Review: A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom

A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

John Boyne is one on my favourite authors. What an original concept this story is. A boy in born in Palestine in A.D.1 just when his father receives an order to kill infant boys under the age of two ... Next chapter begins in A.D.41, in Turkey and is a continuation of the story, with the same characters, whose names whose names are different but always begin with the same letter. What a concept!

Reading A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom was a tour across time, places and events. The idea behind the novel is so unique that it took me several chapters to accept it. But I did, and allowed the author to tell me the stories of a man seeking love, revenge and trying to do become a master craftsman.
I am in awe regarding the amount of research of all kinds the author did preparing to write this novel about the journey across the continents and times.

An excellent read.

Review: A Promised Land

A Promised Land by Barack Obama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent reading. It was so lovely to hear his voice in this audio book, and I found myself learning so much about the politics of the US, along with his person life story. An excellent read.

Review: Shuggie Bain

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The story of alcoholism. The realistic, and true story of a family and how alcohol completely ruins and devastates.

Agnes is Shuggie's mother and she has a drinking problem. At the opening of the story they are living with her parents, but her taxi driving husband is a run around and also doesn't like her drinking. Angnes has three children, Catherine, Leek and Shuggie, and the children are well aware of how alcohol works on their mother. How sad that children have to suffer this.

Only a person who has experienced this lifestyle could possibly write, or understand, this book. I can't even really call it a story as it is more of an account and it is the story of any alcoholic anywhere in the world.

Excellent work.

Review: The Midnight Library

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For all the regrets we have in life, this book shows us where the best place for us at this point in time.

An eye opening experience. A great story.

Review: Silent Bite

Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great Andy Carpenter story. This time a fellow, Tony, is arrested for a murder he didn't commit setting the whole Carpenter team out investigating. Lots of twists as usual and we always get Andy's humour. 

Review: Troubled Blood

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Also known as J.K. Rowling

I will probably be in a minority with this book as I loved it. It was soooo long, but I needed to sink my teeth (brain) into something to occupy my mind (i.e. get my mind off things).  

Strike and Robin are given an old 40 year unsolved case to try to solve. A lady doctor, who seemingly was fine and happy, just disappeared one day on her way to meet her friend after work. She has a baby named Anna, who after all her life of not knowing, just wanted the truth. This was to be her last ditch effort and if they didn't find anything, she would close the book on it.

Of course, Strike and Robin are also working on other cases at the same time and their personal lives come into play.

A very long, satisfying read.

Review: Bark of Night

Bark of Night by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great story by David Rosenfelt. At Andy's vet where Tara has been given a clean bill of health, a man has brought in a dog and paid for it to be put down. The vet has questions about the dog due to a micro chip that he has found in the dog and asks for Andy' help. Very interesting story of how the dog ended up in this position and the whole team is called in to work on a new defense.

 

Review: Nothing Ventured

Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first installment of a great new series, Detective William Warwick #1. 

William, born into an affluent family, has always wanted to become a detective even though his father is a very high profile lawyer and wants him to follow in his footsteps. William does his university education, majoring in art, and then does his training in the police, spending his first two years on a beat with a seasoned constable for training.When his two years was completed and he was to be interviewed to determine his next assignment and purely by accident, his expertise in the art scene became apparent and the MET jumped on his knowledge right away.

Very interesting new series. I love the writing of Jeffrey Archer and look forward to this new series.

Review: Leader of the Pack

Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy tries to get a new trial for his client who is in jail and who he believes is innocent of murder. He successfully defends him, but for the first time Andy begins to have doubts about his innocence.

An excellent read and a great series. I love the narrator of this series, Grover Gardner, and feel that its truly the voice of Andy Carpenter.

Review: The Outsider

The Outsider by Stephen King
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This started off quite good and I thought it was going to be another winner for me. But eventually it just stretched on and on without a destination and became more and more far fetched. Could have been better if I had read other books in the series but I don't think so.

There has been a child murdered in a very vicious manner and a beloved coach is arrested for the crime. There is very little doubt that he was the murderer as there was so much evidence at the scene. Then we venture into the paranormal.

A disappointing read.

Review: Anxious People

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The story states upfront what the story is about, but we are not to think about it just yet. What a great way to start a story.

