely tech-savvy, especially Lucias. Feeney & McNabb have their work cut out for them trying to dig through the layers of electronic security.

The two drugs are called "Rabbit" and "Whore" - and mixing them together is what causes death. Kevin & Lucias administer these drugs in champagne throughout their "first (and only) date" with these women. This results in the women having a insatiable sexual desire for them. To outside appearances, the women seem to be the one seeking sex and making forward advances in public. On top of this, Kevin & Lucias disguise their appearances using face putty to re-shape their faces, different color wigs, eyes, etc. They are both extremely attractive men who are charming and skilled at attracting women, partly because they are intelligent and quote romantic poetry to women who value those characteristics.

Meanwhile, as usual, Eve runs herself into the ground, only getting 2-3 hours of sleep at a time. She is relentless. She also uses herself as bait this time around, disguising herself as one of the woman targeted by Kevin. The good news is she finally realizes the value of some "down time" with Roarke and at the end of the book, they immediately head to Mexico for a much-needed vacation.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Betrayal in Death by JD Robb

Eve Dallas #12. This installment begins with the murder of a young hotel maid. It's apparent that the murderer chose her because she happened to be there. She was not a specific target. Wrong place at the wrong time. The next two murders are more targeted. They are all tied to Roarke in some way. A couple of other things are happening at this same time. Roarke is involved in a significant auction at one of his hotels (the same one the maid was murdered in) and an old friend of Roarke's from Ireland arrives in New York. This friend, Mick, was like a brother to Roarke back in the day when they were both deep in illegal activity. Mick has a difficult time believing that Roarke has gone completely legit. Eve doesn't necessarily trust Mick, but Roarke, being Roarke, invites Mick to stay with them. Since the name of this book is "Betrayal", my mind naturally went to Mick betraying Roarke since people are not "betrayed" by casual acquaintances but by close friends/family.

A sideline story is Peabody and McNab. McNab is so jealous of Charles he can hardly stand it. He has no idea that Peabody and Charles don't have a sexual relationship because Peabody is so stubborn she refuses to tell him. Meanwhile, Peabody is bothered that McNab is "flaunting" his many dates with other women. (I'm not convinced that McNab is actually dating other women though. It seems like he might just be trying to make Peabody jealous.) What I thought was interesting is that Eve seemed to side with McNab instead of Peabody. Peabody is simply being annoying about it all!

This is the first book where Eve had to take care of Roarke instead of the other way around. Roarke was highly stressed since the murders seemed to be connected to him in some way, which obviously didn't sit well with him. He was feeling guilty, although he had no control over the situation.

Wendy's Rating: ****

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover

I really liked this sequel to It Ends With Us. It Ends With Us had a great message about empowerment. It Starts With Us is about new beginnings. Lily proactively ends her family's cycle of abuse, despite the hardships that entailed, and finds a way to move forward in a positive way for herself and her daughter.

I will acknowledge however, that most women in domestic abuse situations probably don't have the support system that Lily had! Two of Lily's biggest supporters were actually the sister and brother-in-law of the abuser (Ryle). I have got to believe that this isn't a common occurrence. Lily also had Atlas, who has loved her since she was 15 years old and is extremely level-headed for someone who also grew up in an abusive environment. Atlas really handles the situation with Ryle, the situation with his mother, and his newly discovered younger brother with wisdom beyond his years. I actually liked this. If you are going to write a couple of books about abuse, why not show a positive, productive, adult way to move forward from it.

Both Lily and Atlas understand the importance of Emmy (Lily & Ryle's daughter) having a relationship with her father (Ryle), and Josh (Atlas' brother) having a relationship with his mother. Hopefully Ryle will be able to overcome his anger issues so that he can truly develop a positive, healthy relationship with Emmy. The anger management classes will probably help him, but I really think it was his sister Allysa and brother-in-law Marshall taking a stance in support of Lily that had the biggest impact on him. Especially since they all told him that he cannot see either of the girls (his daughter and his niece) unsupervised until he's proven himself.

Josh & Atlas' mom may be a lost cause, but it was nice that Atlas left the door open for her to build a relationship with both of her sons.

Finally, I really love Lily and Atlas together. They are each other's biggest supporters and they have a deep respect for each other. Plus, their love has overcome the test of time.

Wendy's Rating: ****

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

I can honestly say that I loved this book! I was so invested in the story that I read it in one day. I have not seen the movie yet, but I would certainly like to now. From all the controversy surrounding the movie, I would guess that most people know this book is about domestic abuse. I'm not sure what the controversy within the movie cast is actually about, even though I tried looking it up, but it didn't detract from how much I liked the story. The movie has done phenomenally well, so.... there is that as well.

Lily Bloom (15) grew up in a home (in Maine) with domestic violence. Her father beat her mother repeatedly throughout their marriage, which lasted until he was too weak from cancer to continue his abuse. Atlas Corrigan was a homeless teenager (18) that was kicked out of his home after his mother married his stepfather. She basically chose her husband over her child, even though he was still in High School. Lily and Atlas become friends, and eventually lovers. Then, Atlas moves away to Boston and eventually spends 8 years in the military.

Lily eventually moves to Boston herself and meets Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon who is finishing up his residency. They are instantly attracted to each other, even though Ryle does not want a relationship with anyone. His preference is one-night stands, which isn't Lily's way. So, despite their mutual attraction, they don't pursue a relationship, or even a friendship initially. This changes when Lily buys a building, with her inheritance from her father's death, to open up a flower store. Her first "employee" is the extremely wealthy Allysa, who just happens to be the sister of Ryle. One of those small-world moments I guess. ;)

I guess you can probably tell which direction this is heading! Ryle has a trauma history himself, which causes significant problems in his relationship with Lily. Lily develops a whole new understanding of what her mother went through - and why she stayed with her abusive husband. All hell breaks loose when Lily unexpectedly runs into Atlas. Super jealous and possessive Ryle can certainly NOT handle this bit of news.

