crime – One Chapter

Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne

4.5 stars Fiction

I have mixed feelings about this story. I liked the story, but I was confused with the anagrams that the character created in her mind. Lennie was a character who was content with her life, a well-constructed life that she had created. She keeps everyone at arm’s length, and she is in control. Lennie enjoys playing Scrabble so when she finds herself constructing the anagrams in her head, is it because she enjoys word playing? Or it is something else? I thought the use of the anagrams in the story felt too randomly used and they started to annoy me. I just didn’t know when they would pop up and as I read, the anagrams broke up the flow of the story and I started to skip them.

Lennie lives a very strict and structed life. A strict and structed life, alone. She hasn’t made any deep connections with anyone, and I think in the back of my mind, she was just used to that. She buys the same food week after week, and her bookshelf is lined with copies of The Hobbit. She played Scrabble with her imaginary friend, Monica (Lennie loved watching Friends), and her most recent addition is a dog that she rescued from the street. Lennie is now not walking down that street anymore, for she fears that she might run into some individuals who would not be happy about her newly “adopted” dog. Yes, Lennie leads a very strict and structured life, a life that Lennie is content in and she’s happy.

Lenny, the schoolteacher, would have loved to live this way forever but one day, she received a letter which changed her life. The return address, on this letter, stumps her. She doesn’t know anyone from the Adult Parole Board, or did she? Lennie is forced to remember her past, a past that she didn’t recall she had forgotten.

This book reminded me of a book I had read previously, up to a point. Lennie had suppressed her childhood, and it took the letter to start bringing back everything. As she finds the truth, I hoped that it was worth it and that she would finally be able to make some connections with individuals who were actually real. This was a good story that I enjoyed, and I was happy to see the new Lenny. 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin Press, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

4 stars Fiction

I admit this is my first Louise Penny novel I fell in love with the cover since I first laid eyes upon it. I love a great mystery, and I know she’s a very popular writer, but I was nervous jumping into a series without reading any of the previous books. In all honestly, I was a bit confused listening to this book on audio. I felt as if discussions were repeated and conversations were just too many. Regardless, I did enjoy reading The Grey Wolf. I enjoyed the realistic and true characters who were trying to piece together fragments of a mystery.

It begins with a phone call. Then comes the break-in. Too many things are happening and they’re happening fast. The discovery of the small slip of paper inside the jacket. It’s a small piece of paper which might not seem like much, but it is just the beginning. Water. Something we all need and unfortunately, take for granted. When this resource is threatened, Gamache is quick to act. The how, where, and why are the questions Gamache needs to answer quickly as individuals’ lives are at risk. Reaching across the globe the team begins to try to piece this puzzle all together.

I liked how Gamache worked to get this case under control. Reaching across the globe, many individuals were connected , grasping at anything they could find. Did they finally get the answers they were searching for? Time will tell as we wait for the next book. 4 stars

Three-Inch Teeth by CJ Box

3.5 Stars Mystery

Ha! Three-inch teeth….that was just part of the problem. I have to give it to him, he was smart, almost too smart. He had a gift, and he used it to his advantage. Clever guy, oh yes he was. This was one of those books where things were falling together and I didn’t realize it until the gloves were off and bodies were falling.

He got out of prison, and he wants revenge. He’s not doing it alone which added some excitement to this book. The bodies start piling up, but something is just not adding up, the authorities are baffled. Who can connect the dots and figure this one out?

I liked Dallas’ idea as it was creative and innovative. Realistic? I’m not so sure but perhaps someday we’ll get there. As they were unraveling the mystery, I felt that it was done quickly, and swiftly. Listening to this book, I did feel that there were a lot of individuals to keep track of, and it was hard sometimes to keep everyone separate. 3.5 stars

The Unsub by Meg Gardiner

4.5 stars Thriller

She still has it. I used to be a big Meg reader many years ago and when I saw this book on vacation a few years ago, I had to pick it up. Meg kept me entertained, never letting me go as Caitlin takes over in her father’s shoes tracking down The Zodiac killer.

