Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg

 

First Line: There are some things you need to know before I start telling you this incredible, improbable, but absolutely true story.

Struggling actor Wally Nash didn't really know what he signed up for when he agreed to be Edison Bixby's "minder." Bixby is wealthy, handsome, and-- due to a traumatic brain injury-- impulsively rude. Wally has been hired to keep Bixby from offending everyone he meets.

A former police detective with a 100% clearance rate, Bixby is now an insurance investigator who solves his cases by figuring out how the design of the man-made world around us makes them possible.

Wally's first case with Bixby looks like a simple accident, but Bixby is positive that the victim was murdered by design, subtly manipulated into causing her own demise. Now all Bixby has to do is prove his theory before more people die.

~

Having enjoyed and come to depend on Lee Goldberg's laugh-out-loud funny, fast-paced thrillers with his Ian Ludlow and Eve Ronin series, I was really looking forward to this first Edison Bixby novel, Murder by Design. Unfortunately, the book fell flat for me.

Edison Bixby's looks, wealth, and home would make him the stuff of fairy tales if not for his mouth. He's always been obnoxious, but a traumatic brain injury has loosened what few restraints he had on his tongue. No longer in the Los Angeles Police Department, he is now the stuff of nightmares for the insurance company that hired him. The man needs someone to keep a close eye on him to prevent any more lawsuits, and that's where wannabe movie star Wally Nash comes in.

We see everything through Wally's eyes, and for a while, that's entertaining. (He tends to see everything as an opportunity for his Big Break in films.) Also intriguing is Bixby's contention that the design of man-made things can be the source of crime. Then, there's the relationship Bixby has with LAPD officer Bridget McGregor. Not only did McGregor get right up my nose, but I just couldn't buy into how their relationship worked.

In fact, that wasn't the only thing that didn't quite make sense. Too many aspects felt over the top. To be honest, the suspension bridge of my disbelief collapsed two-thirds of the way through Murder by Design. Perhaps it was partially due to my low tolerance of obnoxiousness. Hopefully, your mileage will vary. 

Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg

eISBN: 9781662533600

Thomas & Mercer © 2026

eBook, 236 pages

Thriller, #1 Edison Bixby

Rating: D+

Source: Net Galley

Ironwood by Michael Connelly

 

First Line: Stilwell could hear the plane but couldn't see it.

When Detective Sergeant Stilwell acts on a tip from a confidential informant, the operation goes disastrously wrong, and he's benched until he's cleared of all responsibility. 

Forced to cool his heels, Stilwell decides to clear out the lost and found at his station and finds a valuable backpack that was never claimed. He traces the backpack to a woman who disappeared while hiking four years ago, but the backpack was only turned in two months ago.

There's no way Stilwell can leave this alone, and when he follows this mystery, it takes him all the way to the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard.

Ballard and Stilwell quickly learn that this case has a much wider reach than originally believed, and Stilwell risks his already shaky standing in the police department to pursue it.

~

Michael Connelly's second Catalina mystery, Ironwood, is a pleasure to read. Yes, fans do get an update on Harry Bosch, and they do get to watch Stilwell work with Renée Ballard, but that's merely the icing on the cake. Stilwell is cut from the same cloth as Bosch and Ballard, and his commitment to getting justice for victims means that he often has to find workarounds in an attempt to keep out of hot water with his superiors. I love how the gears in that mind of his are always whirring away.

Ironwood is filled with little tidbits of Catalina Island's past that give the story depth and a true sense of place, but the backbone of this book is the police station and its checkered history. Catalina is where the Los Angeles Police Department sends its disgraced officers, officers who've gotten into some kind of trouble but can't be fired. Stilwell is one such officer, although his "disgrace" was his insistence on doing the right thing when his superiors told him otherwise. This habit of the LAPD causes problems because Stilwell is never told why new officers have been sent to him. He certainly could've used more of this kind of intel before conducting the operation which went so horribly wrong.

In Ironwood, we once again see a master at work. Connelly, a master of characterization, plotting, pacing... the whole enchilada. I am definitely looking forward to seeing Detective Sergeant Stilwell butt heads with his superiors again.