I love how the subject of domestic abuse is handled in this book. There is only one way this book could reasonably end, and I was nervous for a bit - to the point where I had to take a sneak peek of the end to make sure it would end the way it needed to - but the ending is solid, in my opinion. I am already halfway through It Starts With Us!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Trunk Music by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch #5. I am not used to a detective series moving through time as fast as this series does. It's already been five years since Harry last saw Eleanor Wish, the FBI agent that was involved in the bank-vault-robbery-through-the-tunnels book. Harry seems to connect with a woman in a serious way in every book, but I guess he sees Eleanor as his "true love". Who knew?

"Trunk Music" refers to a mob hit. Apparently, mobsters like to stash their bodies in the trunks of cars. Harry is called to a scene discovered by cop doing his usual "rounds". There is a man found in the trunk of his own vehicle. He's been shot in the head. Harry & Co find out that he is a "B" - or really a "C" movie producer who happens to also launder money for the mob. He frequently flies to Las Vegas to gamble - and to pick up suitcases of money to bring back to Los Angeles to filter through his awful film productions. All of this information points to a mob hit, especially after they find out the victim, Tony Aliso, had just been notified that he was going to be audited.

Harry is officially back on the job (after his mandatory "hiatus" in the last book). The Hollywood Division has a new Lieutenant, Grace Billets. She decides to put the detectives in groups of three, instead of everyone having one partner. Each threesome has a "team leader" and Harry is the team leader of his group, which includes Edgar and a new detective who just transferred in called Kizmin Rider. Kiz is female.

Harry travels back and forth between Las Vegas and Los Angeles as he tries to figure out who killed Tony Aliso and why. Nothing is as it appears, which always makes for an interesting read. He finds out pretty quickly, after watching casino tapes, that Eleanor (who he hasn't seen in five years) seemed to know Tony since they talk to each other while playing poker shortly before Tony was murdered. Harry is pretty much the only person who believes that Eleanor didn't have anything to do with Tony and his money laundering scheme.

There are lots of twists and turns in this story. I enjoyed the ride.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

This memoir made me incredibly sad. The timing of this read also affected me. I had just started the book when I heard that five people were charged in the death of Matthew Perry. So, as I was reading the book, I was also reading the updates on who and why people were charged.

It is pretty remarkable that Matthew lived as long as he did, despite his tragic death at such a young age (54). It's astounding to me that people who take really good care of their bodies by exercising regularly, eating healthy, not smoking or drinking alcohol, can immediately die when out on a run at age 27, and yet people who abuse their bodies to an extreme can rebound again and again. What Matthew did to his body for decades is positively shocking. How do you star in a #1 rated TV series for 10 years, being so immersed in drugs and alcohol? It's truly unbelievable. Not too many other people could pull that off, if any. And how remarkable that five other actors could protect a colleague that was so messed up for those 10 years. There are not too many casts of any TV show or movie that would do that. 

So many things made me sad: Matthew's perpetual sense of not being "enough"; his feeling of abandonment; his fear of ultimate rejection; his fear of not being loved; his relentless ambition for fame. So many people made me angry: The studio doctor who gave him Vicodin after his jet ski accident; the doctors and nurses who sold him thousands of opiates "under the table"; the countless healthcare providers that supplied Matthew with so many different drugs to keep him high, simply for profit. It's disgusting. Those people all deserve to be in prison. Anything for profit. 

It's ironic that Matthew died from Ketamine. He talks about Ketamine in the book and states very clearly that, "Taking K is like being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel. But the hangover was rough and outweighed the shovel. Ketamine was not for me". He avoids Ketamine because of its effect on him, and yet he dies from it. Addiction is a powerful disease.

Matthew's story has stayed with me for days after finishing it. To be honest, the only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is simply because he jumps around in his timeline of events, and repeats things in different parts of the book, which was confusing at times.

Wendy's Rating: ****

West from the Fallen Wall by Ryan Lucas Henderson

This is a book of nine short stories. Each story reveals a different viewpoint of the American military continuing to have a presence in Europe long after the Cold War has ended. Some Europeans resent America's involvement in their country while others seem to value America's contribution. I've often felt that America continually finds itself in a lose-lose situation. Countries worldwide want America to stay out of their country. Yet, when they are in trouble and need our support, if we don't help immediately, we get blasted for not caring. It must be terribly difficult for our leaders to make these decisions. As they say, hindsight is 20/20.

These stories are very well-written. We get a glimpse of Americans stationed in different countries and training with/co-existing with Croatians, Germans, Ukrainians, Greeks, Romans, Slovenians, Italians, Bavarians and the French. Some of our military personnel are in Europe to support NATO, showing the world that these countries can work together for the greater good. They train with mixed leadership. These stories are open-ended, meaning we really don't know what happens after the story ends. These soldiers/photographers/military personnel are all deeply affected by their stay in Europe. The author describes each character in a way that we understand how they are feeling and why they often feel conflicted about their purpose in Europe.

