Review 720: Interference

Interference by Brad Parks
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Matt Bronik is a quantum physicist; his wife Brigid is nearly deaf. They have a son together living near Dartmouth where they work. Brigid works in the library, Matt as a professor and researcher. Their life is unremarkable until Matt starts having a weird medical condition. It came on all suddenly, he passed out and was in a coma like state for several hours.

This happened twice. Brigid was on edge about her husband’s problems. What was going on? Perhaps it was his lab experiments, with a virus that he was working on. It sounded plausible. Matt was also stressed out since he couldn’t seem to get further in his research. He hadn’t published in a while; he needed to publish. Then a ultra rich businessman approached Matt with a crazy job offer. $1 million a year to work in his own lab, only doing research, no teaching, he could focus on research. When Matt refused, he upped the amount.

Then Matt had a third episode. This time it turns out that he was kidnapped. The rest of the book is about what happened to Matt. Naturally, a veteran detective gets involved and we get his POV. Through most of the book it switches between Brigid and the detective.

Brigid becomes way more involved in trying to find her husband than would happen in real life, her sister helps out with the son. A few of Matts colleagues become involved. All these people pose lengthy theories of what happen and how. Then a new fact arises and they switch the theories around and discuss at length. All of this with the how involved the wife is and all the discussions kinda bugged me. I know its fiction, but it was so far off from what would really happen. Brigid goes on scene to a spot they think Matt is being held. No police would allow the wife to wander around while they collect evidence.

Anyway, the book was okay. There are some twists, of course, and at least one, the most crucial seemed forced. The science was minimal I had hoped for more.

Review 717: Fires in the Night

Fires in the Night: The Earth Liberation Front, the FBI, and a Secret History of Eco-Sabotage by Matthew Wolfe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The events discussed in this book took place mainly, but not entirely, in the Pacific Northwest by a group of young people called ELF, Earth Liberation Front during the 1990s. The first part of the book is more focused on several of the people involved in setting fires or actions to liberate animals. Law enforcement is peppered throughout the book but is discussed more thoroughly in the later part. The author Wolfe is neutral in this book, doesn’t provide opinions only facts of what happened or balanced, counterposing views. The writing was done well in making this a coherent narrative.

There was a good discussion on how these types of acts have become labeled as (incorrectly) terrorism, also known as eco-terrorism. There was a major shift after Sept.11, 2001 with Bush declaring a war on terror and including these types of groups with increased surveillance and infiltration.

The book was intriguing. These young people were working towards laudable goals, wanted to improve the world, but went about it entirely the wrong way. At least they were always mindful to harm only property, or seemingly help animals, and never purposefully harm people. Yet in the end, they had to ask themselves how much did their actions help in promoting their cause?

Thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 703: The Good Girl

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Decided to try this audio book which I’ve had for a long while and got for free from audible, who knows why. It could be classified as a thriller, or a police procedural, maybe a mystery. There was a kidnapping. The book reveals the details it in real time and after the fact. This is not my favorite genre, but just having the book propels me to read it, get it off the TBR.

Mia is kidnapped from a bar, where she was to meet her boyfriend, who cancelled again to work late. The before time line is not perfectly linear, but mostly and describes what happened, mostly from Colin’s point of view, but we also get Mia’s mother, Eve and her view of before. One other voice is the police detective trying to solve the case.

The kidnapper, Colin or Own, was to hand her over to another guy who was running the show. The problem is the kidnapper didn't want to see this woman hurt or killed, which would happen if he had handed her over. So he takes her to a remote cabin in the woods to figure out what to do.

The other time line, after, is the current time line. This is when Mia is now back at home recovering. She has memory loss of what happened those months she was missing, she also only responds to a different name. Mia goes to therapy, the mother tries to take care of Mia and the detective is still trying to fully solve this case.

In the audiobook there were multiple narrators, one for each character. I don’t mind this type of narration, and sometimes prefer it. In the end the book was okay, and as seemingly typical there are a few twists that were not that surprising.

Review 697: The Name of the Rose

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



If you make it through the first 100 pages, you’re good for the rest. The beginning was purposefully developed to “construct a reader suitable for what comes afterward”. The book was deep into church theology of the era of 1327, while the mystery of why dead monks were turning up took a back seat. Quite a lot going on the book, including a labyrinth library off limits to all but the librarian and assistant.