Ironwood by Michael Connelly

eISBN: 9780316595391

Little, Brown and Company © 2026

eBook, 400 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Catalina

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

I Must Get Caught Up on My Reviews!

The time has come for another edition of Catching Up on My Book Reviews. Are you ready? 

I have four books that I want to give you my thoughts on. I have included a link to Amazon US if you'd like to read the synopses or find out more about each book. Here we go!

The Program by Charlie Lovett

Standalone Science Fiction set in New York City

Rating: D

My Thoughts: Lovett has written some wonderful books, like The Lost Book of the Grail, but The Program isn't one of them. This tale of a highly popular new weight loss program kept me intrigued, but when how the program really worked was revealed, it completely lost me. 

This one may not satisfy, but as I said earlier, he has written some wonderful books. 

The Restoration Garden by Sara Blaydes

Dual timeline Fiction set in England

Rating: B

My Thoughts: Julia Esdaile, who specializes in historic garden restoration, has been hired to restore the gardens of Havenworth Manor to the way they were in 1940. Many family secrets are uncovered along the way.

I enjoyed learning more about the language of flowers as well as the garden restoration itself. The characters were sympathetically drawn in both timelines, although the modern-day characters were a bit predictable.

An enjoyable, although not particularly memorable, read.

Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg

#1 Eve Ronin Police procedural set in Los Angeles, California

Rating: A

My Thoughts: When I shared how much I was enjoying Goldberg's Ian Ludlow books, I was told that I should give his Eve Ronin series a try. Of course, I had to.

Eve Ronin (AKA Deathfist) found a way to get the job she wanted in the LAPD, and although she has to put up with nonsense from her fellow officers, she doesn't let that stop her. Goldberg shows Eve's mistakes as well as her real talent as she investigates. 

Filled with Goldberg's usual fast pace, vivid descriptions, and laugh-out-loud humor, I thoroughly enjoyed Lost Hills and look forward to meeting Eve again.

The Missing Checkout Girl Mystery by Rachel Ward

#1 Supermarket Mystery set in England

Rating: B+

My Thoughts: I don't remember how this book first caught my eye, but it did. I was surprised by how many good reviews it had received, and I decided to give it a try because, well... I'd never read a mystery with a supermarket checkout employee as a sleuth. (It also brought back memories of the first time I set foot in a British supermarket and saw the checkout employees sitting down.)

After reading The Missing Checkout Girl Mystery, I am no longer surprised by its good reviews. Bea Jordan and her cohorts are so engaging, and I loved getting to know all of them. In fact, I enjoyed the days of our lives in a supermarket so much that I almost didn't care whodunit.

An added bonus was learning a bit more about British retail, as well as a certain slang term that even had my three English nieces a bit puzzled. (Pasta parcels, anyone?)

Okay. Are you sitting down? You'd better be because I am finally caught up with my reviews! 

Did I tempt you with any of these books? Which ones?

Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere

 

First Line: The reading of Reginald Villamere's will was the event of the season, and until last week, I didn't know the man existed.

It was a shock when Poly Monroe learned she was going to inherit something from millionaire Reginald Villamere. She never knew the man who preserved San Ladron's historic movie theater, but her relatives did. Since Villamere's thirty-year-old will named them and they were both dead, Poly inherited in their place. When she goes to the theater to see her inheritance, she finds one of Villamere's lawyers dead in a storage room.

Townspeople are more interested in "who got what" in Villamere's will than they are in the murder of a stranger, so it's up to Poly to unravel all the clues and button down the killer.

~

The more books I read by Diane Vallere, the more I find we have in common, like believing that one of life's great experiences is watching a movie in an empty theater. In Contesting the Wool, readers follow Poly in and out of a historic theater, and I enjoyed every minute.

One of the things I love about this Material Witness series is the creativity with which Vallere imbues her main character. In this sixth entry, Poly is inspired by her inheritance, and I loved watching her brainstorm a new idea to grow her business. 