A woman, a mother, has been replaced by her husband with a new love and at the same time he has taken her children away keeping them in his custody. The woman has lost her job because it was her boss that fell in love with with her husband. Also, the woman doesn't have a place to live. She is feeling quite devasted and desperately is looking for help in order to keep visitation with her girls.

The story comes together in a very unexpected way. An excellent story.

Review: Muzzled

Muzzled by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy's friend Beth has found a stray that seems to have belonged to a murder victim--in fact, the man and two of his colleagues died in an explosion a few weeks ago. But when the murdered man contacts Beth, asking for his dog back, Andy knows there must be more to the story. The man claims his life is in danger, and that's why he disappeared. As much as Andy doesn't want to get involved--anything to avoid a new case--he can't help but come to the rescue of a man who'd risk everything, even his life, to reunite with his dog.

I really enjoy this series. Andy has a sense of humour that will have you chuckling most of the time. His characters are unforgettable, from Marcus, a huge guy that you want on your side, to Hyke who is the biggest depressed, negative person you will ever meet. Lori, Andy's wife, is a former police officer and is now his investigator. She is the type of smart cookie that you want on your side.

An excellent read.

Review: The Edge of Lost

The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A young boy, Shan, is orphaned and living with his uncle in Ireland. One day he discovers secrets about his origins and that his biological father was actually an American. His uncle being not well sets them on a journey to America.

A good read and I hate to say this, but I felt there was something missing from the story. It felt like a Reader's Digest condensed book. Maybe it was just too cut and dried. You knew from the beginning how it would end and it was just a matter of getting to it.

Review: The Evening and the Morning

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and takes place during the dark ages just before the big cathedrals surfaced. It is a great story of love and cruelty. 

Ragna, a Norman noble is betrothed in marriage to an English nobleman, Wilf, and travels to his country to be married. They do spend some happy years before his unfaithful ways surface. In those times it was quite normal to have more than one wife and also very common to own a slave. 

Excellent read.

Review: Hounded

Hounded by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Terrific courtroom and mystery. In this episode we finally discover how Andy and Lori were married and how Ricky became part of their family. A few tears at the end.

Review: Outfoxed

Outfoxed by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Defense lawyer Andy Carpenter spends as much time as he can working on his true passion, the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization he runs. Lately, Andy has been especially involved in a county prison program where inmates help train dogs the Tara Foundation has rescued to make them more adoptable, benefiting both the dogs and the prisoners. One of the prisoners Andy has been working with is Brian Atkins, who has 18 months left on a 5-year term for fraud. Brian has been helping to train Boomer, an adorable fox terrier the Tara Foundation rescued from a neglectful owner. Brian and Boomer are clearly a terrific match. In fact, Andy hopes that Brian will adopt Boomer himself, once his sentence is up. But one day, Andy arrives at the prison to discover that Brian has used Boomer to make an ingenious escape, and man and dog are both in the wind. 

Another excellent read.

Review: Needled to Death

Needled to Death by Annelise Ryan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Loved this story and will be reading the next installment soon. It was a lighter novel and good for these "heavy" times.

Motivated by her own difficult past, Hildy has an unparalleled commitment to supporting troubled clients through grief and addiction in Sorenson, Wisconsin. But when a distraught group therapy member reveals disturbing details about her late son’s potential murder, Hildy goes from dedicated mental health professional to in-over-her-head amateur sleuth . . .
 
Alongside her loyal therapy Golden Retriever, Hildy stumbles through incriminating clues—and an unlikely partnership with Detective Bob Richmond, the irresistibly headstrong cop who shares her passion for helping others. With signs of foul play surfacing all over town, can Hildy and Detective Richmond pinpoint the deadly traits of a sharp-witted killer before another seat gets filled at grief therapy?

Review: The Wives

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This story was quite a ride. A husband and wife, Thursday and Seth, appear in the beginning to be a happily married couple until Thursday begins to tell us about Seth and how he a polyagmist with three wives and three lives. Her version is a bit quirky but seemingly true. But the story unfolds in ways that were quite a surprise. The question is always "who do you believe?"

A good page turner.

Review: Bury the Lead

Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another great Andy Carpenter episode.

Review: Rescued

Rescued by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this episode a tractor trailer load of rescued dogs is found with a murdered man inside and Lori's ex boyfriend is asking Andy to defend him as he was the one that shot the man.

Andy takes the case and also takes all the dogs to his dog rescue shelter. The case goes to court and what a lot of twists and turns.