Have to admit I was disappointed with the ending. But not disappointed with reading the book – a glimpse into the life of monks in the middle ages.

Review 684: Before I Go to Sleep

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Memory is always an interesting topic to me since it is ever changing and often two people will remember the same event differently to some extent. But what if you can’t remember much at all. This book is about someone who loses most of her memory entirely. Who are you if you don’t remember what happened yesterday, or last year, or the last twenty years?

Christine has that problem. She wakes up and is confused, shocked by where she is and who is sleeping next to her. Her husband has to tell her his name, they are married, and the other basics of her life.

Now Christine is keeping a journal, writing down what she learns. She doesn’t remember so her doctor calls her early every morning and tells her where to find her journal. For now, the doctor treating her and the journal are secrets from her husband. As Christine is slowly realizing, he lies to her. Something isn’t right.

The book moves fairly quickly, and I was propelled along with it, wanting to know what is going on. I figured some of it out much earlier than the book let on, so the last portion was a bit drawn out for me. Overall, it was a decent read.

Review 654: The Lost Van Gogh

The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer
My rating: 2.75 of 5 stars


Apparently this is a second book in a series. I did read the first book, but was long ago enough that I have forgotten the characters. No wonder I felt off-kilter with the characters and background. I didn't realize it until listening to the author's note at the end. Otherwise, the story was too much of spy-type book for my liking.

The gist of the story is Alexis Verde buys a painting at an antique store. Turns out underneath that painting is another, a Van Gogh self-portrait. The boyfriend Luke Perrone, also an artist and figures as the main character. Before Alexis can get someone to authenticate the painting it is stolen from her by some street thugs, on behest of someone that had been tracking the painting. Luke and Alexis go to his friend who was with INTERPOL to help track it down. There are more characters involved as well, but these are the main ones.

The odd thing about this book was the shifts in POV, some chapters were in first person, some in second, while most chapters being in third person. It was jarring, particularly when some of the characters were assumed the reader knew who they were with defined backstory.

The author’s note at the end discussed aspects that were based in facts, but a second self-portrait by Van Gogh is not one of them. Other aspects of stolen/looted art being traded internationally is something that is not fiction.

I listened to the audiobook, but the print version includes at the end of the book sketches the author did, as he is an artist himself. The pencil sketches relate to this book, such as places that are important in the book and some of Van Gogh, and Amsterdam.

Review 651: The Bookman’s Tale

The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a mixed bag for me, although I did enjoy it overall. The story is told in multiple timelines. It contains a bit of a mystery about William Shakespeare's writing, specifically on one book that was found. The main character Peter Byerly is an antiquarian bookseller and mourning the death of his wife. But in one timeline is their relationship, from start to end and some scenes were over the top. This part I didn't like as much, the more modern time and searching was more intriguing. The ending was what?

My head is a bit muddled from the flu right now, and I'd like to say more, but muddled. Perhaps I will return later with more.

Review 612: Improvement

Improvement by Joan Silber
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

There’s a lot more going on here with this short book than it initially seems. The book revolves around Reyna, a single mom in New York City, visiting her boyfriend currently in jail at Rikers Island. She seems to get along with her aunt Kiki more than her parents, perhaps because they have more in common than either knows.

After Boyd gets out of Rikers his fellow coworkers plan a scheme to make money smuggling cigarettes from Virginia to NYC. They can make a fortune by avoiding the taxes. Rayna’s decisions on how involved she wants to be in this creates a snowball effect (others are calling it a butterfly effect).

Each chapter takes on another point of view, some following the forward moment of the story. Then we step back in time and follow the aunt who lived in Turkey for a long time, who married a failed rug dealer, and got involved with some smugglers of antiquities.

The final chapter comes back around to Reyna, dealing with the aftermath of her decisions.

It was a good enough book, but there are flaws, one of them being that the book is very short. I think it would have been a richer story with more depth. I liked how the Turkish rugs were woven through the book.

I wanted to read this book, as I had heard the author tends to write about how we are all connected, intertwined. This book does indeed follow that pattern.

