Capture or Kill

Capture or Kill is the 23rd Mitch Rapp spy thriller. The series was begun by Vince Flynn who died approximately ten years ago. I haven't read any of the books published after his death until now. I selected this book for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge based on its publication month. Capture or Kill was just published a few days ago on September 3, 2024.

The publisher's summary:  

April 2011: On a remote mountaintop overlooking the remains of the Iranian nuclear weapons program, Azad Ashani witnesses a Quds Force demonstration of a capability meant to upend America’s war in the Middle East. Ashani, director of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security and Irene Kennedy’s former back channel to the Iranian government, recognizes the demonstration’s true significance, and the nation-ending conflict it will provoke. Alone, Ashani stands no chance of preventing this rush to madness. But with the help of one man, he just might.

In Washington, DC, CIA director Irene Kennedy briefs the president that the operational window to kill or capture Osama bin Laden at his recently discovered compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan is rapidly closing. But before he’ll authorize a commando raid on Pakistani soil, the president demands irrefutable proof of bin Laden’s presence. 

Proof he trusts just one man to provide. Preventing a looming war in the Middle East while delivering justice for the nearly 3,000 Americans killed on 9/11 would be a big ask for anyone.

The book had a slow beginning and I struggled to maintain interest. I found myself skipping pages of narrative just to get to some action. For example, after reading 10 pages of narrative Rapp contacted his boss Irene Kennedy. After the hellos we returned to another page or two of narrative before continuing the conversation. By this time I had forgotten who had called who and why. Another reason I found the story to hard to follow was the excessive number of acronyms. Within one of the early chapters we had SUNSPOT, HAVOK, TALON, ICE, PETTY, RTO, SIGINT, HENLEY, YUENGLING, and FAIRBANKS. It was too much for me all at once.

I broke one of my rules to stop reading if I do not become engaged after 50 pages. I made it to page 100 but only because Vince Flynn's name was on the book cover. Flynn was a phenomenal writer and I miss his stories. Since this was a DNF novel there is no rating. Please note that I haven't had a DNF in at least 5 years. 

My Husband’s Affair

Ruth Heald is one of my favorite authors. She recently published a new psychological thriller on April 10, 2024. Her books are always mesmerizing with plenty of suspense so I picked up a copy of it. It did not disappoint and, as the advertising says, it is unputdownable.

The publisher's summary:

I thought I had the perfect marriage. But as our beautiful children sleep soundly in the next room, I stare at the messages between my husband Rob and another woman, their promises to run away together bringing tears to my eyes. My heart stops when I see the latest one: ‘Leave my wife to me. I’ll get rid of her.’

My blood runs cold. I know this woman. I’ve let her into my home, where she’s bounced my rosy-cheeked baby on her knee. She could ruin my life in moments – she knows things about me even Rob doesn’t…

They think they can get rid of me so easily. They think they can just tear apart the perfect life we’ve built. But they've made a mistake underestimating me. He doesn't know I've uncovered his secrets. And now I know just enough to destroy him.

I can play the perfect wife for just a little longer. I’ll do anything to protect my children and my life. And he has no idea just how far I’ll go…

The story was one wild ride. The identity of the mistress was easy to figure out but because earlier books by Heald had many uncertainties, I could not be sure. Heald is known for throwing her readers for a loop. I kept thinking about all the female characters as possible mistresses. I didn't particularly like the main character Jen. She was a stepford wife whose only goal in life was to keep a clean home for her husband and cook his dinners, which was always later than when his kids ate. Jen lived to please him. When she finally got sick of that husband Jen sought revenge. She was more likeable as an angry wife.

Jen has two close friends, Natasha and Amy. One is in love with Jen and the other is in love with Rob. Jen doesn't know any of this until at least page 250 of this 350 page novel. Rob is the perfect villain. He not only cheats on his wife but he doles out money for household expenses only as they are needed. Jen does not have any money of her own but isn't aware of it because he always gives her what she needs. Any other woman would see him as controlling and demand access to bank accounts.

Lots of plot twists kept coming and it was hard to tell how this story was going to end because these relationships were weird. I wasn't sure which character was going to come out in top. I hoped Jen would win in the end but, hey, I'm not going to tell you. Read the book. It's awesome!

5 out of 5 stars.

By Evening's Light

I was lucky to receive a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  It was published on August 20, 2024 by Bethany House and is an Amish fiction story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel. Treva is the main character. She was raised Mennonite but after her parents died both she and her sisters were taken in by their Amish grandparents. From her grandparents Treva learned about a great-great aunt, Rosene, who suffered under the Nazis. The book alternates chapters between their respective stories. Treva has recently returned to Pennsylvania following a mission in Haiti. While there, Treva broke up with her boyfriend Zeke. Treva had planned to move to Alaska but she missed her expected leave date because her family needed her help. Treva’s quandary is whether she will be able to move to Alaska or whether to stay on the family farm.

I loved that the story was about Amish folks in post WWII Germany. We don’t usually see this topic in Amish fiction. I also loved the contemporary feel of the book and was impressed that Treva had been on a mission. I was not aware that the Amish went on missions. Now that this author on my radar I am planning to read more books written by her.

4 out of 5 stars.

Ash's Cabin

Ash's Cabin is a coming of age graphic novel by Jen Wang. It was published on August 13, 2024 and has been written for young adults in grades 10 through 12. 

