#awardwinningauthor – Rosepoint Publishing

Midnight Patriots by Paul Levine – #BookReview #historicalthrillers #NetGalley

An Einstein-Chaplin Thriller

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

While war raged in Europe, the battle for America’s soul was already underway.

Blending fact and fiction, MIDNIGHT PATRIOTS follows real-life friends Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin as they confront powerful enemies threatening America.

It’s 1940. Europe is in flames. Germany occupies much of the continent, and the Blitz rains terror on London. Fritz Duquesne, a German spy straight from the history books, plots to kidnap Einstein and steal America’s nuclear secrets. Enraged by Chaplin’s mockery in The Great Dictator, Adolf Hitler dispatches an SS assassin to silence the man who ridiculed him. The story features Charles Lindbergh, Lena Horne, and J. Robert Oppenheimer—along with a beautiful German spy on a mission of her own. As Nazi agents and FBI operatives close in, all roads lead Einstein and Chaplin to a deadly showdown aboard the Santa Fe Super Chief as it races from Chicago to Los Angeles.

His Review:

Pre WW II the United States was in a turmoil. Lend Lease was providing England with tons of equipment and munitions to thwart the threat that Adolph Hitler posed. His desire to control the entire planet and develop a “thousand year reich” crippled the entire planet. People were being conscripted and killed by the millions while the philosophy in America was “let Europe fight its’ own battles.

Einstein had become a citizen 6 years earlier and loved his new country. Chaplin stirred the pot with a parody of Hitler as the little dictator. Hitler was sending hit squads to kill Chaplin and kidnap Einstein to bring him back to Germany and force him to work on their nuclear bomb. Meanwhile, some of their best agents are dying unexpectedly as they try to achieve Hitler’s goals of snuffing out and kidnapping these two miscreants.

Dr. Oppenheimer is working with the United States to help us win the nuclear arms race. Einstein resists any involvement in this madness and is a real skirt chaser. Between he and Chaplin they chase skirts all over the country. Their exploits are legendary! This book is fun to read and casts a whole new light on the nuclear arms race and the participants.

Edgar Hoover is portrayed as a megalomaniac who is very distrustful of President Roosevelt and sends death squads to eliminate Chaplin and grab Einstein. The F.B.I. meanwhile is tasked with protecting Einstein while trying to kill Chaplin.

C E Williams I found the characters unbelievable in the way they might actually have been as opposed to the way we’ve always thought of them. Surprise, surprise! Fun characters in a way you’ve never envisioned them with a satisfying conclusion. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ebook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Political Thrillers & Suspense, Historical Thrillers, Political Thrillers
Publisher: Herald Square
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Paul Levine is the Amazon Number One bestselling author of the “Jake Lassiter” and “Solomon vs. Lord” legal thriller series, and new in 2025, the “Einstein-Chaplin Thrillers.” His novels have sold millions of copies, won the John D. MacDonald Fiction Award, and been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller Writers, Shamus, and Thurber prizes.

MIDNIGHT BURNING

[Best Thrillers Book Review Names MIDNIGHT BURNING “Best Historical Thriller of 2025″]

The Genius and the Tramp fight fascists in 1930s Hollywood. Clouds of war gather over Europe, and American fascists are on the march. While the FBI obsesses over suspected communists, Nazi agents plot an insurrection on U.S. soil. When the world’s two most famous men—Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin—uncover the plot, they fight back with only their wits, raw courage, and the fierce resolve of Georgia Ann Robinson, the LAPD’s first Black female officer.

The book draws from real history: Einstein and Chaplin were close friends; Robinson was a trailblazer with the LAPD; and “Operation Hollywood”—a Nazi plan to assassinate Chaplin and others—was chillingly real. Historical figures like Charles Lindbergh, Joseph and Magda Goebbels, William Randolph Hearst, and Woody Guthrie appear in the novel.

MIDNIGHT PATRIOTS is the second novel in the Einstein-Chaplin Series. The first entry, MIDNIGHT BURNING, was named “Historical Thriller of the Year” by Best Thrillers Book Review and one of the “Favorite Books of 2025” by Bookreporter. The books stand alone and may be read in any order.

