#greatreads – Page 17 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Comfort of Ghosts: Maisie Dobbs Book 18 by Jacqueline Winspear #AudiobookReview #HistoricalMysteries

in Historical Mysteries

Book Blurb:

A MILESTONE IN HISTORICAL MYSTERY FICTION AS MAISIE DOBBS TAKES HER FINAL BOW

London, 1945: Four adolescent orphans with a dark wartime history are squatting in a vacant Belgravia mansion—the owners having fled London under heavy Luftwaffe bombing. Psychologist and Investigator Maisie Dobbs visits the mansion on behalf of the owners and discovers that a demobilized soldier, gravely ill and reeling from his experiences overseas, has taken shelter with the group.

aisie’s quest to bring comfort to the youngsters and the ailing soldier brings to light a decades-old mystery concerning Maisie’s first husband, James Compton, who was killed while piloting an experimental fighter aircraft. As Maisie unravels the threads of her dead husband’s life, she is forced to examine her own painful past and question beliefs she has always accepted as true.

The award-winning Maisie Dobbs series has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers, audiences drawn to a woman who is of her time, yet familiar in ours—and who inspires with her resilience and capacity for endurance. This final assignment of her own choosing not only opens a new future for Maisie and her family, but serves as a fascinating portrayal of the challenges facing the people of Britain at the close of the Second World War.

My Review:

The eighteenth in the series and I didn’t realize when I got it, intended to be the last. As I read it, however, it seemed an obvious goodbye; farewell.

This is one of those series where the protagonist actually ages with the years, beginning in 2003 as a teen in the early twentieth century and ending in 2024 having lived through two world wars. This book ends with the end of WWII in 1945, post-war UK.

The author does a beautiful job of molding a young woman through her service as a young maid to becoming a nurse during the war and extending her expertise to becoming a private investigator, psychologist. She has endured love and lost it, experienced the death of both husband and child but she never turned inward, instead becoming a compassionate support for post-war individuals and their stories.

This story is about the discovery of children who, like many post-war individuals, discovered empty or abandoned homes in which to squat. The children eventually tell a harrowing story of the service to their country they were to execute should there have been an invasion of the English shores. It’s a shocking story now becoming familiar. A sad testament to the use of one last desperate commodity.

Maisie also begins to uncover secrets tied to her own past when yet another revelation is made that has her digging into the death of her first husband. The dual plot line leads to doors that will open to a peaceful future and quell heartaches she’s failed to conquer. A lovely conclusion pulling together threads not closed prior to Book 18.

Back in February 2022, I read To Die But Once and greatly enjoyed it, vowed to read more in the series. It’s a great historical novel with the mystery well drawn and satisfying then in the conclusion. I can recommend to any who enjoys a detective story authentically mixed with WWII wartime drama.

This installment signals the end of an era, sad to say of a lovely series that draws you in and invests in the characters so you might very well wish to begin with Book 1. The narrator does an emotional job of it, conveying her own goodbye.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Mysteries, Women Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Recorded Books
ASIN: B0CQZ3TJG1
Listening Length: 10 hrs 6 mins
Narrator: Orlagh Cassidy
Publication Date: June 4, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: The Comfort of Ghosts [Amazon-US]
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author:

Jacqueline Winspear is the author of eighteen novels in the award-winning, New York Times, National and International bestselling series featuring psychologist-investigator Maisie Dobbs. In addition, Jacqueline’s 2023 non-series novel, The White Lady was a New York Times and National bestseller, and her 2014 WW1 novel, The Care and Management of Lies, was again a New York Times and National bestseller, as well as a Dayton Literary Peace Prize finalist. Jacqueline has also published two non-fiction books, What Would Maisie Do? and an Edgar-nominated memoir, This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing. Jacqueline’s work encompasses essays and journalism covering a wide range of subjects, from women working in wildfire management to articles on international education and social history. [Amazon]

Jacqueline Winspear was born and raised in the county of Kent, England. Following higher education at the University of London’s Institute of Education, Jacqueline worked in academic publishing, in higher education and in marketing communications in the UK.

