#NetGalleyreader – Page 4 – Rosepoint Publishing

Parents Weekend: A Novel by Alex Finlay #BookReview #psychologicalthriller

Book Blurb:

From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me, comes one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers.

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families gather over dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up to dinner.

At first, everyone thinks they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours tick by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths soon call them—come from very different families. What drew them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril—or a threat to the friend group from within?

Told from each family’s point of view—and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift—Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days in the dorms when friends become family.

His Review:

Parents are going to be spending a weekend with their students at Santa Clara University. There are five families with varying levels of enthusiasm waiting to join their offspring. The festivities begin but there is a problem, where are the students?

The book examines each of the families and their inter-reactions and expectations.

The event falls apart because none of the students show up at the event. At first, it is considered a college prank but then one of the students’ bodies is found drowned in a cave near the ocean. All the adults become frantic. Are the students OK?

The book is very well written but the format of the story left me flummoxed. The author presented each of the different families’ perspective and point of view. I found myself torn wanting a more consistent dialogue regarding each of the families. I was left wanting answers before a second set of family attitudes were presented.

Because there are five families with ten adults each having their own issues, I could not maintain a logical thread in my reading. Therefore, for me, the story fell through the cracks in the narrative. 4 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 Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Suspense Thrillers
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 1250360722
ASIN: B0DBVV6PMG
Print Length: 308 pages
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Alex Finlay is the bestselling author of several acclaimed novels, including the 2021 breakout EVERY LAST FEAR, the 2022 GoodReads Choice nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller, THE NIGHT SHIFT, the 2023 LibraryReads Hall of Fame recipient, WHAT HAVE WE DONE, and his latest 2024 release, USA TODAY bestseller, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME. His novels regularly appear on best-of-the-year lists and have been translated into twenty-four languages and are sold around the world. Alex’s books are optioned for film and television, and EVERY LAST FEAR is in development for a major series. Alex lives in Washington, DC and Virginia, where he is at work on his next novel.

Have a Great Sunday

Book graphic banner by Canva.com AI

First Pub on the Right by David Irish Anderson #BookReview #Motorcycles

“Driving a car is like watching a movie, while riding a motorcycle is like being a part of it.”

Book Blurb:

With the quick wit and dry humour of a true Irishman, David “Irish” Anderson documents his epic eighteen-month motorcycle adventure from Ireland to South Africa in this captivating travel memoir.

What begins as a lofty idea in a pub becomes a reality after six years of planning when Irish and his wife purposely set out with their two heavily loaded motorcycles. Somewhere along the way, Irish loses his wife, but amidst the heartbreak, turmoil, and challenges on the long and often bumpy road, he gains a whole new perspective on life.

Follow his exciting journey as he does what you’re absolutely not supposed to do when you see an elephant, involuntarily exfoliates himself during a desert sandstorm, and receives plenty of well-meaning but impractical advice from strange characters.

With a telling eye for detail, Irish artfully captures the characteristics of each country he visits, the encounters with people he meets, the difficulties he faces, and the joy of discovery that comes with travelling to unfamiliar places, providing the reader with a rich tapestry of experience.

My Review:

Yes, of course, I was caught by the photo of the BMW GS on the cover. And while that is not the model of the bike I rode, mine was a R1200C—gorgeous bike—I’d have never attempted this ride. Much less ever had the money for it. It’s hard not to get pangs for the saddle though when you no longer ride.

Then, bonus: The author is from Ireland and I can include this book in Reading Ireland Month, or as we call it, #Begorrathon, an annual event hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. And, too, had to laugh at the title as we often heard from the CE that we’d (finally!) stop at the next café on the right. Hot, tired, hungry, and totally exhilarated by a sweet ride and creating life-changing memories.

This man, however, and at the beginning, his wife, undertook to ride from Cork, Ireland to Cape Town, Africa. Six years in the planning still SOOO much unexpected in the execution that I couldn’t fathom why, first, the money didn’t run out.

Not entirely without experience in long distance traveling overland on a motorcycle since both journeyed through South America, this was still more ambitious. In the end, he traveled forty countries in eighteen months for a total of 39,047 miles.