The publisher's summary:

Ash has always felt alone. Adults ignore the climate crisis. Other kids Ash’s age are more interested in pop stars and popularity contests than in fighting for change. Even Ash’s family seems to be sleepwalking through life. The only person who ever seemed to get Ash was Grandpa Edwin. Before he died, he used to talk about building a secret cabin deep in the California wilderness. Did he ever build it? What if it’s still there, waiting for him to come back…or for Ash to find it? To Ash, that cabin is starting to feel like the perfect place for a fresh start and an escape from the miserable feeling of alienation that haunts her daily life.  But making the wilds your home isn’t easy. And as much as Ash wants to be alone…can she really be happy alone?  

 

The publisher's website states that this graphic novel tackles the topic of gender identity. I was not aware of this until the ending and I looked up the book. A classmate places her hand on Ash's hand and Ash's face lights up. I feel a little stupid for not picking up on the new masculine name but in my defense let me say the reader doesn't know what Ash's name originally was. In fact, in the first chapter I thought Ash was male. Her desire to learn survival skills didn't cause me to suspect anything either. It just sounded like a great adventure. Her withdrawal from her high school classmates didn't make me suspicious either. Half the kids in school are withdrawn. My only clue that she was gay was that hand.

I would not categorize the book as LGBTQ fiction. It's about Ash's six month long plan to camp in the wilderness and then her execution of the plan. She takes her beloved dog Chase with her and, as an animal lover, I enjoyed their exploits. She was only supposed to be gone two weeks but Ash lasted 42 days in the wilderness. After Chase became injured Ash should have taken him home. She didn't and that upset me some.

All things considered, Ash's Cabin was a fun read. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Secret War of Julia Child

I have always loved Julia Child. I learned how to cook from her TV programs on public television. When I  saw this ARC on Net Galley, I immediately requested it. The book did not disappoint. It was fantastic.  The book will be published next month.

The publisher's summary:  

Before she mastered the art of French cooking in midlife, Julia Child found herself working in the secrets trade in Asia during World War II, a journey that will delight both historical fiction fans and lovers of America's most beloved chef, revealing how the war made her into the icon we know now.

Single, 6 foot 2, and thirty years old, Julia McWilliams took a job working for America's first espionage agency, years before cooking or Paris entered the picture. The Secret War of Julia Child traces Julia's transformation from ambitious Pasadena blue blood to Washington, DC file clerk, to head of General "Wild Bill" Donovan's secret File Registry as part of the Office of Strategic Services.

The wartime journey takes her to the Far East, to Asia's remote frontlines of then-Ceylon, India, and China, where she finds purpose, adventure, self-knowledge – and love with mapmaker Paul Child. The spotlight has rarely shone on this fascinating period of time in the life of ("I'm not a spy") Julia Child, and this lyrical story allows us to explore the unlikely world of a woman in World War II spy station who has no idea of the impact she'll eventually impart.

Before starting my read, I was aware of Julia's WWII work for the OSS. This part of her life was included in a biography, Appetite for Life. I was interested in finding out if this historical fiction account of her life had more information. It didn't. The author stated on her website that she spent months doing research but many details could not be confirmed. If you have never heard of Julia Child that should not affect your enjoyment of the novel. It reads like any good spy novel with some romance thrown in. 

As the grand-daughter of a railroad tycoon, Julia grew up wealthy in Sacramento, CA. When WWII broke out many kids from wealthy families were able to obtain these plush jobs with the OSS. Julia was one of them. She wanted some adventure before marrying and bearing children. She initially traveled to India but was soon sent to nearby Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka. It was here where she met her future husband Paul Child. After a tumultuous six months, Julia was reassigned to China where she worked under Louis Mountbatten. You can't make this stuff up! While not hired to be a spy, it was soon evident to her bosses that she had talents and she managed to ferret out a double spy. While in China Julia found that two compatriots were double spies also. One was executed for treason and the other spent the rest of her life in prison. It is around these facts that the author spun her tale. The story ends with the conclusion of the war in Japan when she and Paul become engaged. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Tender

Tender was published on March 12, 2024. It is a psychological thriller in comic format and is the author's debut graphic novel.

The publisher's summary:

Carolanne wanted a perfect wedding, a perfect husband, a perfect family. She carefully performs her own roles (gal pal, bestie, girlfriend, wife, and expectant mother) and manipulates those around her to try and get the results she wants. Her desire to control the uncontrollable ultimately becomes her undoing. When things don't go her way, she exerts dominance over the one thing she does have total control over: her body; until that "betrays" her. After suffering a horrible loss, Carolanne spirals into a literal, all-consuming delusion causing her body to produce symptoms of a hysterical pregnancy ― as a result of her slicing off bits of her own flesh and eating them.

Chicago cartoonist and educator Beth Hetland’s graphic novel debut is a brilliant psychological thriller that tears down the wall of a genre ― body horror ― so often identified with male creators. Heady and visceral, Tender uses horrific tropes to confront women’s societal expectations of self-sacrifice despite those traditional roles often coming at the expense of female sexuality and empowerment.

 

I won't lie. After finishing the book I had to read the summary above in order to figure out what I just read. The story alternates between time periods as you would see with any psychological thriller. However, I was not expecting it and was confused as to what happened in Carolanne's life. A re-read helped me understand.

The horror aspect of the book is from Carolanne's self mutilation. We only have illustrations to know she was doing this to herself. Some of the illustrations were so jarring that I couldn't look at them. It's only apparent that Carolanne was trying to have a perfect life from these drawings and that the pressure she put on herself had to come out somewhere. We read about her striving for the perfect relationship, perfect wedding and perfect motherhood. Unfortunately none of that actually happened.

The ending was unexpected. I am still thinking about it a week after reading the novel and have a sinking feeling in my stomach. The author deserves accolades for writing the usual date, wedding, baby story from the horror genre. It works.

Not recommended for kids. The drawings have nudity and self-mutilation. 5 out of 5 stars.