She emigrated to the United States in 1990, and while working in business and as a personal / professional coach, Jacqueline embarked upon a life-long dream to be a writer.

A regular contributor to journals covering international education, Jacqueline has published articles in women’s magazines and has also recorded her essays for KQED radio in San Francisco. She currently divides her time between Ojai and the San Francisco Bay Area and is a regular visitor to the United Kingdom and Europe.

Jacqueline is the author of the New York Times bestsellers A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, Among the Mad, and An Incomplete Revenge, and other nationally bestselling Maisie Dobbs novels. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha, Alex, and Macavity awards for the first book in the series, Maisie Dobbs, which was also nominated for the Edgar Award for best novel and was a New York Times Notable Book. [Goodreads]

The Narrator: Orlagh Cassidy is an American actress, both parents from Dublin, Ireland. She works in Theatre, Television and Film and has recorded numerous award winning audiobooks and commercials. She can be seen in ‘St. Vincent’ with Bill Murray as well many guest starring roles on ‘Homeland’, ‘Billions’, ‘Good Wife’, ‘Elementary’ and ‘The Mysteries Of Laura’. She has worked in New York theatre at MTC, The Public Theatre, MCC, Origin Theatre Company and The Irish Rep where she received a Drama Desk nomination for the role of ‘Mamie’ in the ‘The Field’ in 2007. She is a recipient of The Princess Grace Foundation Award and has a BFA from SUNY Purchase.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog Keera Duggan Book 2

Keera Duggan Book 2

Book Blurb:

A master manipulator accused of murder. An attorney sworn to defend her. Keera Duggan returns in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

When Jenna Bernstein, disgraced wunderkind CEO of a controversial biotech company, is accused of murdering her former partner and lover, she turns to Seattle attorney Keera Duggan to defend her. Keera is more than a master chess player who brings her intuitive moves into court—she’s Jenna’s childhood friend. But considering their history, Keera knows that where Jenna goes, trouble follows.

Five years earlier, Keera’s father successfully defended Jenna when she was tried for the killing of her company’s chief scientist who threatened to go public with allegations of corporate fraud. Keera knows Jenna too well. When she was a kid, Keera saw Jenna for what she was: a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath. Now, with only circumstantial evidence against Jenna, Keera is willing to bury any trepidation she might have to defend a woman she believes, this time, to be innocent.

As the investigation gets underway and disturbing questions arise, Keera puts her trust in a client who swears that this time she’s telling nothing but the truth. If this is all just another devious game, Keera might be working to set a murderer free.

My Review:

The second in the series, the first Her Deadly Game read by the CE in October 2022, was my turn and I had no problem reading it as a standalone.

Keera’s father taught her to play chess and play very well. She uses many of those techniques as she takes on Jenna Bernstein, an old childhood friend turned nemesis. Jenna will never tell the truth when a lie will do and at this age doesn’t seem to be able to distinguish between the two. She declares her innocence, however, when her business partner is found murdered. And what do you know? She clearly has motive, means, and apparently opportunity. Or was the latter just more manipulation to play the all too obvious?

“…any kind of SODDI defense–some other dude did it.”

As always with Dugoni’s complex plots, it won’t be easy to get to the bottom of the disturbing premise. Jenna is a deeply unlikable character. Keera comes off as smart, quick-witted, and street-smart savvy. She was taught by the best, her dad, the “Irish Brawler.” I appreciated her character as she turned a jaundiced eye on Jenna, who clearly appeared to be a sociopath. There is the promise of what might be a romantic thread with open-minded Detective Rossi, who appears may be strong support in coming series episodes.

Of course, it is a legal thriller and as always I love those courtroom scenes, the jousting, the timing, and the use of the nuances of the law—so like chess moves—with an eye on plays well down the line.

As the book weaves the way through the mysteries, twists, and revelations, the storyline moves smoothly into the conclusion. Any reader who enjoys legal thrillers will certainly appreciate the Dugoni writing style. It’s gripping, entertaining, and well paced.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Murder, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 166250022X
ASIN: B0CRWV4125
Print Length: 365 pages
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 10 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, the Keera Duggan legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – Suspense Magazine’s Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award and the critically acclaimed, The World Played Chess; historical novels based on true events: A Killing on the Hill about Seattle during the great depression and Hold Strong, a WWII novel; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Several of his novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and multiple awards for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Reviews – June Recap – Boo to Century July Temps!