Excellent reading.

Review: Seven Days

Seven Days by Alex Lake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just discovered this author and absolutely loved this novel. Will be looking for more from him.

A family with sister Maggie and brother James are as normal as can be. Until one day Maggie doesn't come home and eventually is determined to have been abducted and probably murdered.

A huge search is carried out to no avail. Mom and dad keep a bit of hope in their hearts but after about twelve years, it is hard to keep up hope. And James is even in worse condition than his parents. He missed his sister so much and has become dependent on heroin to keep him going.

A very creepy story, one that I just couldn't put down.

Review: Collared

Collared by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another terrific Andy Carpenter episode. Andy is getting so good at helping convicted people prove their innocence and this time is no exception. The twist in this case is a baby that had been abducted from its nanny along with a border collie named Cody. Andy is always threatening to not renew his lawyer license, but in this case it was a good thing that he did.

So lovely to read about Andy and his family now after having adopted Ricky and getting married to Lori.  The writing makes you feel a part of their lives and their happiness.

Review: One Dog Night

One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great dog/courtroom story. I am really enjoying this Andy Carpenter series. Being a dog lover myself and also a fan of courtroom/police/humour, this series just suits me.

Review: Letters to Molly

Letters to Molly by Devney Perry
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

The one star rating is for the writing as it would be excellent and appeal to a very young, romantic audience. Unfortunately the title implied an epistolary but that was not the case.

A couple have been divorced for six years but are having a very "hot" affair and trying to keep it secret. Every time they see each other it ends up in a steamy sex scene.

Seriously!!!!!!

Review: Mr. Nobody

Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A man lacking identification and unable to speak is found semiconscious on a British beach and immediately draws national press as Mr. Nobody. But when neuropsychiatrist Dr. Emma Lewis is invited to assess him, she discovers he does recall something about her own past that no one else knows.

Very interesting story.

Review: Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, And 3 RVs On Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure

Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, And 3 RVs On Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Terrific book. David and his wife Debbie are moving from California to Maine. No big deal right! Huh, what about their 27 or so dogs?

The logistics of this type of move are mind boggling. Just think about it. How would you do it? Fly? Tractor Trailer Truck? Railway? Cars? No, I don't think so. This was a huge undertaking and the trip had to be very carefully planned allowing for every eventuality.

Just loved this memoir of their cross country trip, intermingled with stories of their individual dogs.

Review: Fair Warning

Fair Warning by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Veteran reporter Jack McEvoy has taken down killers before, but when a woman he had a one-night stand with is murdered in a particularly brutal way, McEvoy realizes he might be facing a criminal mind unlike any he's ever encountered.

Enter the villain nick named "The Shrike". 

Shrikes (/ʃraɪk/) are carnivorous passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of 33 species in four genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known as butcherbirds because of their feeding habits.

Jack McEvoy discovers that several women are being murdered in a particular way and then the murders are masked by staging scenes of accidents and suicides. We are given an eye opener into the world of DNA and how it can be used against us.

An excellent read.

Review: Who Let the Dog Out?

Who Let the Dog Out? by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another Andy Carpenter winner. This story opens with a dog being stolen from the shelter. Who would do that and why? What follows is another case that Andy takes on involving diamond smugglers and with a whole new twist.

Review: Sudden Death

Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I STEP OFF THE PLANE, and for the first time in my life, I’m in Los Angeles. I’m not sure why I’ve never been here before. I certainly haven’t had any preconceived notions about the place, other than the fact that the people here are insincere, draft-dodging, drug-taking, money-grubbing, breast-implanting, out-of-touch, pâté-eating, pompous, Lakers-loving, let’s-do-lunching, elitist scumbags.

But here I am, open-minded as always.

This was the opening lines of the book, typical of the style of writing for the series. The banter is entertaining, as always, and the mystery is fun and complex (fun if you don't mind good guys dying).

It was not a simple mystery to solve, and even when it seemed to be mostly solved, there was a sharp twist near the end, and it went off in a wild tangent. 

Always looking forward to the next in the series.

Review: Dog Tags

Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy Carpenter represents a German Shepherd after he has witnessed a murder and is about to be put down in a animal shelter. It turns out that the dog, Milo, and his owner have somehow been put in the middle of something bigger than they anticipated.

A good read.