Each story is very different from the others. I was deeply affected by The Schnitzel and the Shark, which underscores how strong one has to be when in any branch of the military. You can't let your fellow soldiers, or certainly your superior, see any type of weakness or you will pay dearly for that weakness/mistake. Another powerful story was Forest of Dry Bones, set in France, which demonstrates how difficult it was for private citizens during wartime. So much loss that is completely out of one's control - and the aftermath of living with those traumatic experiences.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

I heard this book was about a relationship between an octopus and a woman. Needless to say, I wasn't crazy about reading it. I am so glad I did! It's so much more than that. Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus, lives in the Sowell Bay Aquarium. He was severely injured when he was young and was rescued and brought to the aquarium to heal and live. The lifespan of a giant Pacific octopus is 4 years, which Marcellus is getting close to. He is sad and lonely and bored. He is also very intelligent. Tova is the woman who cleans the aquarium after it closes each night. Tova is also sad and lonely and bored. Tova's only child, Erik, died many years ago by drowning when he was 18 years old.  Tova's husband died a couple of years earlier. Tova's only sibling, Lars, who she was estranged from, dies near the beginning of this book. So she has no family.

Cameron is a 30 year old loser. He can't keep a job. He can't keep a girlfriend. He has no money. He is just drifting through life. His mother abandoned him when he was 9 years old, leaving him with her sister, his aunt Jeanne. His mother, Daphne, was an addict. Cameron never knew his father - and neither did his aunt Jeanne. Cameron looks in a box that was left by his mother, hoping to find something valuable that he can pawn for money. He sees a picture of his mother with a guy from when they were in High School. He also finds a class ring. He decides he is going to find this guy who he believes is his father. His mother's friend is now a wealthy Real Estate Developer. His plan is to track him down and demand back payment: 18 years of child support his mother never received. Cameron's "father" lives in Sowell Bay.

These two stories unfold throughout the book and eventually interweave into each other. There are lots of hints about who Cameron really is, but the only living being that actually KNOWS is Marcellus. When Marcellus lived in the sea, he discovered Erik's possessions from the night Erik drown. As his connection with Tova deepens, and his time on earth shortens, he desperately tries to figure out a way to give Tova the information she needs to bring closure to Erik's death.

This is a heartwarming story about family, friendship, love, strength, commitment and perseverance. It was engaging from beginning to end. I really loved it.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Judgment in Death by JD Robb

Book #11. This installment finds Eve investigating the murder of a cop in an establishment owned by Roarke (surprise, surprise). It's an after-hours murder.  Eve finds out that this cop, Taj Kohli, is moonlighting as a bartender at Purgatory. Is he working undercover? Is he a dirty cop? Why does he have a drink with someone after hours at his place of work? Obviously it was someone he knew and trusted. So why did the person brutally murder him and leave his police badge covered in blood?

Soon more cops are murdered in equally brutal ways. Their badges were also left at the scene covered in blood. Eve is waylaid after hours - and usually outside of her private home - a couple of times by Webster, who is a member of IAB and someone she briefly dated awhile back. (Webster is still hung up on her, which Roarke isn't happy about.) Webster won't tell Eve any details about the cops that were killed, but she figures out that IAB was investigating the department that these cops worked out of. The murdered cops were on a task force together, trying to take down a criminal, Max Ricker, who specialized in "illegals" (drugs). Eve thinks the murders are connected to Ricker, and that the cops were dirty cops paid off by Ricker. Fortunately for Roarke's fancy (and undetectable) electronic equipment, he is able to discover the money trails that existed.

Roarke was once connected to Ricker (in his less-legal business deal days) - and Eve finds out that Roarke actually purchased Purgatory from Ricker five years previously. Eve also discovers a connection between herself and Ricker. So she has a lot to sort through when trying to figure out what's going on. Her relationship with Roarke has some rough moments, but at the same time, they seem to be digging deeper into their relationship which shows growth.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Witness in Death by JD Robb

This is the 10th book in the Eve Dallas series. The key murder in this book happens in a theater on stage. What's interesting is that since this series is set in the late 2050s, theatrical performances are apparently a thing of the past. Which I hope doesn't actually happen since I absolutely love attending live performances at the theater! Anyway, Roarke restored an old theater and then hired some of the most talented actors and actresses to star in the Grand Opening performance at the New Globe Theater. Roarke chose a murder mystery to be performed. Eve had never been to a theater and she was intrigued by the live performance, as well as trying to figure out which of the characters had murderous intent. The murder within the play ends up being a murder in real life, and that's when Eve and company step in. So, Eve herself is the "Witness in Death".

Since the majority of the suspects are actors, Eve has her work cut out for her. They are very, very good at lying and "telling their stories". With Roarke's help - which she certainly needs in order to do her job as quickly and efficiently as she does - she is able to track down personal histories and prior scrapes with the law. She also discovers all the decades-long connections this group of actors have with each other. The one thing they ALL have in common is that they detested the very talented and good looking star of the show, and victim: Richard Draco. Richard was a scumbag by all accounts and absolutely no one is sad that he is dead. Each of the suspects has a legitimate reason for wanting him dead as well.

I like how we get to see some of Eve's vulnerabilities as this series progresses. All of her relationships are developing as well. Peabody is starting to come into her own and pushing back a bit at Eve when it's warranted. Even Eve's interactions with Summerset are comfortably antagonistic. There is a mutual trust and respect between the two. It's just buried deep.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

This is a great discussion book! I highly recommend it for book clubs. The premise is that everyone 22 years old or older, worldwide, gets a box delivered to them on the same night. Inside the box is a string, along with a message: The measure of your life lies within. So every adult gets a string, but the strings are all different lengths. At first people think it represents how long each person has left to live. Before too long though, they realize that the length of the string represents the length of their entire life. So, for obvious reasons, people who receive a short string are upset. Every day, as people turn 22 years old, they receive their box.

It's super interesting, and completely realistic, how different people react to the length of their strings. People are quickly referred to as "short-stringers" or "long-stringers". Short-stringers are abandoned by their significant others because of their short lifespan. Short-stringers decide not to have children, leave their jobs to travel, give up on their long-term goals/dreams. Short-String therapy groups are formed for support. It doesn't take long for society to be prejudiced against them. The military forces everyone in a military service to show their strings. The people with short strings are relegated to desk jobs. They only want long-stringers in active combat or in high positions.

