Persuader by Lee Child (Reacher #7)

With Reacher, there's no such thing as too relentless.

Persuader starts with a shoot-out in which Reacher shoots a cop. Hold the phone...Reacher shot a cop? We’re off and running! I expected the rest of the story to be just as surprising and action-packed, and it did not disappoint. Lee Child kept me fully engaged from start to finish in the 7th Reacher novel. I couldn’t put it down if I tried.

This Lee Child novel switches between timelines, not typical for a Reacher story, but it works. By learning about Reacher’s past with Quinn, we get why this mission is personal and why he refuses to quit, even when the odds look impossible. Quinn is both believable and menacing, and in my humble opinion, he earned every ounce of Reacher-style justice.

The story is told through Reacher’s eyes, so we only know what he knows and what he thinks. That narrow focus makes every twist hit harder. The flashbacks aren’t filler; they give us a deeper look at what drives him.

Persuader delivers the full Reacher experience: Grit, tension, justice served hot. And not a wasted page in sight.

Echo Burning by Lee Child (Reacher #5)

Somewhere between the lies, the heat, and the horse ranch, my attention wandered off for a nap.

I wanted to love Echo Burning. I really did. Reacher, Texas, and trouble should’ve been a winning combo, but this one dragged like a flat tire in the desert. Between the endless heat, the constant lying, and a story that never seemed to hit its stride, I found myself setting it down more than I picked it up. Still, Reacher stays true to form: calm, calculating, and delivering justice when it counts. It just took a lot of dust and detours to get there.

Without Fail by Lee Child (Reacher #6)

 He's the guy who always knows where the exits are.

Jack Reacher doesn’t need a badge, a title, or a chain of command. All he needs is a mission and the occasional partner who actually gets him. Enter Frances Neagley. Without Fail tosses Reacher into unfamiliar territory: the Secret Service wants him to find weaknesses in their protection detail for the Vice President–elect. Basically, they’ve asked the wolf to audit the fence.

Reacher is the perfect man for the job. He thinks first, acts second, and somehow gets lucky, but only because his version of “luck” comes from obsessive observation. He doesn’t miss a detail, and he never takes shortcuts.

I loved the setup. It’s Reacher doing what he does best: Solving problems no one else can see. It’s also fascinating to watch him drop into a hyper-political, bureaucratic system and still make it look like he owns the place. His brain doesn’t care about titles or protocols; it only cares about what works.

I will die on the hill that Neagley is his perfect partner. No flirting, no drama, no romance subplot that eats up half the story. Just mutual respect and total trust. She’s steady, smart, and every bit his equal. Together, they’re like a tactical version of Sherlock and Watson if Watson had zero tolerance for nonsense and a black belt in efficiency.

My favorite moments are when the bad guys wake up staring into the sun and end up buried in snow until spring. It’s darkly practical and exactly what you’d expect from Reacher: no speeches or glory, just let nature take its course. Problem solved.

This book leans more procedural than some of the others, but never loses the momentum. The pacing is classic Lee Child with each chapter building the tension until you realize you’ve been reading for hours and don’t care that it’s 2 a.m. I do that a lot, don't I? But sleep is for people not trying to prevent assassinations.

Reacher never comes off as overconfident to me. He’s deliberate. Every assumption he makes, he tests. Every risk he takes, he calculates. When he’s arrogant, he’s earned it. And when it comes to rules versus instinct, I’d take Reacher’s gut over the Secret Service handbook any day. Or any agency's handbook for that matter.

If I could’ve brought one more person into this story, it’d be his brother Joe. It's a shame he got killed off earlier in the series. The two of them working with Neagley would be unstoppable. Lone wolves with matching moral compasses. Justice would be swift, clean, and probably come with a side of buried villains.

Without Fail isn’t just another Reacher novel. It’s a reminder that the man’s skills fit anywhere: On a battlefield, a back road, or in the highest levels of government. And Neagley is proof that trust doesn’t need flowers and candlelight. Just competency and quiet loyalty.

Running Blind by Lee Child (Reacher #4)

Reacher is dragged into danger by reputation alone. He trades fists for forensics in this twisty mind game.

This novel takes place early in the Jack Reacher series, and you can tell. Reacher hasn’t yet developed the social filter he uses later in life. Here, he’s driven mostly by curiosity. Women are being murdered with no trace left behind, and in a world of modern forensics, that’s impossible. The killer’s need for control over every aspect of the crime immediately made me think it wasn’t about personal rage or revenge. There just wasn't enough ... mess. It was about precision. And that made the FBI’s profile feel off from the start.

Lee Child handles the gender dynamics perfectly. I especially like that Reacher treats women as intellectual equals. His “Reacher Method” is usually a mix of logic, intuition, and force, but in this story, logic and intuition take the lead, showing just how sharp he is. He’s not just brawn with a lucky brain; he’s brains and brawn in perfect balance.

The constant movement from city to city felt more like a backdrop than a plot driver. Even though the murders happen across the country, the atmosphere stays tight and claustrophobic, as if the whole story takes place in one small, tense town. That’s masterful storytelling.

And the solution to the murders? Didn’t see it coming. Just butter my biscuits and call me George. That twist floored me. I'm trying hard to not spoil it here.

