A Walk Among Heroes by James McDevitt #BookReview #MilitaryAviationHistory

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Step into the heart of history with A Walk Among Heroes, a sweeping tale of courage, sacrifice, and enduring love that transcends generations. This powerful World War II novel takes you on an unforgettable journey through the lives of ordinary men and women who became extraordinary in the face of unimaginable challenges.

Through the eyes of T.J., a young soldier returning from World War II, and Smitty, a World War I ace haunted by the ghosts of his past, the story weaves a rich tapestry of interconnected lives shaped by war, hope, and resilience. Anchored by a love story that defies time, the novel masterfully bridges two world wars, exploring the bonds of family, the weight of duty, and the ultimate cost of heroism.

A Walk Among Heroes isn’t just a novel—it’s a testament to the power of love, memory, and courage in the face of humanity’s darkest hours. This beautifully crafted tale will inspire and resonate with readers long after the final page is turned.

His Review:

Serving our country to many is a calling and to others a demand. During the Vietnam War the government reopened the draft and avoiding the war was not an option. It wasn’t for me either.

The first night was an introduction to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, listened to until four in the morning. Staying awake during the recording was impossible for most of us. The next step is the swearing in and then boot camp. After being pretty well scalped, everyone looks the same. Bonds are formed with people you would never associate with under ordinary circumstances. The completion of tasks requires teamwork. Staying alive also requires teamwork and you soon learn to rely upon your brothers in arms.

This book visits the bonds that are formed when the people next to you may hold your future in their hands. This is particularly vital when you are moving forward with people shooting at you. Having someone to think about and love back home gives you a goal to strive for staying alive.

James McDevitt provides a very clear picture of the brotherhood of men in arms. It is a testament to someone who has served and watched someone take a bullet to save the life of a fellow soldier. The pain that their sacrifice causes lives with the survivors for the rest of their lives.

The narrative places you in the middle of the chaos, the boredom, the experience of one who’s been there, seen it, done it—and authentically conveys the emotions. A very thoughtful read and highly recommended to those who enjoy action-packed spell-binding stories. 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.

Book Details:

Genre: Military Aviation History, World War II History, Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Independently published
ISBN-13: ‎979-8992459807
ASIN: B0DT25MG9P
Print Length: 304 pages
Publication Date: November 11, 2025 – Just Released!
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: James McDevitt is a firefighter, an infantry officer, and author with a passion for crafting stories that capture the courage, sacrifice, and connections forged in the crucible of war. With two deployments to Iraq, and one deployment to Syria, James draws on his firsthand experiences to create gripping, heartfelt historical fiction. His debut novel, A Walk Among Heroes, blends authentic detail with timeless themes of love, loss, and resilience, inspired by true events and a deep respect for history. When he’s not writing, James enjoys woodworking, playing guitar, and jiu-jitsu. He currently resides in Alabama with his wife, Lindsey, as they prepare to welcome their first child. Connect with James on social media or through his website to follow his journey and upcoming projects.

#SundayRead

The Gift from Aelius by Michael Colon #BookReview #Post-ApocalypticScienceFiction

Book Blurb:

In the not-too distant future, A191, a Codex with artificial intelligence, feels like a misfit in Paradise, a walled city in the middle of an endless desert where humans imprisoned his race long ago. He’s not like the others of his kind; he longs to meet humans and make peace with them so man and Codexes can be reunited in the world. These thoughts and feelings are not allowed in Paradise; he risks banishment to the desert by the Overseer A. I. who rules by fear and force. Complicating matters, A191 has a glitch in his programming that conjures up a human boy named Aelius who tells him to go to Old Haven where he will find freedom. However, he’s drafted into a rebellion against the Overseer, and as Paradise enforcers close in with orders to terminate him, he escapes the city to wander the desert in search of humans. The journey reveals the truth about his existence, the Overseer’s lies, and the consequences of mankind’s untethered technology.

His Review:

Could the beginning of the decline of mankind be at hand? This is an ongoing theme in this book by Michael Colon. The book explores the development of various robots and other artificial life forms. The central character is a robot who does not follow the norms or codes of society. He and others of his generation are policed by robotic law enforcement that looks to eradicate any non-conforming life forms in society.

