The Admirer's Secret by Pamela Crane

Welcome to a small town where no one is okay.

I just finished The Admirer’s Secret by Pamela Crane. My brain is now a pretzel. One of those tightly twisted ones you only buy at the mall when you’re starving and make bad decisions. 

This is one of those psychological thrillers where you side-eye Every Single Character because you just know somebody’s got a body buried somewhere. In this case, practically everyone has secrets, skeletons, or both. The only person who seemed remotely normal was Gabriela, and honestly, I was suspicious of her too just on principle.

Pamela Crane really leaned into the “trust no one” trope. I spent half the book thinking Character A was definitely the killer, only to be WRONG. Then I thought Character B was innocent, WRONG AGAIN. Then the plot hits you with twists involving mistaken identities, mental unraveling, and enough red herrings to start a seafood restaurant.

Halfway through, I wasn’t even sure I was sane anymore.

What I can safely say without spoiling everything:

• People you think are innocent? …maybe not.

• People you think are guilty? …also maybe not.

• Some people are straight-up unhinged, but oh boy is it entertaining.

• And once the truth comes out, it’s like watching a train wreck. You can’t look away.

If you love messy characters, big twists, unreliable narrators, and that moment where you sit up in bed and go, “wait… WHAT?” this book delivers in a big way.

And now I need something light and fluffy to read because my brain is exhausted from all the betrayal.

The Hard Way by Lee Child

Sometimes You Just Want a Man With Skills… and Zero Emotional Baggage

I just finished The Hard Way by Lee Child and I loved it! Jack Reacher is back to stomping around New York like a one-man wrecking ball with superb manners. This one hooked me immediately. The setup is clean, sharp, and about as subtle as a brick through a window. Reacher helps a guy whose wife and daughter have been kidnapped… and somehow this “simple” good-deed moment unravels into layers of mercenaries, messy marriages, bad decisions, and a whole lot of 'wait...what?'

This is one of those books where Reacher does what he does best: Observe, deduce, intimidate, and occasionally remind a man that bones can bend before they break. No wandering, no filler chapters about someone’s potato salad recipe, no steamy sex scenes, just straight, relentless pacing. I loved the supporting characters and the twist at the end that I never saw coming. 

My only complaint is that now I want more Reacher, immediately, and unfortunately time does not allow me to ignore everything else in my life to binge the rest of the entire series (although I have considered it). Excellent book. A total return to what makes Reacher Reacher: decisive, unbothered, and eighteen steps ahead of everyone else.

Extraction by Jodi Burnett

Took a while for the book to remember it was supposed to be exciting.

I just finished listening to Extraction by Jodi Burnett. This one and I had a slow-burn relationship. And not the good, romantic kind. The “Can we pick up the pace?” kind. The story starts off like it’s easing me into a warm bath, except I showed up for murder, mayhem, and U.S. Marshals doing cool tactical things.

But around chapter five it finally wakes up, and I was at 63% before I was fully invested. The pace picked up, the danger got real, and suddenly I stopped checking how many hours were left.

Dirk and Hank were excellent. Exactly what I want in hero characters: Competent, loyal, a bit battered, and just flawed enough to be interesting. I’d read an entire spin-off about those two grumbling their way through dangerous situations.

Emory, though… I wanted to like her. I tried. But for a Chief in a U.S. Marshals office, she came across far too soft. Sentimental. A little sappy. And yes, I know I lean heavily toward the “tough as nails, emotionally unavailable, drinks strong, black coffee straight from the pot” type of heroine, but still. You don’t get to be Chief by wringing your hands and hoping for the best.

Meanwhile, we have Ceylon crossing oceans, scraping together money, and hell-bent on stopping her father from carrying out a violent mission. Now that is grit. In fact, I kept wishing she had been the central female lead. She had the backbone, the determination, and the emotional complexity that the story was begging for.

Overall I’m glad I stuck with it. The second half delivers the tension and action I expected from page one. It’s not perfect, but it’s engaging once it finds its footing, even if I spent the first chunk wondering whether I accidentally wandered into the wrong audiobook.