Reacher’s relationship with Jodie didn’t add or take away from the main case, but it helped explain why he can’t settle down. You can already feel that relationship coming to its natural end, even if he doesn’t yet realize how much it’ll affect him.

I loved the ending and I loved that it fit Reacher’s world. You can’t have a traditional wrap-up with an untraditional character, and that’s exactly why it worked.

The Houseguest by L. H. Stacey

Enjoyable enough, but the secret tunnels deserved more screen time.

 

After finishing The Houseguest by L. H. Stacey, I had to do a little internet research to figure out exactly who the “house guest” was supposed to be. Honestly, it could apply to multiple people. The title wasn’t as obvious to me as it probably should’ve been.

From page one, I admit I was judging Madelaine’s decisions. She’s worried about moving into Liam’s house with her little girl, her gut is screaming don’t do it, and… she does it anyway. Predictably, it turns into an almost fatal mistake. Liam gave me psychopath vibes from the start, so even after Maddie finally left, I knew he’d be back.

One thing I really liked was the house itself. Secret tunnels, hidden doors, all the classic Gothic suspense décor. I kept waiting for Liam to start creeping through the walls like some deranged Scooby-Doo villain, but nope. Since this is book one in Stacey’s “House of Secrets” series, maybe she’s saving that for the sequel.

Where the book lost me a little was in its formula: bad guy shows up, girl lands in danger, girl runs for help, good guy swoops in, cue the happily-ever-after. It’s basically the skeleton of a Harlequin Intrigue novel, complete with unnecessary sex scenes. (Yes, I skipped them. Zero contribution to the plot.) The romance was flat-out predictable, but the suspense at least kept me turning the pages.

My final verdict is four out of five stars. It didn’t break the mold, but I still liked it. And I might even check out book two if only to see those secret tunnels finally get the screen time they deserve, ideally without Captain Obvious holding the flashlight.

The Pawn by Welz Bailey

Turns out the real villain in The Pawn isn’t the killer. 

It’s the editor.

Clara Strong had me in her corner from page one. She’s a mess, sure; alcohol is a freight train that keeps trying to derail her life. But she fights it with grit, stubbornness, and the occasional bad decision. That’s the kind of protagonist I like: Complicated, vulnerable, and brave.

However, we need to talk about "Alabama". I chose this book for my 50 states challenge, but this "Alabama" doesn’t exist. It could have been set in Any Northern Small Town, USA. The conversations weren’t Southern, the voices weren’t regional, and if it weren’t for an alligator or two, you’d have no clue you were south of the Mason-Dixon. I’d bet my next sweet tea that the author has never spent more than a weekend in the South, if that.

The good news is that the twists and turns worked. Bailey threw suspicion on everyone, including a deputy at one point, and kept me flipping pages. The story built slowly but steadily until I couldn't put it down. Clara’s personal baggage also kept things interesting, especially her history with the town and her brother’s disappearance, which stoked both her drinking battles and her investigative fire.

The not-so-good news in my humble opinion is the supporting cast leaned a little too cookie-cutter, and the dialogue didn’t ring true. Add in the grammar stumbles, punctuation slips, and the word “inevitable” showing up like a drinking game gone wrong, and, well… let’s just say Bailey’s editor should’ve been the first suspect arrested. I think it would have felt less cookie-cutter if the dialogue was right, but I'll have to wait for the next book to see.

The think is this is a debut novel, and for a debut, it’s very good. Clara Strong has the makings of a great series character, and I’m looking forward to her next case. But please, Ms. Bailey, fire your editor before book two. Clara deserves better.

The Reckoning by John Grisham

A "reckoning" of my patience. Grisham lost me somewhere between endless backstory and zero suspense.

 

I tried reading The Reckoning by John Grisham, and wow. What a slog. I used to enjoy his legal thrillers, back in the days of The Firm and The Pelican Brief, but this one was heavy on history and light on suspense. I kept waiting for the courtroom fireworks, the twists, the clever plotting…and instead, I got a meandering story that never grabbed me.

Some books you put down reluctantly. This one, I happily set aside. Sometimes the reckoning is knowing when to quit.

The Game of Getting Older - Newest Version

If you read my previous Getting Older Game review, I'm still giving it zero stars. Do not recommend. Return for full refund. You get the picture.

You might remember a few months ago my knee and I weren’t exactly on speaking terms. We had a contract: I walked, it cooperated. Then it went rogue, called its union rep, and demanded to renegotiate.

So I went to Dr. Zinno, got a cortisone shot, and I was pain-free… for a whopping two days. Whoo hoo.

I tried to rest it as much as possible over the summer, but now that I’m back to work, my knee has decided to crank things up a notch. As a free bonus (because it is nothing if not generous), it now makes charming little crinkly, crunchy sounds, like Rice Krispies met Almond Granola in a noisy love affair.

I called Dr. Zinno’s office in late August, but thanks to my employer switching insurance companies, I had to wait until after September 1st for the first available appointment. Today was finally the day.