Red Sky Mourning

Red Sky Mourning is the first book that I have read by Jack Carr. It is the 7th book in his Terminal List series and it was fantastic. The main character, Navy Seal sniper James Reece, races to dismantle a conspiracy that has forced the U. S. to her knees. 

The publisher's summary:

A storm is on the horizon. America’s days are numbered. A Chinese submarine has gone rogue and is navigating towards the continental United States, putting its nuclear missiles within striking distance of the West Coast. A rising Silicon Valley tech mogul with unknown allegiances is at the forefront of a revolution in quantum computing and Artificial Intelligence. A politician controlled by a foreign power is a breath away from the Oval Office.

Three seemingly disconnected events are on a collision course to ignite a power grab unlike anything the world has ever seen. The country’s only hope is a quantum computer that has gone dark, retreating to the deepest levels of the internet, learning at a rate inconceivable at her inception. But during her time in hiding, she has done more than learn. She has become a weapon. She is now positioned to act as either the country’s greatest savior or its worst enemy. She is known as “Alice” and her only connection to the outside world is to a former Navy SEAL sniper named James Reece who has left the violence of his past life behind.

I enjoyed this novel but believe it could have been at least 100 pages shorter than it's 560 pages. There were 100 pages in the first half of the story that centered on Reece's relationships with other characters. I think it was not necessary as it didn't affect the plot much. That said, if I had read the first 6 books in the series I might have a different opinion. The writing was thrilling enough for me to determine that I need to read the entire series.

James Reece is a sympathetic character. He is not as macho as other spy thriller characters which makes him seem more human. Of course, the examples of that human essence are in those 100 pages I complained about earlier. Maybe I just don't know what I am talking about here! The plot concerning China's desire to steal information from the U.S. government could have been taken off the front pages of the newspapers. Their uncaring attitude toward their citizens is on display as they plot and execute a plan to destroy one of their submarines. Again, this is another idea that could have come from the front pages of the media. The author has certainly created suspense from painting a picture of China that is realistic in western minds. 

Red Sky Mourning is a realistic portrait of how a war between the U.S. and China could unfold. The author shows us that a conventional war will never be fought again among the superpowers. Cybercrime is the future. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Sins of our Fathers

The Sins of Our Fathers: Spies of Atlantis is the first novel in the Forbidden Hymns series. It waas published in May 2024. The story takes us to the legendary island of Atlantis when it is at the pinnacle of its glory. I received a free ARC from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.

The publisher's summary:

Serellia and Dilala, devoted cultists of the goddess of war, navigate a treacherous web of conspiracy and deceit in their quest to thwart a notorious Minoan spy. Follow Barekbaal, a Canaanite merchant, as he strives to carve out a simple existence for himself and his crew, only to find himself ensnared in the machinations of foreign powers and ancient deities.

But amidst the chaos and turmoil, one young man, Marko, struggles to find his place in a world where the sins of the past cast long shadows over the present. As he seeks to honor his mother and follow in the footsteps of his father, Marko finds himself drawn into a destiny that is as mysterious as it is inevitable—a destiny bound by a song that echoes through the ages, known as the Forbidden Hymn.

The story takes place in 1258 BC in Atlantis. Even though Atlantis is a fictional island that was often written about by Plato, it is something that we all seem to know enough about. That said, within the Atlantean territory of Evaemon lays its capital, the port city of Hakon Evae. It is here that plots are formed, there is a feeling of an impending uprising and people are chafing at the confines and choices that were made for them by their predecessors.

It was difficult to learn the terminology. The book is advertised as both fantasy and historical fiction, a genre combination that I have never heard of. I am still wondering whether the combination works. In fact, I am confused. There were too many characters to get to know and too many deities to learn. I got bogged down from the start of the story. While there is an index of characters at the back of the book, it's not something you want to keep referring to when you are reading. 

Fantasy stories are not my forte. Every once in awhile I read fantasy and can usually figure out the action. Sins of the Fathers overwhelmed me with it's extensive world building. I just didn't care for the book.

Shadow of Doubt

Shadow of Doubt is the 23rd Scot Harvath spy thriller from Brad Thor. In this installment of the series the reader sees how the Russian government invests in penetrating other governments in order to gain knowledge and advantage. The book was published on August 6, 2024.

The publisher's summary: 

A mysterious cargo plane, flanked by a squadron of Russia’s most lethal fighters, has just taken off from a remote airbase. Closely monitored by the United States, no one inside the Pentagon has any idea where it’s going or what it’s carrying.

A high-level Russian defector, a walking vault of secrets that could shatter the West, seeks asylum in Norway. Across the continent, in the heart of Paris, a lone French agent stumbles upon a conspiracy so explosive it could ignite a global firestorm.

As alarm bells ring in Washington, the CIA’s most lethal weapon, Scot Harvath, is forced to choose between his conscience and his country.

The story opens with the Estonian Air Defense tracking Russian military planes moving south. Latvian Air Defense confirmed the launch. The Latvians then stated that the planes entered Belarus, which the Lithuanian Air Defense confirmed. Two days later the president of Belarus made a TV statement that he had received missiles and bombs from Russian that were three times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima. After a French intelligence officer is murdered with an axe, we see Harvath being escorted off a plane in Oslo by the Norwegian Police Service. A pulsating plot then begins to unfold.

Shadow of Doubt has two plots. The second one cannot begin until the end of the first. What most readers would recognize as the premier plot concerns gaining control over Russian defector Leonid Grechko, a high ranking person in Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.  Harvath's fiancé, a Norwegian named Solvi, is in charge of transferring Grechko to the CIA. As such, Solvi plays a huge role in the story. Harvath comes up with a round about way to obtain Grechko in custody by kidnapping his girlfriend from a Russian oligarch. If Grechko can convince his girlfriend to come with him, then Harvath can gain control of Grechko. The guy was seriously in love. 