Levine also wrote 20 episodes of CBS’s JAG and co-created the Supreme Court drama FIRST MONDAY, starring James Garner and Joe Mantegna. A former trial lawyer, he’s a graduate of Penn State and the University of Miami School of Law. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

#SundayRead

Fool by Mary Lawrence #BookReview # RenaissanceHistoricalFiction

A Tudor Jester’s Reckoning in the Court of King Henry VIII

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Betrayal. Power. Perception. The most dangerous mind at court belongs to a fool.

From the author of The Alchemist’s Daughter comes a dark tale of ambition and survival.

“One of the most vibrant characters I’ve encountered in years.”–Goodreads Ecostell

Kronos is a fool–mocked for his dwarfism, prized for his juggling, and underestimated by everyone who matters. But in a court ruled by paranoia and whispers, invisibility is its own kind of power.

When Kronos overhears a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard, he becomes a liability the crown cannot afford. Silenced, mutilated, and left for dead, he survives–barely.

Rescued by an ambitious apothecary, Kronos soon realizes he has not escaped danger–he has merely changed masters. His secret is worth a fortune…and powerful men are willing to kill to control it.

But Kronos has spent his life being overlooked and he’s ready to use that to his advantage.

As rival factions circle and scheme, Kronos sets a plan in motion–one that could topple the mighty, rewrite his fate, and force his foes to reconsider which of them is truly…the fool.

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and Philippa Gregory

My Review:

Why am I not surprised that a Renaissance court jester would hold my rapt attention given the master storytelling author of such period works.

It’s the chaos of the brutally waning days of King Henry VIII, watching his battle against decline in aging years and few stalwart sons to brag about as well as his machismo. His court confronts conflict between the high-born aristocratic families of the Howards and the Seymours, the women are aging beyond childbearing years, Anne was separated from her head, and Katherine looks to be the next candidate who’ll restore his manhood, quell the whispers, and the snide remarks behind his back.

It’s a book steeped in era atmospherics—the color of the common cloak better to mask the cling of mud, the smell of the sewer ditches enough to unsettle the stomach. There is meticulous historical research and accuracy, intricately interwoven with the story of the Jester. But is he a Fool?

“Leave not to the imagination what you can make real.”

Kronos was left on a dung heap as an infant—the result, no doubt, of his obvious physical deformity. Rescued by the monks at the Thetford Priory, he was raised in a cloistered environment, taught to read and write, but then relegated to assignments in the kitchen and later the infirmary, when he failed to become a novice. Along with a robust native intelligence, wit, and cunning, he also discovered he had a bawdy side. When the monks discovered that of him as well, he was booted.

No problem! Preparing for his eventual release from the priory, he taught himself to juggle. How could he fail as the fool, the court jester, if he also had a talent? Didn’t he already have their attention just by his appearance? Unfortunately, he had another craft. Realizing early on he could be invisible, had developed a penchant for spying, eavesdropping, seeing what others did not. And he was—again—caught.

Kronos woke under the care of William and Joan Brugge, who own an apothecary and provide medicinals. They secret him away and she cares for him at the rising consternation of her husband.

While I might not be fully invested in Kronos as a main character, who could alternate between being malevolently and surprisingly benign philosophically about his dwarfism to grinning lasciviously about women, there were a number of support characters who were well developed and engaging. Joan is an amazing example of those who benevolently heal and would do no harm, while her husband provided the treacherous and traitorous antagonist.

I was reminded again that the author writes so well in the Tudor language that you are instantly transported back to the Renaissance. Loved the patois and my instant cell phone access to the words’ meaning. I always enjoy learning about natural medicinals and in this specific case, even deeper into the herbs divided by their ruling planet. I’m aware there are specific times for planting and harvesting, but was unaware it went even deeper than that.

I would happily recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, specifically medieval, and survival of an epoch of deceit, abuse, violence, and debauched circumstances. It was also a period of huge upheaval in the division of church and state.