Virtually impossible to fix an itinerary with a ride of this magnitude, the routes were kept rather loose. It should be noted, of course, that this man also had extensive worldwide knowledge of rafting colleagues, a huge network of acquaintances and friends, having worked or lived on virtually every continent of the planet. For this trip, he’d be doing a lot of wild camping and there was always a question of available fuel.

Irish settled on a BMW 800GS, while his wife chose the BMW F650 as she insisted on riding her own for this trip rather than “two-up” as they did in South America. As they each divvied up necessary equipment, I wondered how he managed the equipment she’d carried at the beginning.

I loved the account of so many places the CE and I have been fortunate enough to see and lived again the scenery, beauty, and welcome of the people this time vicariously on a bike rather than the tour bus. The description of the City of Split on the Dalmatian coast was of particular interest since that’s where our “Croatian son’s” family was living his first time back home following the Balkan War.

The loss of his wife was sudden and heralded a period of heavy introspection and downtime. It seemed the timbre of his voice changed subtly after that to more a chronology than storyline. I was definitely surprised at the turn of events but it turned on a philosophy gene that he continued to explore and engage the rest of the book.

He spoke of “experience overload” which was a familiar occurrence back then. As with most riders, he eventually found an appropriate name for his bike and likened “her” not as a machine but more a part of him as a sentient being with whom he’d shared a magnificent and healing experience.

The narrative exposed a raw personal side of the author and his eventual acceptance of his new life as much as the people and countries in which he rode. He faced a lot of obstacles, many of which would have some giving up. It was by the completion of the trip, however, that he managed to come to terms with everything that happened along the way and to find his way forward.

A travelogue as well as a diary of a motorcycle odyssey, you don’t have to love riding to enjoy the experience of the book.

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

Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Motorcycles, Travel Writing Reference, Travelogues & Travel Essays
Publisher: Pure Ink Press
ISBN: 979-8987586631
ASIN: B0DWBJCFQC
Print Length: 346 pages
Publication Date: February 4, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: David “Irish” Anderson has been an outdoor educator and adventure guide for over thirty years. Originally from Ireland, he has lived and worked on every continent, including Antarctica, while pursuing his passion for exploration and discovery. He caught the motorcycle travel bug at a young age and has spent more nights sleeping under the stars than he can possibly remember. Irish currently lives in Queenstown, New Zealand, where he divides his time between guiding, writing, and planning more shenanigans.

Sunday explorations — AI generated graphic courtesy Freepik.com

The Greatest Band That Never Was by Jeff Meshel #BookReview #RockMusic

Book Blurb:

First Shelly imagined a musical legend.
Then she brought it to life.
Careful what you wish for, Shelly.

2006, dawn of social media. Paralegal Shelly Griffin is 43, single, stuck in small-town dead-end Rust Belt, Ohio. When she discovers a song by Decapede about a dying local beer, she inadvertently triggers the first-ever viral clip on the internet and finds herself leading a frenzied search for the long-forgotten band.

The Greatest Band that Never Was is a saga of overnight celebrity, lives turned upside-down and recreated, found family, local pride, with one indomitable woman changing lives with her dream. And driving it all, the magic of Rock & Roll.

His Review:

A long-standing brewery in Ohio is struggling to stay afloat. Creston Gold used to be a brand that everyone reached for. That was nearly 40 years ago. Allie Bauer is barely able to make ends meet and the production is less than ¼ of the former levels. She cannot afford workers and is about to lose everything.

Shelly Griffin meets the woman and decides to write a story to help boost sales. Her investigation leads her to the decision that she is going to save Allie and the brewery. She is on a one woman crusade to increase sales, rejuvenate the brand and bring it back into a regional juggernaut. Her father wants to publish the story of the declining brewery and encourages his daughter to pursue the project.

How can a person increase sales rapidly? Shelly decides that a regional music venue will do the trick. The musicians need to be local and she remembers her mother telling her a story about a band that fell apart nearly 40 years ago. Shelly decides this will be the answer. She sets out to find the members of a band her mother loved called Decapede. Her first lead is Sam, who lives as a hermit in the forest!