There is a presidential election coming up, so the presidential candidates use string length to try to get elected. Counties like China force their citizens to register their string length with their government. Some long-stringers do crazy, dangerous things because they know they will live a long life. What some don't realize though, is that they could live a long life being paralyzed from the neck down because of some stupid stunt. Living a long life doesn't mean that it will be a good life!

There are some people that choose not to open their box. They want to just live their life not knowing how long they have. Some of these people are betrayed by their family members or significant others, who open their boxes without their knowledge of consent.

Again, this is a great discussion book! So many different opinions!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Loyalty in Death by JD Robb

Eve Dallas book #9. This installment in this futuristic New York Police Department's crime fighting series involves a bomber. The bomber leaves letters that explain the purpose of the bombs: destroy the corrupt, over-indulged, repressed society of New York. The letters end with the phrase "We are Cassandra". The letters refer to Cassandra causing destruction in the name of, or for the sake of, an unknown "Him". The letters always mention their loyalty to "Him".

In addition to this, Eve is called to the scene of the murder of a wealthy man, J. Clarence Branson. JC Branson, by all accounts a kind, honest man, is murdered by his mistress, Lisbeth Cooke. She stabs him with one of the tools that his company manufactures. She kills him because she finds out that he is cheating on her. The problem is, he is not the type of man to cheat - and no one has any evidence of this.

We are introduced to Peabody's brother, Zeke, who comes to town for a job. He stays with Peabody. Zeke is actually in love with his new client's wife, which is why he took the job. Also in the romance department, Peabody and McNab finally succumb to their attraction to each other.

Eve and crew (including Roarke, of course) try to track down the origin of Cassandra, who link themselves to Mt. Olympus (power and prophecy). Eve/Roarke eventually connect Cassandra to an earlier (30 years prior) group who went by the name of "Apollo". Most of Apollo's top leadership was killed at once, which is what stopped them.

All of these stories are interwoven. There are definitely a couple of surprises along the way, which is always nice. I love twists that I wasn't expecting. Eve and Roarke have been married for six months by now and they finally have a fight which causes Roarke to give Eve the silent treatment. Ha! It's about time. She would be difficult to be married to!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch #4. Harry is in a bad place, career-wise and in his personal life. He's pretty much falling apart. He has lost everything he cares about: his home, his job, his girlfriend. He drinks a lot, smokes even more, and has acted out physically against a superior. I guess you have to reach rock bottom before you can start climbing out of the self-inflicted abyss though.

Since Harry has a little "break" from work, he decides it is way past time to discover what happened to his mother when he was a child. She was a prostitute who was murdered and left in a alley to be discovered, ironically, by a cop. This mission turns out to be a lot more complicated than he thought, and not only because of how long ago it happened. Certainly, some of the interested parties are retired, deceased, living in a different state, etc., but some of the people involved are wealthy and politically-minded and don't give Harry an inch when questioned. People are also murdered because of Harry's actions, which adds guilt to Harry's already-burdened soul.

The good news is that Harry finally starts opening up with the psychiatrist, Dr. Hinojos. Not only does he start sharing some of what he is feeling, but he starts to listen to her suggestions about changes he could make in his life to be happier. It takes a lot of energy to be so negative all the time! Harry does have a couple of people in his corner, which is lucky for him. He also meets another woman, who he connects with. I was definitely surprised by this turn of events. I thought he would become more self-aware of his actions which resulted in Sylvia breaking up with him and try to get her back. He gave up way too easy on that relationship.

Harry does discover what happened to his mother. His investigation definitely ended differently than I expected however. These books are very engaging and fast-paced. I like this series a lot.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes

This had a slow start for me. I have a difficult time reading about self-entitled, smug, obnoxious people, so that might have been part of it. I was definitely not a fan of Nisha for the longest time. Nisha's husband was despicable. I also hated Sam's boss, Simon. And then there was Sam's depressed husband who refused to do anything at all to make his life better. Let's see, there were also Sam's parents who were whiney and demanding and completely annoying. It's just too much! I was able to keep reading because of the kindness of Jasmine and Andrea. These two women were steadfast, loyal, honest, supportive and pretty much "saved" the book for me.

Nisha Cantor was married to a very wealthy man who decided one day that he was done with her. So he shut down her access to their homes, money and clothing immediately. She had access to only the clothes on her back - and the shoes on her feet, which were actually not her own, since her bag got mixed up with another bag at the gym. Nisha's "replacement" was named Charlotte, who was her husband's secretary. Charlotte started wearing all of Nisha's prized attire. These people cared more about their clothes and shoes than anything else. Drove me nuts.

Sam Kemp is super kind, but stuck with a family that doesn't recognize her kindness, patience or hard work. She is also good at her job, but gets increasingly criticized about each and every thing by her new boss, who very obviously feels insecure in his own masculinity and leadership skills since he undermines everything that Sam does. I was appalled at Sam's colleagues too, who don't really stand up for her against him. Except Joel, but that's a different story. So much negativity!

