It's a drizzly Wednesday morning in the Valley. Yesterday Jo and I had a nice day out, even had lunch at a local bistro. It was great. I bought a few books but I'll get to those in a later post. Today here is your midweek music medley.
Midweek Music Medley Wednesday 20 Oct 2021
1. American rock band Beach Bunny - Cloud 9 (2020).2. American indie folk band Big Red Machine ft Taylor Swift - Renegade (2021).3. English indie pop band Blueboy - Remember Me (2013).Enjoy the rest of your week.
I've finished two books this week. I'll provide reviews for both, plus the synopses of the next two books. I'll also provide synopses for some new books and then continue with my ongoing look at Women Authors I've been enjoying.
Just Finished
"Bloodlist is the first book in fantasy author P.N. Elrod Vampire Files series. I've enjoyed other books in the series and was glad to finally see how it all began. I was a bit disappointed actually. I mean it was an entertaining, action-filled series but I think there was a bit too much thrown into the mix and it left me feeling somewhat more confused.
I hoped the story might show how night club owner Jack Fleming became a vampire. Now it's very possible I missed it in this short novel, but I don't think so. There are intimations that he was made a vampire by a woman, Maureen, but that's about as far as it goes.
In this story, Jack is an ex-NY reporter who has moved to Chicago to start a new life. Maureen has disappeared, may be dead. The story starts sort of in the middle. Someone has tried to kill Jack and he wakes up on the shore of Lake Michigan. His memory of the events are very hazy but over the course of the novel, he begins to have visions of the events. Jack goes back to the town where his family are buried to get some soil that he can use as his hidey hole??? (vampire stuff). Staying in a hotel room, sleeping through the day in a steamer trunk with bags of soil, Jack wakes up one night and has a note from someone. This turns out to be PI Charles Escott (who turns up in all of the later novels). Escott knows he's a vampire. He offers to help Jack find out what happened to him.
As this series is set in the Capone - run Chicago (or just after), Jack begins to investigate mobsters who own night clubs. He's discovering his vampire powers; ability to fade out, ease through walls, over power with his mental strength, etc. As I say, there is a lot thrown out in this book. The investigation leads to more violence, murder attempts on Escott and Jack. We meet other characters from later books, African-American gangster and Escott's friend, Shoe Coldfield, and night club singer, Bobbi, who will become a love interest in later books.
The story is entertaining, somewhat frustrating, filled with action, murder / mayhem and vampirish activity, but also kind of confusing and leaves with more questions than answers. Now to find the 2nd book!! (3 stars)"
"[author:John Wyndham|36332] was one of the authors who got me started on my enjoyment of Sci-Fi. I think the 1st I ever read by him was The Day of the Triffids, loved it. And then The Chrysalids, also loved it. Over the years, besides rereading the first two, I enjoyed his others as well. He had a very understated way with telling his stories, but still created tension, interest, even fear. More recently, I've discovered he wrote other books, some early works published under pen names and two later books that were discovered and published by his estate. [book:Web|13580123] was published in 1979, 10 years after his death.
I'd have to say this falls more under the horror genre than Sci-Fi. A wealthy philanthropist wants t create a perfect society and buys an island in the Pacific where he wants to set up a colony. A group of men, women and children are selected and head to the island where they will establish a colony and see what they can create. The island originally was inhabited by a tribe of cannibals. Over the years, they were attacked by German troops trying to establish a Navy base during the War; taken over by the British commonwealth but left relatively on their own. In the '60s, there were nuclear tests nearby and due to risk of radioactive fallout, the island was purchased by the British government and the islanders moved to a new island for their safety. The medicine man lays a curse on the island.
Moving ahead, many years later, the radioactivity has been reduced to acceptable levels and the island is purchased by Lord Foxfield for his colony. The first half of the story deals with a brief history of the island and the voyage to it. The last half deals with the events that take place on the island and the discovery that the colonists are not alone. You can maybe guess who else lives there from the title??? Yes you're quite right, a group of cannibalistic web designers.. No, you're wrong.