The Utopia of the story has an assembly of police groups who arrest the aberrant bots and then disassemble them. Piles of dismembered parts litter various areas in the city. Of course, with every attempt at weeding out the undesirables, further deviants continue to surface. Squads of the robot police scour the cities for those who do not conform to their laws. (Sounds very similar to some of the problems around the world with wars between societies.)

My appreciation for the story is enhanced by the development of some of the current technologies being utilized for the benefit of mankind. The reduction in various industries of manual labor being replaced by automated systems is the foundation of the scenario in this tome. Read and enjoy this topical, controversial contemporary narrative. 4 stars – CE Williams

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

Rosepoint Publishing: FourStars

Book Details:

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction, Literature & Fiction
Publisher: TWB Press
ISBN-13: 978-1959768739
ASIN: B0DLJCC1SL
Print Length: 188 pages
Publication Date: October 29, 2024 – Just released!
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Kobo

Autumn reading time

Rosepoint Reviews – October Recap – Can Holiday Books Be Around the Corner?

Rosepoint Reviews - October Recap

October harkens not just a change of season or weather for us, but personally, the mad dash to the end of the year beginning with our daughter’s birthday the middle of October. Then it’s on to Halloween, followed in quick succession with Thanksgiving in November and Christmas and end of year holidays.

Our trip to southern Illinois for her birthday found us exploring a botanical garden in Springfield, somewhat disappointing with not only the size but end of season flower displays. Usually, we love botanical gardens this time of year as they yield some interesting seeds (shush!), but there weren’t many of those yet either. We loved the bell tower though, the sound much like an active cathedral. Unusual trees—but unfortunately no name plates to tell us what they were. Also, our granddaughter arrived with her family to celebrate her mother’s birthday so we got to see our great-grandchildren. Good grief, have they grown!!

The CE and I joined the “Summer Sizzle” promo at our Y, attended extra exercise classes and were awarded our free t-shirts. Keeping with the social interaction, the Y also started a Bingo get-together once a month, using the holiday theme (Halloween for October, of course) for prizes and lunch (pumpkin pie—I suspect we’ll also have the pie again in November). Lunch was delicious and the Bingo (although it gave me flashbacks to the years I worked the Bingo kitchen for our kids’ high school bands) was fun.

October 8^th marked our second year with our little rescue Pomeranian, Punkin, now seven years old. She’s pretty much housebroken at this point. She’s allowed me to pet her a couple times—but not approach her unbidden. Unfortunately, she’ll likely never understand what a toy is. She enjoys going outside now—but only when she’s ready. Also, she’s decided my treadmill is a good place to relax. At least it gets some use.

Well, needless to say, I didn’t get a lot of clean-up done on my garden—still trying for one last harvest, but with the consistent cool weather, nothing is ripening. That’s the end of the garden this year. (sad face)

Also, as you might have guessed, October saw more audiobooks than ebooks. We reviewed a total of thirteen books in October—for the first time the majority in audiobook form–with the CE contributing two (ebooks). As always, the major source of our books is the library (audiobooks as well as ebooks), NetGalley, author and publisher requests. The links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase information.

Rosepoint Reviews - November Recap

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver (audiobook)
Asa James by Jodi Lew-Smith (CE review)
After You by Jojo Moyes
Our Souls at Night by Ken Haruf (book club-audiobook)
Imposter Syndrome by Andrew Mayne (CE review)
Crime Writer by Vinnie Hansen
The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel (audiobook)
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand (audiobook)
The Night Fire by Michael Connelly (audiobook)
I Know How This Ends by Holly Smale (audiobook)
Every Last One by Carolyn Arnold
Allied Flames by Jean Grainer
The Intruder by Freida McFadden (audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

The CE gave five stars to Asa James, one of only two he read in October. I did enjoy several books, but only one to the extent of five stars—and that is Michael Connelly’s book, The Night Fire.

Favorite for October – The Night Fire by Michael Connelly

My Reading Challenges page…Another extremely busy month. Family, traveling, the last of the outdoor activities for the season. I’ll try to catch up with Challenges next month.

Yes, I’m still behind on catching up on reviews and my Goodreads landing page shows 159 of a goal of 150, so I’m at 105% of the challenge. I’ll have to catch the others up to figure out what I need to do to win the challenges for Audiobooks, Historical Fiction, and NetGalley, although I suspect the Audiobooks Challenge has been met.

