The Exchange: After the Firm by John Grisham (Firm #2) (2023)

 

Every time I read a John Grisham novel I am reminded of why I enjoy them so much. They are well written, fast paced, and engaging stories and The Exchange: After the Firm is no exception. The story begins 15 years after The Firm. Mitch and Abby McDeere now live in Manhattan with their where twin sons, Carter and Clarke. Mitch is a partner in the largest law firm in the world and Abby edits cookbooks.

When a mentor in the firm’s Rome office asks Mitch to go to Libya to negotiate the settlement of a lawsuit between a Turkish construction company and Gaddafi’s Libyan government Mitch, who is always looking for the next adventure, says yes. He also agrees to take his mentor’s daughter, an associate in the firm’s London office. When things go very wrong and the mentor’s daughter is kidnapped by terrorists, Mitch finds himself in the middle of the a high-stakes hostage negotiation that endangers everyone around him.

Some of the reviews I’ve read complained about the frequent mention of Mitch’s air travel, meals, etc. but I found the everyday minutia of life an interesting contract to the stress of the main event.

Although The Exchange is considered a sequel to The Firm, having read The Firm is not a prerequisite to enjoying this story.

3.72 stars on Goodreads, 4.0 on Amazon

Starter Villain by John Scalzi (2023)

 

Villain (n)  A professional disrupter, not necessarily evil. Services are available by subscription.

I am frequently drawn to a book by its cover and more often than not, the inside cover confirms I want to read it. Villian Starter was one such book. Who wouldn’t want to read about super intelligent cat spies who can talk and dolphins threatening to go on strike? 

Charlie Fitzer's life is going nowhere fast. The former business reporter turned substitute teacher is divorced and living in his deceased father’s house which his siblings want to sell out from under him. All Charlie wants to do is buy the downtown pub and live a quiet life with his cat. Everything changes when his billionaire uncle Jake, last seen when Charlie was five years old, dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. Unfortunately, Charlie also inherits uncle Jake's enemies who now want to kill him.

After his house is blown up, Charlie moves to the volcano lair and is guided in his new life by Mathilda Morrison, his uncle’s right-hand woman, now his. It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against the other supervillains. But first he must attend the mysterious Lombardy Convocation, a consortium of all supervillains. And there are also labor negotiations with the Cetacean Association of the Americas, Chapter One.

The book is very well written and hard to put down. The whole thing is absurd but it’s a vastly entertaining read. I highly recommend it.

4.3 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris (2018)

 B.A. Paris is a master of the psychological thriller and Bring Me Back is no exception. I haven’t been so invested in a book in a long time. I read it in one sitting. 

Twelve years earlier, Finn and his girlfriend Layla Gray were on holiday in France when Layla disappeared and was never found. The reader learns in the first chapter that Finn told police the truth about the event but not all of it. The story unfolds from there.

Twelve years later finds Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister Ellen, drawn together but their shared grief.  Finn wants to believe he and Ellen will be happy together even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

As wedding plans are being made, Finn receives a phone call from the detective on Layla’s missing person’s case that a witness claims to have seen Layla near the house in which they had lived.  Items on meaning to both Layla and Ellen begin showing up in odd places.  And Finn starts receiving anonymous emails from someone who appears to know Layla. Could Layla still be alive?  If so, where has she been all this time and what does she want?

Divided into three parts and written in the first person, mostly by Finn – Now and Before, Layla and Finn, and Finn.

If you are interested in reading more of B.A. Paris’ books, ask one of the reference librarians where to find them.

3.51 stars in Goodreads, 3.9 on Amazon

Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen (2023)

 

Seven years before the story begins, the entire world was hit with a fast moving virus (“The Blinding”), resulting in complete blindness for the entire population. Millions of people died that first year due to panic and the resulting drug overdoses, suicides, rioting, and fires. The following year, Eye Tech, now the most powerful corporation in the world, introduced a cranial implant called a vidder which downloads visual information directly into the brain on what the eyes should be seeing. Blind Spots is the story of what happens when someone learns to hack the technology and can change what the wearer sees.

Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn’t believe her―until he experiences the phenomena himself. No one believes him either until they witness the same thing right before they die. Suspects range from the tech billionaire who designed the vidder to anti-modernity cultists. Owens must investigate them all knowing he can’t trust his own eyes. Parallel to the murder plotline is the internal affairs investigation into the suicide of Owens’s wife Jeanie.

The reader can’t help but draw parallels to today’s world- the COVID pandemic, those that get vaccine and those that won’t or can’t afford it, search engine type results, complete with pop-ups, fake news, and corporations that hold the real power. I found Blind Spots a fascinating read.