In order to obtain information about the Russian missiles in Belarus, Harvath has to get to Grechko. We don't read much about these missiles, only that Grechko has agreed to tell all if he can just see his girlfriend one more time. The secondary plot is half of the book. Here, Harvath wants to kill a man who was part of the group that killed his wife. I cannot remember any secondary plot in the series that took up this much writing. 

It is unusual for a Harvath novel to begin with a threat to the West and then not expound on it. That was disappointing to me. However, the book was still suspenseful and had a lot of gun fighting. I expected to read more about those missiles, though.

I am rating the book 4 out of 5 stars. It was riveting but there are some plot issues.

Peach Tea Smash

Peach Tea Smash is another great cozy mystery from Laura Childs. It's the 28th installment of the Indigo Tea Shop Mystery Series and was published on August 6, 2024. Our heroine Theodosia Browning is catering the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill in Charleston. During the event Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why anyone would want to kill him since Harlan was beloved by everyone. Ate first the murder seems to a result of the victim’s profession, banking, but there’s a possibility the murderer is someone in his family. Harlan's son Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident. When one of the chief suspects is murdered both Theodora and Detective Tidwell, are clueless.  The tea shop continues to be the staging area for their sleuthing. 

One of the things I love about the Tea Shop Mystery series is that the murder always occurs in the first chapter so that the rest of the book can be about the investigation into the whodunnit.  I also love the specialty tea events that Theo holds in the Indigo Tea Shop. In this story we read about the Regency Tea, Chocolate Tea and Book Lovers Tea. When each tea party is being planned the reader learns about the decorations as well as the foods that were served. We also learn why they were chosen. Recipes are in the back of the book.

Theo's sleuthing was rather aggressive in the story. She broke into a suspect's house, accused another of possibly being a murderer during her "interview" with him and got up on a horse to stop yet another suspect from killing a fourth. When she tells Detective Tidwell about these activities, he isn't angry which is uncharacteristic of him. I liked the arguments between the two of them in earlier novels. Tidwell hasn't played much of a role in the past several books and it's time for him to return. Theo's forwardness is new and while this required a huge suspension of belief, it is good for the series. I was happy, though, that Theo's nightly jogs with her dog were not used to obtain clues. This has been overdone in the series. I applaud the author for changing up the method of obtaining clues as it keeps these stories fresh. 

So how do you make a peach tea smash? With white tea, half a peach and bourbon. 5 out of 5 stars.

A Death in Cornwall

A Death in Cornwall is the 27th installment of the Gabriel Allon spy thriller series but just the 5th to be set in Cornwall. Many years ago he spent time in the region following the murder of his first family. It was here that he met a boy named Timothy Peel. Peel, now grown, now works as a detective sergeant with the Devon and Cornwall Police Department.

The publisher's summary:

Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon has slipped quietly into London to attend a reception at the Courtauld Gallery celebrating the return of a stolen self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. But when an old friend from the Devon and Cornwall Police seeks his help with a baffling murder investigation, he finds himself pursuing a powerful and dangerous new adversary.

The victim is Charlotte Blake, a celebrated professor of art history from Oxford who spends her weekends in the same seaside village where Gabriel once lived under an assumed identity. Her murder appears to be the work of a diabolical serial killer who has been terrorizing the Cornish countryside. But there are a number of telltale inconsistencies, including a missing mobile phone. And then there is the mysterious three-letter cypher she left behind on a notepad in her study.

Gabriel soon discovers that Professor Blake was searching for a looted Picasso worth more than a $100 million, and he takes up the chase for the painting as only he can—with six Impressionist canvases forged by his own hand and an unlikely team of operatives that includes a world-famous violinist, a beautiful master thief, and a lethal contract killer turned British spy. The result is a stylish and wildly entertaining mystery that moves at lightning speed from the cliffs of Cornwall to the enchanted island of Corsica and, finally, to a breathtaking climax on the very doorstep of 10 Downing Street.

The plot in A Death in Cornwall is a significant improvement over the 2023 installment of the series. The author, Dan Silva, has now successfully transferred Israeli spy Gabriel Allon's career to working as a full-time art restorer. As such, this plot concerns artistic provenance research (APR). One of the best in the business was Charlotte Blake who was murdered with an axe. The police believe that it was the work of a serial killer known as "the Chopper" but some of them aren't sure. As Gabriel searches for a lost painting that Blake was researching, he uses his spy craft skills to deter the international financial machinations through which the rich use shell companies to hide money. 

I love reading this series. The books are always a quick read with more than the usual twists and turns than you would find in other thrillers. The author certainly knows politics well and always gives the reader something new to think about. However, if you have never read one of these mysteries you probably do not want to start with A Death in Cornwall since it refers to past events. Many of the series characters in past novels are not involved in this novel. Allon's wife Chiara does not have much of a part in this book but that makes me happy. I never liked her character much.

A Death in Cornwall is a fantastic book. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Wartime Book Club

I selected The Wartime Book Club for last month's Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge.  It is a historical fiction account that was inspired by true events.  You can read about those events at the end of the book where you will also find study questions and a bibliography concerning the island of Jersey where the setting of the book is located.

The publisher's summary:

The Isle of Jersey was once a warm and neighborly community, but in 1943, German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule. Nazis have ordered Grace La Mottée, the island's only librarian, to destroy books that threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, she wants to fight back. So she forms the Wartime Book Club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading. But as the occupation drags on, the women's quiet acts of bravery become more perilous – and more important – than ever before. And when tensions turn to violence, they are forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance.