Two young and very talented musicians started with Decapede and they have serious talent competitions. They both also have a very real attraction to Sherry’s mother, Beverly! Can the band be resurrected? The story develops as a herculean effort to put the two back together again! Enjoy the adventure! 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: Rock Music, Small Town & Rural Fiction
ISBN: ‎ B0DP3HFYQF
ASIN: B0DNNF2G9L
Print Length: 764 pages
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Jeff Meshel grew up in Ohio. As a young music journalist, he interviewed Simon & Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, Frank Zappa and many others. He saw The Beatles live, spent a weekend with The Grateful Dead, got soaked at Woodstock, and left the US after Kent State for Israel, where he has lived happily ever after.

He has worked as a playwright (in Hebrew) and director, lyricist, librettist, singer, blogger (Song of The Week@ jmeshel dot com) and creator of the a capella rock orchestra Vocalocity. He lists his vocation as ‘Music Promulgator’, as if that’s a real thing.

The Greatest Band that Never Was is his first novel.

Enjoy your day!

AI generated Graphic courtesy Canva.com

(*Freepik.com)

Guardian of the Crossroads: A Novel by Melanie Forde #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Catherine Devine briefly becomes a minor celebrity in Fauquier County, Virginia, when she saves a child from an oncoming truck. Cate is an unlikely heroine, stuck in a dead-end job as a school crossing guard and part-time art teacher. Stalled in her early forties, she lacks sufficient faith in herself to craft any plans—grand or small. But Cate harbors an extraordinary secret—she occasionally experiences psychokinesis. As she ponders just how she stopped that truck, she comes to believe her mind can move more than just physical objects. Perhaps she can move time itself. Melanie Forde’s riveting sixth novel takes readers on a journey of discovery as Cate explores not only her paranormal quirks but artistic talents that can heal old wounds. Accompanying her on this journey is her faithful wolfhound, Hecuba, an old soul who has always considered her mistress someone very, very special—perhaps even a goddess.

My Review:

This is not an author who churns out one series installment every six months. Ms. Forde takes her time to deliver a complex plot line and crafts a spellbinding literary novel.

Thoughtful storylines may take a bit longer to build but are rewarded by deeply moving and thoughtful characters wrestling with life and circumstances the best they can with the gifts they were born with. Such is the story of Catherine Devine of Fauquier County, Virginia.

The author generates a raw and emotional main character in Catherine who, following the extraordinary save of a young girl from being killed by a run-a-way vehicle in her school crosswalk, begins to question her ability to have moved that fast and effectively. As Cate begins to reflect on obscure memories in her life, she instigates a plan to solve what might be an act of psychokinesis.

Essentially without family, Cate does have a few friends but she begins an earnest investigation into her abilities and consults a professional. Single, her closest ally is a giant wolfhound named Hecuba. I loved this character! I could picture and invest in her.

In the study of her background, Cate comes across her old paintings, something she’d loved years ago and was very good at.

There is one very dark, ugly, but powerful painting she comes across that stirs strong emotions and she realizes that is the direction she must follow. She also remembers the catharsis her artistic abilities brought her and dives back into it with abandon, wondering what secrets she has long repressed will be revealed.

Yikes! The storyline turns dark, a startling surprise for me. Definitely caught off-guard, the plot becomes so compelling, you’ll have to follow to the denouement.

“The law of unintended consequences.”

It’s an intelligent and sensitive writing style that pulls in the reader. The themes examine the loss of familial trust, sexual deviation, paranormal and kinesis abilities, along with Greek mythology.

“…physical abuse breaks bones. Sexual abuse breaks the spirit.”

The author is a powerful storyteller. This is one of those stories that is laid out carefully, quietly, and then bestows a “wow” mystical factor at the end when the readers’ mind catches up. Whether or not you believe in paranormal or psychokinesis abilities, the narrative will leave you satisfied.

I greatly enjoyed The Quarry’s Girl, my last read by this author. Each of her novels is totally unique. I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. While there were some edit misses, they will be corrected. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Literature & Fiction
Publisher: D Street Books, a division of Mountain Lake Press
ISBN: 1959307436
ASIN: B0DSQ98DL1
Print Length: 471 pages
Publication Date: January 9, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: For most of her writing career, Melanie Forde ghosted on international security issues. She published her first novel, Hillwilla, in 2014, followed by On the Hillwilla Road in 2015. Her West Virginia trilogy culminates in Reinventing Hillwilla, 2018. Twenty years in the making, her Irish-American family saga, Decanted Truths, was also released in 2018. In 2022, Forde mined the stories about her French Canadian ancestors, to publish another period novel and family saga, The Quarryman’s Girl. Legends about the goddess Hecate were the starting point for her sixth novel. Published in 2024, Guardian of the Crossroads combines paranormal, psychological and literary themes.