3.89 stars on Goodreads, 4.1 on Amazon

No Graves As Yet (Reavley #1) by Anne Perry (2003)

 

No Graves As Yet is the first in a five book series set during the years of World War I. This first book begins in the summer of 1914 and takes place in the area surrounding the University of Cambridge, England where life is peaceful until it is not.

The reader is first introduced to Joseph Reavley when his brother, Matthew, comes to Cambridge to inform him that their parents have been killed in a car accident. Joseph is a former chaplain who is now teaching at Cambridge and Matthew is an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, now known as MI6. Their father, Joseph, had been on his way to London to show Matthew a document he claimed proves a conspiracy reaching all levels of British government with the power to disgrace England forever and destroy the civilized world. That is all Matthew knows about the document, except that it is now missing.

Joseph and Matthew soon discover the accident was actually murder and set out to find the truth. It is not long after that that one of Joseph’s most gifted students, Sebastian Allard, is found murdered at Cambridge.  Sebastian seemed to be loved and admired by everyone who knew him. Why would anyone want to hurt him? Joseph is determined to find out.

Elsewhere, the Austrian archduke is murdered by a Serbian anarchist and England’s peaceful existence is threatened.

The book also introduces us to the Peacemaker character and his nefarious cousin who appear to be at the head of the conspiracy.  But just who are these two?  Joseph and Matthew are hot on their heels but you will have to read the other four titles in the series to find out who they really are.

Perry’s writing style in this series is very different from her other novels. It is very dense and every detail is carefully examined so this is not a fast read. But the reader will feel like they are right in the middle of the action.

3.68 stars on Goodreads, 4.2 on Amazon

Glass Houses (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #13) by Louise Penny (2017)

 

The Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series is set in the small village of Three Pines, Quebec near the Vermont border, where Gamache lives with his wife and a variety of quirky and lovable characters, all well developed by Penny throughout the series. For such a quiet, out of the way village, a lot happens here.

In Glass Houses, Gamache has been plucked from retirement to become the Chief Superintendent of the Surete du Quebec with the task of ridding the department of the corruption that has plagued it for years. The book begins with Gamache on the witness stand in a sweltering courtroom in Montreal’s Palais de Justice. The reader is told this is a murder trial but the names of the victim and the defendant aren’t revealed until much later in the story. As Gamache testifies, the mystery unfolds for the reader. This unique story structure will not appeal to everyone but I found it refreshing.

It all begins when a tall, hooded, and masked figure appears in the green of Three Pines’ Village the day after the annual Halloween party. Gamache and the villagers are at first curious and then wary as the costumed figure never moves or speaks, all the time staring ahead at the village bistro. Or is it staring at someone inside? As no laws are being broken, there is nothing Gamache can do by watch, much to the dismay of his fellow villages. Gamache is correct that the figure has deep roots in the past and is there for some dark purpose. That purpose is to collect a debt of conscience. As its purpose becomes know, each of the villagers must examine his or her conscience. Is the masked figure there for them?

When the figure vanishes after four days and the body is discovered in the church basement, Gamache must discover who the figure was trying to shame. At the same time Gamache is overseeing a complex investigation into Canadian drug cartels and struggling with his own conscience about the decisions he has made. Little does he know, his two cases will collide and bring him right back to that quite, little village.

Penny writes each Gamache book to stand on its own and I had no problem following the story without having read any of the other titles in the series.

4.32 stars on Goodreads, 4.7 on Amazon.

Santa's Little Yelpers (Andy Carpenter #26) by David Rosenfelt (2022)

 

This was my first foray into the world of Andy Carpenter and I will definitely be visiting again. Andy is a defense attorney who doesn’t want to practice law and has an aversion to talking on the phone. And he always manages to get roped into both.

Throughout the book I felt Andy was sitting in my living room telling me all about his latest case, complete with wise cracks and asides. Secondary characters receive the same treatment, as well as Andy’s three dogs. I was laughing out loud at the author’s description of Andy’s basset hound, having owned one myself.

Santa's Little Yelpers has very little to do with the puppies on the cover. Rather it deals with their caregiver, Chris Myers, an ex-con who has always maintained he was innocent of the crime for which he was convicted. When the main witness against Chris recants his testimony, Chris asks Andy to help him get the decision overturned.  When that witness is murdered just after recanting his recant, all trails lead once again to Chris.