Not my first experience with this author, I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Boys of London, and I’ll always welcome a new ARC. I received this advance review copy from the author with no expectation of a review. The thoughts expressed freely here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Renaissance Historical Fiction, Medieval Historical Fiction
Publisher: Red Puddle Print
Publication Date: April 14, 2026 – HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Mary Lawrence is the author of the Bianca Goddard Mysteries. Set in Tudor London in the final years of Henry VIII’s reign, Book I, THE ALCHEMIST’S DAUGHTER is a #1 best-selling historical mystery on Amazon, and was named by Suspense Magazine a “best historical mystery” in 2015. Book 2, DEATH of an ALCHEMIST released in 2016 and Book 3, DEATH AT ST. VEDAST released in January, 2017. THE ALCHEMIST OF LOST SOULS (May 2019), won a second “Best Of 2019” by Suspense Magazine. THE LOST BOYS OF LONDON released May 2020.

Mary grew up in Indiana and lives in Maine. After a career in cytotechnology, she turned to farming. She is an avid reader of historical fiction and nonfiction and concentrates on Tudor/Elizabethan history. Her articles have appeared in several publications most notably, The Daily Beast.

Visit her at www.marylawrencebooks.com

Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence… twitter at mel59lawrence.

The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula McLain #AudiobookReview #bookclub #TBT

Book Club at the YMCA

Best Books of the Year 2011

Nominee for Favorite Book of 2011, Winner for Readers’ Favorite Historical Fiction (2011), Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Goodreads Author (2011)

Sorry, but this one was regarding Ernest Hemingway—not my fav. We have to remember it’s a novel and certainly not penned by Wife Number One, Hadley Richardson. At twenty-eight years old in Chicago 1920, she definitely would have been termed a “spinster.” I don’t think it was the Jazz Age Paris that set Hemingway into a hard-drinking social life with some cronies who were already achieving name recognition, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. I think the man, well ahead of the myth, was already a hard-drinking narcissist who pulled Hadley along for the ride. And when it ended. It ended.

But what a ride it was!

This is the book club selection for March, discussed rather low key at our April meeting.

My Thoughts

Hadley experienced a tragic childhood, from the suicide of her father to the death of a sister in a fire. Neither his family nor hers had been thrilled with the two together. Hadley was considered the old maid at 28 and Hemingway back from the war at just nineteen.

After she met Hemingway and together enjoyed a whirlwind romance, they were married in 1921. Shortly after, they moved to Paris where he struck up with contacts during his fledgling foreign correspondent days and Gertrude Stein in turn introduced him to additional authors who fed his need for the spotlight and his ego.

Living a fast-paced Bohemian life took a toll on the marriage; the drinking, the free-wheeling moral code, his lust writing the Great American Novel…and women. Her discovery of his affair with her friend, however, became the final straw.

Many thanks to our local well-stocked library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own as well as my interpretation of the consensus of the book club participants.

Book Club Thoughts

The publisher provides pointed questions for discussion at the book club.

The Paris Wife - UK cover — The Paris Wife – UK cover

Among the items specifically examined this time were:

►We were reminded a couple times that this book is fiction, a novel, not a biography. We can draw some conclusions but would have to independently research key details of interest.

►A big question regarding what her perceived role was, with the majority feeling it was to feed his ego, and unfortunately, following his success, no longer needed that extra support.

►We wondered what Hadley might have seen in him and the consensus generally felt that he took her out of her expected lonely, spinster life to one of discovering the big world out there.

►A big point of discussion was the loss of his entire work to date when she traveled to meet him. Did he ever really forgive her for losing all his manuscripts? Perhaps we’ll never know.

There were additional questions and discussions, of course, one being the lifestyle and the hard drinking of Paris life, and the contradiction of Hadley’s acquiescence to attending the running of the bulls (and death of the animals) by occupying herself with crocheting baby clothes.