Holiday Books

Are They Just Printed Hallmark Romances?

Yes, the holidays are quickly gaining on us and I usually have a spate of blogging buddies who read and review Christmas or holiday books—not something I usually read! So I wanted to include a shout-out to those who do. There are so many different kinds of holiday novels from romance to cozy mysteries that I thought it would be fun to highlight a few that I run across beginning with the post by Carla at Carla Loves to Read. You might find a whole new reason to check out a holiday book. Please read her blog tour review of Missing at Christmas by Deena Alexander.

Thank you sooo much for your visits and comments. I do appreciate your comments and apologize if I’m slow to respond. Keep those likes and comments coming—and I thank you for each and every one!

Happy Autumn Weekend to you from Rosepoint Publishing

Allied Flames: The Knocknashee Series Book 6 by Jean Grainger #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog #WWIIHistoricalFiction

The Knocknashee Story

in Historical British & Irish Literature

Book Blurb:

After years of letters and missed chances, Grace Fitzgerald and American journalist Richard Lewis have finally confessed their love. Though the world is at war, their bond feels certain and unshakable. But when Richard and Jacob’s plane is shot down over occupied France in 1943, Grace’s world is thrown into turmoil.

Invited to Savannah by Richard’s family, Grace is drawn into their refined yet uneasy world—a stark contrast to her humble life in Ireland. With Richard missing and every sign pointing to tragedy, Grace refuses the luxury of despair. Some things are simply to be borne.

Amid secrets, divided loyalties, and the unrelenting shadow of war, Grace must summon all her quiet strength to endure what cannot be changed. Love may not conquer fate—but it can outlast it.

Allied Flames is the sixth book in the bestselling Knocknashee Series

My Review:

After the apparent loss of Richard in Book 5, Grace goes into deep grieving, embarrassingly more so than the loss of her late husband. Everything, including Richard’s own family, who have invited her to Savannah to join their memorial, points to his irretrievable loss.

But if that is true, why can’t she shake the feeling that he is not well and truly gone? (Isn’t it the hope we all hold that it can’t really be true and we’re simply waiting for proof?)

But devastated or not, she must go on, and does so grudgingly with the help of friends and the community. Wrestling with the invitation to the memorial, she is determined not to go and finds herself doing it anyway. Richard’s family lovingly accepts her into their fold while her (ex-) father-in-law seeks his daughter and her adopted family in a separate thread.

(Yes, it’s a complex story with a number of threads and though Book 6 is beautifully written and compelling, you would probably do best to start with Book 1 if you haven’t already.)

The characters have all earned a place in your heart at this point, and it’s gratifying to be able to follow their lives and those of the village inhabitants. Meanwhile, the author paints a grisly picture of war-torn France and the desperate situation there. Can’t say much more than that. You’ll understand when you read it.

A Grainger book breathes the myths, history, and Irish lives into her emotional and heart-filled narrative’s characters. She is quite the storyteller—maybe it’s that ingrained Irish blarney?—and her stories are compelling and enriching.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this installment of the series. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical British & Irish Literature, Historical Irish Fiction, World War II Historical Fiction
ASIN: B0FCLD5RC3
Print Length: 335 pages
Publication Date: October 13, 2025
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

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

The Author: Jean Grainger is a USA Today bestselling author with over 100,000 5* reviews of historical and contemporary Irish fiction. She is acclaimed for her authentic portrayal of Irish life and history. Born in Cork, she draws from her experience as a history lecturer, teacher, and tour guide to craft characters that feel like friends, and sometimes foes. Grainger’s works span multiple series and standalone novels, covering significant periods in recent Irish history, but told from the perspective of families, the humans behind the headlines. Her stories often intertwine historical events with personal journeys, exploring themes of family, friendship, and human resilience. Grainger’s writing style, characterized by its warmth and authenticity, has earned her comparisons to renowned Irish authors like Maeve Binchy. Her dedication to research and character development has resulted in a loyal readership who feel deeply connected to her stories and characters.

I appreciate you!

