Book Review: The Goodbye Man by Jeffery Deaver (Colter Shaw #2)

The Goodbye Man by Jeffery Deaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's very rare that I finish one book in a series and go right into the next book in that same series.  I usually like to leave several months between series books.  However, the first Colter Shaw book was so compelling that I put the second one on hold at the library and started reading it immediately.

Shaw goes to Washington State in order to investigate a hate crime and the two young men charged.  From there he discovers a cult which is supposed to be a type of inpatient grief support and counseling organization.  He uncovers incredible criminal activity on the part of the founder and employees, along with the duping of the grief-stricken residents.  After breaking up the organization and handing evidence over to the authorities, he goes back to Echo Ridge, his family's mountainous homestead in order to further track information left by his father.

Once again, we are left with a cliffhanger, so I assume that I'll be heading back to the library to get book #3 in the series!

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Book Review: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Susan Ryeland #1)

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful murder mystery set in a small English village in 1955, it is definitely reminiscent of Agatha Christie's style and detective Hercule Poirot.

This is actually a story within a story.  There's the 1955 murder mystery, along with the subsequent story of Susan Ryeland, the editor who will be publishing the book in present day.  The structure of the book is so intriguing!  I'm not going to divulge much of the plot in order to avoid spoilers, but suffice is to say that you should just buckle your seat belt and go along for the fantastic ride!  It kept me guessing until the final pages.  I'm looking forward to the second book in this series - Moonflower Murders.  

Reader be aware:  It is sometimes difficult to follow the multiple characters and to figure out whether I was reading about the 1955 events or the present day characters and events.  I read the Kindle version, but ended up checking out the print book from the library so I could go back and re-read certain sections.  There's also an audio version of this book, but I can't imagine trying to keep everything straight while listening to the stories.  

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Dearborn Area: Donate Your Books for a Good Cause! Upcoming AAUW Used Book Sale

If you are doing spring cleaning and decluttering your book shelves, please consider donating your used books for the upcoming AAUW Used Book Sale.  Details and hours below.

And mark your calendar for their Annual Book Sale - October 4th - 6th, 2024.

 

Book Review: The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver (Colter Shaw #1)

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a series by Jeffery Deaver focusing on Colter Shaw, an expert tracker who finds people and collects rewards.  But there's so much more to Shaw and to his work.  This is a fast-paced thriller and page-turner, taking Shaw into the wild world of video gaming in order to find and save the three missing individuals. 

We also find out about Shaw's backstory:  his parents moved Shaw and his two siblings to The Compound in the California mountains when Shaw was very young.  They lived off the grid -- no TV, no phones, virtually no contact with the outside world.  His father taught the kids how to survive in the wilderness, skills which come in handy in his current line of work.  

Shaw is a loner looking for justice.  His character reminded me a little of Lee Child's Jack Reacher, another series that I love.  

These books are the basis for the new CBS Sunday night show, Tracker, which premiered after the Super Bowl.  The TV show seems to be based more on the character of Shaw rather than the details of the books, at least the first one that I read.  But once I finished this book, I immediately put the next one in the series on hold at my library, which speaks to how it grabbed me!  I'll definitely be following Colter Shaw into his next adventures.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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Book Review: The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stella St. Vincent is a young woman who is a shy, introverted book editor, very withdrawn into herself.  Her estranged mother is outgoing, always surrounded by men, and the life of every party.  When her mother dies, she leaves her a one-way ticket to Paris along with the note "go to Paris."  Stella complies, takes a leave of absence from her job, ends up making quite a personal transformation, and finds herself, in spite of herself!

The setting was Paris in the 1980's.  We encounter food, restaurants, chefs, art, fashion, the Shakespeare & Company bookstore, books, and reading.  All the things I absolutely love in a book.  She meets people along the way who befriend her and help her out.  She has a wonderful way of expressing herself, whether it's eating an oyster, viewing a beautiful painting, wearing couture fashion, or looking at Parisian street life.

The author has such a way of transporting the reader to the locale, in this case - Paris!  I have read several other books by Ruth Reichl and find this to be true of all of her writings.  I really love reading her books and would highly recommend this new novel, her second.  It is due to be published April 23, 2024.  Run, don't walk, to your local library or bookstore, grab it and read it --you won't be disappointed.  While you are at it, check out her first novel, Delicious, published in 2014, along with all of her non-fiction books.  Be aware of content warnings for this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

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