If you like heroic men with depth, dangerous missions, and a few emotional detours you didn’t ask for, it’s worth a listen. Just know you’ll need to wade through a slow start before the explosions kick in.

11th Hour by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Trust, maybe also verify … with your husband, not the random other woman.

11th Hour by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro lands solidly at four out of five stars for me mostly because I enjoy chaos, and this book delivered it in two neatly packed storylines. But before we get to the severed heads (yes, plural), we need to talk about Lindsay.

Look, I adore Lindsay Boxer, but in this one? For crying out loud, Lindsay. Grow up.

I found myself disappointed in how quickly she jumped to conclusions about Joe. I get it. Pregnancy hormones can turn even the sanest among us into caffeinated raccoons. But taking the alleged other woman’s word as gospel? Really? Sometimes “other women” lie, exaggerate, or, you know… exist only to stir the pot. It is unbelievable to me that Lindsay didn’t think to sit down with Joe and communicate like an actual adult. I thought that was the bare-minimum requirement for marriage. Communication. And maybe not accusing your husband of cheating based on a picture of him smiling at someone.

But fine. Let’s move on to the parts that didn’t make me want to yell into a pillow.

The dual storylines worked well here. The cop-turned-vigilante I understood. Even though I could definitely empathize given the life I have with my own son, he really went around the bend. He’s basically the cautionary tale in those Facebook memes: "Crochet. Because murder is wrong."

And then… the heads. Plural. Displayed like some bizarre suburban art installation, with no bodies anywhere to be found. Holy cow. That was the hook that dragged me through the book at a sprint. Every time Lindsay walked onto that property, I swear I held my breath like I was the one about to find head number eight.

Overall, I was glued to the page, even if I occasionally wanted to put Lindsay in a time-out chair and hand her a communication workbook. This was a solid entry in the series, just not my favorite version of my favorite detective.

Syndicate by Felix Francis

“Irresistible,” said the New York Times. I must’ve read a different book.

Syndicate by Felix Francis didn’t grab me the way some of his others have. Usually, I fall into his racing world right away, but this time it felt like slogging through mud until halfway in. Once things finally picked up, I was mildly curious to see where it went...but “irresistible”? No.

All the main characters struck me as whiny, and not in an endearing, flawed-human kind of way. More like, “Please stop talking and let the horses run.” I expect a bit more grit, a bit more urgency, and a lot less complaining in a Francis novel.

That said, it’s still Felix Francis. The writing’s solid, and once the pace found its stride, it held my attention enough to see it through. But compared to Crossfire or Triple Crown, this one just doesn’t measure up. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely was not a Front Runner (which was also very good).

Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal by Meghan Quinn

Some books make you laugh. Some make you cry. This one made me question every choice that led me to page one.

I don’t even know where to start with Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal. Maybe with an apology to myself for finishing it. I only picked it up because I joined a new book club, and this was their December pick. I’m really hoping they branch out next time, maybe to something with a plot or characters who behave like actual humans.

Let’s begin with the narrator who, for reasons known only to Meghan Quinn and possibly the Ghost of Christmas Bad Decisions, keeps popping in mid-story to talk directly to the reader. Imagine watching a Hallmark movie, and every five minutes the director runs in front of the camera to wink and say, “Get it? Isn’t this cute?” No, sir, it is not.

Then there are the conversations, which are... I’ll be polite and say “painfully awkward.” Every line of dialogue sounds like it was written by someone who’s never actually spoken to another human. The characters themselves are so unrealistic they make Barbie look gritty. The sex scenes read like someone let ChatGPT write Fifty Shades of Peppermint Bark. I rolled my eyes so much they almost got stuck in the back of my skull.

If you’re looking for depth, chemistry, or believable human interaction, keep walking. But if you enjoy secondhand embarrassment wrapped in tinsel and topped with a talking narrator who won’t shut up, Merry Christmas, you filthy animal.

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood

 At some point, you have to admit defeat — even to a lady with a gun.