Review: Unleashed

Unleashed by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another Andy Carpenter winner. In this episode people are being killed and Andy and his associates have to discover what is happening. It starts with a small plane that crashed and a man had died. Eventually they determined that he didn't die due to the crash. Over time different people are being accused and arrested, but it is up to Andy to figure out what is actually happening. Of course there is another golden retriever involved named Crash. Crash was hit by Sam's car, one of Andy's associates and subsequently taken in by Sam who adores him, even to the point of cooking and baking  special food for him.

A good read.

Review: Court of Killers

Court of Killers by William Bernhardt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Quite an entertaining story, but not quite as up to the mark as the first book in the series, The Last Chance Lawyer.

Four men are found baked to death in an oven in an old bakery which is owned by the mayoress of the city. She is brought up on charges and Dan Pike and his firm are hired to defend her.

Its a bit of a dog's breakfast actually and the actual killer is found out in just the last few pages without an actual build up or suspicion of who it might be.

Review: Dear Committee Members

Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Epistolary. Written completely in letters, mostly LOR's, letter of recommendation.
The English department is under attack, literally crumbling after funding cutbacks not to mention a construction crew refurbishing the Economic department’s floor and filling the air with dust, and probably asbestos, to be breathed in by those poor saps unable to scamper off to other environs.

Meanwhile a beleaguered and aging English professor continues to write out letters of recommendation to current and former students looking to parlay their degree into work at the local paintball arena or as unpaid interns. 

It’s wry look at the state of liberal arts education, writers workshops and some inside baseball about the publishing industry. Professor Fitger is an old school grump with a love for the written word but no patience for fools, himself included. A fun diversionary read.

Review: Play Dead

Play Dead by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another Andy Carpenter winner. This time Andy is called to see a Golden Retriever that is due for euthanasia and he makes the quick decision to become the dog's lawyer and take it to court. This starts a domino affect when a girl recognizes the dog as belonging to her brother, who is in prison for murder and the dog was believed to have died as well.

A real page turner. Always looking forward to the next Andy Carpenter installment.

Review: New Tricks

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A terrific story. This time Andy is defending a man accused of murdering his father. One of the main issues seems to be a puppy named Waggy, who is quite a lovely handful. While Andy is working on defending the son, Tara is doing double duty with rearing Waggy.

Lori is visiting Andy and during her visit takes a bullet meant for Waggy. Luckily she comes out of her coma and Andy is able to help her recuperate. This horrible incident seems to bring both Andy and Lori to the realization of what really is important and are making new plans for their future.

Review: Dead Center

Dead Center by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy Carpenter is back in the dating scene but with odd results. Meanwhile, Lori, his true love who moved away back to her home town in order receive a promotion has called him to come and defend a young fellow who is charged with the murder of two young girls. Lori doesn't think this young fellow is guilty and wants Andy to defend him. The murders, which quickly multiply are revolved around a small town called Century where the citizens are involved in a type of religious organization that call themselves Centurians. In this organization the people are told from the time they are five years old how their lives will go, who they will marry and when, etc. Andy is interested in this and believes that the murderers are involved in this cult in some way and sets out to discover the truth. 

An excellent read. 

Review: The Institute

The Institute by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

King had me at the very beginning when Tim Jamieson out of the blue decides to give up his seat on a flight and decides to hitch hike instead. He's not quite sure why he has chosen to do this, but he has and off he goes on a walk that takes him to a small town where he takes a job as a Night Knocker (a job his grandfather once had). He's overqualified for the job but decides to take it, nevertheless. There he meets some interesting people, as one often does in a small town, heck, that is where the truly interesting people live such as Orphan Annie who stole my heart and frankly hasn't given it back.

Just when I was getting into this plot, King changes things up a bit and introduces us to a brilliant twelve-year-old named Luke Ellis who has big plans for his future. Unfortunately, those plans did not involve being kidnapped late at night and being taken to "The Institute" where other teens are being held. Teens with special abilities such as telepathy and telekinesis. There they are all subjected to various tests, shots, experiments.

I'll admit, I felt a little let down when the plot changed from Tim to Luke. I was just digging that story line, them *bam*, start over with this one. The second one started off slowly for me but gradually gathered steam and sucked me in. With over 60 books under his belt, King is a master of character development and creates both likable and non-likable characters which make an impact. I was rooting for the kids at the Institute, hoping that there would be an end in sight to their suffering...but this is King, and you know that he is going to draw it out and makes things truly unsettling and unbearable for his characters.