Since I love Jojo Moyes, I knew to keep reading. I knew these women would find the strength to stand up for themselves against all these pitiful men. And there was a twist that I didn't see coming, which is always a nice surprise. So, my takeaway from this book is that superficial friends are worthless; you have to find your own self-worth and not try to find it in the eyes of others; stand up for yourself when you know you are being taken advantage of. Strap on those 6-inch red Louboutin shoes and walk confidently into the room to show people what you've got!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly

Although this is only the 3rd book in the Harry Bosch series, and there are 20+ books in the series, this was my favorite so far. Harry's demotion to the Hollywood Division is explained in Book #1, but this book brings Harry to trial about the Dollmaker case, which is what got Harry demoted. Harry had shot and killed a serial killer called the Dollmaker, who was actually unarmed at the time. Harry of course thought he was reaching for a gun, so shooting him was his response for self-defense. Harry is brought to trial by the Dollmaker's widow. She doesn't believe that her husband was the Dollmaker - and she also wanted Harry to pay for killing an unarmed man. At the beginning of this book, another body is discovered ("The Concrete Blonde" since the woman was blonde and buried under cement) with the Dollmaker's trademarks. She was killed two years previously and the Dollmaker was killed by Harry four years previously. So this brings into question whether Harry killed an innocent man.

In addition to Harry being involved in this trial, which doesn't appear to be going in his favor, due to the inexperience of his own lawyer vs. the expertise of the Plaintiff's lawyer, Honey Chandler, Harry is still dating the former spouse (Sylvia) of the cop gone bad in Book #2. It's already a year into their relationship and Harry loves Sylvia but she starts doubting his commitment to her. Being a cop's wife, she is super patient, but Harry's unwillingness to talk about his past and his obsession with the Dollmaker case, tries her patience.

As if that isn't intriguing enough (all of the above!), Harry starts to suspect a cop as another serial killer (referred to as the Follower) and uses a psychiatrist/author as a resource for information. This doctor, Locke, seems a little too interested in Harry's latest case, which makes me suspicious of him! And finally, Edgar does a really terrible thing to Harry and that really threw me for a loop. I don't like him so much anymore. This book was definitely a "page turner".

Wendy's Rating: ****

Conspiracy in Death by JD Robb

Book #8 in the Eve Dallas series. Eve is called to the scene of a murder of a street person whose diseased organ has been surgically removed by a skilled surgeon. This is puzzling since this series is written in future times and the use of donated organs is rare. Organs are manufactured in the 2050s and they last a lot longer than real organs. In addition to that, even in present time, no one would want to use a diseased organ for donation purposes. Eve and her team discover other similar murders in the US and in Europe. All of the people found dead had diseased organs which were surgically removed.

To add an additional layer to this story, Eve finds herself a target for a police officer that attended the Police Academy with her many years previously. Officer Bowers treats Eve with disrespect at two different crime scenes and Eve chastises her and reports her insubordination. This doesn't sit well with Officer Bowers, who pushes back. After Bowers is discovered murdered, Eve is considered a person of interest in her death. The end result is the department being forced to suspend Eve and take her badge & weapon. This sends Eve into a state of despair.

It takes Roarke and Mavis 2-3 days to force Eve out of her "funk". Eve eventually assists with the investigation into these deaths using Roarke's private resources, with behind-the scenes support from Peabody and company. Eve also undergoes some mentally challenging evaluations performed by Mira in order to prove that she is fit for her job. I like that Eve is being forced to deal with her past instead of being allowed to internalize her trauma. I like to see personal growth in main characters in all series of books.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Black Ice by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch #2. There are two meanings to the title of this book. Black Ice is the name of a drug coming out of Mexico. The original, more purer form of the drug called Ice, came from Hawaii. The Mexican drug cartel figured out a way to produce the drug cheaper - and with less overhead because they can just transport it across the border into the US (rather than ship it or fly it over like the Hawaiian's have to do). There is also the more common reference to "black ice", which relates to when rain or snow covers the roads and then freezes, so drivers have to drive with caution due to the possibility of hitting black ice, which will potentially send the driver careening off the road into a ditch. Both meanings of this phrase applies to this book.

Even though Harry is on call (on Christmas) for the next murder scene, he is not called. He finds out about the murder over his police scanner. He goes to the scene anyway, of course. The victim is a cop, who apparently committed suicide in a very graphic way. His face is blown off by a double barrel shotgun. The police department wants to control the scene - and control the information coming out about the apparent suicide - which is why Harry wasn't called. Harry soon believes that it isn't a suicide, but a murder.

It doesn't take Harry long to suspect that this cop's murder (Calexico Moore) is linked to a drug mule case he is already working on. Then, when Harry is told to take over another cop's cases who retired suddenly (Porter), he realizes that one of Porter's last cases is also linked to the first two. So these three cases lead Harry to Mexico, the Mexican authorities and the DEA. Harry has to trust his instincts when it comes to who to trust, at home and in Mexico. Anyone who tries to take down a Mexican drug boss needs to tread lightly. You never know who they have paid off.

This particular drug lord, Zorrillo, breeds bulls for bullfighting. Since Harry attends a bullfight to try to set eyes on Zorrillo, I am reminded of how much a detest bullfighting. Watching an animal suffer until death is not my idea of "sport".

This story has the usual twists and turns - and both good and evil people die. It's interesting how Harry puts it all together in the end. It's all in the details!

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly

I liked this book, although I didn't like it as much as Lilac Girls by this same author. I've been trying to figure out why. The thing that bothers me the most is that both Arlette and Josie were taken by people they should have been more suspicious of. If these two were intelligent enough to join the French Resistance at the age of 17 - and survive Ravensbruck - then how is it that they so willingly went along with people I certainly didn't trust! When someone seems too good to be true, then take a step back and consider all the angles. Look at the evidence!

Other than that, I did like the book and I learned a few things I didn't know. I actually wasn't aware of Operation Paperclip and I am appalled at how many top Nazi's were given new identities to leave their crimes behind and live comfortably and safely in other countries. To know that they were assisted by members of the Red Cross and the Vatican is disgusting. All of the medical experiments, the killing of innocent children (including newborns), the starving of children in the Kinderzimmer at Ravensbruck, and all the other, endless, horrific things that went on because of Hitler and his Nazi's, is truly hard to believe. 