I won't go into the story any more than that, but suffice it to say that it was definitely creepy and made my skin crawl as I got into it. That has something to do with my fear of..... well, read it. The story focuses on two main characters; the narrator Arnold Delgrange, a man who had lost his family in a car accident and wants to try something to wake up his life, and Camilla Cogent, a biologist. She was my favorite character, down-to-earth, smart, imperturbable, such a strong character. The story moves along nicely, in an under-stated way, and holds your attention. Some excellent discussions between Arnold and Camilla, about 'balance of nature', the role of man, etc. And a creepy, scary story. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Alex and Leslie Twisden said they would pay any price to have children. But some costs are too high.
Adam and Alice Twisden know they're not like other kids.
Other kids don't get locked in their rooms at night.
Other kids don't hear strange noises outside their door.
Noises which are getting louder..."
"A special 40th anniversary edition of the classic, bestselling novel that novel that launched James Herbert's career
It
was only when the bones of the first devoured victims were discovered
that the true nature and power of these swarming black creatures — with
their razor sharp teeth and the taste for human blood — began to be
realized by a panic-stricken city. For millions of years, man and rat
had been natural enemies. But now for the first time — suddenly,
shockingly, horribly — the balance of power had shifted..."
New Books
"A celebrated foreign
policy expert and key impeachment witness reveals how declining
opportunity has set America on the grim path of modern Russia—and draws
on her personal journey out of poverty, as well as her unique
perspectives as an historian and policy maker, to show how we can return
hope to our forgotten places.
Fiona Hill grew up in a world
of terminal decay. The last of the local mines had closed, businesses
were shuttering, and despair was etched in the faces around her. Her
father urged her to get out of their blighted corner of northern
England: “There is nothing for you here, pet,” he said.
The
coal-miner’s daughter managed to go further than he ever could have
dreamed. She studied in Moscow and at Harvard, became an American
citizen, and served three U.S. Presidents. But in the heartlands of both
Russia and the United States, she saw troubling reflections of her
hometown and similar populist impulses. By the time she offered her
brave testimony in the first impeachment inquiry of President Trump,
Hill knew that the desperation of forgotten people was driving American
politics over the brink—and that we were running out of time to save
ourselves from Russia’s fate. In this powerful, deeply personal account,
she shares what she has learned, and shows why expanding opportunity is
the only long-term hope for our democracy."
Women Authors I'm Enjoying - Phyllis Gotlieb
Phyllis Gotlieb was a Canadian Sci-Fi author who lived from 1926 - 2009. I discovered her work in early 2000's and found her story-telling so unique. She wrote standalones and a series featuring the Star Cats which are funny and excellent. Over the course of her life she wrote 15+ novels and collections. So far I've read 6 of her books and enjoyed them all. I also have one awaiting my attention on my bookshelf. I'll highlight the last 2 books and also the one I haven't read yet.Phyllis Gotlieb
"Kingdom Of The Cats his is the third and final book in the Starcats series by Canadian science fiction writer, Phyllis Gotlieb. I've enjoyed the series and other books by Gotlieb very much. She has a unique take on the Science fiction novel.
I had issues with Kingdom of the Cats even as I ultimately enjoyed the whole of the story. It was very complex, which in itself is not a bad thing. What I mean is that it was often difficult to ascertain where in the universe we were at a particular time and who was speaking or performing actions or who even the heck they were.
As I mention, complexity is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact, it can make you pay more attention to the story, which was the case for me.
So there, now what was the story about? A group of Starcats, including Emerald and Etrem and 'the twins' come to the Earth and are placed in what I presume is the Grand Canyon. A catastrophe occurs, in which the majority are killed by a secret band and they are skinned as well. The rest of the story focuses on the investigation; by the Cats, Earth police and GalThree investigators. As well, we have a situation on a separate planet, where smugglers are killing and stealing special pearls. Into the mix as well is the Quemedon being who was responsible for locating the Cats on their planet and who has influenced their lives in both of the initial stories' A Judgment of Dragons and Emperor, Swords, Pentacles.