Review: First Degree

First Degree by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a fun series. Just the right amount of suspense, mystery and humour. In this episode Andy's lady friend, Lori, is accused of murder and he and his team work around the clock to find answers that will clear her. Meanwhile, one of his clients who earned 11 million dollars for a wrongful imprisionment suit, is going to start a shelter for dogs and Andy is going to be his partner.

Just looking forward to the next in the series, an excellent read.

Review: Every Fifteen Minutes

Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Just not my type of book or plot. Became a bit frustrating to read.
A psychiatrist is treating a teenager who has OCD and whose grandmother, whom he adores, is dying.

The story just ran on seemingly without a direction. Lisa Scottoline is still one of my favourite writers, just not this book.

Review: Most Wanted

Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Very sad to think that I disliked this book so much as its from one of my favourite writers. The first few chapters just went back and forth with "no its not, yes it is". Seriously not a good topic at all IMO.

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Review: The Last Chance Lawyer

The Last Chance Lawyer by William Bernhardt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dan is a lawyer who works extremely hard for his clients regardless if they are innocent. He is noticed by an entrepreneur who has a team of lawyers working on what he classifies as the last chance lawyers. His first case is to represent a Hispanic woman who is trying to stop a little girl from being deported. She had been taken to the US by her parents from El Salvador, but later the couple was killed in an accident, leaving the little girl on her own. Gabriella is caring for her and wishes to adopt her, but the underworld figures are against her. If she is not successful, the little girl will be returned to El Salvador and will be sold into the sex slave business that is rife in that area.

A very current story and an excellent read.

Review: Feared

Feared by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this episode the ladies are being sued by three men claiming reverse discrimination. Adding to that Mary is in her late stages of pregnancy makes this another mad cap, but fun frolic.

An excellent read.

Review: Something in the Water

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A couple have been together for awhile have planned their wedding and wonderful honeymoon. Mark is going to teach Erin how to scuba dive and she has promised to try to overcome her fears. So off they go to Bora Bora, very happily as newlyweds. The first few days are glorious, hitting a snag with a storm midway, but when the storm clears they head out for the scuba trip. They make a discovery in the ocean, a plane had crashed and the people were still seatbelted in.


A terrific story.

Review: Roadwork

Roadwork by Richard Bachman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A disturbing story about a fellow whose house the city it taking in order for there to be roadwork. He doesn't want to leave his house and the main reason seems to be that his son was born and died there as a child and Bart just can't let go. His wife, whom he loves, has left him due to his inability to let go.

A sad story.

Review: Elevation

Elevation by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just an entertaining and odd little novella about a man who is losing weight every day, actually becoming weightless and how his acts of kindness near the end makes him new friends and helpmates.

Review: Nothing to See Here

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Probably a good book, I just couldn't get into it at all.

Review: LT's Theory of Pets

LT's Theory of Pets by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An entertaining story about a fellow whose wife leaves him. Or did she? They have a dog and a cat that started off as his dog and her cat. But in reality he was close to the cat and her to the dog. Apparently she took the dog with her when she left.

This was narrated by Stephen King and thoroughly enjoyable. The ending was a bit dark, but of course it would be as its Mr. King and we would be disappointed without it.

Review: A Good Marriage

A Good Marriage by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very satisfying novella by Stephen King. Asks the question, what would you do if you discovered that your lovely husband of twenty-seven years is actually a serial killer and one of the most evil one at that.

Bob tells his wife Darcy that he is finished with all that and she can count on him that he will not do any more killings. His strange confession to her of course seems to blame the victims and a friend of his who was killed in school before they could carry out a plan to take guns to school and shoot people.

Darcy only discovered the truth by a fluke when she went looking for spare batteries for the remote control in the garage. She uncovered a very secret hiding place where the "trophies" were kept.

An excellent read.

Review: The American Agent

The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The best episode to date. The continuing story of Maisie Dobbs, private investigator and psychologist. We are now into the midst of WWII and things in her personal life seem to be looking up a bit for Maisie.

An excellent read. Hopefully there will be more from the series.

Review: Unwritten

Unwritten by Charles Martin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A bit of a disappointment for a Charles Martin novel. A little bit too much "strong silent man rescues lady in distress". I didn't hate the book and there was some very nice writing, just doesn't live up to his previous novels for me.

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