The rabbits and deer have won the fairy garden. It’s official. I’ve given up on live plants and planted plastic instead. Animals 1 – farmer 0. It’s a tie on the veggie bed with chicken wire and mesh around my tender plants. They did manage to penetrate to a vigorous bean plant and that plant won’t be going anywhere now. Love the animals, but…

Punkin the Pom is carefully beginning to enjoy her walks.* The CE, having a closer bond, is trusting her more and she’s taking advantage. Otherwise, still accepting few treats, no toys, no offers of companionship, and housetraining is a throw of the dice.

June was a struggle, once again, with the CE’s attention divided and my spending more time in the kitchen. It didn’t help that I decided my next personal challenge was to make a sourdough starter and produce a loaf of sourdough bread. I’m currently on the third try which is not looking good right now at Day 4 of a 6-7 day cycle of starter. Of course, it’s also that time of the year when the gardens and outdoor activities take precedence.

I’m thinking, if not a sabbatical, then a greatly reduced schedule through July and probably August. Most of my reading now includes audiobooks as time for reading has been greatly reduced. Of the twelve books, half were audiobooks!

As always, links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

The Curse of King Midas by Colleen M Story (CE review)
Lockdown by Sara Driscoll
The Cyanide Canary by Robert Dugoni and Joseph Hilldorfer (audiobook)
The Wild Road Home by Melissa Payne
If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay (audiobook)
The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci (audiobook)
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (audiobook)
Best House on the Block by T R Ragan
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (audiobook)
Prevailing Wind by Thomas Dolby (CE review)
Breach by Holly S Roberts (blog tour)
Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews (audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

I really loved The Wild Road Home—it was addictive, kept me reading, and I was thoroughly invested in the well-developed characters. It fell just one-half star short of five, however, and the CE easily gave his book, Prevailing Wind, five stars even with a rather slow start. It’s a toss up, but I’ll have to give the nod to his book.

Favorite for June – Prevailing Wind by Thomas Dolby

My Reading Challenges page…Reading Challenges page—well, you know the score. Life is scattered and chaotic right now. The Goodreads Challenge is now six books behind schedule at 68 of 150. I make no promises.

Welcome as always to my new subscribers! My blog hopping time has seriously suffered having apparently landed somewhere underneath getting a review out. I apologize for the slow response to your great posts, but I’m trying. Honest.

Loggin' off

*Apologize for the poor GIF, apparently I’m not allowed to upload an MP4 even when I get it down to 11 MGs.

Beach Town: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Beach Town #1

Book Blurb:

Greer Hennessy needs palm trees.

As a movie location scout, picture-perfect is the name of the game. But her last project literally went up in flames, and her career is on the verge of flaming out. Greer has been given one more chance, if she can find the perfect undiscovered beach hideaway for a big-budget movie. She zeroes in on a sleepy Florida town called Cypress Key.

But Eben Thibadeaux, the town’s mayor, objects to Greer’s plan. A lifelong resident of Cypress Key, Eben wants the town to be revitalized, not commercialized. Greer has a way of making things happen, regardless of obstacles. And Greer and Eb are way too attracted to one another for either of them to see reason.

Between an ambitious director and his entourage―including a spoiled “It Boy” lead actor―who parachute into town, a conniving local ex-socialite, and a cast of local fangirls and opportunists who catch the movie bug, nothing is going to be the same in Cypress Key. Now Greer is forced to make some hard choices: about the people and the town she’s come to care about, and about her own life. True love is only for the movies, right? Can Greer find a way to be the heroine in her own life story? Told with inimitable heart and humor, Mary Kay Andrews’ Beach Town is the perfect summer destination.

My Review:

Ah, the ole hate-to-love trope apparently working well a decade ago and a favorite of the romance genre. Yes, it must be getting mighty cold down below if I’m reading a romance novel.