The best thing about Dr. Zinno, aside from the fact that he can stick a needle in a joint without making me cry, is his sense of humor. When I told him I was done playing the Getting Older Game, he immediately suggested the Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza game. I’m going to have to look that one up. When I told him about my new sound effects, he said, "Of course! Your kneecap is shot!" That's another thing I like about him. He doesn't mince words. I'm totally okay with that.

Since cortisone fizzled out in record time, we discussed alternative injections. Step two is Zilretta, an extended-release corticosteroid that works over time. Step three is a gel injection—experimental, expensive, and in need of insurance approval. For now, he’s requesting the Zilretta.

And if those injections still don’t work? Drum roll please ... Intervention. When he said that, I briefly imagined a table talk with my knee and its troublemaking friends, discussing its recent bad behavior and incentives to correct the same. Sadly, he meant the surgical kind: Knee replacement.

I really don’t want to play this game anymore. Can’t we just switch to Jenga? At least until the “natural aging process” makes my hands too shaky to pull and stack the blocks.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flymm

Nothing says 'motherly love' like a teaspoon of poison.  

“Family is everything,” they say. Umm, sure, but if you’re a Preaker, “everything” includes Munchausen by proxy, inherited trauma, and a side of small-town judgment that could strip paint.

Let’s just start with Adora, a mother whose idea of love involves dosing her kids with poison tea and hovering over them with a wet washcloth like Florence Nightingale’s evil twin. I think she believed she was helping her daughters. I also think she was delusional and dangerous. If Sharp Objects proves anything, it’s that not all hugs are created equal.

Then there’s Camille. Our narrator spends most of the book drunk, hungover, or carving words into her own skin. With a mother like Adora, can we blame her for wanting to crawl into a bottle (or six)? Still, watching her try to bond with Amma by partying like a washed-up sorority sister was frustrating. Camille’s story is messy and sad, but in Flynn’s hands, it’s also razor-sharp (pun fully intended).

And Amma. Oh, Amma. Spoiled, manipulative, and the kind of kid who would happily dissect a hamster in homeroom if she thought it would get her attention. She threw off more red flags than a Chinese military parade, but I admit it: I did not see her coming as the killer. Call me naive, but I don’t usually expect my middle school cheerleaders to be secretly orchestrating murder sprees. Flynn pulled the rug and then lit the rug on fire while I was still standing on it.

Of course, Wind Gap itself deserves a cast credit. That town is basically one long episode of Real Housewives of Missouri. Gossip-fueled, claustrophobic, and full of people who will 100% notice that you wore the same dress twice this week. The perfect petri dish for dysfunction and whispered cruelty.

The cutting motif was brutal but effective. Camille’s body-as-a-diary of trauma works. It’s grotesque, it’s heartbreaking, and it never lets you forget what this book is really about: wounds, both seen and unseen.

By the end, I wasn’t sure what disturbed me more, the murders or the Preaker family dynamics. Honestly, if Adora doesn’t land you in therapy, Amma definitely will. Camille might claw her way to “okay” someday, but she’s not getting a happily-ever-after. At best, she gets to stop spiraling long enough to breathe.

Gillian Flynn writes psychological wrecking balls disguised as novels, and Sharp Objects is Exhibit A. Absolutely disturbing and absolutely worth the read. Just maybe keep your mother at arm’s length while you do.

The Game of Getting Older - A (tongue in cheek) review

The Getting Older Game is NO fun. Zero stars. Would not recommend. Not worth the price. Poor quality. Yuck phooey. I offer this review based on personal experience. If I could, I'd return it for a full refund. Here's why.

The visual entertainment started on Wednesday when I thought there was a bug flying near my face. There was no bug, and thankfully there were no visual hallucinations either. Instead, I realized my left eye had developed a new feature! A string! Not in my eye like I could pull it out with a tissue or something; I mean INSIDE my eye, floating around just to the left of dead center. Now, when it's dark in the room, I can't really see it. But most of my waking hours are when it's light. Heavy sigh. 

But wait! There's more! 

Along with the string, I also have my own personal meteor shower happening. Little shooting stars leaving red trails, zipping upward instead of falling. When it's light, I can't really see them. But when it's dark, I've got a light show. 

So either way, I can't really win. I called my primary on Thursday, who told me to go promptly to the optometrist. I got in to Pollack Eye Care today. 

First they checked my glasses prescription, and then my eyes were numbed so my eye pressure could be assessed. That was followed by dilatating drops. Fun stuff. Sitting in that chair with the world’s brightest light shining into my eyeball was about as comfortable as staring into the sun, but at least I got answers.

The "string" is actually a floater, a tiny bit of collagen suspended in the vitreous. Apparently, they're a "natural part of the aging process," according to Dr. Pollack. They are especially common in people who are near-sighted. Which would be...drumroll please...me. They are harmless, but endlessly annoying. 

The meteor shower, on the other hand, is more concerning. As we age, the vitreous can get sticky and tug on the retina, which causes those flashes and streaks of light. The real worry here is a retinal tear, which would look like a curtain coming down over my eye. If that happens, it's straight to the ER. And by the way, disposable sunglasses are available at the front desk.

Lovely. 

Of course, I forgot the sunglasses, stepped outside, and IMMEDIATELY knew why sunglasses were offered. 

All in all, it was definitely a learning experience. All things considered, though, I'd rather be playing Monopoly.

