Persuader by Lee Child

Jack Reacher finds himself caught up in trying to write a decade old wrong.   He goes undercover and discovers nothing is as it seems.

This was a little more graphic than Child normally.  The detailed atrocities are motivation for Reacher.   Oddly I don’t recall a single head butt in the book but as they are normally ubiquitous, I may have just glossed over it.

This was a high intensity, graphically violent book that generates sympathy for old testament judgement. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Where The Crawdads Sing By Delia Owen

I didn’t plan on liking this book.    I tend to avoid “best” sellers as I seldom agree with them being best in anything but sales.   This book, however, surprised me.  This brings new meaning to human interest.   The life of Kya is illustrative of prejudice and redemption.

The story is slow but the characterization of Kya is just amazing.  You feel as if you have made a connection to an entirely imaginary friend.   A definition of loneliness, she finds attributes that neither she nor the world could have anticipated.   Her reflection of nature and applying it to human behavior was interesting.   I am quite fond of anthropomorphism and it was interesting to see applied in reverse.  

Don’t anticipate lots of action, due expect a story you will remember.

I highly 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.

Two Dads, Two Moms, Two Kids by William G. Bentrim

My latest book needs reviews.  If you are willing to review the book go to www.bentrim.info  and click on contact form and send me a message with your email address.   I will be putting the Kindle version of the book up for free on Amazon for reviews in the near term. 

The number of kids harming themselves due to confusion over their gender or their family situation regarding gender is increasing.   It breaks my heart to read the obituary of a kid who was just confused.   My hope is this book will at least help one kid feel more comfortable in their life and less likely to engage in often fatal behavior.

The family of today may not be the same as the family of yesterday.  Regardless of structure, if love and nurturing are present, if children are valued and protected it is a family. This book hopes to show that differing family structures need not be confusing.  

Buy on Amazon

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Shamus Dust by Janet Roger

These are old style fedora detective stories.  An American detective in London not long after World War II is a traditional gumshoe.   Looking for a murderer becomes looking for murderers.  

Newman seems to get hit on the head with great frequency.   The book is written in the style of the days when a private detective pulled his hat low and had a cigarette hanging from his lip.   The prose is florid and expansive.   The author is so detailed I got a chill from sitting in a winter alley with a hooker.  

I think fans of Raymond Chandler will love the book.   

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Firewall by Eugenia Lovett West

This was a mystery that was loosely focused on cybercrime.   The plot moved from location to location while leaving a body each time.   It read like a series of somewhat disjointed short stories.

I have mixed feelings about this book.   I anticipated more technology and a clearer focus on cybercrime.   Cybercrime is alluded to but the focus was really on Emma Streat and her foibles.

Emma appears to be conflicted in her emotions.   She also seems to connect to men who have one foot on a banana peel and the other in a grave.

I liked the strength shown by Emma, that was one of the more redeeming characteristics of the book.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.