 

I LOVED this novel!  I was unable to put it down and read it in one setting. I was hooked from the first chapter. The story was so intriguing that I was interested even though the wartime library did not appear until one third of the way into the story. The two main characters, Bea and Grace, friendship was pretty compelling and how they made decisions became a part of what happened later in the story.  These ladies were complete opposites but best friends and they were able to let each other be who they were and forgive easily any slights that they felt. In this sense, the story is about friendship and loyalty.

I don't enjoy WWII books much but this one was about those left behind from soldiers.  It did not have any military action. The story was about how a community stuck together during the occupation of their island. While there were a few who turned in their neighbors to the Nazis in order to obtain additional food, most of the residents helped each other out as much as they could. Each chapter began with the name of a banned book and why it was banned. The story shows the importance of these banned books to Jersey residents and the reader sees how Grace was able to deliver these books to residents without getting caught by the Nazi occupiers. Grace's heroism is the main theme of the plot. A secondary plot concerns her friend Bea. Bea made many mistakes and did not take care to hide what she was doing. She was impulsive and that got her into more than one fix.

Author Kate Thompson did several years of research into the Channel Islands during WWII. The details in her story are indicative of this. In addition, there are about 100 pages of history, bibliography, and study questions to ponder at the end of the story. I found these details equally as intriguing as the story. Since I love history, I appreciate all of this information.

5 out of 5 stars.

Songs For the Broken Hearted

 

I was lucky to receive an advanced review copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on September 10, 2024. The story is about a young Yemeni Israeli woman who learns of her mother’s secret romance through lost family stories. It is the author's debut novel. 

The publisher's summary:

1950. Thousands of Yemeni Jews have immigrated to the newly founded Israel in search of a better life. In an overcrowded immigrant camp in Rosh Ha’ayin, Yaqub, a shy young man, happens upon Saida, a beautiful girl singing by the river. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, they fall in love. But they weren’t supposed to; Saida is married and has a child, and a married woman has no place befriending another man.

1995. Thirty-something Zohara, Saida’s daughter, has been living in New York City—a city that feels much less complicated than Israel, where she grew up wishing that her skin was lighter, that her illiterate mother’s Yemeni music was quieter, and that the father who always favored her was alive. She hasn’t looked back since leaving home, rarely in touch with her mother or sister, Lizzie, and missing out on her nephew Yoni’s childhood. But when Lizzie calls to tell her their mother has died, she gets on a plane to Israel with no return ticket.

Soon Zohara finds herself on an unexpected path that leads to shocking truths about her family—including dangers that lurk for impressionable young men and secrets that force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, her heritage, and her own future.

I wish I could say that I enjoyed the story. It is heavy on culture but light on action. Knowing nothing about the Yemeni culture, I  found it impossible to pick up on the cues the author gave. There were many, many of these cultural cues for characters who were American, Israeli and Yemeni. I could not keep them straight. I must wonder, though, if the translation is the reason I was unable to become interested in the story. 

The characters, too, had difficulty communicating with each other. Everyone seemed to be estranged from each other. They were a dull lot. There was a lot of information on Yemeni songs and poetry which I normally would enjoy but for some reason, bored me. I cannot quite finger the exact reason for my disconnect with the book, but suffice to say that because I received it from Net Galley, I read the entire book. It is my practice to stop reading a novel if I cannot become interested by page fifty. I have done my duty.

1 out of 5 stars.

Forget Me Never

Forget Me Never was just published last month on June 4, 2024. It is the newest installment of Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles Mysteries and is the 28th installment of the series. As expected, it is a fun and relaxing read. 

The publisher's summary:

Olivia Andrews is locally famous for her blog and podcast, “Forget Me Not: A Crime Victim’s Storyboard,” which is dedicated to telling the stories of victims of crime. Now, she has a stunning story to tell about a decades-old murder mystery involving a prominent citizen of Pecan Springs—someone who isn’t the man everybody thinks he is. But she is killed by a hit-and-run driver while she’s out jogging early one morning. Was it an accident—or something else? Her sister wants to know.

And Olivia’s friend China Bayles also wants to know, urgently. Who is the prominent citizen Olivia was about to expose? How did he manage to get away with murder twenty years ago? Did he kill Olivia to keep her from revealing his secret? What is local lawyer Charlie Lipman trying to hide? And when there’s another murder . . . well, it has to be a part of the same story, doesn’t it? And so does the scrapbook a cousin has compiled to honor the memory of one of the victims and make sure she won’t be forgotten. It might hold the answer—except that the one person whose face China wants to see has been scissored out of every photo.

What I love about this series is that once you start reading you don't notice how far into the story you have read until about halfway through it. The first person narrative as well as China's personality keep you reading without even noticing the time.  This series always focuses on an herb with chapter intros giving a factoid about that particular herb.  In this novel, the author has focuses on the coffee bean because it helps with memory and the title is about not forgetting.  I loved reading the little known facts about coffee and caffeine such as the fragrance of coffee comes from over 800 aromas.  The darker the roast of the bean, the easier it is to detect them by scent. Rosemary is another memory enhancing herb that was featured.

The setting is a small town in Texas called Pecan Springs. China's narrative comes from her Texan heritage with plenty of southern colloquialisms.  The characters all reflect this heritage but each are unique.  China is a former attorney who runs an herb and catering business. Her best friend Ruby is a clairvoyant but also her business partner.  Ruby's psychic abilities are showcased in the story. The author mentioned that former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling lived nearby in the River Oaks community before he went to prison and that Senator Ted Cruz also lived there. I found it amusing and liked that she made them a part of the setting.

