Hunting Season by P.T. Deutermann

My most enjoyable take on this is that don’t mess with retired guys.  Ed Kreiss is a retired FBI agent who just wants to be left alone.  But someone kidnaps his daughter.  Unbeknownst to the kidnappers, Lynn his daughter, is a chip off the old block.   Multiple, intertwined plots lead to a complex and arresting plot.

Deutermann lets his protagonist have some foibles and yet bounces back.  Persistence and resilience are shown for the daunting and successful attributes they are.

Naïve eyes are opened and deals are made.   The author or the protagonist has a very dim view of ivory tower bureaucrats and government in general.

An exciting read and I highly recommend.

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The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

This may be one of the sweetest books I’ve ever read.  Before that turns you off, there is a good plot and great characters but NO violence or mayhem.   Lucy, a teacher’s aide, wants to adopt Christopher one of her students.  Christopher suffered some personal tragedies and Lucy is his lifeline.  The story revolves around Clock Island and The Clock Island Adventures.

Jack Masterson is the reclusive author of Clock Island Adventures.   Hugo is his cover illustrator and a semi-renowned painter.   Hugo’s sense of self is truncated and Jack has internalized a sad event of the past that he has shouldered guilty responsibility. 

Clock Island is Disney’s Tom Sawyer Island and Willy Wonka’s factory mish-mashed together.   Jack’s guilt drives him to reclaim the sense of wonder, and hope that permeated his children’s books.   A contest brings a collection of, now adult, children back to the island.

This was a delightful read and although I predominantly read about AI, wizards, and dragons, I truly enjoyed it. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Dizzy's Diary, A Fairy Tale

Exclusive, the secrets of the pixie world are exposed in Dizzy’s Diary.  Dizzy, a pixie, tells all about her bestie, Tina the Tooth Fairy. Find out what Tina the Tooth Fairy does with all those teeth.  Discover leprechauns have more magic than just a pot of gold.  Discover the secrets of Magic Pixie Dust!  All these secrets will be revealed in Dizzy’s Diary.  

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Win by Harlan Coben

With that title, you would assume that Myron Bolitar was back playing basketball.  Well, we all know how assumptions work.  Now that we know there is no basketball involved, we go to Windsor Horne Lockwood III or Win.   Win in a strict psychological evaluation is not wrapped too tight, clinically speaking.   However, super-rich folks can be completely bonkers with no repercussions.   The mystery involves Win and his dysfunctional family.

Coben delves into the past and looks at the social structure and the protests against the war in Vietnam.  Those protests led to questionable behavior with unforeseen consequences.   Decades later the discovery of a dead protestor, a stolen painting, and the resurrection of a sordid family secret fans the fires of mystery.

Coben grabs you by the throat and never let's go.   He can have a narcissistic anti-hero as a laudable protagonist.   You can never be sure who is going to do what.   He maintains tension throughout the book. 

I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Bloody River Blues by Jeffery Deaver

Deaver never disappoints and this book certainly maintains his standards.   John Pellam finds himself embroiled in a gangster hit in the small town of Maddox, Missouri.  A Hollywood location scout working on a movie, he becomes a target for law enforcement agencies, savory and unsavory as well as citizens of Maddox of dubious reputation.

Deaver has a devious turn of mind as he cr

eates cul-da-sacs, detours, and random clues as to the direction of the story.

I enjoyed the detailed characterizations. 

An excellent book that I recommend. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Liquid Shades of Blue by James Polkinghorn

This was an interesting mystery.   Jack Girard appears to be a carefree owner of a Key West bar and a member of the bar association which has nothing to do with alcohol.  Appearances are deceiving, Jack is nursing grief over his brother and his relationship with his mother.   The mystery comes to play when Jack’s mother allegedly commits suicide.

The Duke is Jack’s father and a prominent attorney in Miami.  The author depicts him as cold, calculating, and heartless.  This may be the way he was born or might be due to his military service.  That much is unclear.  His relationship with Jack is certainly different than the traditional family tie.

There is a minor bit of action but the novel is primarily about Jack and his relationships.  Jack does a lot of breast-beating and soul-searching.

The mystery holds enough complexity to maintain your interest. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Desert Star by Michael Connelly

This is a Bosch and Ballard mystery.   Harry is retired but Ballard pulls him into her new cold case unit as a volunteer.   Bosch is fixated on the Gallagher murders and butts head with Ballard on her desire to find the killer of a councilman’s sister.   The councilman is the sole reason that the cold case unit has been reopened.

Bosch is retired and appears to have lost a step but is still tough and effective.   Ballard step fights to get Bosch to color between the lines.   The book is got some interesting twists and turns.  

I enjoyed the book and recommend it. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Alden and the trash truck trailer

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The Tumbling Girl by Bridget Walsh

This is a Victorian mystery set in London in 1876.  Girls are being murdered and the police are baffled.   The murder of Rose, the closest thing Minnie has to a sister, leads to Minnie delving into the murder.  She and Ida, Rose’s mother, hire Albert a private eye to find the killer.

The author does a very descriptive tale of life for an ordinary citizen in London at that time.  A life very different than the “toffs” of Downton Abbey or Bridgerton.  Minnie works at the Palace which is a variety theater.  Albert is estranged from his wealthy family. The two make an odd couple.

The mystery is complex and twisty, things aren’t always as they seem.  I enjoyed the book and look forward to more in the series.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Alden And The Trash Truck by William G. Bentrim, Now available at Amazon

ALDEN AND THE TRASH TRUCK

Toddlers are often fascinated by vehicles.  Trucks and construction equipment are always popular gifts.   This story focuses on a little boy’s fascination with Gladys, a trash truck, and Mike its driver.   There is no overt message or moral.   It just celebrates the passion of children and their innate goodness.

Alden loves trucks but his favorite truck is Gladys.  Gladys and her driver, Mike, collect trash.   Alden becomes Mike’s hero when Alden jumps into action and demonstrates remarkably mature responsibility when faced with a crisis.

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