August Snow by Stephan Mack Jones

True justice never plays by the rules.

Neither does August Snow.

If Chandler and Elmore Leonard had a book baby and raised it in Detroit, August Snow would be it. Our man August is a former cop who blew the whistle on corruption and paid the price. Now he’s back in his old neighborhood, Mexicantown, trying to rebuild homes and his life when trouble comes knocking.

This is noir with a shot of tequila: gritty, fast, and just the right amount of dark humor. Right up my alley. Snow isn’t your squeaky-clean hero; he’s the kind of guy you want watching your back, though maybe not your liquor cabinet. Think of him as a Mexican Jack Reacher only with more roots, more heart, and the same bone-deep need for justice, even if it means ignoring the law.

I like that the novel is set in Detroit. It’s not just the backdrop. It’s alive, a character in its own right with history, scars, and soul. I’ve always thought of Detroit as the ultimate blue-collar town, the heartbeat of America with its auto workers and grit. That same stubborn determination bleeds into every page, making it the perfect stage for Snow’s brand of rough justice.

I also like that Snow doesn’t just talk about loyalty. He lives it. He hires a former drug dealer to do honest work, helps a neighbor with nothing rebuild his life, and pours his lawsuit winnings (from taking down the corrupt system that ousted him) straight back into his community. He’s a good guy, but not a saint, which makes him the kind of hero I enjoy reading.

If this ever makes it to the screen, I’m voting Keanu Reeves for August Snow. He’s gritty, he’s caring, and with a little Latino edge added, he’d carry the role with weight and dignity.

August Snow is muscle and heart rolled into one, with a city that refuses to be ignored and a hero who proves true justice never plays by the rules. I’ll definitely be back for more in this series.

Blood Lines by Lynn Lipinski

Everyone has a secret, 

and most of them aren’t very good at hiding it.

I picked up Blood Lines by Lynn Lipinski for my 50 States Challenge (Oklahoma). This book is equal parts family drama, crime investigation, and “what the fuzzy kitty is really going on with these people?”

Our main character is Zane. He’s an alcoholic, white-knuckling his way through sobriety. In the space of 24 hours, he gets fired from his job, loses his sobriety, loses his mother in a house fire, realizes he is now the only one his teenage sister has left, and  becomes the main person of interest for setting the fire that killed his mother. Then life throws his estranged father into the mix. Spoiler: Dad isn’t exactly the guy you’d want to bring home to Thanksgiving dinner. Zane’s loyalty to family is admirable, but it also blinds him to what’s really happening. Still, I appreciated how his growth felt gradual and realistic. Maturity rarely comes overnight, especially when addiction is part of the struggle.

For me, the family drama was the star here. Sure, the crime investigation was compelling, but I never believed Zane was guilty. That would have made it a really short book. The question for me was always “who actually did it?” I never saw the reveal coming. Everyone in this story was tripping over their own skeletons, which made Zane’s search for truth that much harder.

The Tulsa setting was another highlight. Lipinski nails the feel of a tight community where everyone knows something but not everyone is willing to talk. You’ve got the gossipers, the church-goers, the crooks, and the ones just trying to stay out of the mess. Basically, small-town life in a nutshell.

It dragged a little in places. But once Jeremiah stepped into the spotlight, things really picked up, and the last third flew. 

The title Blood Lines works on so many levels, family ties, addiction, crime... but for me, the family piece hit hardest. At the end of the day, Zane just wanted to know who he was. Don’t we all?

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Some families argue about politics. 

The Day family argues about who survived the massacre.

I picked up this book to fill Kansas in my 50 States Challenge. What I got instead was a memo that Gillian Flynn doesn’t write psychological thrillers. She writes psychological wrecking balls. To say this book is a psychological thriller is an understatement. It’s the kind of story I should have started on a Saturday so I didn’t have to drag myself through work the next day running on three hours of sleep.

The alternating timelines made the book twistier, but it needed to be that way. We discover the past as Libby discovers it in the present, and that parallel unraveling works beautifully. We got to see assumptions being made that were way off base but deeply affected the people they involved. I actually trusted Libby as a narrator, even though she’s deeply flawed. Seeing the story through her eyes gave the whole thing a warped but fascinating perspective.

As for the big question: Evil: born or nurtured? Personally, I lean toward nurtured, though I know some people really are born without a conscience. The reveal completely blindsided me. You’d think after all the murder mysteries I’ve devoured, I’d know better than to assume the killer had to be a man. Gender bias much? <facepalm>

Flynn does a brilliant job weaving in the unreliability of memory. Trauma distorts everything, and Libby’s faulty or missing memories made perfect sense given how disturbing her past is and what she lived through. And speaking of disturbing, let’s talk about the Kill Club. Between Libby’s apathy and their obsessive energy, I honestly found the Kill Club more unsettling. That’s some hobby to have. Why can't we all just...crochet?

Dark Places is haunting, twisty, and unsettling in all the right ways. Flynn doesn’t let you look away, and she doesn’t let you get comfortable, either. Ten out of five stars. 