After a lengthy absence, The Zodiac killer has returned. Caitlin is assigned to the case with the hope that her history with the case, they’ll be able to catch The Prophet this time. He’s predictable, yet there’s something different this time with the killings. Caitlin is drawn in, The Prophet knows exactly what he’s doing and he’s pulling Caitlin along with him. Her father Mack knows that feeling all too well. Mack had worked on this same case years ago when The Prophet first emerged and now Mack is playing the price. Caitlin asks her father for advice, his expertise on The Prophet and Mack’s warns his daughter about the emotional impact this case can have on her but Caitlin is determined to bring The Zodiac killer down.

It’s a dark thriller where it’s a race against time. The Zodiac killer takes and takes as he has a goal in mind and nothing will stop him. Caitlin and her team must discover the motivation behind such a corrupt mind and find a way to stop him. The clock is ticking ……go!

After reading the last few pages of this book, I realized that this was a series. Now, that was a shock to me, as I hate to read series until I know a few of the books in the series are already published. Knowing this, I checked and found that yes, there are four books in this series. I immediately put book #2 and #3 of this series on hold at the library because I need to know what happens next. 4.5 stars

The Replacement Wife by Darby Kane

4.5 stars Mystery

Who was the crazy one? I was torn between trying to figure out if Elisa might just be going off the deep-end or if her brother-in-law was as demented as Elisa thought he was. How many women does Josh have to go through before someone besides Elisa notices something just isn’t right? Elisa didn’t seem to be the most stable character to believe yet I wanted to think that she was a caring individual and carried that trait onto being a terrific friend, spouse, and mother yet when her family starts to find holes in her stories, I started to wonder just how stable Elisa really was.

Elisa has been staying home lately due to an incident, but it seemed that her husband encouraged this decision. Elisa liked spending more time with their son Nathan but even Nathan can be too much sometimes. Elisa is concerned about her friend Abby who was dating Josh, her brother-in-law. She’s been missing for a while, and no one seems concerned except for Elisa. Josh seems to have moved on, providing an excuse about Abby disappearance. Elisa is not buying the story and when Josh arrives on the scene with a new girl, Elisa is all over it. Elisa doesn’t understand Josh’s attitude and where did this new girl come from? The story becomes entangled as the stories don’t match up and I begin to wonder who is playing who? Did the incident with Elisa change her? IS Josh the killer that Elisa believes he is? What part does her husband play in all this, as he’s dancing between the two stages, he’s the nice guy to the both of them? Just when I think I had the characters all figured out, Darby throws a wrench into the mix, and I’m left deciding if this tool really matters and who it belongs to. The book really got interesting towards the middle and by the end, I had to know how it all ended. I liked how this book made me question the information that was presented, and it made me analyze the characters. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, Scene of the Crime, and William Morrow in exchange for an honest opinion. 4.5 stars

Northwoods by Amy Pease

5 stars Mystery

Eli’s coping mechanism is drinking. Not just one drink but drinking sometimes, until he passes out. His job as a deputy keeps him going but lately, that’s not even helping. Since returning from Afghanistan, Eli has lost his career and his marriage, and now, his memories and drinking have taken over his life. His mother, the town’s sheriff, has put Eli on her force and she tries hard to help him while listening to her community’s comments about his performance. It’s a balancing act as a mother’s fights for her son and for what’s right for her community.

It’s another night of escape as Eli finds himself alone, isolated, enjoying one of his favorite beverages. He hears something and now, his relaxing night is over. Forced to put on his professional mask, Eli tries to sharpen his senses when he discovers a male body in a boat.

In a department that’s already short-staffed, they now have a murder to solve. It should be Eli’s case, but can he handle it? Calling in the FBI, Alyssa arrives on the scene, and I wondered how Eli and Alyssa would be able to work together. Eli still can’t put the bottle and Alyssa seems to be all business as they start to put the pieces together.

The author throws in a couple other stories into this case, adding more interesting characters that create a storyline that’s entertaining and full of energy. My favorite character was Eli, with all his difficulties and challenges, as I felt he gave the book strength and unpredictability. He was a torn character with potential. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley, Atria Books, and Amy Pease in exchange for an honest opinion, thank you sharing your book with me. 5 stars.

Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore

4 stars Fiction Crime

She came up to that front door. She had no idea what was on the other side, but she felt that it had to be better than what she was facing out here. There were no other options. Whoever opened that door, she hoped that they would embrace her and lock out the monster that tried to claim her. Whose story would they believe? Whose side would they be on? Who would open this door?