Once you wrap your mind around the complexity, if you are able to, you find a rich, interesting story, with more history of the Cats, fascinating, sympathetic character and lots of action. Well worth trying, but if you want to, you should read the stories in order to gain a familiarity with the Cats and their lives and friends. (3.5 stars)"
"Canadian writer/ poet, Phyllis Gotlieb has written some of my favourite SciFi stories, especially Sunburst. A Judgment of Dragons contains four short stories featuring the giant red cats from the planet Ungruwarkh, the male, Kreng and his telepathic mate, Prandra. Unfortunately, the first story, Son of Morning, was also contained in another book of short stories I'd already read, Son of Morning and Other Stories, but it was still nice to be reintroduced to Prandra and Kreng with that story and then to continue with three other stories featuring the irrepressible pair; The King's Dogs, Nebuchadnezzar and A Judgment of Dragons.
The four stories could just as easily have been one novel as the stories follow on one after the other as the two cats go to GalThree (AKA Earth) so Prandra can learn to use her esp powers better and they can obtain assistance from the Federation in helping the planet Unruwarkh become more self sufficient. Prandra and Kreng are wonderful characters, grumpy, loving and just fun to read about. Each story is almost a mystery, as the two find themselves in situations that need resolution. The supporting cast; Espinoza, an esp brain who accompanies the in the first story, Kinnear, a blunt security official in the 2nd and 4th stories and others, are all excellent as well. The stories were very enjoyable and just added to my love of Gotlieb's writing. Check her out. (4 stars)"
"A mature alien woman judge sees an amphibious human woman, obviously a slave, displayed in a tank in front of a sex palace. And so an interstellar plot of murderous proportions involving many races and planets, galactic corporations, exploitative sex and horrible slavery is revealed."
The complete list of Gotlieb's works can be found at this link.
Waiting for the sprinkler guy to show up and clean out the sprinkler system for the winter. While I wait, here is your midweek music medley.
Midweek Music Medley - 13 Oct 2021
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Jo and I went out to dinner at the Black Fin last night, had a nice evening with a couple we know and hadn't seen for 4 years or so. Today it's windy and rainy. Jo is out shopping and I'm watching The Fugitive (old TV episodes) and doing laundry. 😏 The puppies are watching the front door waiting for Mommy to come home.
While I'm sitting here I'm going to do an update; I've got some new books since the last update, including one that was dropped in my Little Free Library out front. I finished a book, one that I've had on the go since July. I'll provide my review of that book, as well as the synopses of the new books and the next book I'm going to start reading. Then I'll finish with my ongoing look at Women Author Whose work I've been enjoying.
Just Finished
"I purchased Capital by John Lanchester after my wife and I had enjoyed the 2015 BBC mini-series based on the book. It's been awhile now that I've had the book but I finally dusted it off and gave it a go.
I had a vague remembrance of the series and the book definitely helped bring back the premise and characters. The book follows a group of disparate characters who live on and work on an affluent street in London, Pepys Street. It's a great mix of personalities; Pakistani corner shop owner, Ahmed, his wife Rohinka, their children and his brothers; financial stock market analyst Roger and his free spending wife Arabella; long time resident, elderly widow, Penny and her married daughter, Mary (also Mary's son, Banksy type performance artist, Smitty), Polish painter, handy man extraordinaire, Bogdan, pretty Hungarian nanny, Matya (who works for Roger and Arabella); 'illegal' Nigerian immigrant and parking meter maid, Quentina and many other people associated with this basic group.