10th Anniversary by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro deliver another winner with 10th Anniversary. Lindsay Boxer is back, this time balancing a heartbreaking missing-girl case, courtroom fireworks, and the chaos of new motherhood. The pace is relentless, the Women’s Murder Club is as sharp as ever, and I found myself flipping pages way past bedtime. This one hits all the right thriller notes while still giving you those personal moments that make the series shine.

The Big Island Killer by R. Barri Flowers

 

I picked this one purely for the setting. Hawaii had to be covered for my 50 States challenge, and the title fit the bill. The good news is the scenery descriptions were lovely; I could almost feel the trade winds and smell the plumeria. The bad news was everything else.

This was a Harlequin suspense, which basically means you can set your watch by the plot: Boy meets girl. Girl gets into trouble. Boy gallops in on his trusty steed (well, maybe a Jeep Wrangler this time). Cue murders, a lovers’ spat, a couple of sex scenes, and voilà! Happily ever after.

The suspense didn’t hook me, the romance didn’t either, and the characters felt about as deep as a puddle in the tropics. I should have known as soon as I saw the cover on the ebook. I’m much more murder-and-mayhem than flowers-and-rainbows.

The Sharp County Slasher by Andrew Alman

Cheap real estate, a creepy sheriff, and a body count. Honestly, Sharp County sounds like a bargain. 

The Sharp County Slasher by Andrew Alman is the kind of book that makes you wonder if law enforcement officers should come with background checks longer than a CVS receipt. The premise hooked me right away: murders happening in Sharp County, eerily copying Hilrey’s old killings. The copycat angle is definitely personal, but you don’t see how until the rug is pulled out from under you. (Looking at you, Joel. You sneaky devil.)

Hilrey is the heart of this book, and he’s not your average “serial killer.” He’s more of a Dexter type, knocking off child molesters and rapists, people I’d happily volunteer as tribute. Does that make him a good guy? Well, he thinks so. I think so. Killing bothers him, but he sees it as a duty. And honestly, if you’re definitely guilty, then it’s lights out. Why waste tax dollars feeding a waste of skin?

The rural Arkansas setting makes it perfect: bodies go undiscovered for years, secrets rot in the silence, and the cornfields don’t ask questions. Every character was hiding something, and the reveals kept me flipping pages faster and faster until the end.

If you like dark crime thrillers with a “what would you do?” moral question baked in, this one’s a five-star ride. And yes, if I lived in Sharp County, I’d stay. Because cheap real estate, and nobody wants to murder old ladies.

Worth Dying For by Lee Child (Reacher #15)

"Buy 10, sell 9." If that line doesn’t make your stomach turn, congratulations. You’re probably a Duncan.

After a streak of books that didn’t quite hit the mark, I turned to my favorite author, Lee Child. I needed a solid five-star read, and Worth Dying For was worth the wait. Child is a master at grabbing attention right from the first paragraph. This one opens with a sniper waiting for Reacher...just in case. Hooked Immediately.

As always, trouble finds Reacher. It starts with a bloody nose, a drunk doctor, and a stubborn patient Reacher refuses to let slip through the cracks. From there, things escalate fast.

Enter the Duncan clan: Human traffickers who’ve been terrorizing a Nebraska farming community for 25 years. They’re bullies, parasites, and absolute wastes of oxygen. Their business motto, “Buy 10, sell 9”, disgusted me to my core. And you better believe Reacher dishes out the only kind of justice worth having in this situation. His own.

The town had stayed silent under the Duncans’ thumb because of raw, paralyzing fear: Fear for their families, their lives, and the belief that keeping their heads down was the only way to survive. But every tyranny has its breaking point, and here it came with the discovery of a missing child’s body. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

The Nebraska setting made the story. With no hospital or police for miles, the town was isolated and vulnerable, the perfect breeding ground for corruption. In a city, this story would have unfolded differently. Help would be seconds away, people would ask pointed questions, and the Duncans would probably not have had 25 years of unchecked power.

What I admire most is Reacher’s code. He’s relentless about protecting the innocent and punishing evil, saving fictional taxpayers millions in court costs and prison fees along the way. In a place where corruption runs deep, even within law enforcement, his brand of justice is exactly what’s needed.

As for me, I’d love to say I’d have stood up to the Duncans early on. But let’s be honest. I’d probably have just moved away. Easier than getting my butt handed to me for doing the right thing.

Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

Dolly may know how to write a hit song, but suspense? Let’s just say the chorus came in louder than the thriller.

We open Run, Rose, Run with AnnieLee jumping off a hotel balcony. Heart-stopping opening, if I may say so myself. So we were off to a promising start. But then we rewind eleven months, and instead of a high-speed Patterson chase, we settle into the rhinestone-and-grit streets of Nashville. From the jump, I knew AnnieLee was running from something; I just didn’t know who or what. But believing in these characters was another story.

Ruthanna, a country legend, taking a total stranger into her home without a blink? Um, no. Ethan putting his entire music career on hold to play chauffeur for AnnieLee? Double no. And AnnieLee, desperate to be a Nashville star, yet somehow keeping her entire hometown in the dark? That’s not ambition; that’s a masterclass in cognitive dissonance.