I’ve tried. Truly, I have. The Lady With the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood has been sitting on my nightstand for months now, staring at me like a disappointed librarian. I’ve picked it up at least four times, determined to make it past the first chapter, but every time I do… my brain just quietly leaves the room.

It’s not that I don’t like Phryne Fisher. She may be fascinating. But something about this collection just didn’t click for me. Maybe it’s the pacing, maybe it’s the style, or maybe it’s just not the right book at the right time. Whatever the reason, I’m officially DNF’ing this one.

Not every book finds its reader, and that’s okay. On to the next adventure (hopefully one that keeps me awake past page ten).

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

More twists than a soap opera set in a funhouse mirror maze.

That about sums up Pretty Girls. I closed this book feeling like my brain had just been wrung out, dried on high heat, and tossed back at me with a note that said, You still think you know people?

This one is a psychological wrecking ball. Karin Slaughter doesn’t just pull the rug out. She yanks up the floorboards and sets the house on fire. Sometimes literally. 

At the heart of the story are sisters Claire and Lydia, estranged for years after the disappearance of their sister Julia. Claire became the picture of privilege and avoidance, while Lydia spiraled into addiction and anger. Their paths couldn’t have diverged more until tragedy forces them back together. And from there every layer of their lives starts to peel back, revealing something uglier underneath.

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised by how Claire and Lydia’s relationship evolved. People handle trauma in different ways, Claire avoided conflict, Lydia self-destructed. What mattered more to me was that they eventually saved each other. And I love when fiction lets women do that: Rescue themselves and each other instead of waiting for a hero.

As for revenge… let’s just say what happened to Paul wasn’t revenge. It was justice, served cold and outside the boundaries of a very corrupt system. And I didn’t feel bad about it for a single second.

Julia’s disappearance haunts every page. You can feel how it shaped the family, especially Lydia, who becomes almost feral in her protectiveness of her daughter. The ripple of trauma runs deep, and Slaughter never lets you forget that.

The violence in this book is brutal, but it belongs here. It’s supposed to make you flinch. It’s supposed to remind you that monsters often look normal, that horror hides in the ordinary. Claire’s transformation from “pretty” to powerful is what balances it out. She starts shallow and unaware but ends as a survivor who finally sees the truth - and herself - for what they are.

Money and charm might hide the darkness, but they don’t erase it. Paul didn’t have to stalk Claire; he already had her life wired, watched, and probably filmed. Behind the perfect façade was pure rot. It’s a sobering reminder that appearances mean nothing, and safety is sometimes an illusion we buy into because it’s easier than facing what’s real.

By the end, Claire, Lydia, and their mother Helen stand stronger than they began. They’ve faced the worst and found some measure of peace. The ghosts will always linger, sure, but they’ll face them together this time.

Pretty Girls is not for the faint of heart, but if you like your thrillers dark, emotional, and unflinchingly honest about the worst parts of human nature, it’s worth the wreckage.

The Night Window by Dean Koontz (Jane Hawk #5)

 A satisfying finale, even if we took the scenic route to get there.

The Night Window by Dean Koontz is the final book in the Jane Hawk series, and I have to say—the ending did not disappoint. Everything came together neatly, with Jane finally getting the justice she’d been chasing since book one. That said, I couldn’t help but feel this series could’ve been trimmed down a bit. Five books was a long road for a story that probably could’ve been told in three. Still, Koontz delivered a solid, tense conclusion that made sticking with it worthwhile.

Nothing to Fear by Blake Pierce

 Nothing to fear...except a slow start and maybe a French cop with good timing.

I started Nothing to Fear as an audiobook, thinking it would be the perfect way to make my commute feel less like a slow crawl through purgatory. It worked, at least after the first few chapters. The story starts off like a slow simmer rather than a rolling boil. I didn’t exactly feel the need to sit in my car after work just to see what happened next… at least not at first.

But once it got going, it really got going. The suspense picked up, Juliette got her act together, and I found myself completely hooked Thursday evening, listening straight through instead of switching back to a paperback.