The one thing I have never been able to understand about Nazi Germany is how so many people thought these actions (to achieve a superior race) were okay. It's one thing to be taken in by a charismatic leader, or to follow what you are told to do as a child, or to get "caught up in the moment", but what about our innate sense of morality and ethics? How is torturing men, women and children ever beneficial to any cause at all? Even the top scientists and doctors of the time had to see how incredibly wrong it all was. How do you get that brainwashed by a man, or even by a movement? 

I think about how difficult it would have been to trust people during World War II and the aftermath. There were so many spies and double agents from all countries that were assimilated into each community. Russia, Israel and the US each had their own agenda for tracking down Nazi war criminals. When Arlette met Luc and Josie met Aaron, they should have been immediately suspicious. But, Arlette and Josie also had their own agendas (Arlette  to find her son and Josie to find Dr. Snow), so it's somewhat understandable that they "went along" to find out what information they could. But I was sad that some key, wonderful people died along the way.

World War II continues to be one of my favorite topics to read about. I am intrigued with how incredibly brave people were and how they managed to survive living in Europe and/or the camps during the war. From a psychological standpoint, I want to try to understand why the people running these camps thought it was acceptable to treat people the way they did.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

Just what I needed, to start another detective series! The Black Echo is the first book in the Harry Bosch series. I believe there are 27 books in the series now, with some additional short stories. So.... lots to read, too little time. ;)

Harry is a LAPD homicide detective. In this introduction to Harry, we find out that he was a "tunnel rat" in the Vietnam War. When a man is found dead in a drain pipe often used by drug addicts and homeless people, Harry is called to the scene. Everyone wants to write off this death as another drug addict who overdosed, especially since he has fresh tracks in his arm. Harry notices quickly though that not all is what it seems to be. When the man is finally taken out of the drain pipe, Harry is shocked to realize that the dead man (Billy Meadows) was a fellow "tunnel rat" that had served with Harry. Harry had not seen him in 20 years, although Billy had called him once the previous year and Harry was under the impression that Billy had kicked his drug habit.

Harry's reputation with the police department has been tarnished due to the way he handled his last case. (A man ended up dead, at the hands of Harry.) Internal Affairs is especially "out for him", wanting him to be discharged from the department completely. So Harry has his work cut out for him when it comes to trying to investigate how Billy ended up in the drain pipe. This becomes even more mysterious when other people that Harry talks to end up dead. Harry is not allowed to work with his partner on the case (Jerry Edgar) and instead is told to work with an FBI agent by the name of Eleanor Wish. Harry falls for Eleanor, which complicates a few things as well.

Fortunately, there are colleagues in the department that are still loyal to Harry and they help him track down information he needs to solve this case. There are definitely some twists and turns in the story and I was suspicious of a variety of people along the way, wondering who could really be trusted. (For good reason, you will find out at the end!) The story involves the end of the Viet Nam war, the people who were there at the end, and their actions to profit. It's a very delayed "conclusion of events" from 20 years earlier.

I already ordered books #2-#4. I am thinking that Harry and Edgar will soon be partners again. (Fingers crossed.)

Wendy's Rating: ****

Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez

This book is an autobiography, which is a sequel to The Circuit. The Circuit covers the younger years of Francisco Jimenez and Breaking Through starts when he is around 13 years old until after his high school graduation.

Francisco, his older brother Roberto, and their parents left their small village near Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico when Francisco was four years old. They entered the United States illegally and settled in California. They were hoping to leave behind their life of poverty in Mexico, but ended up living in poverty in California. When Francisco was 14 years old, their illegal status was discovered and they were sent back to Mexico. Since the three younger siblings were born in California, it was only Francisco, Roberto and their parents that had to apply for citizenship to live in California. Fortunately, that was one thing in their lives that they were able to make happen, but when they were cleared to return to California, only Roberto & Francisco went. Their father had significant back pain and he decided to remain in Mexico until he could heal, since he wasn't able to work the fields in California anyway due to his pain. Roberto & Francisco attended school, worked before and after school, and sent as much money back to Mexico as possible to help out their family. Within the year, the family was reunited in California.

What was most impressive to me was Roberto, Francisco, and eventually Trampita's (the oldest of the younger kids) work ethic. They worked their tails off to help support their family, and they never complained about it. They were honest, hardworking, reliable, and quite honestly, "obedient" to their parents, teachers and employers. Francisco definitely understood the importance of learning English, getting good grades and finding a way to get an education post high school. It was really remarkable how hard he worked at everything. He is an excellent example of someone learning to empower themself to rise out of the poverty they were born in. He also didn't let other people's prejudices against Mexicans stop him from succeeding.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

I can see why this book won the Pulitzer Prize. The writing is excellent. The story is extremely detailed and the characters evolve over time. I would love to give it 5 stars, but I just can't. Not regarding the book overall. Despite the talented writing, I had a really hard time with the main character! That took away some of my enjoyment in reading his story.

The book starts near the end of the story itself. We are introduced to Theo Decker as an adult. Then we go back to the beginning and move forward through this 771 page book. The story starts when Theo is 13 years old. He lives with his mother, his father having left them the previous year. His father, to sum it up in a neat, tidy package, is an abusive, self-centered, alcoholic, actor-want-to-be who blames his wife for his own failures as a human being. Theo's mother is Theo's foundation. So, when his mother has to take off work one day to take Theo to school to meet with a teacher (due to Theo's misbehavior), and she ends up being killed by a terrorist attack bombing in the museum they stopped by on the way to school, Theo's life falls apart. He is filled with regret, guilt and grief. He also has no one to take him in, since no one knows where his father went, and his (very unlikable) grandparents don't want him.