AI generated Irish Wolfhound courtesy Freepik.com

Valley of the Wolves: Book 1 by Brock Farrow #BookReview Teen & Young Adult Historical Fantasy eBooks

Ishkwandem

Book Blurb:

Fifteen-year-old foster child Josh Redford’s only friend in the world was an old Algonquin trapper who taught him the secrets of the wilderness. When the trapper dies, Josh runs away to a remote area of the rugged Laurentian Mountains, where he soon discovers that the trapper’s tales of animal spirits are true, and that not all of them are friendly. Caught in an ancient war between good and evil, Josh’s escape from grief quickly becomes a harrowing struggle to survive. Desperate and alone, he soon discovers the one secret the trapper never revealed.

Valley of the Wolves is a four-book series full of action and adventure that is rooted in Algonquin mythology. It is also the story of how colonialism nearly destroyed a beautiful people and their culture.

His Review:

Moving from group home to foster home wore heavily on Josh. His heart yearned to be free and away from adult guidance. Certainly, many of the homes were nice but they were not his family and he never seemed to fit in. He longed to be free and disappear in the Laurentian mountains of his ancestors. His only true friend is a dying Algonquin who is teaching him the old ways.

He is very proficient with a canoe and escapes on a foggy night and heads downstream. He will cross into Canada and leave the Foster Child Systems behind. His Indian name is Crazy Otter given to him by Stumbling Moose who tries to teach him the old ways. He knows that the officials will be looking for him and will put him in a juvenile detention facility until he is of age if he is caught. He stays in the darkest parts of the forest and continues northeast towards Canada.

As a child, I often thought of running away and making my own way heading north to Canada. Josh is much smarter because he read all of the books he could find on wilderness survival and how to exist in the wild. Building traps and foraging for edible foods and tubers, he could teach military survival. The further he melts into the wild, however, the more he becomes the hunted instead of the hunter. This is a great book for young scouts and others to read. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

The first book in a new series that launches an enterprising and magnetic main character and is a great start to the series. 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: Teen & Young Adult Historical Fantasy eBooks, Teen & Young Adult Coming of Age Fiction eBooks
ASIN: B0DLGM9F21
Print Length: 179 pages
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Source: Author and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Valley of the Wolves – Amazon-US
Valley of the Wolves – Amazon-UK

The Author: Brock Farrow is an avid outdoorsman and survivalist with a deep love for the Laurentian Mountains. He holds a profound respect for Canada’s Indigenous peoples, especially the original inhabitants of the Laurentians—the Algonquin Nation. He believes that they have much to teach us about our relationship with the planet and each other. The Valley of the Wolves series is his first attempt to share his knowledge and admiration with others.

AI Pom pic generated by Gemini 1.5 Flash

To Catch a Thief by David Dodge #BookReview #HeistThrillers

Book Blurb:

The classic mystery that inspired the Academy Award-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock.

“Le Chat” is a legend. He is a mystery. He is a jewel thief, famous and elusive for being able to swipe anything and get away clean. He is John Robie, retired and living a quiet life, tending his rose garden in the South of France.

But his retirement plans are thrown for a loop when a series of robberies too closely resemble the work of “Le Chat,” and the police start digging into Robie’s past. To keep himself free, and with the help of an equally mysterious young woman, John Robie will have to catch the true thief, before the police catch him.

His Review:

The French Riviera is a popular place for the rich and famous, and also for those who prey upon their fortunes. John Robie is one of those who go to the Riviera to attempt to relieve the wealthy of some of their possessions. Of particular interest are diamonds and pearls, for they can be disposed of through many outlets. Many are trying to capture him; nickname “Le Chat”.