A new character, Olivia Andrews, is detailed from what people have said about her after her demise.  She was killed early on from a hit and run "accident."  Olivia is an interesting character.  She is a former journalist who had been writing a true crime blog and podcast. The crimes that she featured on her blog were taken from obscurity but she brought them back to life with her unique way of thinking. Secondary characters such as China's husband and the friendly local police chief were not involved in the investigation and were barely mentioned in the book. Police Chief Sheila Dawson's contribution to the story dealt only with how she was handling being a new mother.  Sheila's new life as a mother is the only character growth in the book but we only read these great stories from Susan Wittig Albert for her ability to write a fun mystery.  This one had more twists than we usually see from Albert, most likely because China had three murders to solve.

Forget Me Never is a fun and fast read. Cozy fans will want to read it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Fragile Designs

I purchased a Kindle copy of Fragile Designs earlier in the year. I never got around to reading it until recently. Fortunately for me, it works for the Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge this month.  It was published on January 2, 2024.

The publisher's summary:

There’s only one thing more dangerous than family secrets.

Since her police-officer husband Eric’s mysterious murder, Carly Harris has been struggling to support herself and their infant son. Her career as an antique dealer isn’t sustainable, nor is her dream of becoming a novelist. So when her grandmother proposes she and her two sisters restore the family’s large Beaufort home and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, she immediately gets to work clearing out the house. In the process, she uncovers a family secret that Eric kept hidden. And an heirloom that the wrong person wouldn’t hesitate to kill for.

Homicide detective Lucas Bennett isn’t his neighbor’s biggest fan, not since she broke his brother’s heart years ago. But when Carly turns to Lucas for help, believing she’s found a lost Fabergé egg that would be worth millions and that could put her family’s lives in danger, he can’t help but get involved. Soon, they’re entangled in a mystery with threads that lead all the way to the Russian mafia. Lucas has gotten in deep, and while he trusts his ability to keep Carly and her family safe, he begins to realize he’s vulnerable to an unexpected kind of danger. And he’s helpless to stop the freefall. As they continue working closely together, Carly and Lucas realize they may have found something more precious than gold. Yet it’s only a matter of time before Carly—or, worse, someone she loves—gets hurt.

I LOVED this story. I was unable to put it down until I finished reading. With a gripping start, the quick pace was maintained throughout the book. Several murders took place in the beginning that were later found to be connected but the connections were not revealed until the end.

Some papers and a gem were discovered by Carly as she went through her grandmother's chest. The papers revealed that Grandma had been adopted and that she had a twin. This was news to Grandma. Carly also found a toy that had been painted red. After cleaning it up, a gleaming white object was revealed. While she wondered if it was a Faberge egg that had been missing for decades, law enforcement was skeptical. However, neighbor Lucas, a police officer, is given two weeks by his boss to follow these leads. Unfortunately, every time he visits anyone who might be able to help him he finds their dead bodies. Lucas has also been searching for Grandma's twin. The twin has a common surname and finding the right person won't be easy.

Halfway through the novel we discover that Carly's husband Eric, a deceased police officer, had been unfaithful. He had gotten a neighbor pregnant. The neighbor gave birth to a daughter just six weeks before Carly had Noah. I thought he was a saint up until this point. Scum! Eric knew that there was a valuable Faberge egg in his attic but whether he told anyone else was unknown until the end of the story.

Fragile Designs was a fabulous story. While it is a contemporary romance story it is also Christian fiction. I highly recommend the book to cozy, mystery and Christian fiction fans. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Comfort of Ghosts

The Comfort of Ghosts was published a few days ago on June 4, 2024. It is the final installment of the Maisie Dobbs series. I thought the pace was a little slow for my taste but the story was enjoyable nonetheless.  

The publisher's summary:

London, 1945: Four adolescent orphans with a dark wartime history are squatting in a vacant Belgravia mansion—the owners having fled London under heavy Luftwaffe bombing. Psychologist and Investigator Maisie Dobbs visits the mansion on behalf of the owners and discovers that a demobilized soldier, gravely ill and reeling from his experiences overseas, has taken shelter with the group.

Maisie’s quest to bring comfort to the youngsters and the ailing soldier brings to light a decades-old mystery concerning Maisie’s first husband, James Compton, who was killed while piloting an experimental fighter aircraft. As Maisie unravels the threads of her dead husband’s life, she is forced to examine her own painful past and question beliefs she has always accepted as true.

The award-winning Maisie Dobbs series has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers, readers drawn to a woman who is of her time, yet familiar in ours—and who inspires with her resilience and capacity for endurance. This final assignment of her own choosing not only opens a new future for Maisie and her family, but serves as a fascinating portrayal of the challenges facing the people of Britain at the close of the Second World War.

It's a shame that I began reading the series with the final book because I liked it enough to want to read more. In fact, I most likely will at least read the first couple of books in the series. There are three mysteries that need to be resolved in the story: did a controversial landowner die by murder or suicide, what happened to the four teenage  squatters, and whether a decades-old adoption could be successfully traced. The pace was slow and I was tempted to skip pages. However, I would have missed key resolutions concerning character relationships had I done so. I am glad that I continued reading because the characters were charming examples of the typical Englishmen that I am used to seeing from British authors. I loved the British setting and learned alot about the post WWII life for the Londoners who basically had to rebuild many parts of their city.  Of course, those quirky characters say much about this country too.

A relaxing read. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Champagne Letters

I have previously read two books about Madame Clicquot. One was a biography and the other one was a historical fiction novel. Both were fantastic. I love the Veuve Cliquot champagne that she created and am always up for a story about her. Veuve means widow in French so the champagne is named after Widow Clicquot. Net Galley provided me with an advanced review copy of this historical fiction account of Madam Cliquot's life. The book will be published on December 10, 2024. 