This book never went full-throttle Patterson like I expected. Instead, it wandered through honky-tonk bars and recording studios, often focusing more on the music scene than the actual suspense of who was chasing AnnieLee and why. Dolly’s fingerprints were all over this one. The Nashville setting seemed authentic, the music industry details rang true, and the trauma/survival themes worked. But the thriller elements...well, let’s just say they were background vocals at best.

As a novel, it’s a solid 4 out of 5: Nice story, memorable characters, and a multimedia bonus (the companion album was released with it). As a thriller, though, don’t expect Patterson’s usual page-burner. This is Dolly’s show, with Patterson strumming backup.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A master class in ambition…taught by someone you’d never want as a friend

 

This novel is the next ManiScripts book club read. We're meeting in September to discuss the book, so I found some book club questions to answer ahead of time. If you've been following my blog at all, you know I am more murder and mayhem than romance and flowers, putting this novel outside my usual genres. I did enjoy it however. Even though I didn’t like Evelyn Hugo. At all. 

Evelyn Hugo glamorous and fascinating, but peel back the glitter, and you’ve got a woman who manipulates everyone within a ten-mile radius until the very last breath. That includes journalist Monique, who thought she was getting the scoop of a lifetime and ended up with a one-way ticket to Trauma Town.

The husbands are introduced with little monikers: Poor Ernie Diaz, Goddamn Don Adler, Disappointing Max Girard. Honestly, they read like Evelyn’s Yelp reviews of her own marriages. Ernie was a stepping stone out of poverty. Don was the charming abuser. She set Max up to be a disappointment and he didn’t bother proving her wrong. The only one who came out looking decent was Agreeable Robert Jamison, who was willing to do anything to protect his sister’s happiness. He was a rare honorable character in this novel, and frankly, too good for Evelyn. And so was Harry.

Harry Cameron was my favorite. Brilliant, kindhearted, and tortured Harry. He loved Evelyn as much as anyone could possibly love Evelyn, which is to say, with compromise and quiet suffering. A gay man in a time when being himself could have destroyed his career, Harry broke my heart. He was her true partner, and she still found ways to use him when it suited her.

Monique, meanwhile, started off as a drifter, letting life push her in whichever direction it wanted. Then along comes Evelyn with her “let me teach you how to bulldoze your way through life” routine. By the end, Monique is sharper, bolder, and a little more manipulative, because if Evelyn Hugo left you with anything, it was a lesson in how to play people. I’m still not sure that qualifies as personal growth, but it definitely counts as a crash course in ambition.

And let’s not forget the phrase Monique coins: to “Evelyn Hugo” someone. It should be in the dictionary. Definition: to manipulate people like pawns on a chessboard while acting like you’re doing them a favor. Ugh.

Surprisingly, I did trust Evelyn as a narrator. She was blunt about her worst moments, sometimes almost bragging about them. She didn’t sugarcoat her ruthlessness, and she didn’t seem to see much point in lying at that stage of her life. If anything, her candor made her even less likable, but at least she was consistent.

The fake news clippings sprinkled throughout were a fun touch, and they drove home just how much Evelyn controlled her own image. Every scandal was staged, every headline manipulated. She would have been a TikTok queen today, and I’d still roll my eyes at her.

Evelyn’s attitude toward love and sex was shaped early on, when she learned that sex was currency. She spent it like Monopoly money, and it left her with a warped sense of intimacy. As for her moral compass, it basically boiled down to “if you’re fine in the end, then I don’t have to feel guilty.” By that logic, she probably thought Ernie should send her a thank-you note.

I did not like Evelyn Hugo even a little. She’s selfish, manipulative, and exhausting. By the time I closed the book, I was less dazzled by her gowns and more impressed that anyone stayed friends with her at all. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is juicy historical fiction wrapped in sequins and scandal, but Evelyn herself is a cautionary tale in high heels.

Miranda Warning by Heather Day Gilbert

Some secrets are dangerous to dig up.

I don’t usually read Romantic Suspense, but I picked up Miranda Warning by Heather Day Gilbert because it’s set in West Virginia. I’m doing the 50 States Challenge in my book journal, and this one let me cross West Virginia off the list.

The story centers around Tess and Thomas, a young married couple newly expecting and living with his parents while paying down student loans. That setup felt completely believable to me. Heaven knows student loans can be an albatross. Tess made a great narrator, and I really enjoyed how the book alternated between her present-day sleuthing and Rose’s haunting, slightly disturbing voice from the past. The two threads tied together in a way that gave the story more depth than I expected.

One thing I especially appreciated was the portrayal of marriage. The author nailed the little ups and downs that come with being married, which made Tess and Thomas feel like a real couple. I also liked that the romance never overshadowed the mystery. There’s affection and connection, but no unnecessary “sweaty details”.

As for the suspense, it built up slowly but steadily. At first, Tess was just curious about the mystery, but the deeper she dug, the more dangerous things became. Nothing was as it seemed, and by the end Tess was in real danger. That shift kept me engaged, though I will say the book dragged in a few places. Not enough for me to give up on it, but enough to cost it a star.

Overall, I’d call this a solid four-star read. Miranda Warning delivered a nice balance of romance and mystery, with a strong sense of place and a narrator I rooted for. It’s not my usual genre, but I’m glad I read it.