Book Club rating vote

Book Details:

Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrator: Carrington MacDuffie
Publication Date: February 22, 2011

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Paula McLain is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, Love and Ruin, and When the Stars Go Dark. Her latest novel, Skylark, a GMA January 2026 pick, is a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below, revealing a story of courage and resistance that transcends time. McLain was born in Fresno, California in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of various foster homes for the next fourteen years. When she aged out of the system, she supported herself by working as a nurse’s aid in a convalescent hospital, a pizza delivery girl, an auto-plant worker, a cocktail waitress–before discovering she could (and very much wanted to) write. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996, and is the author of two collections of poetry, a memoir, Like Family: Growing Up in Other People’s Houses, and the debut novel, A Ticket to Ride. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, O: the Oprah Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, Huffington Post, the Guardian and elsewhere.

The YMCA Book Club

Thirst Trap: A Novel by Gráinne O’Hare #audiobookReview #ReadingIrelandMonth26

Reading Ireland Month 2026

Reading Ireland Month (The #Begorrathon) returned for the twelveth year in March and will be my eighth. It is hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. Please check out her page and you’ll find all kinds of suggestions for reading, listening, or music on her spotify list. (Of course, I always recommend my favorite Irish podcast, Marc Gunn’s Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.)

Use the hashtags #readingirelandmonth26 or #begorrathon26 if you plan to participate.

I’ve dug right in and started reading, listening, and viewing all things Irish with some success. I usually try for an ebook or two, an audiobook or two, and maybe a movie or series I can glean from our lone streaming service, Netflix. I previously posted a graphic of my initial list, but I’ve since refined it to note updates.

Today I’ll review Thirst Trap by Gráinne O’Hare

Book Blurb:

Sometimes friends hold you together.
Sometimes they’re why you’re falling apart.

Harley, Róise, and Maggie have been friends for ages. After meeting in primary school years ago, the women are still together, spending their nights on the sticky dancefloors of Belfast’s grungiest pubs. Each woman is navigating her own tangle of entry-level jobs, messy romantic entanglements, and late nights, but they always find their way back to each other, and to the ramshackle house they share. And amidst the familiar chaos, the three are still grieving their fourth housemate, whose room remains untouched, their last big fight hanging heavily over their heads.

The girls’ house has witnessed the highs and lows of their roaring twenties—raucous parties, surprising (and sometimes regrettable) hook-ups, and hellish hangovers. But as they approach thirty, their home begins to crumble around them and the fault lines in their group become harder to ignore. In the wreckage, they must decide if their friendship will survive into a new decade—or if growing up sometimes means letting go.

Brimming with heart and humor, Thirst Trap is an exuberant ode to friendship, to not having it all figured out, and to ordering just one more round before heading home.

My Review:

Okay. Well, that cover, if nothing else, might have been the hint that this book would not be for me and I ignored it.

Maggie, Harley, and Róise are pushing thirty, still share a house and a pet turtle. They had a fourth in their little clique, Lydia, who died in a car crash leaving lingering guilt and grief that now sits somewhere in the gut along with increasing alcohol intake and unsuccessful therapy session angst.

Each are educated and battling a number of little narcissistic quirks; Maggie with panic attacks, Harley the profound pessimist, and Róise, who loves her boss who in turn is clueless.

Thirst Trap by Grainne O'Hare — Thirst Trap cover – UK

It’s a dispassionate insight study of women at odds with facing a mature age and the folly of maintaining an immature stance on life. Too much booze, too many hangovers, unfulfilled love lives, lack of direction, and too few goals or the attainment of any.

Close friends whose friendship should have matured along with their age, but didn’t. They use Belfast’s nightlife as the glue that keeps them together until the reality of the loss of Lyndia’s death anniversary slaps them upside the head.

They have one life, not promised tomorrow, and what are they doing with it?

It’s a lot of tell, not show, but I gotta give it to the narrator, Susan Crothers, who kept the dialogue dynamic with realistic and appropriate voice inflection and kept me listening. Sarcasm, yes, but sarcasm has often been offered as a joke, but in veiled and targeted verbal irony. In this case, not humor, pushing barbed satire. And I didn’t find it that funny.