The publisher's summary: 

Reims, France, 1805: Barbe-Nicole Clicquot has just lost her beloved husband but is determined to pursue their dream of creating the premier champagne house in France, now named for her new identity as a widow: Veuve Clicquot. With the Russians poised to invade, competitors fighting for her customers, and the Napoleonic court politics complicating matters she must set herself apart quickly and permanently if she, and her business, are to survive.

In present day Chicago, broken from her divorce, Natalie Taylor runs away to Paris. In a book stall by the Seine, Natalie finds a collection of the Widow Clicquot’s published letters and uses them as inspiration to step out of her comfort zone and create a new, empowered life for herself. But when her Parisian escape takes a shocking and unexpected turn, she’s forced to make a choice. Should she accept her losses and return home, or fight for the future she’s only dreamed about? What would the widow do?

I absolutely LOVED this novel!  It is equally as good as the other two books that I read about Widow Clicquot. The story is told in alternating perspectives and time periods.  Barbe-Nicole Clicquot lived during the 1800s in France and Natalie lives in the present era in Chicago. I have found in the past that when there are dual narratives, one seems to be much better than the other.  Here we have two equally compelling narratives. When one chapter ended, I groaned. However, when the next chapter ended I groaned again. 

I loved that as Natalie's story was told, she kept a biography of Clicquot in her bag. She referenced it as she hit lows in her post-divorce vacation in France. Madame Clicquot inspired her to live differently than she had before. In the past Natalie always served others. She began to put herself first by being as bold as Madame Clicquot was. I myself was inspired by Natalie's musings over how to change her life by acting as Clicquot did.  I, too, am in a transition period as Natalie. One of the sayings that she especially loved from Clicquot was her definition of strength. Madame Clicquot thought that strength was a series of choices. It is not a state of mind.  I like this definition!  

During Natalie's stay in Paris she meets two people who swindle her out of her money and assets. Believing that these two are not connected to each other, Natalie fell prey to a wine fraud scheme and was questioned by the police.  After reviewing the biography Natalie found a way to get her money back that was ingenious. It was risky because the police would then assume that she was involved in the fraud from the beginning.  She wasn't. However, Madame Clicquot took huge risks with her business in order to be on top of the champagne business. We all know how successful she was. 

The Champagne Letters is a must read.  I recommend that you pre-order the book. Amazon will allow you to do so even though the publication date is six months away. I assume that other booksellers will offer pre-sales too. 5 out of 5 stars.

Tiananmen Square

This novel was published on June 4, 2024. However, I purchased a paperback copy at Barnes and Noble on May 24, 2024. Hmmm. The story is an epic coming-of-age novel about young love and lasting friendships forged in the years leading up to the Tiananmen Square student protests.

The publisher's summary: 

As a child in Beijing in the 1970s, Lai lives with her family in a lively, working-class neighborhood near the heart of the city. Thoughtful yet unassuming, she spends her days with her friends beyond the attention of her parents: Her father is a reclusive figure who lingers in the background, while her mother, an aging beauty and fervent patriot, is quick-tempered and preoccupied with neighborhood gossip. Only Lai’s grandmother, a formidable and colorful maverick, seems to really see Lai and believe that she can blossom beyond their circumstances.

But Lai is quickly awakened to the harsh realities of the Chinese state. A childish prank results in a terrifying altercation with police that haunts her for years; she also learns that her father, like many others, was broken during the Cultural Revolution. As she enters adolescence, Lai meets a mysterious and wise bookseller who introduces her to great works—Hemingway, Camus, and Orwell, among others—that open her heart to the emotional power of literature and her mind to thrillingly different perspectives. Along the way, she experiences the ebbs and flows of friendship, the agony of grief, and the first steps and missteps in love.

A gifted student, Lai wins a scholarship to study at the prestigious Peking University where she soon falls in with a theatrical band of individualists and misfits dedicated to becoming their authentic selves, despite the Communist Party’s insistence on conformity—and a new world opens before her. When student resistance hardens under the increasingly restrictive policies of the state, the group gets swept up in the fervor, determined to be heard, joining the masses of demonstrators and dreamers who display remarkable courage and loyalty in the face of danger. As 1989 unfolds, the spirit of change is in the air. . .

Drawn from her own life, Lai Wen’s novel is mesmerizing and haunting—a universal yet intimate story of youth and self-discovery that plays out against the backdrop of a watershed historic event. Tiananmen Square captures the hope and idealism of a new generation and the lasting price they were willing to pay in the name of freedom.

The book has been described by the publisher as autobiographical fiction. Yes, the author is also the main character. Her life story is given but she has added some fictional details. I cannot tell what part is fiction and what part is true. I wonder whether this was done to prevent her name from being disclosed and putting her and her family in danger today from Chinese leaders. All we know is that she is married with two children and lives in the UK.  The author's name is a pseudonym.

This is not a political book. We read toward the end why Lai joined the demonstrators. She was concerned about being censored. The book is mainly about her life beginning in primary school, then high school and then college. Lai spent most of her time reading in her bedroom when she was not at school so there isn't any information on what it was like to live in China during this time period, the 1970s. She did not have a lot of friends. There were five friends that she played with while they were in primary school. However, she only continued to see one of them while she was in high school. Of course, she falls in love with him. Gen is somewhat detached from her and she does not know why. They come from different backgrounds. Gen's parents hold government positions. Lai's father was a mapmaker and her mother was a housewife. Lai was close to her grandmother who was an odd character. You never knew what she was going to do or say. Grandma could be crude and lewd. 