I like the unique concept of a movie location scout for a big picture production searching for the perfect location of a small sea coastal town setting. In this case, the MC stumbles upon Cypress Key, a seedy little town past its heyday in the Florida Keys.

Greer Hennessy discovers the romance of Florida comes with heat, humidity, and bugs—the giant, flying-at-you palmettos who look like monster cockroaches. Nasty things. They have little barbs on their feet so when they land on you, they can latch on. Yeah, been there, done that.

But the location turns out to supply just about everything on their must-have list, including an old building to blow up for the climax. The problem, of course, is Eben Thibadeaux, the town mayor and engineer who doesn’t want anything blown up. He wants to fix up. The owner has other ideas.

I loved the cast and crew, CJ is a hoot, and the enthusiastic director is so authentic you can see him yelling directions through a megaphone. The main character is a damaged soul, childhood and all that, and Eben (since I was listening to the audiobook) sounded like Ed every time it was his dialogue or referred to and, again, did not wholly engage with him.

It’s a fun little book, getting into the nitty gritty of what it takes to be a location manager, the constant calls of problems, not the least of which is the spoiled and entitled young male star, full of himself.

I thought it was engaging, entertaining, and I enjoyed the sense of humor, but just couldn’t buy into the conclusion and resolution. Fanciful, it went overboard into disbelief. Other than that, I’d recommend the audiobook ably narrated by Kathleen McInerney.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Small Town & Rural Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B00UM2PW3Q
Listening Length: 14 hrs 8 mins
Narrator: Kathleen McInerney
Publication Date: May 19, 2015
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Beach Town [Amazon]

The Author: MARY KAY ANDREWS is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 30 novels (including Bright Lights, Big Christmas; The Homewreckers; The Santa Suit; The Newcomer; Hello, Summer; Sunset Beach; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Beach Town; Save the Date; Christmas Bliss; Ladies’ Night; Spring Fever; and Summer Rental, all from St. Martin’s Press, as well as The Fixer Upper; Deep Dish; Savannah Breeze; Blue Christmas; Hissy Fit; Little Bitty Lies; and Savannah Blues, all Harper Collins), and one cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she earned a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia (go Dawgs!). After a 14-year career working as a reporter at newspapers including The Savannah Morning News, The Marietta Journal, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she spent the final ten years of her career, she left journalism in 1991 to write fiction.

Her first novel, Every Crooked Nanny, was published in 1992 by HarperCollins. She went on to write ten critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. In 2002, she assumed the pen name Mary Kay Andrews with the publication of Savannah Blues. In 2006, Hissy Fit became her first New York Times bestseller, followed by dozens more New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers. To date, her novels have been published in German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch, Czech and Japanese.

She and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, GA, where they cook up new recipes in their restored beach homes, The Breeze Inn and Ebbtide—both named after fictional places in Mary Kay’s novels, and both available to rent through Tybee Vacation Rentals. In between cooking, spoiling her grandkids, and plotting her next novel, Mary Kay is an intrepid treasure hunter whose favorite pastime is junking and fixing up old houses.

#ThrowbackThursday

Breach by Holly S Roberts #BlogTour #PsychologicalThriller #Giveaway

Breach: A Terrifying Summer Adventure
by Holly S. Roberts

I AM DELIGHTED TODAY TO PROVIDE A REVIEW FOR YOU AT MY BLOG STOP FOR Breach by Holly S Roberts ON THE GREAT ESCAPES VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR.

Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details

Breach: A Terrifying Summer Adventure
Psychological Thriller
Setting – Off the coast of California
Publisher ‏ : ‎Independently Published (March 22, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 202 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8320606989
Digital: Wicked Story Telling (June 20, 2024)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CQYXJ3T1

Book Blurb

Craving the vastness of the open sea, Kate and her family set out on a journey of forgiveness and healing aboard Ryan’s Gift, their newly remodeled yacht. After a tragic accident, it’s imperative that Kate returns to the ocean, the place she once called home, in an attempt to restore her spirit.

In the middle of their idyllic voyage, the nightmare begins. With no power or communication, a monster lurks below the surface and the family must find a way to defeat the darkness before it destroys them.

Experience this gripping story of a family’s fight for survival and a terrifying reckoning from the deep.