Theo ends up going to stay with the family of a childhood friend, Andy Barbour. The Barbours are wealthy - and certainly dysfunctional. The oldest son is a trouble-maker; Andy is the odd duck; the two younger siblings are quite annoyed that Andy is staying with them. Mrs. Barbour is distracted by her social events and Mr. Barbour is rarely home (and we find out later has some significant mental health issues). Oddly enough, this family ends up being the "center" of Theo's life, even though he is soon sent away with his father, who suddenly shows up one day to claim Theo.

Theo's dad moves Theo to Vegas with him and his girlfriend, Xandra. Theo's dad now earns his living by gambling and he has reportedly given up alcohol. (But not really) Theo's life spirals downward pretty fast in Vegas. He meets Boris, who is 100% trouble. These two boys live an unsupervised life filled with alcohol & drugs. It's painful to read. I actually took several breaks from reading this book! It took me almost 6 weeks to finish it. Theo's poor decision-making was a key factor in that.

Anyway, Theo ends up moving back to New York and he is taken in by Hobie. Hobie is the partner of Welty, who died in the same museum explosion as Theo's mother. Theo found and talked to Welty as he lay dying. Welty gave Theo his ring and asked him to bring it to Hobie. Welty also convinced Theo to take the famous painting, The Goldfinch, off of the museum wall to save it. This is, of course, an essential part of this story. Another key person in Theo's life is Pippa, who is also at the museum that day. Pippa is Welty's niece, who was living with her uncle because her mother had died from cancer. Anyway, Pippa survives the bombing, but is seriously injured. Theo falls in love with her at first sight, when he first spots her in the museum before the bombing.

This story is very detailed and very complex. Theo lives his life, hiding the famous painting, making really bad decisions, betraying people who care about him, trusting people he shouldn't, loving someone who can't love him back and planning to marry someone that doesn't love him back. I kept waiting and waiting for Theo to do something, anything, to redeem himself. I desperately wanted him to make a positive change in his life. I guess he does, ultimately, but it take over 750 pages to get to that point, and even then, it doesn't actually end the way I wanted it to.

Wendy's Rating: ****

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

I never would have read this book if it wasn't a book club selection, despite the rave reviews. I could not imagine that a book about two giraffes would be interesting or entertaining. Well, this is why I belong to a book club! I read the book in one day, and the story was quite engaging.

Woody Nickel is the main character. He is 17 years old - and on his own. He is dirty, starving and doesn't have a dime to his name. His parents and sister are dead (from the Dust Bowl) and his uncle, who he located on the east coast & lived with for awhile after his parents died, has recently died as well. Woody is a thief and a liar, but he is a survivor. He falls in love (at first sight) with a red-headed photographer who wants to take pictures of the "hurricane giraffes" and make a name for herself with Life magazine. The giraffes were being transported via ship from Africa to the New York Harbor when the ship (SS Robin Goodfellow) got caught in the Great Hurricane of 1938, off Haiti. The giraffes, who are young, were initially saved from poachers. Now they miraculously survive a hurricane in their crates on the ship. Woody names them Wild Boy and Wild Girl.

Riley Jones is the head keeper of the San Diego Zoo. He is charged with the mission of driving the giraffes across county from New York to the San Diego Zoo - which is quite a feat in and off itself, especially since Wild Girl has an injured leg. Riley has a driver since he can't drive due to an unexplained injury of his shifting hand. This driver is certainly not a solid fellow, and soon he abandons Riley. Woody wants to take his place. Riley finds himself between a rock and a hard place because he needs a driver asap, and he doesn't trust Woody at all (as he shouldn't!), but Woody finds a way to convince him to give him a try as a driver.

Woody has a nickname for everyone. He refers to Riley as "Old Man" and the photographer Augusta (aka Augie) as "Red". Red follows Woody & Old Man across the country taking pictures. This adventure takes 12 days, but they nearly lose their lives a few different times. It's a harrowing journey.

I normally don't like characters that make bad decisions again and again, which Woody does. Fortunately, he learns a few important things along the way as well. So, although he does some really stupid things and suffers the consequences, he does manage to redeem himself in my eyes. I really enjoyed this book, especially since the author includes historical facts.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin

I really liked this book. It not only showed the incredible strength of two very different women during World War II, but it demonstrated the disparity of privileges, depending on what country one resided in. The book jacket makes a comment about the two women connecting, which yes, technically they do - eventually. But that's really not what their individual journeys are about.

Ava Harper is a librarian in the Rare Book Room of the Library of Congress in Washington DC. She gets sent to Lisbon, Portugal to help with the war effort. She is intelligent, speaks French & German, and knows how to use microfilm. Her new job is to collect all daily publications (newspapers) she can find each morning and send them to Washington DC for filing. She works out of the US Embassy. Since Portugal is a neutral country, she doesn't experience the same things that people living in occupied countries do in Europe. She eats wonderful food whenever she wants (while so many other people are starving), she attends fancy events in beautiful gowns, comes and goes as she pleases. There ARE Germans to be wary of, and she learns that lesson very shortly after her arrival.

Meanwhile, Elaine (Helene) lives in occupied France. She yearns to help with the Resistance, but her husband, Joseph, forbids it. This causes problems in their marriage. One day her husband doesn't return to their home (after a significant fight). Joseph had fought in the Great War and become a pacifist. In their final argument, Helene had called Joseph a coward. Helene has to seek out Joseph's best friend, Etienne, for information and help. She quickly discovers that Joseph is deeply involved with the Resistance and he was simply trying to protect her by forbidding her to be involved - and not telling her what he was doing. Joseph had already made new identity papers for Helene, which Etienne had. So she became Elaine. Etienne tells Elaine that Joseph has been arrested and is in prison. (He eventually gets sent to a concentration camp.)