I also admit I had to smile when I learned that the plot revolved around a thirty-year-old will that raised no questions, especially since the will was a millionaire's. You see, I recently had problems getting a thirteen-year-old will accepted by various businesses. ("There could be others floating around!" one person said.) I guess that's one of the perks of being a millionaire? But that will really keeps the plot hopping from named beneficiaries to those who thought they should have been included-- and weren't. 

No matter how strong the plots are, this series shines because of its cast of characters. Not just Poly, but her friend, Charlie, who has the best auto repair shop in San Ladron and relishes her reputation as the town's bad girl. Charlie lives life on her own terms, and her character grows with each book. By the way, so does Poly's. For one thing, she's learning that she can't keep expecting her parents to fill in whenever she needs help in her fabric shop. But it's not just Charlie and Poly. There's Sheriff Clark, Tiki Tom, Duke, Poly's old boss Giovanni... the list goes on. 

If you haven't given the Material Witness series a try, I hope you'll change that. A great cast, humor, good mysteries to solve, and watching creativity in action. What's not to like?

Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere

eISBN: 9781954579231

Polyester Press © 2025

eBook, 277 pages

Cozy Mystery, #6 Material Witness

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

 

First Line: To some it's a stage.

Needing a new direction, Mickey Haller has turned to public interest litigation. He's filed a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend.

As Mickey explores the mostly unregulated and exploding AI business and its lack of training guardrails, he joins up with investigative journalist Jack McEvoy. McEvoy wants to be a fly on the wall during the trial so he can write a book about it. Haller puts McEvoy to work wading through the mountains of printed discovery materials in the case, and McEvoy's digging delivers the reluctant key witness. The witness has every reason to be reluctant. This is a very dangerous case because billions of dollars are at stake, and Mickey Haller will have to come up with a brilliant strategy to defeat the forces of the AI industry lined up against him and his clients.

~

Michael Connelly has done it again-- and with a subject that concerns me more with each passing day. While readers get an update on Harry Bosch as well as being able to see what happened in the Los Angeles area during Covid and the wildfires, Mickey Haller's battle against the artificial intelligence industry takes front and center stage in The Proving Ground.

While Mickey hoped that his switch from criminal law to civil law would be less fraught, this lawsuit soon shows him that civil law is every bit as grimy and dangerous. McEvoy's expertise in digging through endless reams of facts is invaluable, and I enjoyed his inclusion as well as watching the rest of the team do everything they could to bring a heartless business to justice. 

The plot of The Proving Ground is filled with twists and turns, even bringing in a case that Mickey lost years ago. The Lincoln Lawyer anticipates some of those twists and turns, but he gets blindsided by others, and this really keeps readers on their toes. 

As much as I enjoyed the plot and the characters, I think what I learned about artificial intelligence meant even more to me. When I think of AI, I'm often reminded of Jeff Goldblum's character in Jurassic Park when he says, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should." Michael Connelly's The Proving Ground is not only excellent entertainment, but it also warns us of a clear and present danger.

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

eISBN: 9780316563840

Little, Brown & Company © 2025

eBook, 400 pages

Legal Thriller, #9 Mickey Haller

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

Tahoe Speed by Todd Borg

 

First Line: Lake Tahoe skier Colin Burns stood at the top of the speed-skiing course in Vars, France, a ski resort south of Mont Blanc, Europe's tallest mountain.

When restaurateur Genevieve Laurent fell in love with speed skier Colin Burns, she began to believe in dreams, just like Colin. However, when Colin died on a speed course in France, her world was upended. 

Some things about Colin's death did not make sense to her, so Genevieve contacted Tahoe private detective Owen McKenna for help. When he did try to help her, tragedy struck, and, feeling responsible, McKenna vowed to find answers, find a killer, and put Genevieve's life back together.

~

Author Todd Borg always knows how to involve his private detective in some fascinating subjects, and Tahoe Speed is no exception. This time, it's speed skiing, which I simultaneously found interesting and frightening. (Sorry, speed skiers, Franz Klammer winning the downhill in the 1976 Olympics is as fast as I want to go.)