The story opens with mysterious post cards being dropped in the residents' mail slots, stating 'We Want What You Have'. This ongoing 'harassment' of the residents is always in the background, but the basic premise of the story is the lives of the residents and the story jumps between characters in each small chapter. We have Penny, widowed for a number of years, now in the slow process of dying, attended by her daughter Mary. You have Roger, living high off the hog, awaiting his Xmas bonus from the financial company who employs him, to be disappointed. Bogdan, industrious and hard-working, trying to save money to help his parents back in Poland, and his trials and tribulations with his love life. Ahmed, the elder son, keeping his family together, dealing with his mother back in Pakistan, while his younger brother deals with unwanted guest Iqbal (is he a terrorist threat?). Young Senegalese soccer phenom, Freddie Kano, moves into the neighborhood, trying to make an impact in the English premiership.
It's an interesting group, well-crafted story, filled with relationships, tragedies, life lessons and with a final finding in the mysterious letter-sender. You get a nicely crafted picture of the people, the street, their lives, all making for an entertaining story. I will say that it didn't blow me away, maybe because I'd seen the series, but even so it still seemed fresh and interesting. It was easy to put the book down but also easy to get back into the flow of the story and it flowed very smoothly from story line to story line. Most enjoyable. (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"A teenage girl is held captive and brutally
tortured by neighborhood children. Based on a true story, this shocking
novel reveals the depravity of which we are all capable.
This novel contains graphic content and is recommended for regular readers of horror novels" 😬
New Books
"For Chicago sociology professor Amelia Emmet, violence was a research topic--until a student she'd never met shot her.
He
also shot himself. Now he's dead and she's back on campus, trying to
keep up with her class schedule, a growing problem with painkillers, and
a question she can't let go: Why?
All she wants is for life to
get back to normal, but normal is looking hard to come by. She's
thirty-eight and hobbles with a cane. Her first student interaction ends
in tears (hers). Her fellow faculty members seem uncomfortable with
her, and her ex--whom she may or may not still love--has moved on.
Enter
Nathaniel Barber, a graduate student obsessed with Chicago's violent
history. Nath is a serious scholar, but also a serious mess about his
first heartbreak, his mother's death, and his father's disapproval.
Assigned as Amelia's teaching assistant, Nath also takes on the
investigative legwork that Amelia can't do. And meanwhile, he's hoping
she'll approve his dissertation topic, the reason he came to grad school
in the first place: the student attack on Amelia Emmet.
Together
and at cross-purposes, Amelia and Nathaniel stumble toward a truth that
will explain the attack and take them both through the darkest hours of
their lives."
"It is the year 2058, and
technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective
Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are
still ruled by just one thing: passion.
When a senator's
daughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she'd been leading
is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the
rarefied circles of Washington politics and society. Further
complicating matters is Eve's growing attraction to Roarke, who is one
of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly
handsome... and the leading suspect in the investigation."
"Yasuko lives a quiet
life, working in a Tokyo bento shop, a good mother to her only child.
But when her ex-husband appears at her door without warning one day, her
comfortable world is shattered.
When Detective Kusanagi of the
Tokyo Police tries to piece together the events of that day, he finds
himself confronted by the most puzzling, mysterious circumstances he has
ever investigated. Nothing quite makes sense, and it will take a genius
to understand the genius behind this particular crime..."
"Verticality,
architectural and social, is at the heart of Colson Whitehead's first
novel that takes place in an unnamed high-rise city that combines
twenty-first-century engineering feats with nineteenth-century
pork-barrel politics. Elevators are the technological expression of the
vertical ideal, and Lila Mae Watson, the city's first black female
elevator inspector, is its embattled token of upward mobility.When
Number Eleven of the newly completed Fanny Briggs Memorial Building goes
into deadly free-fall just hours after Lila Mae has signed off on it,
using the controversial 'Intuitionist' method of ascertaining elevator
safety, both Intuitionists and Empiricists recognize the set-up, but may
be willing to let Lila Mae take the fall in an election year.