Impostor Syndrome: A Thriller by Andrew Mayne #BookReview #TerrorismThrillers

The Specialists Book #2

Book Blurb:

Two fearless investigators unite to stop a media-savvy serial killer from carrying out a cataclysmic crime for all the world to see in a riveting thriller by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

The FBI calls on former agent Jessica Blackwood to look at a puzzling crime. A wildlife officer has found the body of a popular YouTuber encased in an obelisk made of salt in a remote refuge. When the agency is tipped off to a second body, that of a TikTok star chained to the bottom of Nevada’s Pyramid Lake—her hands clasped in prayer—Jessica recruits a trusted colleague of her own: Floridian underwater investigator Sloan McPherson.

It appears to be the work of a ritualistic serial killer preying on influencers. That tracks when a third victim—a fantasy-game live streamer—barely survives a pipe bomb attack. But in navigating the social media world of instafame, manipulation, and deception, Jessica and Sloan know how illusory appearances can be. As the threats multiply across the country, they fear they’re playing with something more extreme than they imagined: a killer’s endgame that could be nothing less than apocalyptic.

His Review:

Bodies are showing up in very unusual places! Two are found in Pyramid Lake area east of Reno, Nevada. One of the two bodies was found in the lake, and one was encased in a couple of tons of salt! Why would anyone encase a body in a couple of tons of salt and then dump it where it could be found? Could this be a sign of witchcraft or a cult?

The FBI calls in Jessica Blackwood to help the investigation into this bizarre event and she in turn calls underwater investigator Sloan McPherson. Has a new cult been formed to fight perceived witches in the West? Why would the FBI be called in to this remote area of Nevada to help with such an investigation? And can the purchase of such a large amount of salt be easily tracked?

The author has developed a very interesting insight into some of the strange rituals that are secret. Old ranches and barns dot many areas in this part of the country, but some of these events cannot be hidden by burning the evidence or facilities.

The investigation leads to a faction cloaked in mystery with Jessica and Sloan working together. Then a third victim is found—alive. The victims do have a connection and the team works solidly to build a suspect pool. Plot and pacing move smoothly and the storyline is clever and keeps interest.

This tome is well written but begs the question, why? I found myself wanting more answers to this and other questions! Secrecy is a main pillar of any cult and many religions. This seems true and the story raises more questions than it presents answers. Read and be bewildered! 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: Terrorism Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN-13: 978-1662522499
ASIN: B0DSLW8Z39
Print Length: 287 pages
Publication Date: October 21, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Andrew Mayne is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose books include The Naturalist, a Thriller Award finalist and Black Fall an Edgar Award finalist Black Fall. He’s the star of the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week special Andrew Mayne: Ghost Diver, where he swam alongside great white sharks using an underwater invisibility suit he designed and also was the star of A&E’s Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne. He currently serves as the Science Communicator for OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT and GPT-4.

@AndrewMayne
AndrewMayne.com

Mature man with glasses reading a book on his cell phone. — AI graphic courtesy Gemini

Peter Pulaski Must Pay: A Novel by Jen Lancaster #BookReview #WomensHumorousFiction #TuesdayBookBlog #

Book Blurb:

In this twisty, hilarious novel, New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster explores what happens when a marriage, friendship, revenge, and the human capacity for deception collide.

Call to order the Friday Night Doom Crew.

They’re an eclectic group of true-crime enthusiasts—a forensic psychologist, historian, and popular Instagram presence among them—dedicated to sleuthing out nefarious offenders and doing whatever it takes to set things right. But when dark secrets threaten one of their own, the Doom Crew grapples with how far they are willing to go to protect her.

Diana Pulaski is the crew’s meticulously organized beating heart whose physician husband, Peter, is secretly a swindler behind an illegal pill mill, not to mention a loathsome cheater involved in an online romance. When they discover the truth, the amateur vigilantes have a plan to make Peter pay. Unfortunately, the closer Diana’s friends are to hunting Peter down, the closer they get to discovering a secret Diana has been hiding.

As the fumbling Doom Crew’s wild ride of vengeance goes awry, they must navigate the consequences of their actions. And Diana, forced to confront the past, must decide to whom she will remain loyal—no matter the cost.

My Review:

I’m not sure what to think or say about this one. And reading many of the reviews, apparently those who’ve read her before are not sure about this one either. It’s supposed to be funny—hilarious even. A suspense mystery? Kinda like the Thursday Murder Club, except that this one is the Friday Night Doom Crew.