These two women, with the help of other incredibly brave men and women, do whatever they can to save people and put an end to the war. Ava doesn't skirt danger completely, but she has plenty of food and a place to live with meaningful work. Elaine is starving, scared and at risk every minute of every day. Very different lives, but on the same mission.

Definitely a good read in my opinion!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Alone on the Ice by David Roberts

Excellent book. I was wondering why the average rating of this book was under 4*s on Goodreads after I finished it, so I read some of the reasons for the low ratings. I stopped after a few minutes because the people who gave this book a 1* or 2* rating really should stick to reading other genres. Seriously. One 1* rater complained because of all the information about the other teams/explorers that were included in the book. This information added depth to the story!! It added important perspective to what the goal was: to map out Antarctica - the borders, the glaciers, to see what was actually ice-covered land mass vs. islands of rock surrounded by frozen water. This book is an incredible story. It is well-researched and well-written. The author talks about his sources (mainly diaries of the explorers and older books written about these expeditions) and at times why he was skeptical about some of the things published by family members years later over the actual diaries of the men themselves.

Certainly explorers of a "new world" need to be brave and physically strong, but I think the most important characteristic is mental strength. These were not average men. They were exceptionally intelligent, strong both physically and mentally, and were deeply invested in their missions. It's difficult to even imagine the hardships these men endured while attempting to fulfill their innate curiosity about the unexplored regions of our world. Of course their will to survive passes most others. Near starvation, with skin falling off, hair coming out in clumps, no equipment, eating dog meat/organs who had been starving themselves, trying to walk through frigid temperatures, wind, snow for 5-15 miles per day. It truly is incredible.

Douglas Mawson's journey by sledge, using both dogs and manpower, is a story of endurance and tragedy. Mawson was a scientist. He explored the Antarctic to collect samples, data, mapping and discovering that which no other man ever had. What was really interesting to me, as well, is how often Mawson and the numerous other men he traveled with (who kept diaries) downplayed the hardships, both in the weather/wind/ice/snow and the conflicts between men. These men arrived in Antarctica to "over winter" a year before the various expeditions. The first hardship was getting there by ship, which was dangerous in and of itself, and then trying to find a place for the ship to drop anchor to haul all the supplies, men and dogs to shore without the ship crashing into ice or being frozen into the water.

Again, this is an amazing story and I highly recommend it - to those who value the intense research and authenticity of this man's journey, as well as those like Ernest Shackleton, Frank Wild and Robert Falcon Scott (who ended up dying on one of his own quests in the Antarctic).

Phenomenal story.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Midnight in Death

This is a short book (90 pages) that follows Book #7. It takes place between Christmas and New Year's Eve. I am honestly not sure why! Can't Eve and Roarke have their first Christmas together without Eve being involved in a series of murders? This murderer was brought to justice three years previously by Eve and a number of other people (lawyers, a judge, therapist, etc). He was jailed for his crimes, but escaped during a medical transport. He is a serial killer who experimented on how much pain certain people can tolerate before they die. Pretty gruesome stuff. In this short story, Eve is his main target. Unfortunately, he tortures and kills a few people before he gets to Eve.

I don't know how Eve could do her job as effectively without the assistance of Roarke and his ability to bypass security systems, both online and at physical locations. It sure makes Eve's job easier! Ha! His research capability certainly shortens the time when tracking down information. I think they make a good team. In this book, Eve comments that Roarke would make a good cop. I agree. It helps to have a ton of money too.

Peabody is still recovering from her ordeal before Christmas, but she does join Eve on this case. She even travels off-planet with McNab. They have declared a "truce", which is nice. Apparently, I have a difficult time reading about interpersonal conflict, because I was relieved that Peabody & McNab AND Eve & Summerset did not bicker in this story. Roarke was a little more chill as well, especially considering that Eve set herself up as bait to re-catch this killer.

Short & not sweet, considering it involved torture and murder. But entertaining.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Holiday in Death by JD Robb

Book #7 of the series. It's interesting to me that I love reading about the holiday season even in March! Also, these holiday murders are gruesome. The serial killer's "theme" is the Twelve Days of Christmas (the song). Since Eve Dallas was injured in Book #6, she is just returning to work (too early, in everyone's opinion except her own) at the time of the first murder. She takes the case to prove to herself that she can still do the job with the same dedication, intensity, and success rate as before her injury. Unfortunately, this particular case also makes her face her own personal demons from her childhood of incestual abuse at the hands of her father. In other words, Eve Dallas is a mess in this book!

The killer chooses his victims through a dating service called Personally Yours. This is a high-end dating service that includes spa treatments and high-end cosmetic products on site. It's owned and run by a brother/sister team, Rudy & Piper Hoffman. The victims are both female and male, and they don't seem connected in any way except they all have profiles at Personally Yours. This gives Peabody and McNab an opportunity to expand their detective skills by going undercover and setting up their own profiles at Personally Yours. McNab drives Peabody crazy and she doesn't want anything to do with him (and obviously, McNab is crazy for Peabody), so them working together provides for some interesting interactions.

Eve does seem to get caught up at times in trying to get her personal suspect to fit in the "murderer box" even when there is evidence against her thoughts. She is not always able to separate her own personal baggage from the evidence in a case. I was so happy to see her finally admit that by the end of this book. It's very frustrating to me! Ha! I also hate how she runs herself into the ground time and time again. I like that she's feisty and determined, but what good is she to anyone half-dead? Honestly.

With that being said, I get that Eve's life is a journey and she has developed quite an awesome support team. I am looking forward to seeing how she grows as a person (and not just a detective).

Wendy's Rating: ****