Juliette, our FBI heroine, didn’t start out as strong as I hoped. She felt a little tentative, a little too careful, but she found her backbone as the story went on. By the end, she had that “don’t mess with me” energy I love in a main character. And I have to admit, the French policeman asking her out at the end was a cute touch. After all that danger, it was nice to have a little charm and normalcy thrown in.

Overall, Nothing to Fear was a solid listen. A bit of a slow burn, but satisfying once it hit its stride. I wouldn’t necessarily go back for a second listen, but I’m glad I spent a few days in Juliette’s world.

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

He found love, purpose, and inner peace… after a fatal heart attack. Timing is everything.

My coworker recommended Under the Whispering Door and said, “It’s not my usual genre. It's ...  different. You'll see.” My copy came available on Libby yesterday, so I read it today.

Wallace Price dies right at the beginning, and honestly, he kind of deserved it. He’s a miserable human being: Greedy, selfish, and generally unpleasant to everyone who crosses his path. If he were a coffee order, he’d be a double shot of espresso with no milk, no sugar, no joy, and double the bitterness.

After his untimely demise, Wallace is “rescued” from his own funeral by Mei, a Reaper who’s just trying to do her job, and taken to Hugo, the ferryman who helps souls cross over. But before Wallace can pass through the “whispering door,” he has to go through the five stages of grief about himself. Because dying doesn’t mean you stop being a jerk in the afterlife, apparently.

The heart of the story is that Wallace has to die to learn how to live. Along the way, he discovers empathy, love, and even falls for Hugo, the man who makes tea for the dead. It’s all very warm and tender and meant to tug at your emotions.

And yet... meh.

It’s not that the book is bad. The concept is interesting, and I genuinely like the idea of an afterlife where you can have a second chance at becoming a better person. I want that for myself when the time comes. But the humor didn’t land for me, and the tone sometimes felt uneven, like Klune wasn’t sure whether he was trying to make me laugh or cry. He didn’t quite do either.

That said, it wasn’t a total waste of time. I can see why some readers adore it. It’s comforting, hopeful, and full of tea. It just wasn’t my cup.

I would recommend it if you like cozy fantasy with a side of self-reflection. But if you’re like me and prefer your stories with a bit more grit or suspense, you might find yourself wishing Wallace would just go through the darn door already. Or wishing you could give him a shove.

Outsider by Linda Castillo (Burkholder #12)

Different doesn’t mean dumb — and honesty doesn’t mean easy. 

Kate Burkholder is one of those characters who just keeps growing on me. In Outsider, Linda Castillo gives us more of Kate’s backstory, both her Amish roots and her early years in law enforcement, and I felt like I got to know her on a deeper level. Her integrity, empathy, and honesty are such defining traits, and this book shows where they came from.

One of my favorite moments was when Kate remembered her mother’s words:

“Live your life with God’s goodness and you’ll never fear the past.”

That line sums up the heart of this story. If you live your life with integrity, the past can’t come back to bite you. Kate’s confrontation with corruption in the police department hits hard because honesty is her core value. She’s loyal to a fault, though, and she can’t help wondering if she could have saved Gina from her own bad choices. But as Gina’s character developed, it was clear Kate did the right thing by walking away.

Gina’s reappearance gave Castillo the perfect opportunity to explore what makes Kate Kate. The tension between them, Kate’s honesty versus Gina’s willingness to cross lines, kept the emotional stakes high. I think Kate trusted Gina completely in the beginning, but Gina never truly trusted Kate. She knew Kate wouldn’t stand for corruption, and that’s the wall she built between them.

The snowstorm setting was another great touch. I’ve been in storms like that. The kind that muffle sound and make the world feel both peaceful and eerie. The isolation added so much to the suspense. And as always, the contrast of dark crimes unfolding in a serene Amish setting deepened the story.

I honestly believe that if it hadn’t been for the storm, Gina would’ve ended up in a cell. Kate’s an honest, by-the-book cop who still manages to show compassion. She would have done the right thing, even if she second-guessed herself afterward.

Kate and Tomasetti just need to get married already. Seriously. Now. They act like they already are! He’s her rock, and she needs to stop questioning what’s right in front of her. I wonder if Castillo gets to that in one of the future books in the series. I hope so, anyway.