I guess the author has a solid, loyal following, but reading those reviews leads me to believe I’m not the only one excited about a premise with promise only to discover that Pulaski plummeted.

Basically, it’s a disparate group of individuals who met on Reddit, clicked, and eventually formed a physical group of true crime enthusiasts. Okay, I’m good so far. But these people start talking or thinking in first person, and although the chapter heading tells me who is speaking, it starts becoming blurry. Who is speaking in this chapter? They each have a deeply developed background and there are some distinctions between characters. There is a wide range of experiences and ages, but I began to get antsy waiting for something, anything to happen.

“…people use the word “irregardless” all the time, “irregardless” of it being incorrect. In which case it’s so commonly misused that it’s kind of okay, like how “whoa” is so commonly misspelled as “woah” that people totally use it now and it’s fine.”

The culture, generations previous to mine, got a bit weary with all the snark, sarcasm, references, and acronyms. The focus gradually points to Diana (within their own group), married to Peter, who is found to be the type of criminal in which they craft a just dessert. Diana is supposed to be a sympathetic character, but I was ready to slap her up side the head more than once. She has a daughter, Lilly, who will not be following in mom’s footsteps—thank heaven.

“…adore my daughter, despite the fact that she is a bona fide energy vampire.”

“…it’s never the wife’s fault but always her problem.”

It gets to be too much:

Sarcasm disguised as humor,
Clichés,
Negative energy,
Slower pace owing to over-descriptive flashbacks,
Age-shaming,
Twisted but stupid plot device,
Juvenile ending in disbelief…really?!

Don’t ask me why I hung in there—desperate for something to read and too busy to look for another book? I guess there is that curious tickle, gotta see where it’s going?

My first novel by this author. Interesting writing style I’m sure many younger readers might enjoy. It’s just not for me.

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

Rosepoint Rating: Two point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Women’s Humorous Fiction, General Humorous Fiction, Amateur Sleuths
Publisher: Little A
ISBN: 978-1662530715
ASIN: B0DTJBS579
Print Length: 311 pages
Publication Date: September 2, 2025
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Jen Lancaster is a New York Times bestselling author who has sold well over a million books. From Bitter Is the New Black to The Tao of Martha, Jen has made a career out of documenting her attempts to shape up, grow up, and have it all – sometimes with disastrous results. Her NYT bestselling novel Here I Go Again received three starred reviews (Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly). Her memoir I Regret Nothing was named an Amazon Best Book of the Year, and she’s regularly a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards. She loves bad TV, terrible wine, and will die before she gives up her Oxford comma.

Jen can often be seen on The Today Show, as well as CBS This Morning, Fox News, NPR All Things Considered, among others. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and her many ill-behaved dogs and cats. Visit her website: jenlancaster.com, Twitter: @altgeldshrugged, Instagram: @jennsylvania, or Facebook.com/authorjenlancaster.

Hear the stories behind Jen’s books on The Stories We’d Tell in Bars podcast, available on iTunes, Podbean, Spreaker, GooglePlay, and iHeartRadio, among other entities.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q Sutanto #AudiobookReview #cozymysteries

A Vera Wong Novel, Book 2

Editors’ pick Best Books of the Year So Far 2025

Book Blurb:

Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.…

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera’s teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly’s girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn’t be ungrateful, even if one is slightly…bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena’s, Vera finds a treasure trove: Selena’s briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for.

Online, Xander had it all: a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can’t seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander’s murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn’t do for her future daughter-in-law.

My Review:

I love that we are beginning to see more and more mature protagonists in mysteries as capable and intelligent. Add to the cozy equation, an MC of a minority.

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping by Jesse Q Sutanto — Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping cover – US

So much to learn in the culture and that’s one of the things I enjoyed in this novel. While tiring of culinary cozies, I both enjoyed the names and descriptions of the foods offered continually in the narrative, but also remembered there were a number of spices and ingredients I would not have been so crazy about. Not everyone is going to go bonkers for everything she cooks.

Not having read Book 1, I wasn’t sure what I was in for, but quickly came to appreciate the energetic and curious sixty-one-year-old. Yeah, I got a bit weary of Vera calling herself an old lady when I didn’t think of myself as that until the last couple of years. Of course, some of that helpless old woman act was a ploy for distraction so she could penetrate new layers of information.