I realize my problem is probably a generational as well as cultural one with this novel. So, take my comments with a grain of salt and if young, swinging adult fiction is your vibe, go for it.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: LGBTQ+, Coming of Age Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrator: Susan Crothers
Release Date: November 4, 2025

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Gráinne O’Hare is a writer from Belfast based in Newcastle upon Tyne. She received a Northern Debut Award for Fiction from New Writing North, and was awarded funding by the Arts Council for the development and completion of her first novel. Her short fiction has been published in the London Magazine, Extra Teeth, and Gutter. She has a PhD on eighteenth-century women’s life-writing from Newcastle University. [Photo courtesy Goodreads]

Reading Ireland Month

Rosepoint Reviews – February Recap – Starting in March, Longer Days, Irish Tales

Around here, March can’t decide whether lion or lamb, so one day will be sunny, warm and 62 degrees and the next cloudy, cold, windy and a high of 31 degrees Fahrenheit. The first week of March is forecasted for just that—snow by Monday, t-shirts by Friday. Nice we can enjoy so many activities indoors now with our participation in the YMCA. They’ve got an amazing facility as long as the weather allows us to get there. Pickleball? No…we used to play racquetball. (I loved racquetball but it got a bit rough.)

The Y started a six-week course in food preparation for seniors who face health issues and I started that, thinking I could always learn something new, especially in regard to the CEs cardiac issues. About the same time, the CE started working with our son again this year for the AARP tax program normally held on Saturdays at the library during tax season. This year on taxes on Friday has forced us to change our exercise schedule.

You might remember that in the January Recap, I mentioned the quest to find and understand the welcome uptick in visits and views. I spent quite a bit of time working on SEO, creating the SiteMap for the website, and following all the Google guides and site verification services I could find or implement. Apparently, there had been a problem in there that when finally cleaned up and properly executed resulted in an amazing, albeit temporary surge in traffic.

My freebie doesn’t allow for Google Analytics or the SEO tools granted an upgrade or Business Plan. Still, March bears a best yet stat of 39K for the month, one day with over 11K, and an average now of 1.4K views per day. I’m pretty happy with that and working hard to keep or even improve on that, just sorry it took so many years to finally get it. Us older folks have to learn everything the hard way!

I have no idea how those figures compare with your own blogs and I am hoping it might constitute an average. Please let me know, or perhaps there is still something I should be doing?

Rosepoint Recap

The CE and I read or listened to a total of twelve books in February. As always, the major source of our books is the library (audiobooks as well as ebooks). We also find books in NetGalley and enjoy author and publisher requests. The links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.

Rosepoint Reviews - February Recap

June Baby by Shannon Garvey
Want to Know a Secret? By Freida McFadden (audiobook)
The Mediator by Robert Bailey (CE review)
Wanna Get Lucky? By Deborah Coonts
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (audiobook)
Hard Time by Logan Ryles (CE review)
Reverse by Steven F Havill (CE review)
Flight Path by Suzanne C Carver
Nightshade by Michael Connelly (audiobook)
Three Audiobooks Mini-Reviews:
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
The Wife and the Widow by Christian White
If You Ask Me by Betty White

Favorite Book of the Month

Another book I’d have never chosen but was the Y Book Club of the Month, The Boys in the Boat. Yes, I enjoyed Nightshade but for sheer heart-stopping tension, I have to give it to The Boys.

Favorite for February – The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

My Reading Challenges page…I’m still having problems with the Goodreads Challenge tally, one total noted on my Goodreads landing page and another in the widget. Therefore, it’s either 25 completed so far in a challenge of 175 or 19 according to the widget. Getting it fixed obviously won’t happen. Challenge page is all caught up.

What's Next?

Last month I was looking for romantic book suggestions and this month it’s St. Patty’s Day suggestions. In March, I’m reading Irish — moody atmospheric landscapes, wit and wisdom delivered with a dark sense of humor, layered families, and stories that resonate. I’ll be scouring 746 Books for ideas but will gladly entertain your selections as well. Would love to see your recommendations—drop me a quick comment, please!

