Barnes & Noble – Rosepoint Publishing

Countdown by Sara Driscoll #BookReview #policeprocedurals #NetGalley

NYPD Negotiators Book 5

Book Blurb:

Following their terrifying ordeal as hostages of domestic terrorists, NYPD Detective Gemma Capello is back in the negotiator chair, while Detective Sean Logan, healed from injuries sustained saving Gemma’s life, has resumed leading an A-Team tactical unit—just in time for their next challenge . . . perfect for fans of James Patterson and David Baldacci.

It’s New Year’s Eve, Manhattan is alight with celebration, and Gemma and Logan are hoping for a relatively normal night amid the revelry. But that hope is shattered by a 911 text from a luxury yacht somewhere in busy New York Harbor. Below deck, a college student working aboard is hiding from a hostage taker. The student reports that the crew was ordered to join the guests. Gunshots followed.

The yacht party, hosted by billionaire venture capitalist Lucas Horner, includes local government officials and some of the city’s wealthiest, most influential people. Gemma and her team hypothesize that Horner, an infamously arrogant hustler, has burned someone financially—someone who now wants revenge.

Once the Aviation Unit identifies the yacht and its location, Logan and his team are transported through the brutal winter waters toward Liberty Island. Gemma finally connects with the hostage taker and learns of a cryptocurrency ransom demand—and a chilling execution plan if it’s not fulfilled by midnight. But Horner is refusing to pay. And Gemma senses things aren’t adding up—because beneath the unnerving scenario lies an even more twisted plan, layers of deceit—and a captor with nothing to lose.

My Review:

It’s New Year’s Eve but a call to Gemma Capello, hostage negotiator, has been called out on an unusual location and a unique situation. Detective Sean Logan of the NYPD Emergency Services Tactical Team will join her as the two units work together to save the persons taken hostage aboard a luxury yacht owned by a coldhearted billionaire.

Gemma has been proven successful in getting into the head of the hostage taker before. The hostages include the employees working the party as well as the guests of the host and the host himself. The location of the captives presents a singularly rare problem in that, besides the number of perps involved is unknown, the approach by water and boarding will take a multi-sided strategy.

The owner refuses to pay the cryptocurrency ransom, which has been given a time frame of midnight. It is the terror-stricken call from a college student subbing for a crew member who secreted himself below decks that forced the initial immediate action and call to multiple available teams.

As the author creates an atmosphere of the harbor water with frigid winter night winds and the tension inside the cabin, Gemma begins to feel a deep sense of loss in the hostage taker as he fails to communicate.

The pacing escalates through negotiation, well-plotted through multi-layers of emotions and objectives. The characters radiate the apprehension, the uncertainty, the concern, and the sweat under pressure.

The last book I read in this series was Book 3, Lockdown. I’m not sure this one could be read as a standalone, as I missed Book 4 and there was obviously something major that occurred with Sean and Gemma that only now finds them getting back into full service.

The narrative appears to be growing in the complexity of scenarios and the characters are more fully developed, especially the relationship between the two. The inner workings of police tactics are descriptive and informative, interesting, the capability of technology amazing. If you enjoy intelligent storylines with engaging characters, this one will fill that bill.

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

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Women Sleuths, Cozy Mysteries
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: April 28, 2026

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Sara Driscoll is the pen name of Jen J. Danna, coauthor of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries and author of the FBI K-9s and the NYPD Negotiators. After over thirty years in infectious diseases research, Jen hung up her lab coat to concentrate on her real love—writing “exceptional” thrillers (Publishers Weekly). She is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and lives with her husband and four rescued cats outside of Toronto, Ontario. You can follow the latest news on her books, including the FBI K-9s, at http://www.saradriscollauthor.com.

AI generated Irish Wolfhound courtesy Freepik.com

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

Reverse by Steven F Havill – #BookReview #policeprocedurals #NetGalley

A Posadas County Mystery Book 28

Book Blurb:

A road to nowhere . . .

Recovering from a near-death collision with a giant elk, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman is back to finish her last month at the Posadas County sheriff’s office. It’s supposed to be a quiet road to retirement, until a body is found at the bottom of a water-filled quarry. The barely alive figure of the grandson of the wealthiest man in town also lies further down the ravine.

Figuring out what really happened is going to take everything that Estelle and her understaffed, overworked team have. Especially when there’s a vandal on the loose targeting the local airfield and the department has its own internal issues wreaking havoc.

Plunged into another tricky investigation, one Estelle hopes will be her last, she can’t help but think her retirement can’t come soon enough . . .

His Review:

She is a lovely 16-year-old girl and has the chance to drive a vintage Corvette. The opportunity is overwhelming. Sure, the car is a stick shift but she knows she is a quick learner. The key is handy and the ride up to the quarry will be fun on this warm and breezy night. What could possibly go wrong?