Andy and his private investigator wife are convinced Chris was framed for both crimes and set out to determine by whom. In addition to his wife, Andy works with a large team with a diverse collection of talents. It was very entertaining to be introduced to all of Andy’s vice presidents in charge of … There always seemed to be one when he needed it. The road to proving Chris innocent had many twists, turns, and dead-ends before reaching its satisfying conclusion.

The library owns 18 other titles in this series, including three other Christmas titles.

4.35 stars on Goodreads, 4.7 on Amazon

Fierce Poison (Barker & Llewelyn # 13) by Will Thomas (2022)

 

Fierce Poison was my introduction to author Will Thomas and his pair of private equity agents (private investigators in Victorian London). Cyrus Barker and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn first appeared in Thomas’ 2004 book Some Danger Involved. Although each book in the series reflects the passage of time, it is not necessary to read them in order. Each contains enough backstory for the reader to keep up. In Fierce Poison, Barker and Llewelyn have been partners for ten years.

The pair couldn’t be more different from each other. Llewelyn has spent time in prison and Barker has spent much of his life in the Far East. The books are narrated by Thomas Llewelyn and he infuses the story with many humorous asides, observations, and descriptions.

In Fierce Poison, Roland Fitzhugh, the newest Member of Parliament, arrives at the equity agent’s door but dies on the floor before he can tell them why he is there. The agents quickly learn he's been poisoned with a cyanide laced raspberry tart and Barker is determined to find the culprit even though there is no paying client. The very next day an entire family in the East End is found dead after consuming a large raspberry tart. As Baker and Llewelyn’s investigation heats up, they find themselves the poisoner’s latest target; even Barker’s dog is at risk.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, reading it in two sessions. It is an easy read, the writing is excellent, the characters well-rounded, and the mystery intriguing. I figured out the motive for the killings near the end of the book but had no idea which of the unusual cast of secondary characters was the guilty party.  Maybe you’ll have better luck.

Book 14, Heart of the Nile is due out in April 2023.

Sunburst (Sky King Ranch #2) by Susan May Warren (2022)

 

Sharpshooter and Navy Seal, Ranger Kingston has always put duty above dreams and he therefore views love as the biggest liability out there. When Ranger gets word that his brother Colt has been taken hostage in Nigeria along with the refugee worker he was there to protect, Ranger rushes to join the rescue team. No one is more surprised than him when it turns out the refugee worker is none other than the woman he loved and left four years before, Noemi Sutton.

When the injured Ranger and Noemi get separated from the rescue team they are on their own to get to safety. Ranger needs medical care but both know the hospital is out of the question as they are still being hunted by the kidnapping terrorists. When they arrive at a small village, the people are reluctant to aid the white soldier. It is only when Noemi introduces herself by her Nigerian name and tells the villagers she and Ranger are married they agree to help.

The lie backfires when Noami’s Nigerian uncle comes to collect them. According to Nigerian custom the prospective groom must first bargain for the bride’s hand and get permission before the marriage takes place. Noami’s extended family insist the couple get married again. Will the relationship last this time around? Are Ranger and Noami finally free of the terrorists who kidnapped her?

A secondary story revolves around the non-speaking Tae who was introduced in the first book in this series and is now staying at the Sky King Ranch where the Kingston clan live. I suspect book number three, Sundown which is due to be released in November, 2022, will be Tae’s story. The three books are tied together by this story arc but can also stand alone.

I have also read Warren’s Global Search and Rescue series and enjoyed those books as well. Several of the characters from that series make an appearance in the book. Warren is a Christian author and her story lines reflect that.

4.57 stars on Amazon, 4.7 on Amazon

This book is not available at EPL. Ask any of the reference librarians to get it for you from an area library.

Box 88 (#1 in Book 88 series) by Charles Cumming, (2020)

 “A pulse-pounding narrative that straddles two eras — 1989 and 2020 — BOX 88 is a “wonderfully taut, exciting and up-to-date spy thriller” that introduces a compelling new character and a captivating international storyline”.  Spectator, Books of the Year

 Box 88 was my introduction to Charles Cumming and I now I understand why his books are so popular. Even though the story jumped between years and locations, I never lost track of who was where and why.

Lachlan Kite is the leader of BOX 88, a joint US/UK anti-terrorism spy agency that only a handful of MI6 and CIA operatives know exists. At the funeral of his childhood best friend, Lachlan is kidnapped and the kidnapping is witnessed by Cara, a young MI5 agent, whose team leader is determined to prove the existence of Box 88. As the MI5 team investigates the kidnapping, Lachlan’s pregnant wife is also abducted and the threat of her dead is used as leverage to obtain information he is sworn to protect.