The pacing was perfect: Enough slow-burn tension to keep me glued to the page, and bursts of action when it mattered most. Justice felt served by the end. Even though Gina took out the two corrupt cops chasing her, bigger fish still got caught in that slimy pond of police corruption.

Adam was an excellent supporting character. His quiet intelligence, empathy, and strength stood out, especially when he told Gina, “Different doesn’t mean dumb.” That line hit home for me personally, coming from my own experience leaving an isolated religious group. Adam’s presence and his role as a father trying to protect his kids added heart and extra tension to the story.

Linda Castillo continues to impress me with how real and grounded these stories feel. Outsider doesn’t just deliver a great mystery. It deepens Kate’s character in a way that sticks with you. She’s strong but self-aware, empathetic but tough, and human in all the right ways. By the time I finished, I wasn’t just satisfied with the ending. I was reminded why I keep coming back to this series.

The Forbidden Door by Dean Koontz (Jane Hawk #4)

They should have known better than to come for her family. 

I read The Forbidden Door by Dean Koontz a few months ago. It’s the fourth book in the Jane Hawk series and I somehow forgot to post about it. Which is funny, because this one’s all about things you can’t forget, no matter how hard you try.

Jane is still on the run, still brilliant, still outsmarting everyone who underestimates her, and this time, the stakes hit home. The government conspiracy she’s been fighting finally comes after her son, and the whole “unstoppable lone wolf with a past” thing takes on a fierce, maternal edge.

This installment is packed with tension and emotion. There’s less of the cat-and-mouse setup and more pure survival, which works because by this point, we know Jane. She’s capable, haunted, and a little terrifying in the best way.

If you’ve been following the series, don't miss this one. Just maybe don’t start here. Go back to The Silent Corner first so you can appreciate how far she’s come and how much she’s lost.

Treasure State by CJ Box (Highway Quartet #6)

 Revenge is a dish best served cold. 

C.J. Box never disappoints. Treasure State is another tense, tightly written Cassie Dewell novel, and I loved every page of it. Five out of five stars, hands down.

The pacing was perfect. It wasn’t one of those books that kept me up all night, but the urgency stayed with me long after I put it down. The danger felt real. Montana has a lot of wide-open nothing, and when the sheriff’s department is corrupt, “help” can be hours away. I kept hoping Cassie wouldn’t end up tossed down an abandoned mine before she could find anyone to trust.

I actually knew who the bad guys were pretty early, but I had no clue about the treasure. I kept thinking it was a ruse. It never occurred to me it could be in another state. That twist was brilliant.

One of the things I love about Box’s writing is how true he stays to time. Cassie is older now, and so is Kyle, who reappears from a previous book. I love that sense of continuity. Cassie feels like a real person, aging, learning, still fighting the good fight. And Kyle is one of my favorites. Guileless, big-hearted, and a little too trusting for his own good. I was glad Cassie got the chance to help him again.

The undersheriff, on the other hand, was Evil with a capital E. Throwing people into abandoned mines as a problem-solving technique is not just “villain energy”. That’s “padded room with a cute self-hugging jacket” territory.

Cassie, as always, walks that line between using the system and working outside of it. If she can find someone honest, she’ll team up. If not, she’ll handle it herself. Either way, justice gets served.

Box’s straightforward writing style and small cast of characters make the story clean and easy to follow, something I really appreciate as a middle school teacher who already deals with enough confusion in a day. I can read in short stretches and still keep my place, which is not always the case with twisty thrillers.

The setting is Absolutely Perfect. Box clearly knows the Midwest and Montana. Having taken a train through the state myself, I could easily picture the mountains, the cold, the endless space ... and that just adds to the tension. Help is hours away. What will Cassie do if she runs into trouble?

If I were in her shoes, I’d have taken the case too. It started as a simple missing-person investigation and ended up a tale of corruption and murder. Who knew? Loved it. 

Campus Murder Club by Kristi Rose

"Let's start a murder club!" said no one ever.