Review 600: None of This Is True

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book takes place in London, two women meet when they both are celebrating their birthday at the same pub. Turns out they are both exactly the same age, born not only on the same day, but in the same hospital. Alix Summers hosts a podcast about successful women who changed their lives. Josie Fair convinces her to do a podcast about her life on the cusp of change, although not successful she does have an intriguing story to tell. They call it “Hi, I’m Your Birthday Twin”.

Josie’s life is weird, while Alex’s life is fairly typical, married with two young children. Their only problem being that Nathan sometimes goes on drinking binges and ends up not coming home. Josie’s life is one no one would want. Her relationship is highly questionable as it began when her husband was a middle age man and she a teenager. Yet they marry? And all these years later still are married. It’s unfathomable.

They have two girls, both grown. One had left the house at 16 and the other keeps herself locked in her room playing video games and only eats soft foods. Something is definitely off in this family.

Josie is a manipulator and convinces Alix to do a podcast about her life. Given the title of the book you know not to trust everything she is saying.

I listened to the audiobook was had many narrators, sound effects and a great production. It added another dimension to the book. This is a creepy thriller that has tension throughout the book.

I read this for multiple challenges. I seem to be succumbing to these challenges, and well, it did give me a diversion from some of the serious books I’ve been reading.

Review 592: Buffalo Justice

Buffalo Justice: A Contemporary Western Mystery by W. Michael Gear
My rating: 3.25 of 5 stars

The Gear’s (husband and wife writing team) have a long list of books under their names, most written together, some separately. This is a new genre for the Gears, from their long series of Native Peoples called: North America's Forgotten Past. Instead of focusing on the historical past we have “A Contemporary Western Mystery” based in Montana and Wyoming, buffalo country.

The book starts with the murder of a very rich man and conservation lawyer Ryman Banks. Ryman runs an organization based on saving the purity of the buffalo. Along the way he’s made several enemies, including his soon to be ex-wife, who gains his estate with his death which she was not getting in the divorce.

This becomes a high-profile case for the state of Montana and the DOJ assigns a new agent Jillian Masterson. What follows is trying to piece out who and why Ryman was killed.

It’s a fast-paced book, as many of the Gear’s books can be. I read this based on my enjoyment of their historic series, but this type of book is not really my usual fare. While it was well written, and I learned about genetics and buffalo, I'm not a fan of police procedurals. For those who do enjoy this genre they will find much to enjoy here.

Thanks to Wolfpack Publishing /BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Review 545: The Note

The Note by Alafair Burke
My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. A mystery, thriller type book. Three long-time friends get together in person, in the Hamptons for the first time in person after the pandemic. They are the cancelled crew, each found themselves in the midst of a scandal that went viral in the past few years.

The main character is May Hanover, we get her point of view for over a third of the book, when it suddenly shifts and shows other character points of view. That was jarring.

The three now are trying to keep a low profile after going viral. For May it was a video where she became known as the Asian Karen, yelling mistakenly at a black man. Lauren is older than the other two friends, but seem to have been the glue to reuniting them all. Her scandal involved a married man who had influence to get her the job as the music director of the Houston Symphony and race plays into this as well. Then there’s Kelsey who’s husband she was divorcing was murdered. The suspect has not yet been found, and of course she was one of the main suspects, but has a solid alibi.

On this Hampton trip they find themselves involved in a mystery of a missing man.

There's more to this book than on first glance.

Review 536: The Forger's Requiem

The Forger's Requiem by Bradford Morrow
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was a decent book, but not as good I had hoped. Earlier this year I read a previous book by Morrow and thoroughly enjoyed it and anticipated this one would be at the same caliber but it fell a little short.

Perhaps one reason for me was this is the last book in a trilogy. Yet I did not know this until I finished reading the book. If I started from book one my experience may have been somewhat different.

I did find a few hiccups in the beginning, as there are not clear chapter breaks in the copy I was reading. There were sudden changes in locations and who was speaking in the alternating first person POV. It was jarring until realizing this was the format after a few times of encountering this. Not only are there changes in location, but also the timeline switches around a little. It didn’t make for easy reading. After a while I got it figured out and that settled and the book made more sense while reading.

The book felt like it attempted to be a mystery, but it is not. There was a murder (maybe a major plot point in a previous book?) but the culprit really is known. The main content of the book is also about forgeries. Will and Nicole Diehl are father and daughter and have done forgeries in the past. Will has sworn that off as a way to make a living and has found a legal way to earn a living. Nicole is more of a painter anyway, and only dabbled in forgery as an imitation of her father. Yet their nemesis Henry Slader is blackmailing and forcing more forgeries. Slader is a prominent POV.