Lachlan’s kidnapper is after information on his very first mission for Box 88. Lachlan had been recruited straight out of boarding school when it was learned that he had been invited to spend the summer of his gap year on the coast of France with his best friend and his family. This visit provides access to one of Iran’s most dangerous terrorists who will be visiting. Lachlan’s mission is find out what the man is plotting. The mission ends in the betrayal of his best friend.

This is not a James Bond type spy novel as there are no fancy gizmos or glamorous women. What it is a well written story of what spy craft looked like in the late 1980s. Though espionage is the main theme of the story it is also a coming-of-age story as young Lachlan works to discover who he really is while balancing friendship, loyalty, and romance with his mission.

The second book in the series, Judas 62, is due out in September 2022 and will continue looking back at Lachlan’s Box 88 missions. I’m sure a handful of the characters from Box 88 will also make a repeat appearance.

4.08 stars on Goodreads, 4.2 on Amazon

Down Range (Garrett Kohl, #1) by Taylor Moore, 2021

 

Down Range is not only the first in a series; it marks the debut of Taylor Moore as an author. Moore, a former CIA Intelligence Officer, writes about what he knows best, government agents. Garrett Kohl, the hero in this modern day western/thriller, is a deep-cover DEA agent working with the CIA in Afghanistan when the story begins. When on a covert surveillance mission, he can only observe while an entire village is massacred. Although Garrett’s orders are to not to get involved, he rescues the 10-year-old Asadi who somehow manages to escape the bullets. Garret expects to be fired for his actions but instead finds himself charged with protecting the only viable witness to the atrocity.

As a former Green Beret and now an elite DEA agent, Garrett knows he can keep the boy safe. Rather than use a safe house, Garrett takes Asadi back to the family ranch he loves and the family he hasn’t spoken to in years.  Once there Garrett finds that the town is under attack by drug dealers who have infiltrated law enforcement, corrupted local businesses, and are now terrorizing his own brother. When Garret discovers the situation cannot be resolved peacefully, he puts his special skills and his knowledge of the land to good use.  After all, Garrett has spent the better part of his career hunting terrorists.

The book is very well written, and the author’s vibrant and vivid descriptions of the land, horses, homes, businesses, and the characters will take you right into the action. Should appeal to fans of C. J. Box and Jack Carr.

Book two, Firestorm is due out in August when I expect to see Asadi again. His story isn’t finished.

4.21 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

The Final Twist (Colter Shaw #3) by Jeffery Deaver (2021)

 

The Final Twist takes place in San Francisco and begins just hours after the events of The Goodbye Man (Colter Shaw #2). Colt (“Colt”) Shaw, the son of a survivalist family, is an expert tracker and makes his living as a "reward seeker." He is a restless soul who travels the country in his Winnebago helping the police solve cases and private citizens locate missing persons.

Colt discovers a hidden letter left for him by his deceased father, Ash.  In it Ash asks Colt to carry on his mission to bring down the corrupt BlackBridge Corporate by finding the evidence hidden by the murdered would be whistleblower, Amos Gahl. When Colt’s estranged brother Russell turns up and helps Colt out of a difficult situation, they learn a family with the initials SP is going to be terminated in 24 hours. The brothers now have two missions, and one is a race against time.

The book is full of twists and reversals as the answers to the BlackBridge mystery steadily fall into place.

Deaver is meticulous in his references to the history of the San Francisco area.  The book also provides a great deal of background information on the main characters all of which have a direct bearing on the people they have become.

Character from earlier books reappear and there are references to cases worked in the earlier novels. Although not necessary to read the books in order, the background story of Colt’s family builds from book to book. The Final Twist is the first Deaver book I have read.

Deaver is also the author of the Lincoln Rhyme series.  The first book of the series, The Bone Collector, was the basis of the movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie and the short-lived NBC series Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector. The next Lincoln Rhyme’s book, A Perfect Plan, is due out in September.

4.09 stars on Goodreads, 4.5 on Amazon

Open Season (Joe Pickett # 1) by C.J. Box (2001)

 

Joe Pickett is the new game warden in a small Wyoming town. Joe is far from popular as he can’t be bribed and refuses to look the other way. One chilly morning as he is listening to his two daughters talking, he hears the oldest talking about the monster she saw in the backyard. At her insistence Joe decides to investigate. The dead body he finds in the woodpile starts a series of events that will cause Joe to reevaluate his life and the people in it. This death will be followed by others which leaves Joe with more questions than answers. At stake is an endangered species and the future of an oil pipeline being built in the area.