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

 

When I pick up a book that calls itself a thriller, I expect things to move - fast. Unfortunately, The Last Mrs. Parrish crawled along at a snail’s pace. The first twelve chapters seemed to do little more than repeat how obsessed Amber is with Daphne, with money, with Jackson…yada, yada. Instead of suspense, I got monotony. By the time I realized the story wasn’t picking up speed, I had already given up. For me, this one was a dud in the thriller department.

I'm Finally Done With It!

If you are interested in my recent train travel to Washington State and back, I finally finished my travel entries. 

My blog is in reverse chronological order, with the latest entry on top. So from this page, on the right you will notice a navigation bar. Click on July and scroll down. My first entry is called, "My Big Adventure: Train Travel to Seattle Day 1". It is dated July 15th. 

I've posted pictures, stories, recipes, and basically had a great time doing this. I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed writing about it.

Zapped by Carol Higgins Clark

Zapped never sparked enough to keep me engaged. 

I picked up Zapped by Carol Higgins Clark for my Alphabet Challenge—because really, how many “Z” titles are floating around out there? Since I’ve read plenty of Mary Higgins Clark novels, I thought it would be fun to see how her daughter’s writing compared. Spoiler: it’s not the same.

I had a tough time getting into this one. The pacing was fine, but I never felt like I really got to know the characters, and they didn’t grow on me as the book went along. The whole story takes place over the course of one night during a blackout, which could have been tense and atmospheric, but instead it felt oddly flat. There was a lot of overreaction and drama where there didn’t need to be any—and no drama where it would have made sense.

The result is a novel that, for me, was ultimately forgettable. I probably won’t be picking up another Carol Higgins Clark book. Zapped wasn’t awful, but it felt more like a chore to finish than a story I wanted to sink into.

Whirlwind by Hilary Normal

Blinded by snow, trapped by fear ... this is a storm you’ll never outrun.

I picked up Whirlwind because I needed a Rhode Island book for my 50 States Challenge. Honestly, I thought it might just be a “check the box” kind of read. It turned out to be one of those edge-of-your-seat thrillers that made me so glad I added it to my list.

The setting was perfect. A blizzard traps everyone in place, and most of the story unfolds in a church that feels increasingly claustrophobic as the storm rages outside. That isolation made every twist hit even harder, because escape wasn’t an option.

The character who stood out most to me was Liza, a woman with big dreams of becoming a newscaster but not much success in making it happen. Enter the Reaper, a clever, creepy psychopath who decides to give her the break she’s been waiting for… by forcing her to witness his confession to horrific crimes. He was way too smart for his own good (as most psychopaths tend to be), and the way he manipulated the situation and the people he roped in was chilling.

I had absolutely no clue who the Reaper really was until the big reveal. Completely blindsided. And that’s the best kind of thriller payoff.

The pacing felt like a rollercoaster: a slow, steady climb as the snow starts falling, and then a freefall of twists, turns, and “hold on to your seat” moments once the storm and the murders collide. I actually caught myself talking to the book more than once—saying things like, “No way!” and “Wooooowww…”

If you want a thriller that will keep your adrenaline pumping and your fingers flipping pages faster than you can feel them, Whirlwind is it. It's isolated, relentless, and chilling. 

Deepfake Dilemma: Truth in the Age of AI Video

Not long ago, creating a convincing fake video required Hollywood-level resources. Today, all you need is a decent computer, the right software, and a bit of patience. The result is “deepfakes”, AI-generated videos that can make anyone appear to say or do things they never did.

The technology behind deepfakes isn’t inherently bad. In fact, it has legitimate uses in film, education, and accessibility such as re-creating historical figures for documentaries or helping people who have lost their voices speak again. But in the wrong hands, it’s a different story. Political misinformation, celebrity hoaxes, and personal reputation attacks are just a few of the troubling possibilities.

Detection tools are improving, but they’re always playing catch-up. By the time a fake is exposed, the damage may already be done. The viral nature of social media means misinformation can spread faster than any correction.

So, what can we do? First, sharpen our digital literacy skills. Be skeptical of sensational content. Always verify through trusted sources. Second, support ethical guidelines and transparency in AI development. And finally, remember: Just because you see it doesn’t mean it’s real.

Deepfakes are a reminder that in the digital age, our senses alone aren’t enough to judge truth. Critical thinking is no longer optional. It’s our best defense.

Back to School

Even though it sounds impossibly cruel, teachers in my school returned yesterday, two and a half weeks before the students do. We're not sure why. I'm pretty sure our principal feels our pain. She greeted us with these wonderful gifts! 

The next two weeks will be filled with meetings, getting our classrooms ready, more meetings, lesson planning, more meetings, setting up gradebooks, more meetings... 

Honestly, the only one I'm absolutely not looking forward to is the mental health meeting. We had one of those the year before last, and I had to leave. There are just some things that have happened in my life that I don't care to revisit. 

The Secret by Lee Child (Reacher #28)

I finally got around to reading The Secret by Lee (and Andrew) Child, one that had been sitting in my ever-growing stack of TBRs for longer than I’d like to admit. While I’ve really enjoyed the Reacher novels in the past, this one didn’t grab me quite the same way.