Excerpt

“Eighteen months had passed since the accident that left Kate with an incomplete spinal cord injury, taking away the use of her legs. The rehabilitation center staff had believed her fortunate for retaining some sensation below the waist, but Kate had never felt unluckier” .

“Kate examined the water looking for a dorsal fin. Slight waves from the Sea Doo rocked the yacht. She wheeled herself frantically toward the stern, her pulse hammering as the real threat lurked unseen below”.

“Kate’s voice was a whisper, her hands tense on the wheels of her chair. ‘Ryan, hold on,’ she breathed as the shark’s massive silhouette darted beneath the yacht toward her daughter”.

“With every ounce of her being, Kate focused on the rolling waves. ‘This ends today,’ she declared, determination lining her features as she prepared to defend her family from a terrifying nightmare”.

My Review

I can’t imagine being in Kate’s shoes (or slippers) being confined to a wheelchair but excited to be leaving on a family vacation with hubby and their five-year-old daughter, Ryan. Even on a yacht, sometimes the pitching and yawing can throw off an able-bodied person. Still, it’s a maiden voyage for their new recently refitted yacht heading north well off the California coast.

Kate is trying to decide whether or not to try to continue the marriage with a hubby who admitted straying. The accident that took the use of her legs happened then and the vacation is a stab at mending the fissure.

The yacht, however, begins to exhibit problems almost from the beginning and events begin to cascade into disaster. If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t do this” the novel would be an excellent example of yes you can, you must, and you will!

I absolutely cannot believe the test of endurance, strength, and fortitude it took to survive this heart-pounding situation. The little girl is amazing, smart, and in no small part a reason they both survive.

In the meantime, the tension builds until it becomes explosive. I loved the writing style, the inexorable rise in terror as the monster of the deep seemed to anticipate their every move.

It’s an exciting and spell-binding beach read as long as you aren’t at the beach or dorsal fins don’t bother you. Recommended!

Giveaway

The author is running a giveaway for a shark plushie! Enter here for your chance to win!

About the Author

Holly S Roberts is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and romance. Her Detective Eve Bennet crime series is a #1 Amazon bestseller. She’s a retired homicide detective who worked high-profile cases in Arizona. Holly lives high in the mountains with her husband and two spoiled dogs.

Author Links

Website: http://wickedstorytelling.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollysrobertsauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollysrobertsauthor/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hollysrobertsbooks?lang=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPzvSdXdeVFQhlGmbqYBJ3w

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6522660.Holly_S_Roberts

Purchase Links

Amazon/Kindle Unlimited

BREACH TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 20 – The Mystery of Writing – SPOTLIGHT

June 20 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

June 20 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

June 21 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

June 21 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

June 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 23 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

June 24 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

June 25 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

June 26 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to read this cozy mystery.

Prevailing Wind by Thomas Dolby #BookReview #SeaStories

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

On the eve of WW1, amidst the turbulence of the Ludlow Massacre and the Triangle Shirt Factory fire, the young Haskell brothers Davey (16) and Jacob (21) dream of escaping the poverty of their lobsterman life in Deer Isle, Maine. Their sailing talents catch the eye of the powerful New York Yacht Club, with a chance for glory in the prestigious America’s Cup race series.

The brothers’ bond is tested as they both fall for Edith, a captivating Irish maid. Family loyalty is at stake, and now, the pursuit of sporting fame threatens to drive them apart. Complicating matters further, someone must stay behind to care for their ailing parents.

When a near-fatal accident leaves one brother hospitalized and consumed by the need for revenge, a compassionate Latina nurse helps him heal, showing him a path beyond bitterness.

Meanwhile, the millionaire yachtsmen harbor dark secrets. A glamorous concubine is hidden away on a luxury yacht, leading to blackmail and scandal.

As the bachelor heir to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune grapples with his future, preferring the freedom of the sea over his family’s wealth, the Haskell brothers must navigate their own choices between love, family, and ambition.

Can they overcome the trials that threaten to tear them apart, or will the winds of change leave them stranded in the past?