The most likely targets are wealthy ladies who flaunt their jewels and then keep them in the lockboxes or safes supplied by the hotels. The French police and insurance companies know of their expensive baubles and have undercover gendarmes who monitor the ladies and also the comings and goings of known criminals. Disrupting the peace of the rich and famous is not tolerated by the French Ministry of Police.

This book is well written and illuminates the underbelly of life in the South of France. A thief must be very smart, agile, and extremely athletic to pull off some of the burglaries that ensue. C E Williams The particular setting for these crimes is an old multi-storied hotel with a slate roof and great lighting! I found it a good primer for anyone who wishes to become a cat burglar. Enjoy the story and the experience. 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: Heist Thrillers, International Mystery & Crime, Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Diversion Books
ASIN: B087WN817G
Print Length: 304 pages
Publication Date: February 1, 2015
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: David Francis Dodge (August 18, 1910 – August 1974) was an author of mystery/thriller novels and humorous travel books. His first book was published in 1941. His fiction is characterized by tight plotting, brisk dialogue, memorable and well-defined characters, and (often) exotic locations. His travel writing documented the (mis)adventures of the Dodge family (David, his wife Elva, and daughter Kendal) as they roamed around the world. Practical advice and information for the traveler on a budget are sprinkled liberally throughout the books.

David Dodge was born in Berkeley, California, the youngest child of George Andrew Dodge, a San Francisco architect, and Maude Ellingwood Bennett Dodge. Following George’s death in an automobile accident, Maude “Monnie” Dodge moved the family (David and his three older sisters, Kathryn, Frances, and Marian) to Southern California, where David attended Lincoln High School in Los Angeles but did not graduate.

After leaving school, he worked as a bank messenger, a marine fireman, a stevedore, and a night watchman. In 1934, he went to work for the San Francisco accounting firm of McLaren, Goode & Company, becoming a Certified Public Accountant in 1937. On July 17, 1936, he was married to Elva Keith, a former Macmillan Company editorial representative, and their only daughter, Kendal, was born in 1940. After the attack on Pearl Harbor he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve, emerging three years later with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

[Truncated—see bio listed in Goodreads.]

Graphic courtesy Freepik.com

Downstate: A Novella by Jeffery Deaver #BookReview – Kindle Singles: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Special Agent Constant Marlowe Book 2

in Mystery

Book Blurb:

Special Agent Constant Marlowe pursues a lead to rural Illinois and finds a hornet’s nest of conspiracy in a pulse-pounding novella by New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver, where nothing is what it seems.

Special Agent Constant Marlowe is in pursuit of “Mr. X,” a key player in organized crime. Her mission is to collar him and flip him into a cooperating witness. The only problem? Marlowe doesn’t know who he is or even what he looks like. It doesn’t help that the trail has led her to a farming community in the nether land of Downstate, those stretches of Illinois where endless fields of late-season corn block the truth…and any sign of coming threat. When Marlowe stumbles on a teenage boy’s convenience store robbery, she suddenly finds herself in the crosshairs of a conspiracy that shatters the illusion of a sleepy small town.

His Review:

Rows of corn over 6 feet high as far as the eye can see. This is the location Constant Marlowe finds herself in. She wants to transport a criminal from Plains, Illinois to Chicago. The sheriff of the county does not want his prisoner to leave Plains but has other plans for him. Therefore, he rejects Constant Marlowe’s transfer request.

Tyson Barth was a local gangster that Constant Marlowe wanted to bring down. One of his warehouses gave Constant a lead to the town of Plains. Could this be the repository site for illegal drugs coming into the state and particularly into the greater Chicago area? And did it seem a larger than normal number of young ladies seemed to disappear periodically from the Plains area?

Constant arrests a young Hispanic male after he steals some gift cards and leaves a convenience store with a blatant disregard for authority. She is aware the young man is also connected with some gangsters in Northern Illinois but the local sheriff insists the arrest is his and should be attributed to his office. The obvious facts in the case do not seem to matter!

This tome has some very interesting twists and also points to unlawful activities in downstate Illinois. The plot is interesting and the book is well written. Enjoy! 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: Kindle Singles: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Crime Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
ASIN: B0DBW2V11C
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: Jeffery Deaver is an international number-one bestselling author. His novels have appeared on bestseller lists around the world. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into over twenty-five languages. He has served two terms as president of Mystery Writers of America, and was recently named a Grand Master of MWA, whose ranks include Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Mary Higgins Clark and Walter Mosely.