This is my first C.J. Box novel and I liked it. Many of the patrons have been urging me to read the Joe Pickett series and now I am urging you. If you have not picked up one of these books, please do so. There are currently 21 books in the series, many of which are available at EPL, so it will be while before you run out of reading options.

3.94 stars on Goodreads, 4.5 on Amazon

Man of War (Eric Steele #1) by Sean Parnell (2018)

 

In his fiction debut, the author introduces the reader to Eric Steele, a former Special Forces operative, now a member of an elite clandestine operation assigned to a US intelligence unit known simply as the "Program." It’s members, known as Alphas, work solely for the President of the United States, handling situations that cannot be dealt with through normal channels.

When a hostile force attacks a military convoy and steals a nuclear weapon, everyone who should be in the know are blindsided. Steele, who is stationed in the Middle East, is sent to clean up the mess. The hostile leader turns out to be a rogue Alpha and Eric’s former mentor and he leads Steele through the Middle East, Europe, and Africa before things come to a head in Washington, DC.

Parnell’s writing style is both informative and captivating while building the reader’s curiosity and suspense. Chapters shift between character viewpoints—one chapter may be told from Steele’s perspective, while the next is from the Vice President’s or the Director of the CIA or some other character. The suspense builds as the reader tries to find the connecting thread.

The author, Sean Parnell, is a retired Army captain and is well acquainted with the military and how special forces operators walk, talk, and handle themselves on and off the battlefield. He uses military acronyms throughout the book which are always explained but can get confusing if you don’t have a military background or a particular interest in military weapons.

Currently there are three books in the Eric Steels series (all can be found at EPL) and the fourth one is to be published in September. A personal storyline carries through the series, but it is not necessary to read them in order as each book is a complete mission.

3.96 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

Dirt (Stone Barrington series #2) by Stuart Woods (1999)

 

Stone Barrington is a former cop, forced into retirement by a department in which he never fit. Stone holds a law degree and after passing the Bar he is hired by a prestigious New York law firm to handle special cases.  He also maintains his own office where his services are more of an investigative than legal nature. And Stone sleeps with every woman he meets, all of whom are beautiful. As I was reading, I couldn’t help but wonder if Stone and James Bond had ever compared notes.

In the fast-paced Dirt, Stone takes on a blackmail scheme involving Amanda Dart, a nationally syndicated gossip columnist known as "the High Bitch Queen". Amanda receives a fax entitled Dirt containing details of her very private life and learns it has been sent to everybody who is anybody. The fax scheme soon expands to include Amanda's publisher, who also hires Stone, and the gay but closeted editor of a sleazy L.A. tabloid.

Stone is tasked with finding out who is behind the faxes and enlists the help of a former cop who ends up murdered. Stone finds answers hard to come by and his clients begin to take matters into their own hands without Stone’s knowledge. Tension builds as Stone discovers the seemingly random murder of his friend is related to the case.  There is a large cast of potential suspects introduced throughout the book.

Dirt is fast moving story with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the surprising reveal.

If you like Dirt and want to read more about Stone Barrington’s cases, there are currently 59 other titles in this series. By the looks of it, Stuart Woods isn’t done yet. Each can be read as a standalone title.

3.89 stars on Goodreads, 4.4 on Amazon

Burning Bright (Peter Ash #2) by Nicholas Petrie (2017)

 

Peter Ash spent eight years in Afghanistan and Iraq as a Marine lieutenant. He has returned to civilian life with severe claustrophobia which Peter calls “white static”. As a result, he has spent the last two years backpacking through the west, camping, and living out of his truck. Throughout the series, Peter uses his skills to help others and Burning Bright is no different.

When escaping a large grizzly bear by climbing a tall tree, Peter discovers a series of climbing ropes moving from tree to tree. As the bear has no intention of leaving, Peter follows the ropes to a hanging platform. There he meets June Cassidy,  an investigative journalist who has just escaped a kidnapping attempt. June’s mother, a prominent software designer for the Department of Defense has recently been killed in a hit and run accident. Given the mysterious events that followed her death, June comes to believe her mother was murdered for one of her many projects. Could the kidnapping attempt have something to do with that project? But which one?

There are several references to the plot in the first book, The Drifter, but it is not necessary to have read it to enjoy this well-developed story and cast of characters.

Reviewers have compared Peter Ash to Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne.

Profanity throughout.

The sixth book is the series, The Breaker, was recently published.

4.10 stars on Goodreads, 4.5 on Amazon