To all my dear readers and fellow bloggers, my blogging buddies, I do so appreciate your visits and comments and appreciate each and every one of you.

March is #ReadingIrelandMonth

Nightshade by Michael Connelly #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #policeprocedurals

Catalina #1

Editors’ pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Introducing Detective Stilwell: a cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina Island.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been “exiled” to a low-key post policing rustic Catalina Island, after department politics drove him off a homicide desk on the mainland. But while following up the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts that come with his new territory, Detective Stilwell gets a report of a body found weighed down at the bottom of the harbor—a Jane Doe identifiable at first only by a streak of purple dye in her hair. At the same time, a report of poaching on a protected reserve turns into a case fraught with violence and danger as Stilwell digs into the shady past of an island bigwig.

Crossing all lines of protocol and jurisdiction, Stilwell doggedly works both cases. Though hampered by an old beef with an ex-colleague determined to thwart him at every turn, he is convinced he is the only one who can bring justice to the woman known as “Nightshade.” Soon, his investigation uncovers closely guarded secrets and a dark heart to the serene island that was meant to be his escape from the evils of the big city.

My Review:

Of course, my favorite books by this author are the Ballard, Bosch, or Haller stories, but, hey, it’s Michael Connelly and he’s a go-to author for me no matter the book, in this case, number one of a new series.

This one centers around Santa Catalina Island, one of California’s Channel Islands twenty-six miles off the Los Angeles coastline. I’m most familiar with Avalon, located on the south end. It’s the storied stuff of an old song. (Yeah, a long time ago, oh the nostalgia.)

Anyway, one of those quiet little island paradises that holds tourist interest but probably not the ideal location where LA Detective Stilwell would have wanted. It’s a low-key assignment, drunk and disorderlies, not exactly the exciting homicide department he’s used to, so it’s extremely unusual when a body is found at the bottom of the harbor. About the same time, a poaching on the island reserve is a no-no, which investigation takes him into the dark territory of an old island despot.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly — Nightshade cover – US

He tackles both, sometimes creating conflict with an ex-colleague left on unfriendly terms. In the meantime, the reader enjoys an armchair visit with the island and the people, the little town of Avalon, a unique location.

Underneath that bucolic sea air and picturesque setting lies a cloudy layer of subterfuge. Secrets never meant to surface. It doesn’t take long before the twists and turns have you flipping pages.

Stilwell is richly drawn, the storyline gritty, and the setting atmospheric. Connelly fans get a hook at the beginning as it sets up and establishes the setting and the characters (quite a few of them). There is a budding romance (seems like there always is) and as usual the MC’s fierce dedication to his job may cause a bit of friction. We’ll see.

I waited quite a while for this audiobook to come up on the wait list. It was worth it. Narration was smooth and nuanced. The CE read and reviewed the book when it first came out, offered by NetGalley. He quite enjoyed and gave it five stars last year.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Narrator: Will Damron

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.

Audiobooks with headphones — Graphic books and coffee courtesy Freepik.com

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown #AudiobookReview #bookclub #TBT

Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

in Olympic Games

Nominee for Readers’ Favorite History & Biography (2013)

Book Club at the Y - February selection

Count this one as another I’d have never chosen on my own, but another that I’m glad to be part of a book club that introduces the reader to epic groundbreaking award winning titles. Who knew you could get excited about a bunch of college guys rowing for the old alma mater? What if you could throw in historical depths of the Depression, the dust bowl, and Europe possibly facing another war?

And how timely is that—while we are busy watching the Winter Olympics!

My Thoughts:

I don’t usually read many non-fiction books, unless memoirs, or historical catastrophes, and must admit to favoring the Winter Olympics over the Summer Olympics. This narrative caught my attention early on though with the focus on Joe Rantz, a boy literally left on his own when his destitute blended family viewed him as an extra mouth to feed they could ill afford. It is basically Joe’s POV that we hear throughout the book.