 

Some audiobooks are background noise while you fold laundry. This was not one of them. I sat on the couch, crochet hook abandoned, absolutely glued to my Aftershokz. From the first chapter in which a mysterious letter inviting journalism major Elliot to join a secret murder club and help solve the death of a student she actually knew, I was hooked.

The story takes place on a college campus, which felt all too believable. Let’s be honest, campuses aren’t exactly bastions of safety, and the tension that built as these curious, inexperienced students dove into an unsolved murder was rivetingly suspenseful. They really had no idea what they were doing, and that made it even better. One wrong move, and they could’ve easily become the next victims. At one point, I was positive they would be.

I was sure I knew who the killer was. I had theories, suspects, and my smug “I’ve got this” reader face ready to go ... only to be completely blindsided at the end. Even after the confession, I was still questioning it. Kristi Rose kept me guessing right up to the final scene.

Character-wise, Trey was my favorite. His mama raised a gentleman, and I appreciated that. Seema, on the other hand, came in hot with all attitude and zero empathy, but I warmed up to her as the story unfolded. Rose did a great job developing the friendships naturally, without forcing connections.

The big theme here was obsession. Obsession with solving a murder. Obsession with love. Obsession with secrets, money, and truth. It gave the story an edge that kept it firmly in the crime thriller genre. There was nothing cozy about this one.

If Campus Murder Club ever becomes a TV show, I’d want it done Forensic Files style with college students tackling cold cases with no fancy tech, just curiosity and caffeine.

This novel was absolutely a 10 out of 10 listen for me. I loved everything about it, from the pacing, the characters, and the twists, to (surprisingly to me) even the narration. I’m officially a Kristi Rose fan.

Find His Grave by Kate Watterson

Every secret was buried just enough to keep you guessing. 

I just finished Find His Grave by Kate Watterson, and I’m still trying to decide how I feel about audiobooks. The story itself I thought was excellent, but regarding the format, the jury is still out.

This was one of those times when I really wished I had the physical book in my hands. I think each chapter started with an excerpt from a diary or a book that one of the characters received, but without being able to flip back and look, I can’t be entirely sure. Listening while driving or doing chores is great, but when the plot gets twisty (and this one does), I miss being able to check something or reread a section.

Still, Watterson hooked me, and I finished it. The mystery had layers, and the small-town setting added that feeling of “everyone knows something.” The characters were flawed but real, and the pacing kept me interested from start to finish, even though I occasionally forgot who characters were in relation to the story and each other. I really  needed the physical book.

All in all, Find His Grave was a solid story: Creepy, well-written, and satisfying. But next time, I think I’ll go old-school with the paperback so I can actually see what’s going on.

The Red Book by James Patterson

 Detective Billy Harney has more baggage than O’Hare Airport - 

and just as much turbulence.

This one has been on my TBR list for quite a while. I finally got to it! 

Detective Billy Harney is back, still hauling around enough emotional baggage to fill an airport carousel, and that’s before the new case drops. When a young woman turns up murdered on Chicago’s North Side, Billy dives in headfirst and quickly finds himself knee-deep in secrets. Some belong to the city. The rest belong to him.

The pace is classic Patterson: Short chapters, breakneck momentum, and just the right number of jaw-droppers to keep you saying “one more chapter” until suddenly it’s 2 a.m. Which is really tough on a school night. What really sets this one apart, though, is the heart underneath all the grit. Billy’s ghosts, his past trauma, and that messy family dynamic, especially with twin sister Patti and their police-chief dad, make the story feel more realistic than your average procedural.

Add in snappy dialogue, dry humor, and a splash of emotional chaos, and you’ve got a winner. Come for the crime, stay for the Harney family drama.

Kisscut by Karin Slaughter

When you know the meaning of Kisscut, you'll be chilled to your bones. 

Karin Slaughter didn’t ease into this one. Right away, we’ve got a dead baby, a teenager threatening a classmate with a gun, a shooting, and an autopsy that could give you nightmares. Buckle up, Buttercup. You’re in for a wild ride.