Little did private investigator Owen McKenna know that, when he agreed to help Colin's soulmate, Genevieve Laurent, he would become involved in a world of fine dining, insurance policies, protection rackets, and strange weaponry. As always, the mystery is intriguing, and it drew me right in, but the main reason why I will continue to come back for more is the wonderful family Borg has created around his main character. 

Of course, there's his sidekick, Spot, a Harlequin Great Dane, as well as the love of his life, insect expert Street, and her adopted deaf daughter, Camille. And he couldn't get by without all his friends in the local police. I'm also hoping that two new characters in Tahoe Speed-- restaurateur Genevieve Laurent and police rookie Hattie Foster-- will make future appearances.

Even if I don't meet Genevieve and Hattie again, I will always perk up when I know there's a new Owen McKenna mystery available. I'm addicted to this series' fascinating, fast-paced mysteries and their unforgettable characters. Hurry up, Mr. Borg, I'm ready for the next one!

Tahoe Speed by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296335

Thriller Press © 2025

Paperback, 320 pages

Thriller/Private Investigator, #23 Owen McKenna

Rating: A

Source: the author

Nightshade by Michael Connelly

 

First Line: The marine layer was as thick as cotton and had formed a thousand-foot wall that shrouded the entrance to the harbor.

Department politics exiled Los Angeles County Sheriff's Detective Stilwell to a low-key post on Catalina Island. Now used to dealing with the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts in his new territory, Stilwell gets a report of a body found weighted down at the bottom of the harbor. 

Jane Doe is only initially identifiable by a streak of purple dye in her hair. Stilwell is determined to work the case even though it means sharing the investigation with two extremely hostile LA homicide detectives he used to work with.

As Stilwell digs deeper, he begins to uncover closely guarded secrets and a dark inner core to the tranquil island that was supposed to be his escape from the big city.

~

Sheriff's Detective Stilwell is a welcome addition to the Harry Bosch School of Policing. A former sheriff's dive team member, he's a good fit for the quieter pace of Catalina Island in Michael Connelly's Nightshade. 

A new addition to the Connelly canon calls for a new setting, and I really enjoyed getting to know Catalina Island, which-- in Stilwell's world-- is known as "the Island of Misfit Toys" because police officers with blotches on their records are sent there if they can't be fired outright. Naturally, boating plays a big part in life on the island. Stilwell has gotten to know his fellow officers, their strengths and weaknesses, and he's in a relationship with a woman who's always lived on Catalina. Her very different perspective means that they don't always see eye-to-eye.

The investigations are what we've come to expect from Michael Connelly-- intriguing, engrossing, and filled with interesting factoids (like Prada's RFI chips). I'm definitely looking forward to learning more about Stilwell in the next book. Bring it on!

Nightshade by Michael Connelly

eISBN: 9780316588492

Little, Brown and Company © 2025

eBook, 352 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Detective Stilwell

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

The Waiting by Michael Connelly

 

First Line: She liked waiting for the wave more than riding the wave.

 

It's not a good way to start the day: when Renée Ballard goes back to her car after a morning's surfing, she finds it broken into and her badge, gun, and ID stolen. She can't report it without giving her enemies in the department ammunition to end her career as a detective. She works the burglary alone, finally going to Harry Bosch for help.

 

In the meantime, she and the Open/Unsolved Unit of the LAPD have gotten a DNA connection between a recently arrested man and a serial rapist and killer who went quiet twenty years ago. Could this young man be the son of the infamous Pillowcase Rapist? Even Renée doesn't expect the secrets and legal hurdles their investigation kicks up.

 

While all this is going on, Renée takes on a new volunteer to the cold case unit: Bosch's daughter, Maddie, now a patrol officer. But Maddie has an ulterior motive for accessing the city's old records: she's uncovered new evidence in a case that may be the most iconic in the city's history.