As
Lila Mae strives to exonerate herself in this urgent adventure full of
government spies, underworld hit men, and seductive double agents,
behind the action, always, is the Idea. Lila Mae's quest is mysteriously
entwined with existence of heretofore lost writings by James Fulton,
father of Intuitionism, a giant of vertical thought. If she is able to
find and reveal his plan for the perfect, next-generation elevator, the
city as it now exists may instantly become obsolescent."
"It is a year since her
father's death, but Stella Darnell has not moved on. She still cleans
his house every day, leaving it spotless as if he might return.
Terry
Darnell was Detective Chief Superintendent at Hammersmith police
station, and now Stella has discovered an unsolved case in his darkroom:
a folder of unlabelled photographs of deserted streets.
The
oldest photograph dates back to 1966. To a day when Mary Thornton, just
ten years old, is taking her little brother home from school in time for
tea. That afternoon, as the Moors Murderers are sent to prison for
life, Mary witnesses something that will haunt her forever.
As Stella inches closer to the truth, the events of that day begin to haunt her too..."
Women Authors I've Enjoyed - Elizabeth Gaskell
English biographer, novelist and short story writer lived from 1810 - 1865, born in Chelsea and dying in Hampshire. Over the course of her life, she wrote 8 novels, and various novellas, short stories and non-fiction works. I have only read one of her short story collections so far but enjoyed very much. I have two others of her works yet to try.Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
"This collection of short stories contains 4 stories by writer, Elizabeth Gaskell; The Three Eras of Libbie Marsh (1847), Lizzie Leigh (1855), The Well of Pen-Morfa (1850) and The Manchester Marriage (1858). From the introduction by Anna Walters, they were unique not only because they were written by a woman but also for the subject matter. Popular at that time were stories of the upper classes, where women chiefly looked to be married to fulfill their lives. Gaskell's stories featured women as the protagonists, women who were of the lower classes, who had to struggle to live, single mothers, seamstresses, prostitutes. The stories are hard looks at life, but at the same time, feature tenderness, love and even optimism. I loved how she crafted these tales, well-written, well-described and thoughtful. They were very much a pleasure to read as Gaskell creates such excellent pictures and characters and stories. This was my first experience with Gaskell's writing and I'm very happy that I was able to experience her talent. (5 stars)"
"This novel is a study of the contrast between the values and habits of rural southern England and industrial northern England. The heroine, Margaret Hale, is the daughter of a parson whose religious doubts force him to resign his Hampshire living and to move with his family to a northern city."
"Elizabeth Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Bronte (1857) is a pioneering biography of one great Victorian woman novelist by another. Gaskell was a friend of Bronte's and, having been invited to write the official life, determined to both tell the truth and honor her friend. This edition collates all three previous editions, as well as the manuscript, offering fuller information about the process of writing and a more detailed explanation of the text than any previous edition."
A complete list of Gaskell's works can be found at this link. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
It's the 6th of October and this is my first reading update of the month. I've finished two books so far and will provide my reviews of both, as well as the synopses of the next books in line. I'll also provide the synopses of two new books that arrived this week. I'll also continue with my ongoing look at Women Authors whose work I enjoy.
New Books
"A new novelist for me, Saratoga Longshot is the first Charlie Bradshaw mystery by American mystery writer Stephen Dobyns. Charlie is a middle-aged cop from Saratoga NY. He is taking time off to go to NY city to try and find the son of a childhood flame, Sam Chaney. At one point in his teens, Gladys intimated that Sam was Charlie's son.
Sam has disappeared, may be involved selling drugs. Charlie moves into a YMCA in NY and begins to look for Sam. He has a very negative relationship with the young man. Charlie is warned off by the local NY cops in the name of Capt Zack and told to go back to Saratoga as he might screw up a drug op.