This isn’t my first Karin Slaughter novel, and I still don’t really like Lena. (I must have missed the book where she was injured, so maybe I should give her a break.) The subject matter here is deeply disturbing on several levels, but what horrified me the most was the self-mutilation aspect. I won’t say too much, but once you understand the meaning behind Kisscut, it chills you.

The violence and graphic details are uncomfortable, but they’re not gratuitous. Slaughter walks a fine line between shock and empathy, pushing readers to confront the horror while also feeling compassion for the characters trying to survive it. The story may be set in Small Town, USA, but the darkness here runs extraordinarily deep.

I think the realism is what makes this book unforgettable and why I’ll definitely keep reading the Grant County series. That said, I’m giving myself a little breather first. Maybe a nice, light James Patterson-style murder spree before diving back into Karin Slaughter’s brand of psychological devastation.

Because Kisscut isn’t a book you just read. It’s one that haunts you.

What Brings You Joy

Yes, I AM from the 1900s. And proud of it!

At various times throughout the school year, especially when teacher morale is low and kids’ mischief is high, we have a gift exchange called “What Brings You Joy?” Teachers who want to participate sign up on a spreadsheet and jot down a short list of things that make them smile. Flavored lip balms. Orange chocolate. Fine-point pens. Cheap holiday earrings. Hand lotion. You get the picture. We set a $20 limit, but honestly I don’t think any of us really stick to it. It’s all in good fun, and every penny is worth it.

This year, my school bestie Hannah was my joy giver. I laughed so hard, and I can’t help but grin every time I see this sign on my desk. This is totally my favorite gift ever! 

She also gave me FINE-point pens because, as she’ll tell you, I’m always complaining about pens. And she didn’t forget Ernie! He received a Halloween Advent Calendar full of kitty toys. Ernie gives it his full seal of approval. 

 Cold cases have nothing on this family.

The Ice Sisters by Rita Herron is one of those books that grabs you by the parka and refuses to let go. What starts as a haunting mystery buried in snow quickly turns into a tangled web of long-buried secrets, lies, and tension so thick you could skate on it.

Herron has this way of writing small-town settings that feel both cozy and claustrophobic. Every character felt suspicious, every memory suspect, and I loved how the emotional undercurrents ran just as cold as the setting. By the time the truth thawed out, I was fully invested and a little heartbroken.

If you like your thrillers dark, emotional, and layered with family drama, this one’s a must-read. Just don’t start it before bed unless you plan to stay up all night “just one more chapter”-ing yourself into the morning.

Think Fast!!!

Every once in a while, the Internet forgets to work. And suddenly, life becomes so much more… exciting. Yeah. Exciting. That’s the word.

Where’s my sarcasm font when I need it?

So there I am, teaching technology, 25 middle school students teetering on the edge of good behavior, when the Internet dies. Suddenly. Without warning.

Think fast!

I whipped up a spur-of-the-moment assignment, passed out paper and pencils, and declared: “Today, we’re going Old School.”

I'm definitely going to keep this one in my toolbox. 

Internet Troubles

 Yes. Kbps. Kilobytes per second. KILO. not MEGA. Try teaching a technology class with THAT internet speed.

That old commercial for Heinz Ketchup goes through my mind...

"It's keeping me waa-aaaa-aaai-ting..."

'Painting' by number

I recently discovered an app called Happy Color. Yes, it’s a total time-waster, but when I need a mental break, it’s pure gold. And yellow. And orange. You get the picture. You just tap a number in the palette, then tap the matching numbers in the picture, and voilà. It magically “colors” itself in.

I don’t even need to see the colors; I just follow the numbers and watch the picture come to life. Mindless? Absolutely. But since it involves technology, I like to think of it as practicing my tech skills.

The Inn by James Patterson

 Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage

A quiet town, an ordinary inn, and a cast of perfectly quirky people, that is until the calm shatters. The Inn follows these seemingly everyday folks as they find themselves tangled with a ruthless drug ring trying to stake a claim in their town. Patterson keeps the tension high, the pacing brisk, and the twists satisfying. I loved every moment. Ordinary heroes, extraordinary courage. Simply excellent.

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.