 

~

 

It's always a bit like Christmas when there's a new Ballard & Bosch mystery, and The Waiting put a big smile on my face. As Harry Bosch ages, I cherish every scene he's in, and although I know our time with him is undoubtedly limited, I really appreciate how Connelly is passing Harry's torch on to Renée Ballard and Harry's daughter, Maddie. 

Renée is more than happy to add Maddie to her handpicked team. Having another person with a badge will make her own job easier. Now if another team member, Colleen Hatteras, would stop being a bit of a thorn in Renée's side! Renée has done a fantastic job with her team. Since many of the cold cases are so old that the killers the team identifies are already dead or incarcerated, Renée has put a limit to the ones they'll work-- none should go back further than 1975.

The various cases that the team works are woven together beautifully, and Connelly always manages to teach me something about the bad guys. (Beware of some of those apps you love to use...) The case that Maddie came to the cold case team to work is indeed probably the most iconic in Los Angeles' history, and it was interesting to see how Connelly worked that out.

With another engrossing story under my belt, I'm back to waiting for the next time I'll see Renée, Maddie, and Harry. It can't be soon enough for me.

The Waiting by Michael Connelly

eISBN: 9780316563819

Little, Brown and Company © 2024

eBook, 387 pages

 

Police Procedural, #6 Ballard & Bosch

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

Wilderness Justice by Todd Borg

 

First Line: Josie Strong had just gotten home from an afternoon walk with their dog, Unknown, when the phone rang.

 

It's the type of phone call no parent wants to get. The California Bureau of Investigation calls medieval weapons expert Professor Josie Strong to tell her that her fourteen-year-old daughter, Samantha, was picked up on a smuggling charge. It doesn't matter if Josie thinks her daughter was framed, the girl will be sent to prison unless Josie helps them find a killer hiding in Yosemite National Park.

 

With no other options, Josie teams up with a former student to find the killer, little knowing that she's walked right into a conspiracy and she and Samantha will be lucky to escape with their lives.

 

 

~

 

As a longtime fan of Todd Borg's Owen McKenna series set in the gorgeous Lake Tahoe area, I've begun reading this new series with great interest. Wilderness Justice is the second in this series featuring medieval weapons expert Professor Josie Strong and her teenage daughter, Samantha. 

Having visited Yosemite National Park where much of the book is set, I liked watching the out-of-shape professor try to navigate the terrain. As the series progresses, I wouldn't be surprised if her fitness level greatly improves.

Unlike all the other books by Borg that I've read, I had trouble suspending my disbelief in Wilderness Justice. I just couldn't believe that Josie could be quite so naive when faced with a seemingly impossible task, or that she would be asked to do it in the first place. In addition, there's a big plot twist that didn't surprise me at all. In fact, I kept waiting for it to happen. Perhaps I have trouble believing in Josie's naivete because (1) my working life consisted of dealing with the public in all its psychological manifestations, and (2) I've read too much crime fiction. Who knows?

What I do know is that I still liked this book because I enjoyed the character development. I like the way the relationship between mother and daughter is getting closer and deeper. Josie's former student, Cumberland Durand, is a great addition to the cast, and working with Josie and Samantha is changing him, too. There's even a new character, Ralph Ellison, whom I hope to see more of. This series is bringing Josie out of her academic ivory tower and teaching her new things. (Want to learn how to avoid electronic surveillance? You'll find some good tips here.) I have the third book waiting for me, and I look forward to seeing what Josie gets herself into next.

Wilderness Justice by Todd Borg

eISBN: 9781931296762

Thriller Press © 2024

eBook, 352 pages

Thriller, #2 Josie Strong

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Tahoe Rescue by Todd Borg

 

First Line: Georgia Byron Connor's first thought as she rocketed off the switchback at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, wasn't about the make or color of the pickup truck that nearly hit her pearlescent orange sports car head-on.

 

Livvy Paar had begun to think that fairy tales really can come true. From working as a waiter and sidewalk busker in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she became the personal secretary of cosmetics tycoon, Georgia Connor. Livvy even worked and lived in Georgia's mansion on the shore of Lake Tahoe.