I love it when I go into the story of a sport I’ve never really noticed nor cared about and end by not only enjoying the narrative but researching it later. Joe Rantz did indeed have a horrendous childhood, scraped and scrabbled along until he found himself on the University of Washington rowing team. (A roof over his head and food in his belly.)

Joe was strong and healthy. It is during his years at UW that he meets Joyce who becomes his primary cheerleader and while pursuing her own goals, gently leaves him to his.

Not all of the young men on the team were composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, or farmers, however. The University of Washington’s crew was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast but it wasn’t long before the coach became aware he had a special group of young men. His goal was to defeat the East Coast teams and possibly head to the Summer Olympics in Berlin, 1936.

Of course, if at all possible, I listen to the audiobook and I must say narrator Edward Herrmann did a fine job of relaying the emotions, the turmoil, and the drama of the story.

Book Club Thoughts

The publisher provides pointed questions for discussion at the book club. Among issues specifically examined were:

►How did Joe Rantz’ early childhood experiences shape his trust or mistrust of others? Did that experience influence his reluctance to bond?

He learned not to trust. Anyone. Including early on, his teammates.

►How did the coach handle the press and why?

It was thought there were several reasons, for one, he didn’t want the other schools to know the growing prowess of his team. He didn’t want the boys growing an ego over their wins and kept the boys guessing who was the weak link (each thinking it was themselves).

►How does the story of the ’36 Olympics compare to today’s?

The time frame of the story encapsulated several horrendous global calamities, not the least of which was the growing power of Hitler (and the possibility of war) while back home the Depression—the failure of banks, loss of jobs, disastrous weather, and few governmental services or support.

Several of the women noted they were bored with lengthy descriptions of the boats, components, and vocabulary for the sport, while acknowledging there will always be global conflicts, politically as well as atmospheric.

It can be noted that George Clooney directed a movie that was released in 2023 by the same name that reportedly omitted much of the personal stories of the individual teammates and focused instead on the university experience and the Olympics. I haven’t had a chance to view that film yet, but plan to if and when it comes to Netflix.

How did the Book Club vote?

Book Club Rating

Book Details:

Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrator: Edward Herrmann
Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Daniel James Brown grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended Diablo Valley College, the University of California at Berkeley, and UCLA. He taught writing at San Jose State University and Stanford before becoming a technical writer and editor. He now writes narrative nonfiction books full time. His primary interest as a writer is in bringing compelling historical events to life vividly and accurately.

He and his wife live in the country outside of Seattle, Washington, with an assortment of cats, dogs, chickens, and honeybees. When he isn’t writing, he is likely to be birding, gardening, fly fishing, reading American history, or chasing bears away from the beehives.

Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts #BookReview #GeneralHumorousFiction #TuesdayBookBlog

The Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure Series

Book Blurb:

Everyone Has a Hidden Talent

For Lucky O’Toole it’s murder…solving it.

Surviving in Sin City takes cunning, a pair of five-inch heels, and a wiseass attitude. Lucky has mastered them all and has a pair of legs she uses to kick butt and turn heads.

As the Chief Problem Solver for the Babylon, Las Vegas’s most over-the-top destination, mischief is in her job description.

She’s good at her job.

She’s less good at life. But who has time for a life when there’s a killer on the loose?

WANNA GET LUCKY?

A woman falls from a tour helicopter to the horror of the 8:30 Pirate show crowd.

Was it suicide? An accident? Could she have been pushed?

Lucky’s day began with the invasion of the Adult Video Awards and Trade show convention.

It got more hectic when the spouse-swapping annual event checked in.

And if adding a body to the mix wasn’t enough, Lucky’s got a new suitor. Her best friend, Teddie, a female impersonator who is pressing to take their relationship to the next level.

Can she really date a man who looks better in a dress?

What happened to the woman over the pirate show?

Will her sleuthing skills catch the killer and save her job?

A light, funny, romantic mystery providing a Vegas escape appropriate for anyone looking for a good laugh. Pick up a copy now and start your adventure.