I did find it interesting that in the beginning of reading this book I found both sides sympathetic Slader and the Diehl’s, although as the book continues it is clear who is the true villain.

If I didn’t have an already way too long list of books to read I might be tempted to go and read the first too books in this trilogy.

Thanks to the Atlantic Monthly Press/Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy prior to publication.

Review 518: Ambrose Bierce and the Ace of Shoots

Ambrose Bierce and the Ace of Shoots by Oakley Hall
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



Having read quite a bit of Ambrose Bierce’s The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary this title seemed interesting to me. Some years ago, I picked it up at deeply discounted used book sale at my local bookstore, that it was practically free. As my usual method, didn’t know what to expect with this book.

First off, it’s a series of titles and this one is not the first, it’s the fifth. So the main characters are perhaps more developed in earlier books of the series. I expected Ambrose Bierce to be the main character, but he wasn’t. Not sure if it’s that way in the series, or just this book. Instead the narrator is Tom Redmond, a journalist for the newspaper Examiner in San Francisco. Bierce also writes for the newspaper a column called "Prattle". They are friends, Bierce does come up in the story, but he’s more of a side-kick in this book. Of course, this is a fictional Bierce modeled from the real person.

Both are sometimes detectives and for this book they are summoned to a case of a murder. During a parade for the Colonel Studely Wild West Show the colonel himself is shot dead. High on the list of suspects is Oswald “Oz” Bird, train robber and recently out of jail for the shootings in Hungry Valley. His ex-wife Dora Pratt is the Ace of Shoots in the Wild West Show and Studley had taken her under his wing. Bird doesn’t consider the divorce to be valid and so has a vendetta against Studley.

The writing was good. The book has a historical feel as this takes place in 1892. Really liked how each chapter began with an entry out of the Devil’s Dictionary.

While the book was enjoyable enough, it wasn’t something I was floored by and want to search other the other books in the series.

Review 502: The Blue Hour

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a book, quite atmospheric. Set partially on a remote island that is accessible only during certain times of the tides. There are multiple mysteries but are introduced slowly. This is not a quick paced thriller, instead it is nuanced.

The book centers on the late artist Vanessa Chapman. She surprisingly willed all her creative works to the foundation run by Douglas Lennox. He was a sort of patron, and lover, of Vanessa before things turned very disagreeable.

Add in the director of the foundation, James Becker, who came from a working class background and still amazed at his fortune being among the upper class. And Grace Haswell, friend, doctor, and executor of Vanessa’s will, who lives in the house and island left to her. Grace hasn’t been the forthcoming with handing over the art work, her letters or journals, creating more disputes.

The book was well written. I found it hard to put down and just wanted to keep reading until the end.

Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book.

Review 492: The Kept Woman

The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is not typical reading genre for me. A police procedural, and book 8 in a series, I have not read the previous. It didn't seem to matter this is the middle of a series as the book covered background material on the main characters. That made me wonder if it was annoying to people who have read the previous as that may be repeated info.

The book was okay, but it isn't something I'm going to read further in the series. I tend to not want to spend my reading time in the darker side of things, with murder, rape, child abandonment and so forth. (although a book here or there from time to time does come up.)

I was got a copy of this book at a library conference, and I could have just given it away or something, but decided to see what Slaughter's writing was like. I think she has a lot of fans. I also heard her speak and she's quite funny. This humor didn't really come out in this book. I may read another of her books, or more likely not, but at least now I know her writing.

Review 484: The Orchid Thief

The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book mostly followed a quirky character John Laroche who was arrested and charged with stealing rare orchids from the Florida swamp of Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve.

The book also has many details that are fillers and don't add anything to the overall story other than odd details. The book felt like it lost it's thread about mid-way or so, but did pull it back together for the closing.

I did learn there is a big trade in stolen rare plants, orchids in particular. Apparently some people go crazy for these plants.

Review 440: Treachery

Treachery by S.J. Parris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In August 1585 Sir Francis Drake and his fleet is about to embark to the New World to strike a blow against Spain. In the days before they leave a man is found dead in his cabin. It appears to be suicide on the surface but Drake is suspicious that instead there is a murderer aboard his ship.