So Charlie sticks around, hangs out at the local bar, the Lamplighter, meets Sam's girlfriend, develops a crush on her, is beaten up by 'muggers', continues to be threatened by Zack and also by his boss back in Saratoga.
Charlie is an interesting character, not your normal hard as nails copper. I kind of think of him as Walter Matthau (too old for you to remember him?) or maybe William H. Macy. He's an average guy, likes the history of crime, loves to quote the last statements of criminals before they are captured - John Wesley Hardin's supposed last words to Texas Ranger Lt Armstrong, when the Lt put a gun to Hardin's head, were 'Blow away! You will never bow a more innocent man's brains out, or one that will care less!'
I like how the story moved along. I liked many of the peripheral characters; Driscoll, the man in the green blazer at the Lamplighter, Zack, the crusty, hard nosed Police Lt, Stacy, Sam's girlfriend, who may or may not be playing Charlie, and Victor Plotz, the landlord of Sam's building, who Charlie develops a neat little friendship....
The mystery is interesting but minor to Charlie's musings, I think, but the story does move along nicely and it does end with a good piece of action. There is a lot to enjoy in this entertaining story and I will continue the series. Always nice to find a newish author. (4 stars)"
"I bought Women Talking by Miriam Toews after checking out a list of one author's Top Ten most horrifying novels ever. While I don't think the body of the novel is horrifying, the events that lead up to this novel are.
The novel is based on a true story of a remote Mennonite community where the men, over a period of time, drug the women and abuse them over night. This took place over a long time and the women believed they were being attacked by demons. The truth was ultimately discovered and eight men were sent to jail.
The story takes place after these events and follows eight of the women, from two different families as they meet in the loft of a barn to decide what they must do. Their options; to stay in the community a continue to live with the men who've abused them or to leave the community forever. The women have been subjugated all of their lives; they are not taught to read, so this decision is momentous.
Also part of the story is August Epp. He and his parents had been banned from the community year before but he had returned as an adult and now teaches the boys. He has been asked to take minutes of the meeting. (The women have limited time to make their decision as the remaining men have gone to the city to try and bail out the eight. So they will all be returning.
So this is the basic story, a discussion by these women of what they will do. They were all abused, Ona is pregnant, even though unmarried. Even the age of the women does not matter as it seems even the very young have been mistreated. What can these women do? They've lived their lives here and now must decide whether they have the capabilities of even surviving on their own. So if you want a story with relatively no action, but with immense implications and a terrifying premise, you might want to try this one. (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Jack Fleming, ace reporter, always had a weak spot for strange ladies. And he certainly should have listened to the one who said she was a vampire! Because when a thug blasts several bullets through Jack's back, he does not die--and discovers that he is a vampire as well! First in an exciting new vampire adventure series"
"A millionaire English lord dreams of founding a Utopian community on a remote Pacific island. Among the forty-odd men and women selected for the project are a pestologist named Camilla and the narrator. Within hours of the group's arrival on the sunny isle their radio has been destroyed. Within days several members of the group are dead. Dream turns to nightmare as they discover the island is overrun by a species programmed to resist and dominate any invader."
New Books - (Books by two new authors for me)
"When global climate
change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s,
California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to
masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day.
Fifteen-year-old
Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father,
family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. In a
society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyper-empathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others' pain.
Precocious
and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect
her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community
stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads
to something much more: the birth of a new faith...and a startling
vision of human destiny."
"In the winter of 1937,
the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming
wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip
over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumor - it
seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions around the
village.
Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi
household are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie
music. Death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai
sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house. Soon, amateur
detective Kosuke Kindaichi is on the scene to investigate what will
become a legendary murder case, but can this scruffy sleuth solve a
seemingly impossible crime?"