His Review:

Brothers by their very nature and birth are competitors. Jacob and Davey are two such individuals who fit perfectly into that mold. Jake is the older more worldly brother who has all of the girls fawning over him; Davey is the little brother lagging behind his big brother in everything. Angst and jealousy are an integral part of their relationship.

The Americas’ Cup is a coveted race of sailboats with crafts from all over the world. The British are a proud maritime nation with a heritage of being the fastest and best sailors. The Americans continually knock them off their pedestal. This story is about the America’s cup contested in 1913. Some of the contestants and boats are owned by the Lipton, Rockefeller-Vanderbilt, and Astor families.

The best sailors come from some of the small fishing villages north towards Penobscot Bay and Maine. These sailors start young and spend 14-plus hours per day tending lobster nets and other fishing equipment in the cold northern seas off the coast of New England. Jacob and David are two of these young sailors. Like most brothers, there is always stiff competition between them. Jake the older brother appears more handsome and able to engage any young lady he wants.

The extremely wealthy racing boat owners hire them to man their boats in the race to ensure that their vessels finish first. A million dollars is the sum offered to the winner of the race, a very large sum of money prior to the Great Depression.

This story is based upon a true race and the venue is around Penobscot Bay in the northern waters of America. The competition is fierce and ruthless. Who will take home the coveted million dollars and the title of best boat and crew in the world?

I found the action fast-moving and the topic very informative. The story includes a wealth of information regarding sailing vessels and their riggings. Anyone who has ever dreamt of sailing the seas or crewing an ocean-going vessel will enjoy this book. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions

Book Details:

Genre: Sea Stories, Historical Thrillers
Publisher: Archway Publishing
ISBN-10: ‎ 1665758317
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1665758314
Print Length: 318 pages
Publication Date: April 22, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Thomas Morgan Robertson, known by his stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur, and teacher, renowned for his innovative contributions to music and technology. Born on October 14, 1958, in London, Dolby rose to prominence in the 1980s with his hit singles “She Blinded Me with Science” and “Hyperactive!”. His distinctive blend of electronic music and inventive compositions made him a key figure in the new wave movement, though his work spans a wide array of musical styles beyond the high-energy pop sound.

In the 1990s, Dolby founded Beatnik, a Silicon Valley software company that developed polyphonic ringtone software, including the iconic Nokia tune. His groundbreaking work in technology extended to serving as Music Director for TED Conferences and leading the Music for New Media program at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute since 2014.

Dolby’s talents have earned him numerous accolades, including a “Lifetime Achievement in Internet Music” award from Yahoo! Internet Life in 1998, The Moog Innovation Award in 2012, and the Roland Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. A versatile artist, Dolby has collaborated with legends such as David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, and Foreigner, and has contributed to numerous film scores and video games.

An author as well, Dolby’s memoir “The Speed of Sound” chronicles his adventures in the music industry and beyond, offering readers a glimpse into his multifaceted career. With his novel “Prevailing Wind” set to release in June 2024, Dolby continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation, inspiring audiences worldwide with his endless passion for music and technology.

Enjoy Your Sunday!

The 6:20 Man: A Thriller by David Baldacci – #AudiobookReview – #ThrowbackThursday

#1 Best Seller in Crime Action Fiction

Book Blurb:

A cryptic murder pulls a former soldier turned financial analyst deep into the corruption and menace that prowl beneath the opulent world of finance, in #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci’s new thriller.

Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.

Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building—presumably a suicide, at least for now—prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that wasn’t enough, before the day is out, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm. This treacherous role will take him from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power . . . where something rotten lurks. And apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there’s a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bull’s-eye.

My Review:

Thoroughly bored and exhausted with his monotonous commute to the entry-level job as a financial analyst in an investment firm, the decorated ex-Army Ranger finds the life difficult after his military career came to an abrupt, somewhat ignominious end.

There is something he routinely checks out, however, the vision of a sweet young thing scantily clad or less lounging or swimming by the pool of an exclusive residential apartment. He’s not the only man on the train who awaits the scene with drooling interest every morning.

Then he is told a former girlfriend was found hanging in his office building and, yes, the authorities come looking for him. In a squeeze play with the feds, he is compelled to investigate her death but as his investigation progresses discovers there are matters that run much deeper than previously thought.