The pacing felt slower than the usual breakneck stride I’ve come to expect from Reacher. Instead of following him as he bulldozes through obstacles, the story leaned more into procedure, which sometimes made it feel like it was moving at half speed. That said, the murdering sisters did their part to keep things lively whenever they showed up, and the plot itself was solid.

Reacher himself felt a little different here, but I think that’s intentional. This book is set earlier in his career, before he fully became the Reacher we know. It was interesting to see a slightly less polished version of the character, even if it didn’t completely hit the same adrenaline high as others in the series.

Overall, The Secret was a good read, just not as fast-moving or edge-of-your-seat as some of the other Reacher novels I’ve enjoyed. I give it a 4 out of 5. 

You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes

 

I picked up You Love Me for the “Y” in my Alphabet Challenge, and honestly, I regret it. Joe’s endless stream of consciousness was more grating than gripping, and I couldn’t make it to the end. I get that this series has a big following, but being trapped in his creepy, obsessive head was more annoying than entertaining. Creepy I can handle—annoying, not so much.

The Names of Dead Girls by Eric Rickstad

When justice takes the scenic route through Vermont fog… 

it’s worth the trip.

I went into The Names of Dead Girls expecting a solid thriller, but I didn’t expect it to get its hooks in me the way it did. The pacing started as a steady simmer, a few pages here, a few there, until suddenly I realized I wasn’t putting it down until the last page.

I connected right away with Rath. After rescuing Rachel from the murder scene of his sister and brother-in-law, she became the center of his universe. His fear of losing her again was palpable, and it made me root for him even harder. Preacher, on the other hand… manipulative, gaslighting, sociopath a**hole. Every scene with him had me on edge. I was thrown when Rath and Test started eyeing Sheldon as a possible serial killer. Sure, he’d done time with Preacher, but he seemed so sincere in his remorse that I found myself doubting the suspicion right along with them.

The Vermont setting, especially in the dense fog, gave the whole story a creepy, almost claustrophobic feel. It added urgency and a sense that something evil was always just out of sight. And oh, that ending. I was ready for Preacher to be arrested, maybe even to work the system and get out again. What I wasn’t ready for was the perfect slice of vigilante justice from someone he’d underestimated. Ta ta, Preach. See ya in hell.

If you like your thrillers with atmosphere, mind games, and endings that make you mutter “Oh yes” out loud, this one’s for you.

Death in the Underworld by Betsy Longenbaugh

 

Death in the Underworld by Betsy Longenbaugh is a historical mystery loosely based on a true crime in Alaska. The premise intrigued me: Murders, scandal, and history all rolled into one. The setting was atmospheric and the bones of the story were solid, but the pacing dragged. Apparently I like my murder and mayhem served with the energy of a triple espresso; this one felt more like a cup of herbal tea. It wasn’t bad, just not my speed. 

The President's Daughter by James Patterson and Bill Clinton

It took me a minute (or three) to get into The President’s Daughter. That’s unusual for a Patterson novel. I’m usually hooked before the coffee gets cold. Politics aren’t exactly my favorite playground, but I needed a New Hampshire setting for my 50 States challenge, so I pressed on.

When the Seal's mission failed and innocents were killed, I could see where this was headed: chaos, murder, revenge, all while blaming the guy in office. The political backdrop kept me guessing who was lying because in my mind, all politicians are dishonest, just some more than others. The international settings were a surprise; I chalk that up to Clinton’s influence. After all, he’s been there, done that, probably has the classified briefings and well-worn t-shirt to prove it.

Matthew Keating won me over in all his roles. As president, he wasn’t afraid to apologize, even knowing it would tank his reelection. As a former president, he wasn’t afraid to call in favors. And as a father, he did what it took to get his daughter back. Admirable qualities all around.

The terrorist, on the other hand, I hated. His religious rhetoric and mind games were nothing but excuses to justify violence in the name of his god. The psychological manipulation—making Keating think his daughter was dead—hit harder than the violence itself. That was diabolical. 

David Stahl, the Secret Service advisor, was my favorite supporting character. He knew joining Keating’s rescue mission would end his career, but he did it anyway. His death actually brought tears to my eyes. He was a good man who did his job: Take a bullet for the presidential family if necessary. His lessons to Mel helped her survive, and that made him unforgettable.

The Patterson-Clinton collaboration added an interesting twist. I’ve never noticed such an international element in Patterson’s work before, but Clinton’s insider knowledge of politics and government gave the story more depth.

By the end, I’d stopped noticing the slow start and was just along for the ride, dodging bullets, crossing borders, and muttering at certain characters like they could hear me. Politics may not be my thing, but apparently, presidents on a personal rescue mission are.

Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz

 

I needed a title containing the letter X for my alphabet challenge in my book journal, so I picked up Orphan X. 

Orphan X is what you’d get if The Equalizer and Jason Bourne had a baby and then raised him in a top-secret government assassin program. Evan Smoak, aka the Nowhere Man, is lethal and completely off the grid, helping people who have nowhere else to turn. 

It wasn't an original idea, and I didn't have any surprises, but it was fast-moving and fun. If you like crime thrillers and don't mind a recycled theme, you'll enjoy this one.