Women Authors I've Been Enjoying - Lisa Gardner
Lisa Gardner is an American crime writer, born and raised in Oregon. She is author of 15+ novels, of various series and standalone books. I've enjoyed two of her books thus far and have 5 books sitting on my bookshelf awaiting my attention.Lisa Gardner
"Ex-FBI profiler Pierce Quincy has been thrown into his worst nightmare. A car has been found abandoned, engine running, purse on the driver's seat - and his estranged wife, Rainie Conner has disappeared. Did one of the ghosts from her troubled past finally catch up with her?"
"Each time he struck, he
took two victims. Day after day, he waited for the first body to be
discovered--a body containing all the clues the investigators needed to
find the second victim, who waited...prey to a slow but certain death.
The clock ticked--salvation was possible.
The police were never in time.
Years
have passed; but for this killer, time has stood still. As a heat wave
of epic proportions descends, the game begins again. Two girls have
disappeared...and the clock is ticking.
Rookie FBI agent Kimberly
Quincy knows the killer’s deadline can be met. But she’ll have to break
some rules to beat an exactingly vicious criminal at a game he’s had
time to perfect.
For the Killing Hour has arrived...."
"FBI Agent Pierce Quincy is haunted by his daughter's death in a drunk-driving accident. Pierce knew about his daughter's problem with alcohol, and about her loneliness. And so, he is sure, did the man who killed her. Rainie Conner is an ex-cop with a past overshadowed by violence. She was once involved with Pierce in a harrowing case that brought them together personally and professionally. Then, he came to her rescue. Now it is time for her to help him. This killer is different. He has an insatiable hunger for revenge - and for fear. He isn't satisfied with taking his victims' lives - he wants to get inside their minds and strip them of every defence. And his target is Quincy's surviving daughter. Rainie believes that the only way to stop him is to put herself directly into the killer's murderous path and herself become - the next accident."
"On a warm summer night,
in a working-class Boston neighborhood, four family members are brutally
murdered. The father—and possible suspect—clings to life in the ICU.
Murder-suicide? Or something even worse? Veteran police detective D. D.
Warren is certain of only one thing: There’s more to this case than
meets the eye.
Danielle Burton is not only a dedicated nurse at a
locked-down pediatric psych ward but the haunted survivor of a
shattered life. Meanwhile, devoted mother Victoria Oliver will do
anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a
childhood.
The lives of these three women unfold and connect in
unexpected ways, as sins from the past emerge—and stunning secrets
reveal just how tightly blood ties can bind. Sometimes the most
devastating crimes are the ones closest to home."
"Charlene Grant believes
she is going to die. For the past few years, her childhood friends have
been murdered one by one. Same day. Same time. Now she’s the last of
her friends alive, and she’s counting down the final four days of her
life until January 21.
Charlene doesn’t plan on going down
without a fight. She has taken up boxing, shooting, and running. She
also wants Boston’s top homicide detective, D. D. Warren, to handle the
investigation.
But as D.D. delves deeper into the case, she
starts to question the woman’s story. Instinct tells her that Charlene
may not be in any danger at all. If that’s true, the woman must have a
secret—one so terrifying that it alone could be the greatest threat of
all."
The complete list of Lisa Gardner's books can be found a this link. Check her out.
I have finished a couple of books in October and will update that in my next post. I've also got a couple of new books to talk about and will cover those in the same update. For now here is your midweek music medley to get you through the rest of the week.
Midweek Music Medley - Wed 06 Oct 2021
1. Belorussian / Norwegian singer Alexander Rybak - Fairytale (2009). This was the winning song in the 2009 Eurovision song contest. Rybak represented Norway.2. American singer / songwriter Dan Hartman - Relight My Fire (1979).3. English singer / songwriter David Essex - Lamplight (1973).Enjoy the rest of your week. Stay safe.
On Mondays in my Facebook account I usually list a song to start the week off with. But hey - ho, Facebook is down so I'll post my song here. I can always transfer it later. So without further ado, here is your Monday Oct 04 2021 song to get your week started.
Starting Monday Song
1. Italian DJ Alex Gaudino - Destination Calabria (2007).Have a great week.