My Review:

Oh good grief! In my bid to find a romance book that wasn’t too gooey, graphic, or musical level corny, I downloaded this one. Gees, can I pick’em or what?! No suggestions, on my own, so this is what happens.

You know that old saw about “what happens in Vegas…” In case you haven’t been, you might be aware that this is actually pretty close, especially if you still wear an apron while cooking (with nothing underneath the apron). Vegas is crazy and I’ll grant you, could spin a whole boatload of off-the-wall stories. This could be one of them.

So, yes, it might start off with an interesting hook and look for all the world like a standard crime thriller. But don’t be fooled.

Lucky is a unique MC. She is the head of customer relations at the Babylon megacasino. She’s young but street smart and can handle herself very well. Mentored under the tutelage of The Big Boss, she’s made a few mistakes, but knows everyone, who they are, what they do, and what is going on in the city.

“Vegas rule number one—you can’t make any money if you can’t keep it in the house.”

Busy dealing with the upcoming adult film industry’s annual awards, spouse-swapping convention, and ElectroniCon, she’s distracted by the death of a young woman who took a header into the Pirate Lagoon of Treasure Island. Circumstances link to the Babylon and maybe not a suicide—something she’ll look into.

So why would you like this one? Is it really a romance? Well, sorta. As the blurb says, she’s got feelings for the female impersonator that tends to short-circuit her brain and spark like a dying bulb. He is quite engaging as a support character.

The overall feel of the book is one of snarky attitude (think the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano). It’s rife with innuendo, this side of explicit, bordering on raunchy, particularly nearing the end of the narrative. I’m one who was surprised at the graphic nature of the last Robyn Carr novel I ventured into, so will say this one doesn’t get that visual. It’s chock full of familiar analogies though.

“She feasted on men like a lioness on baby gazelles—hungry, but indifferent.”

The descriptions of Las Vegas depict “the Strip” pretty well. It’s bright, flashy, loud 24 hours/day and easy to lose your shirt and the horse you rode in on pretty quick. Not my thing, but readers who enjoy non-stop action, mystery, and romance may very well find this a fun Valentine’s read.

This is Book 1 of what looks like an eleven-book series. I could see where it might be heading, as Lucky set herself up for a hit (no doubt) in Book 2.

Many thanks to my favorite library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: General Humorous Fiction, Mystery Romance, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Chestnut Street Press
Publication Date: June 14, 2015

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Deborah Coonts swears she was switched at birth. Coming from a family of homebodies, Deborah is the odd woman out, happiest with a passport, a high-limit credit card, her computer, and changing scenery outside her window. Goaded by an insatiable curiosity, she flies airplanes, rides motorcycles, travels the world, and pretends to be more of a badass than she probably is. Deborah is the author of the Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series, a romantic mystery romp through Sin City. Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in the series, was a New York Times Notable Crime Novel and a double RITA™ Award Finalist. She has also penned the Kate Sawyer Medical Thriller series, the Brinda Rose Humorous Mystery series, as well as a couple of standalones. Although often on an adventure, you can always track her down at www.deborahcoonts.com or https://www.goodreads.com/deborahcoonts

AN INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH COONTS

Why did you decide to write humor?

I’m not sure I decided to add snark to the Lucky books, specifically to Lucky’s own voice, it just happened that way. When I was a kid, my mouth always got me into trouble. Finally, I’ve found a way to harness the sarcasm for the Forces of Good—or at least in a way not to anger my grandmother. And when Lucky started talking to me, she had a strong dose of sass in her.

The Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series is hard to categorize. Is that by design?

When I set out to write Wanna Get Lucky?, I knew I wanted to write a romp through Las Vegas. I had the characters and the setting but no real understanding of narrative drive. So, I threw a young woman out of a tour helicopter into the middle of the Pirate Show and let the story unfold. A bit of murder to keep the plot moving, some wisecracking and Vegas mischief to make you laugh, and some romance to keep it interesting. A bit of a mash up, but it works.