Young Martin Chavez is smitten with her and would like to ride along. However, he does not have access to the car or the garage where it is stored. So, he takes his motorcycle up to the quarry to keep an eye on her and her escort. The quarry is deep and filled with water but many young couples use the area as a quiet place for a tryst. A little night petting after a joy ride is not unusual, but Martin is very jealous of the guy with her.

She backs up the car expecting the photo shoot to give her lifelong memories. When things go awry, what follows is a very extensive investigation that attempts to pin the blame on young Martin.

C E Williams The MC is Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman who is looking forward to retirement and counting the days. This tragedy, however, takes most of her focus as she is also wrestling with a vandal wreaking chaos and confusion. The MC appeared to me to be quick to judge, no one’s fool, seen it-been there, and had no patience for anyone she suspected of wrong doing. You wouldn’t want to cross her. This along with the usual internal issues of the department spells some slow time for the plot. 3.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Severn House
Publication Date: May 5, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Steven F. Havill is an American author of mysteries and westerns.

Havill lives in Raton, New Mexico, with his wife Kathleen. He has written two series of police procedurals set in the fictional Posadas County, New Mexico; along with other works. [Goodreads]

#SundayRead

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.

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. 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.

The Mediator by Robert Bailey – #BookReview #legalthrillers #NetGalley

Max Ringo Book 1

Book Blurb:

From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Rich Justice and The Boomerang comes a gripping thriller about a disgraced lawyer facing the legal battle of her life as she tries to redeem herself—and save her son.

Max Ringo was once a courtroom star at an elite law firm. Then a car accident left her addicted to painkillers, and her life dissolved into shambles. Now fresh out of rehab and making a comeback as a mediator, she gets her shot at redemption when she is appointed to handle a high-stakes divorce.

But as Max begins negotiations between the two notorious power players, the trap is already sprung. The husband kidnaps her teenage son, Nathan, and gives her a chilling ultimatum: settle the case on his terms…or the boy dies.

Over three relentless days, Max must resolve a cutthroat legal battle while pursuing a covert mission to rescue Nathan. She’ll risk everything—her career, her freedom, her life—to beat a ruthless adversary at his own game. Even when a shadowy syndicate enters the fray and bodies start to drop, only one thing matters. She must bring her son home, whatever the cost.

His Review:

Max Ringo has been a top negotiator while working with litigators and others to settle estates and other businesses. This story points out the difficulty of settlement as the estates become larger and the stakes for the parties’ life-changing outcomes are impacted. The amounts are enormous and those who have the largest stake are the ones least willing to give up their position.

A multi-billion-dollar estate is the key issue in this story. Drugs and crime take center stage as the participants balance personal problems with financial greed. Winning and losing may mean a castle or a shack. None of the litigants in this conflict is willing to concede! The most recalcitrant is Dagger Richardson who helped to take a fledgling company into a multi-billion-dollar concern. Can there be a meeting of the minds and a resolution to this issue?

My last novel by this author, Rich Justice, is the third in the Jason Rich series read and reviewed last year. This book kicks off the new Max Ringo series and is well-paced action with a somewhat lower body count. The story is a prime example of how the wealthy keep their wealth. Read and try to understand the dynamics of the situation. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Bailey is the bestselling author of the McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers series, which includes The Final Reckoning, The Last Trial, Between Black and White, and The Professor. The first two novels in the series were Beverly Hills Book Awards legal thriller of the year winners, and Between Black and White was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year.

For the past nineteen years, Bailey has been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives with his wife and three children. For more information, please visit http://www.robertbaileybooks.com.

Have a great Week! — Graphic by Canva templates

June Baby: A Novel by Shannon Garvey #BookReview #ComingofAgeFiction #NetGalley

Part of: Thousand Voices

Book Blurb:

Some summers never leave you.

In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward.

At seventeen, Ruth lost her mother to cancer, and her father, unable to handle his grieving daughter, shipped her off to Block Island with nothing but a name scribbled on the back of a receipt: Diana Beckett. Diana, a renowned photographer, took Ruth in for the summer, and Block Island became Ruth’s refuge, a place of beauty and creativity, a place where she could nurture her dreams of being a writer, a place where she could fall in love for the first time—with Diana’s nephew, Charlie.

Now, at twenty-seven, Ruth has spent the last ten summers living and working among the lucky few who get to vacation in this wealthy beach town, and the rest of the year just scraping by, yearning to return to the place where she feels safe and unburdened. But then Ruth’s world is upended by tragedy again. Desperate for an anchor, she reaches for the person she’s been pining for since she met him—Charlie—who has his own startling revelation to share. And when another surprise comes in the form of a box left to Ruth by Diana, its contents raise questions about just how well she knew the two women who raised her. Torn between what to believe about her past, and what her future might hold, Ruth is faced with another choice: does she dare to rewrite her story entirely?

Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief, set against a backdrop of golden dunes and seaside sunsets, June Baby shows us what it might look like to embrace a life shaped not by loss, but by possibility.

My Review:

The pace begins rather slowly and sets the tone for the duration of the novel. I was not successful getting into Ruth’s head, didn’t really like her, and had I met her in real life would have run—not walked away.

Ruth returns to Block Island following the death of Diana Beckett. She had been sent to live with Diana following the death of her mother and her father, lacking the ability to deal with his own grief, falls far short of supporting his daughter in hers.

It’s on Block Island that first summer that she meets Charlie. Ten years later, now at the age of twenty-seven, she returns to clean up Diana’s home and studio but finds herself no better capable, adjusted to depression, loss, and unrequited love than where she left off. She learns that Charlie is engaged, which throws her into another tail spin. She exhibits obsession and intense longing, but receives little more than banal interest from Charlie. In the meantime, she fends off the suitor who loves her almost with the same intensity she exhibits for Charlie.

So the whole novel begs the question: Will she or won’t she? Is the remaining crush of loss over her mother still weighing her down to the extent she can’t, won’t ever, move forward? Can she finally get over the final loss of Charlie? Will she try to write again or continue waitressing the rest of her life?

Are you kidding me?

A waste of time? Hers and mine. I hate what she does with Charlie. Later she is actually presented with opportunities that she puzzles over. Puzzles over? Would you? Or jump with both feet immediately. Will she always be this damaged? ARGH!

The writer intentionally builds tension but unfortunately, not the kind that drives you with morbid curiosity, as it finally kills any feelings for the MC you harbored that might have remained.

I’m not sure I could recommend this book, unless you appreciate slow-moving, deeply angst ridden, novels of persons lost. Deeply lost in mind and spirit–can you see a way out for this person or might it damage you as well?

This was an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley and the publisher and I appreciate their providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Coming of Age Fiction, Women’s Literary Fiction, Mothers & Children Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Source: NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Shannon Garvey is the author of the debut novel June Baby. Born in Rhode Island, Shannon now lives on the New Hampshire coastline. She received her MFA from the University of New Hampshire where she taught undergraduate classes. Shorter work of hers has been published by The Saturday Evening Post.

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #histfic

Book Blurb:

2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.

1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?

My Review:

As mentioned before, I do enjoy dual timelines—and it would seem, the older one. It appears to me that sometimes the more detailed development of characters occurs in the past characters, while the more contemporary characters barely get fleshed out enough to count as a character.

That said, I really enjoyed the characters of 1942, particularly sixteen-year-old Briar, who cried wolf once too often regarding the sighting of German U-boats. I did wonder, however, why the older girl determined she’d hide the fella washed ashore and his too convenient connection to the US.

On the whole, while a bit of a slow burn to get off the ground, it was a cute, almost cozy, narrative and often led right down the road expected. Descriptions of the island and the inhabitants, history, are fun; just wish the pace was more evenly distributed.

It won’t make classic Potato Peel Pie level book club, but it is a sweet story and weaves in a variety of appealing characters. Interspersed in the novel are Cadence’s columns that she writes for the local Vineyard Gazette, which eventually leads to greater writing possibilities.

I must admit to being caught off-guard by the mystery, as it was reading so benign, it snuck up on me, I didn’t see a dark side coming to the war time story that sees their brothers and others off to war with the devastation when they don’t return. The plot builds with added hooks including our own soldiers who arrive to set up coastal military training.

The denouement gives a satisfying close to the story and manages to come up with solutions to any remaining threads.

On the whole, a sweet read, well plotted. You’ll no doubt enjoy it if you like timeline switches, historical WWII life, and well-crafted characters in the setting.

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 Stars

Book Details:

Genre: World War II & Holocaust Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrators: Martha Hall Kelly, Mary Elizabeth Kelly, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Imani Jade Powers, EJ Lavery

Title Links:

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

The Author: Martha’s debut novel LILAC GIRLS, about socialite Caroline Ferriday and her fight to help a group of concentration camp survivors, became an Instant NY Times bestseller in 2016 and went on to sell over two million copies. Once the paperback stayed on the NYT list for fifty-four weeks, and became published in fifty countries she wrote two more novels: LOST ROSES about Caroline’s mother, and SUNFLOWER SISTERS about her great grandmother, which also became Instant NY Times best sellers. Her latest novel, THE GOLDEN DOVES, which returns to WWII, arrives in bookstores April 18th, 2023.

Martha grew up in Massachusetts and now splits her time between Connecticut and New York City.

You’ll find more info about the incredible, true stories behind all of her books at her website: http://www.marthahallkelly.com, on Instagram: @marthahallkelly, Facebook.com/marthahallkelly, Twitter: @marthahallkelly and on her ever-changing Pinterest page.