Apparently the experience from Book 1 of the successful solving a murder committed in her tea house endowed Vera with a new prospective. For one, that encounter introduced her to a new world, some of which will remain in the form of a possible wife for her son and the hope for grandchildren.

The characters include a diverse cross-section of the area and neatly captured themes of family (not by blood), relationships, food, culture, and tea—some formulas ancient but effective. I enjoyed the character of Millie.

Vera goes about investigating the death of a participant in the dark world of human trafficking—but not for what you might have imagined—and something certainly I never thought of. There are twists and turns and the storyline is well paced.

Okay, thinking maybe I missed something by starting with Book 2, I’m going back to Book 1 and check it out. Not the first time I’ve done it backwards. The narrator bothered me a bit, but I’m opting for another in audiobook form so I can multi-task as usual. Plus, I like the covers.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Asian American & Pacific Islander Literature, Women Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Penguin Audio
ASIN: B0DCGR3CN9
Listening Length: 10 hrs 35 mins
Narrator: Eunice Wong
Publication Date: April 01, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto is the author of adult, YA, and children’s middle grade books. She has an MSt in Creative Writing from Oxford University and a BA in English Lit from Berkeley, though she hasn’t found a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. The film rights to her women’s fiction, Dial A for Aunties, was bought by Netflix in a competitive bidding war. Her adult books include Dial A for Aunties, its sequel, Four Aunties and a Wedding, and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Her YA books include The Obsession, The New Girl, and Well, That Was Unexpected. Her MG books include Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit and its sequel, Theo Tan and the Iron Fan. Find her on Twitter @thewritinghippo and on Instagram @jesseqsutanto.

Woman cooking dinner while listening to an audiobook. — AI photo generated by Gemini.Google.com

Two Audiobooks Mini-Reviews – Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride: A Novel by Will Leitch and Our Last Wild Days: A Novel by Anna Bailey

Still catching up on audiobook reviews, here are two more, one of which is getting quite a bit of attention. (Links on individual covers are to Amazon.)

LloydMcNeil’s Last Ride: A Novel by Will Leitch

Editors’ pick Best Books of the Year So Far 2025

Soon to be a major motion picture.

HarperAudio
May 20, 2025
Narrator: Chris Andrew Ciulla

Four Stars

Police officer Lloyd McNeil has been given a death sentence. Not by his job. And in no way could he have expected.

The big problem is that McNeil has a son, if there can be a bigger problem than dying young. And that problem is a young, dependent son.

I don’t remember specifically if the main character actually went through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). What pulled me in was the prognosis, what kept me reading was how he was going to solve the problem of taking care of his son after his death. Given the time frame, he didn’t have a lot of time to solve that and seemed more like he went from denial straight to acceptance.

The novel becomes a final, loving, teaching, philosophical tome to his son. The narrative is infused with a sense of humor, which I appreciated, as there were also times when the philosophical pages became a bit long and heavy, points repeated with slightly different wording that slowed the pace.

McNeil hatches a plan that goes awry more often than not. It’s a heavy character-driven story that takes a unique circumstance and tries to instill the depth of emotion the plot would demand. Well written, although I was a bit underwhelmed with the ending.

Our Last Wild Days: A Novel by Anna Bailey

Simon & Schuster Audio
May 20, 2025
Narrator: Kate Handford

Three Stars

I’m one of those readers who enjoys stories of Louisiana, usually colorful and colloquial.

I thought it might be atmospheric. And it was. Just not the way I expected.

Loyal Mae returned to Jackknife for her mother who is rapidly declining. She finds an ally in Sasha, another journalist. When Loyal’s childhood friend is discovered dead in a bayou, she becomes embroiled in getting to the truth of her death. Cutter had two brothers, neither of whom was particularly crushed by the loss of their sister.

It’s a slow burn of a plot and then turns dark, nasty even, getting into topics I’d never have considered had I known they were all included. These are often graphic depictions, one of which I’d never heard of that almost turned my stomach.

This might be the darkest that mankind can hand out. Perhaps we haven’t left barbarism behind us after all.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to these books. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Happy Listening!