I rather enjoyed Travis Devine; down to earth, smart, and trying to squirm out of the fix he’s in while using those sources he’s cultivated from his past. Another interesting character is a Russian hacker who is Travis’ go-to source for all things black hat as well as one of his housemates.

These action thriller plots are never simple and the more complex, the convoluted—with twists and turns. Once again, we’ll expect to suspend some disbelief, but, hey, the characters are fun even if the storyline tends to meander. Not always fast-paced but entertaining and for the most part engaging, but for me—just a little long in the tooth.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Action Fiction, Action Thriller & Suspense Fiction, Mystery Action & Adventure
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ASIN: B09VR4LQNY
Listening Length: 11 hrs 48 mins.
Narrators: Zachary Webber, Christine Lakin, Mela Lee
Publication Date: July 12, 2022
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: The 6:20 Man [Amazon]

The Author: David Baldacci has been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a lined notebook in which to write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing career, she revealed that she’d given him the notebook to keep him quiet, “because every mom needs a break now and then.”)

David published his first novel, ABSOLUTE POWER, in 1996. The feature film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 48 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers.

David is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy programs across the United States.

#throwbackthursday

If Something Happens to Me: A Novel by Alex Finlay – #AudiobookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the head. The hands yanking him from the vehicle. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken.

With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He’s put his past behind him.

Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali’s car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me…

Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.

As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.

In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told by several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The novel cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

My Review:

It appears there are many more people who enjoyed this one than I did. I listened to the audiobook and will add kudos to the female narrator. But for some reason, I had a problem getting into it and staying with it.

Three POVs, Ryan being the main character, who kicks off the backbone of the storyline by reliving the night he was pulled from his girlfriend’s car and sustained a blow to the head. He can only remember small glitches of that night, but remembers her screams as she is taken. He escapes an arrest for her disappearance, but public opinion as well as his schoolmates tries and convicts him. He changes his name and goes to law school, but it catches up with him in Italy five years later.

We are good so far, huh?

Okay, I’m digging the female deputy. Poppy McGee is earnest, giving it her all. This is it for her as her military experience didn’t go all that well. She is new on the job, suspects she’ll be handing out traffic tickets, when small town law enforcement needs her to follow up on leads for the car pulled out of the local lake with two male bodies inside. It could happen—it’s a small town remember (Leavenworth, KS). Coincidentally, it’s the missing girls’ car.

Okay, so behind the scenes, there is a little mischief going on with the local mob. Now we start getting twists, tropes, and the suspense ramps up. I love how the mob grandpa nurtures his grandson—it’s sweet—never mind what he’s doing with his business—the revenge third of the plot.

Then there’s the cryptic note found in the submerged car and there is much to do regarding decoding what the note says. But, generally, there is a lot going on and the narrative flips between one of the three POVs until there is gradually a connection and an audible, “Ohhh…”.

So, yeah, it is entertaining, engaging in sections while others appeared to lag a bit (for me anyway). Suspend a little disbelief and just go with the flow as the conclusion might just do it for you.

The CE read two of his previous books, What Have We Done in 2022, and enjoyed both.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Suspense
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0CKM1LNKW
Listening Length: 7 hrs 16 mins
Narrators: Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, Paul Dateh
Publication Date: May 28, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: If Something Happens to Me [Amazon-US]
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Alex Finlay is the author of the 2021 breakout novel, EVERY LAST FEAR, the 2022’s GoodReads Choice nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller, THE NIGHT SHIFT, and his latest 2023 release, WHAT HAVE WE DONE. His work has been an Indie Next pick, a LibraryReads selection, an Amazon Editor’s Best Thriller, as well as a CNN, Newsweek, E!, BuzzFeed, Business Week, Goodreads, Parade, PopSugar, and Reader’s Digest best or most anticipated thrillers of the year. Alex’s novels have been translated into nineteen languages and are sold around the world. All of his books have been option for film and television, and EVERY LAST FEAR is in development for a series on a major streaming service. Learn more at https://alexfinlaybooks.com/