#Audiobooks

Submarine graphic courtesy clipart.com

Midnight on the Potomac by Scott Ellsworth #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #USCivilWarHistory

Midnight on the Potomac by Scott Ellsworth

The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the ReBirth of America

Best History

in History of the US Confederacy

Book Blurb:

From the author of The Ground Breaking, longlisted for the National Book Award, comes a riveting saga of the last year of the Civil War—and a revealing new account of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Told with a page-turning pace, New York Times bestselling author and historian Scott Ellsworth has written the most compelling new book about the Civil War in years. Focusing on the last, desperate months of the war, when the outcome was far from certain, Midnight on the Potomac is a story of titanic battles, political upheaval, and the long-forgotten Confederate terror war against the loyal citizens of the North. Taking us behind the scenes in the White House, along the battlefronts in Virginia, and into the conspiracies of spies and secret agents, Lincoln walks these pages, as do Grant and Sherman. But so do common soldiers, runaway slaves, and an unknown but intrepid female war correspondent named Lois Adams. Rarely, if ever, has a book about the Civil War featured such a rich and diverse cast of characters.

Midnight on the Potomac will also shatter some long-held myths. For more than a century and a half, the Lincoln assassination has been portrayed as the sole brainchild of a disgruntled, pro-South actor. But based on both obscure contemporary accounts and decades of long-ignored scholarship, Ellsworth reveals that for nearly one year before the tragic events at Ford’s Theatre, John Wilkes Booth had been working closely with agents of the Confederate Secret Service. And the real Booth is far from the one we’ve long been presented with.

Deeply researched yet captivatingly written, Midnight on the Potomac is a new kind of book about the Civil War. In it you will read about the Confederate attempt to burn down New York City, how Lincoln almost lost the presidency, about the Rebel general who nearly captured Washington, and how thousands of enslaved African Americans freed themselves—and helped secure their nation’s survival. In an age of deep political division such as our own, Scott Ellsworth’s book is an eloquent and gripping testament to the courage, grit, and greatness of the American people.

My Review:

Well, okay, we have a book here that does its best to deliver many new stories delivered to the reader, maybe in a recliner and smoke-filled room with a small tumbler of brandy nearby. Enjoy.

Ah, the good ole boys and their stories.

So much to digest here, so many scenes and scenarios, historical figures, as well as a timeline under that bridge. Stories I’d not heard before, theories not considered (Booth’s considerable success as an actor and then his connections and clandestine meetings with Confederate sympathizers.

There is an awful lot of territory covered here, but less on a few of the larger focal points and more information on little known men and women heavily contributing to the time and effort, particularly women—and African Americans.

It is the first I’ve read on the more human details of Lincoln, his children, the battle scenes, the political scene in Washington—with the huge influx of free and escaped slaves—to the conflict within his party and the turmoil with his generals, as well as his death.

You can’t deny the evidence of a ton of research here into all the behind-the-scenes activities. Of course, I might still question some of the interpretation. I have, more than once, wondered how in the world were some of these major life-changing outcomes managed when it seemed to be handled in general chaos. There’s a military term for that.

On the whole, it was interesting and kept the pace moving, even at the point of slight confusion when it switched topics. It was well written but in this particular instance, I might have enjoyed it more if I’d read it rather than listened to the audiobook, as the voice came across a bit monotone, giving it more a “text” than story sound.

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 Stars

Book Details:

Genre: US Civil War History, American Civil War Biographies, American Civil War
Publisher: Penguin Audio
ASIN: B0DNKWBJN1
Listening Length: 9 hrs 51 mins
Narrator: Scott Ellsworth
Publication Date: July 15, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Scott Ellsworth is an American writer and the author of four books.

DEATH IN A PROMISED LAND was the first comprehensive history of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. “This splendid book belongs in any library serving readers in American history,” Library Journal.

“A historian with the soul of a poet” is how Booklist described the author of THE SECRET GAME. Winner of the 2016 PEN/ESPN Book Award for Literary Sportswriting, it is a riveting account of a clandestine, integrated college basketball game that took place in North Carolina in 1944–and of a nation on the verge of historic change.

THE WORLD BENEATH THEIR FEET resurrects the Great Himalayan Race of the 1930s, when mountain climbers from Great Britain, Nazi Germany, and the United States vied to become the first to summit the great peaks of the Himalayas. ‘It works brilliantly,” The Sunday Times.

In THE GROUND BREAKING, Scott returns to the Tulsa massacre and its legacy. Longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award for Nonfiction. “This eloquent, deeply moving history isn’t to be missed,” Publishers Weekly.

Scott’s next book, MIDNIGHT ON THE POTOMAC: THE LAST YEAR OF THE CIVIL WAR AND THE REBIRTH OF AMERICA, will come out in 2025.

©V Williams

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