Although this book was long, the story was captivating once I became involved. The story takes place in Texas. Odessa, Texas where I could feel the dry dirt inside my mouth as I read this story. It’s 1976 but it felt more like the 1960’s as the men felt it was their place to be at the top of the food chain. Women were expected to spend their days inside the home doing their “housework” and tending to their husband’s needs. Everyone had their roles, just follow along. Yet, as we read this powerful book, we see how the lives of those who live in Odessa challenge these expectations and the outcome.

The story begins rather quickly when Gloria finds her way onto Mary Rose’s porch. A victim of a brutal assault, Mary Rose tries to protect Gloria and the tension in the book quickly escalates as race and power become the central issue. What is right and wrong only matters if you’re the one in charge and everyone knows who is in charge in Odessa. There’s a handful of other females who get in on the action but in this town, it’s the males that run it, or at least that’s what they think.

I originally had a hard time reading this book as I didn’t like the formatting. The lack of punctuation inside the book kept throwing me off. I ended up picking up an audio of this book to listen to as I read along with my physical copy of the book, at the same time. This helped a great deal. I won a copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaway and Harper. 4 stars

The Lake House by Jeff LaFerney

5 stars Mystery

I thought this was a captivating read as these distinct characters navigated through their life. As the stories started to come together, I liked how the stories blended and how these distinct individual’s lives felt intertwined although their lives felt so different. It reminded me of the saying, “it’s such a small world,” when you find something in common with a stranger. Didn’t see some of the twists that were added which were a great surprise.

You would think that solving a case would be easier when it’s fresh in everyone’s mind, but Reese discovers that isn’t always so. Assigned to such a case, Reese taps into some new resources yet what are Reese’s true intentions as he digs into this case?

Then, there is Beau. Beau does a terrible job on his assignment which has damaging effects for many individuals. Seriously Beau, I can’t believe you failed that job so badly. Kingston tries to come to his rescue, and he had a great idea but then, he steps over the line, and I’m left shaking my head. What the heck Kingston!?! You may have thought you solved that problem, but you just opened a can of worms by doing that. How is this all going to end? Lots of unknowns here but Jeff ties them all together by the time I close the book. 5 stars

My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Cosby

4 stars Mystery

This was an exciting read, the action kept building throughout. Nate is currently an undertaker but he’s had many titles throughout the years which all come in handy. When the leader of their church is suddenly shot dead, some women of the church call upon Nate for some answers. They don’t trust the local authorities and they know about Nate; I think everyone knows about Nate. Nate says that he’ll check into it but he ends up doing more than checking into it, Nate gets involved in something bigger than he ever imagined. Nate wants to uncover the truth; he wants justice to be served and he’ll do almost anything to make sure that gets accomplished.

I don’t like a book with a lot of different characters, I find that they’re confusing but I liked the variety of individuals inside this story. They kept the story moving and the variation of stories added to the intensity of the drama. There are instances of violence, swearing, and sexual encounters in the story so that needs to be noted for some readers. I liked Nate’s determination and drive. He wasn’t doing it for money, work, or for the glorification, he was solving the problem. This was a fast, enjoyable read for me. 4 stars

The Wager: a Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann

5 stars Nonfiction

You have to listen to this audio! Did a fabulous job reading this book as I felt a part of the action. After finishing the book, I really wondered how anyone survived the whole ordeal. The odds were bad to start and when you add in all other misfortunes and the behavior of the individuals aboard the vessels, the survivors were a tough group.

I really liked how I felt a part of the action and how realistic this book felt. It was interesting viewing the action behind the eyes of the different captains. The allies amongst the crew and how they felt about their captain, the way they felt about their mission and its success and how they manage themselves made this book one that I couldn’t stop listening to. They were fighting a battle to stay alive, to fight a war, to find treasure, to find their way home, and to serve their country. Such a great book. 5+ stars!!

Notes while listening to the Playaway:

Listening to this on a Playaway, narrated by Dion Graham. Seriously, Dion brings this book to life!! The energy and excitement in his voice was phenomenal. It was as if Dion was retelling the story from his own personal experience about The Wager and that he was not, actually reading a book to me. Phew, what a voyage!!