The events at Tiananmen Square were described toward the end of the book. The reader hears about the political views of the student leaders of the protests. Lai does not follow all of their viewpoints but is concerned that she cannot speak freely. The protests began on May 4, 1989. May 4 is the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. We read about some of those protests but when May 30 rolls around, we read in detail what happened each day, through June 4, as the protestors stood their ground in Tiananmen Square. Lai was there on each of those days and could describe what happened from the protestors' perspective. The events of June 3 are heart wrenching. Lai was part of the crowd that the Army fired upon, killing hundreds of students. On June 4 her best friend stood in front of a tank, preventing it from moving. It is interesting that this person, known to the world as Tank Man, was actually a woman. I would love to know if the gender of this person was fiction or not. There is a famous photo of Tank Man that was taken by a photographer who was standing on the balcony of his hotel room. Look it up if you haven't seen it.

I loved this book. After finishing it, I researched the protests and found the names of the student leaders on Wikipedia. I researched them also and found out that all of them were able to get away from the police and ended up in either Taiwan or the U. S. There were other student leaders whose names we do not know.  One of their mothers has founded a group to identify them and locate their bodies, if possible.

I am rating this book 10 out of 5 stars! It is that awesome. If you haven't read the book yet, you should get a copy. It is a must read.

The Protector

Another one of my Net Galley wins was this latest book by Wanda Brunstetter.  The Protector is an Amish fiction story about a family that must deal with a mysterious disappearance that shakes their faith. It is the first book in a trilogy and will be published on August 1, 2024.

The publisher's summary:

In book one of A Mifflin County Mystery series, after a night out with her boyfriend, Rosa Petersheim has disappeared from the Big Valley without a trace. Norman Petersheim always considered himself his sister's protector, and he can't believe she would have left home of her own accord. Clearly, he must have failed her. He throws all he has into helping the authorities search for Rosa, while trying to support his parents and siblings--who are struggling both mentally and physically. Salina Swarey loves Norman and hopes they are headed toward marriage, but his obsession with Rosa's whereabouts is driving them apart. Can Norman find peace and contentment, even if he never learns where Rosa has gone?

SPOILER ALERT! Initially I thought that the story would be about finding Rosa. Up until the end I expected her to reappear to her family. That did not happen though. The story is mainly about the fallout. While Rosa's mother and brother were actively searching for her, problems of their own came up that they had to deal with. Mom stopped eating and cried often but she was later diagnosed with an illness where the symptoms were similar. Dad, a bishop, only cared about his reputation with the church and did not like being married to someone who no longer served his needs. Norman and his mother spent so much time searching for Rosa that they stopped living for themselves. Rosa's two sisters dealt with the disappearance differently but their personalities changed significantly. There was a one year passage of time between Rosa's disappearance and the story's end. I think this is a normal period of time where most families in real life who must deal with a missing relative put their lives on hold.

The whodunit and whodunit of Rosa's disappearance was prominent to the story and brought plenty of mystery. I was disappointed that she was never found but this was a realistic ending. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Protector and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Bellevue

I was thrilled when Net Galley announced that I would be receiving an advanced review copy of Robin Cook's newest medical thriller. Bellevue will be published on December 4, 2024 and while the plot is different from his other novels, I found it entertaining and had a few laughs over the ending.

The publisher's summary:

Twenty-four-year-old Michael “Mitt” Fuller starts his surgical residency with great anticipation at the nearly three-hundred-year-old, iconic Bellevue Hospital, following in the footsteps of four previous, celebrated Fuller generations. The pressure is on for this newly minted doctor, and to his advantage he’s always had a secret sixth sense, a sensitivity to the nonphysical, which gradually plays a progressive role, especially as one patient after another assigned to his care begin to die from mysterious causes. At first he thinks it is just the "luck of the draw," but as the numbers mount, he’s forced to think otherwise. As he struggles to find out why these people are dying while simultaneously having to deal with the unreasonable demands of being first-year resident, things rapidly spiral out of control.

Between fatigue, stress, and nerves, it’s no wonder that these first few days and nights of his surgical residency are tough ones. What is surprising, though, are the visions that begin to plague Mitt—visions of a little girl in a bloodstained dress, hearing bloodcurdling screams in the distance, and worse. As bodies mount and Mitt’s stress level rises, he finds himself drawn into the secrets of the abandoned Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital building, which to his astonishment still exists, defying demolition a few doors north of the modern Bellevue Hospital high-rise. Forcing an unauthorized entry into this storied but scary structure, Mitt discovers he’s more closely tied to the sins of the past than he ever thought possible.

 

I could tell fairly quickly that the plot was not going to be about the usual problems in the practice of medicine. Fuller's visions were bizarre. He both saw and smelled visions whenever he passed certain places in the Bellevue Hospital district.  I initially thought that Mitt was having psychiatric issues and that the book would be about that.  It wasn't. However, these visions were impeding his ability to perform the duties of his residency and he had one problem after another. All seven of the patients assigned to him died. Because the series has always been about issues in medicine, I thought that maybe there was a link to these deaths that led back to Mitt. There wasn't.  SPOILER ALERT!  Toward the end of the book Mitt meets a lady who is in charge of housekeeping.  She tells him that she has also seen the "ghosts" and offers to take him to the old Psychopathic Hospital where the ghosts reside and where there are medical records dating back 150 years in the Psychopathic Hospital's history that may give him the raison d'être for his visions. Yes, this is a ghost story!

The plot was intense and fast paced. I really thought that it was all about why those seven patients died but the truth was bizarre. The ending was both surprising and bizarre but I could not stop laughing for hours after finishing the book. It is definitely worth reading.  5 out of 5 stars.