Before setting sail he wants this resolved. Luckily for him Giordano Bruno has accompanied Sir Philip Sidney to Plymouth in order to escort a diplomat back to London. While in Plymouth Bruno undertakes the task to discover who was the killer. Soon enough he discovers several suspects with motive.

One strong motive involved an old book, a lost gospel. This brought in a bookseller with a vengeance against Bruno. The bookseller is partnered with a man who wants revenge against Drake and several others from a previous voyage who killed his brother.

This is a fourth book in a series, I had not read the previous three. While it did not hurt the understanding of the story line, early there are relationships with some characters that happened in previous books.

I did enjoy the book being in the first person point of view, and the historical setting felt accurate. Liked this book enough that I may look for another in the series.

Review 419: The God of the Hive

The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nicely concluded from book 9 in the series, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes.

I may add more thoughts soon.

Previously Read Laurie R. King books:

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes Series:

Book 9: The Language of Bees (3.5 stars) - July.2023

Book 8: Locked Rooms (3 stars) - November.2009

Book 7: The Game (4 stars) - March.2017

Book 6:  Justice Hall (4 stars) - August.2012

Book 5: O Jerusalem (3 stars) - January.2012

Book 4: The Moor (5 stars) - August.2011

Book 3: A Letter of Mary (4 stars) - January.2012

Book 2: A Monstrous Regiment of Women (4 stars) - August.2011

Book 1: The Beekeeper's Apprentice (5 stars) - June.2009

Review 416: How Can I Help You

How Can I Help You by Laura Sims
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, I went through this book screaming fast. I did enjoy it. Perhaps it’s not for everyone, but one of my primary joys of the book was the setting, in a library.

The book is told from two points of view, we start with Margo who turns out just reinvented herself from being Jane, who decided that working in a sleepy town public library was perfect for her. She gets the job and as long as she has her scalding hot bath every evening things are going well, forgetting about Jane and what she did as a nurse.

One day in comes Patricia, filling the 12-year empty reference desk position. Patricia reminds Margo too much of her ex-nurse friend Donna and that rattles Margo. Things escalate when a patron is found in the bathroom stall near death.

It isn’t such a sleepy library after all.

I listened to the audiobook which was done quite well by two narrators, one for each main character.

Review 415: The Language of Bees

The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

ends with ...to be continued...ugh!

Book nine in this series of Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. It’s been a long while since I read book eight, so I felt a little rusty getting back to these characters. There were a few references to what happened before, which I don’t remember, but it didn’t make the reading difficult or confusing.

In this book Holmes finds out he had a son from a woman he had a liaison with many years ago. The son is now a young man, nearly the age of Mary. He had grown up in France and served in the war, was wounded then became addicted to drugs to deal with the injury. At the beginning of the book he, Damian Adler, had been accused of murder and sitting in a jail in a small town in France. Mary and Holmes go there to meet him and help his case. Soon enough he is released, whether he did it or not was not relevant as the eyewitness was beyond reliable. We find out Damain has gotten clean, then back on drugs several times. There is a French woman who has helped him, and with his art, as Damian is a surrealist artist that paints well.

Years pass without much word from Damian, until he unexpectedly shows up at their house in Sussex wanting help to find his missing wife and child. He’s been sober for many years now, focused on his art. The search takes up most of the book, and while some of it is resolved, the book does end with “to be continued” which irked me quite a bit. As far as I remember this is the only instance in the series where there isn’t complete resolution to the case at hand.

I do like L. King’s writing style and would have rated this four stars if there wasn’t that darn cliffhanger. Well, I have the next book queued up and shall get to it soon.

Previously Read Laurie R. King books:

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes Series:

Book 8: Locked Rooms (3 stars) - November.2009

Book 7: The Game (4 stars) - March.2017

Book 6:  Justice Hall (4 stars) - August.2012

Book 5: O Jerusalem (3 stars) - January.2012

Book 4: The Moor (5 stars) - August.2011

Book 3: A Letter of Mary (4 stars) - January.2012

Book 2: A Monstrous Regiment of Women (4 stars) - August.2011

Book 1: The Beekeeper's Apprentice (5 stars) - June.2009