The author of over forty novels, three collections of short stories and a nonfiction law book, and a lyricist of a country-western album, he’s received or been shortlisted for dozens of awards. His “The Bodies Left Behind” was named Novel of the Year by the International Thriller Writers association, and his Lincoln Rhyme thriller “The Broken Window” and a stand-alone, “Edge,” were also nominated for that prize. “The Garden of Beasts” won the Steel Dagger from the Crime Writers Association in England. He’s also been nominated for eight Edgar Awards by the MWA.

Deaver has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, the Strand Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Raymond Chandler Lifetime Achievement Award in Italy.

His book “A Maiden’s Grave” was made into an HBO movie starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin, and his novel “The Bone Collector” was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Lifetime aired an adaptation of his “The Devil’s Teardrop.” NBC television recently aired the nine-episode prime-time series, “Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector.”

You can find out more about Jeffery on his website http://www.jefferydeaver.com, Facebook page facebook.com/JefferyDeaver, and follow him on Twitter @JefferyDeaver.

Have a good week!

Rosepoint Reviews – December Recap – Ready to Start a New Year?

Rosepoint Reviews - December Recap

As usual, NWI can’t decide whether to stay temperate or freeze the trees. It’s been back and forth and now coming out of warmish temps will plunge back into frigid. It’s the sun I miss most.

We enjoyed a quiet Christmas and will do so again New Year’s Eve, the CE and I celebrating the new year with a four-ounce lobster tail each and watching the ball drop. Getting harder and harder for us old birds to stay awake that long though. Hope you had a safe New Year’s Eve and aren’t holding a throbbing head and looking for aspirin this morning, though I certainly remember doing so more than once back when…

I am definitely burning out, always so overwhelmed with everything going on I can’t keep up with either the reviews, social media, or you, my readers. Contemplating, and can’t decide, whether to change the format I’m currently using from WordPress (bored with it! but scared of messing everything up). And/or perhaps dropping another day of reviews since even the three per week appear to be more than I can handle. Also looking for another graphics website (free, of course) that I could play with other than Canva. I see the trend now is toward AI generated graphics. Mercy! As with WordPress, a free subscription is fairly limiting. Perhaps you use a great graphics design website that offers free software? I’d love your suggestions!

Using Goodreads to mine the opportunity for good audiobooks, our reads are also sourced at NetGalley, author and publisher requests, as well as your reviews and recommendations.

Despite the crunch of the holidays and our son moving, we managed thirteen reviews between us that included five audiobooks. These links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

Rosepoint Reviews - December Recap

Lost Souls by Theo Baxter
The Waiting by Michael Connelly (audiobook)
Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni (CE review)
Deep Freeze by Michael C Grumley (audiobook)
Random in Death by J D Robb (CE review)
Still Me by Jojo Moyes
The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang (audiobook)
Crime Scene by Jonathan Kellerman (audiobook)
Nothing Left of Me by Alex Walters (CE review)
The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy
You Never Know by Tom Selleck (audiobook)
What Is Wrong with You? By Paul Rudnick (CE review)
I’ll Have What She’s Having by Chelsea Handler

How did you do in the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2024? Of the fifteen categories, I had four make the final list and was gratified that The Women by Kristin Hannah, who I voted for in two categories, won for Historical Fiction. In the meantime, Goodreads has come out with the stats for our reading year for 2024 and I hope to have a post on it shortly.

Favorite Book of the Month

Once again, my vote goes to Kate Quinn and her co-author Janie Chang for their saga of strong women survivors of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, based on a number of historical tales including the real-life story of a woman still holding her place in the De Young Museum.

Favorite Book for December – The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang

My Reading Challenges page…My Goodreads Challenge is at 134 making my goal of 130. I’m fairly sure I also made the Audiobook, Historical Fiction, and NetGalley Challenges, but until the dust settles around here, I can’t be certain. That will come later.

Welcome to my new subscribers. I hope all my readers, including you, are having a magical and love filled holiday season with family, food, and fun. Make it memorable!

Happy New Year!