But that life was shattered when Georgia died in a car accident. Georgia's children immediately began bickering over their inheritance and told Livvy she had to move immediately. Livvy would've done as she'd been ordered if she wasn't so suspicious that Georgia's car accident had been rigged and that Georgia was murdered. Her suspicions led her to private investigator Owen McKenna's door.

 

Much to his surprise, McKenna found himself involved in a mystery involving modern-day pirates who were after a multi-million dollar painting-- a painting so valuable that they were willing to kill anyone who got in their way.

 

But they didn't realize what would happen when they went up against Owen McKenna and his Great Dane, Spot. 

~

Todd Borg's Owen McKenna series never disappoints. When you pick up one of these books-- like the latest Tahoe Rescue-- you're going to find yourself learning nuggets of local history about one of the most beautiful places on the face of the Earth as well as traveling all around Lake Tahoe itself. You're also going to find yourself immersed in a fast-paced mystery that keeps you guessing, and worrying, about one of the best casts of characters in crime fiction.

Todd Borg's characters have all been about diversity before diversity became cool. Owen McKenna is a former San Francisco homicide detective, and he has friends in local law enforcement. He is deeply in love with a scientist named Street and is willing to have their relationship be on her terms. Street is in the process of adopting a deaf child, and readers can become acquainted with life with the hearing impaired as a result. 

 

In Tahoe Rescue, Livvy Paar is a young woman who is all too familiar with depression. She also has one leg shorter than the other and is a strong believer in yoga to help strengthen her muscles. She feels small and powerless, but she's not. Owen discovers that she's really a little steamroller when he takes on her case against his first impressions. 

If I've made this partial cast of characters sound like a poster for diversity, it's not my intention. Through the course of this series, these characters have become a fictional family. It's only when finishing a book like Tahoe Rescue that I realize that, although Livvy had an odd walk and sometimes behaved strangely, none of Owen's friends treated her differently. It is so refreshing to spend time with nice people!

 

Of course, spending time with nice people (and wonderful dogs) isn't the only reason why I love this series. In Tahoe Rescue, I had an interesting mystery involving stolen art to solve and a thrilling escape from the bad guys through the mountains to experience. I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series because Owen has a bit of a personal awakening as he helps Livvy Paar. Unfortunately, I have an entire year to wait to see what happens next.

Tahoe Rescue by Todd Borg

ISBN: ‎ 9781931296328

Thriller Press © 2024

Paperback, 320 pages

 

Private Investigator, #22 Owen McKenna

Rating: A-

Source: The author.

Wilderness Vacation by Todd Borg

 

First Line: Josie Strong was holding a fork when it slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor.

 

UCLA Medieval History professor Josie Strong is one of the few Black women professors in the country. She's made a success of her career, but when her daughter Samantha's friend is murdered and Samantha is thrown into an emotional tailspin, Josie certainly doesn't feel like a success as a mother. 

Josie books a wilderness vacation out of cell phone range to bond with her daughter. What she doesn't realize is that a killer will follow them into the wilderness, and the only thing she has to protect her daughter and herself is her knowledge of medieval weaponry.

~

Since I am a huge fan of Todd Borg's Owen McKenna series set in gorgeous Lake Tahoe, I immediately pre-ordered Wilderness Vacation as soon as I heard about it. Although it took me some time to warm to medieval history professor Josie Strong and her fourteen-year-old daughter, Samantha, I now know that I'm going to enjoy this series.

After all, who wouldn't like a book featuring an out-of-shape medieval history professor whose glasses are always fogging up? Josie is an intelligent woman. She's made a success of her classes by bringing in medieval weaponry to wake up her students and interest them in history; however, I do question her decision to book a vacation in a remote Canadian wilderness area. Neither she nor her daughter has the slightest knowledge of canoeing or how physically demanding it is to carry a canoe and supplies from one lake to another. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Borg is a master at writing thrilling, fast-paced action scenes, and as Josie and Samantha tried to escape a very determined killer through rough terrain, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The author also has a fondness for dogs-- one that I share-- so it was good to see that these two women soon collected a canine companion. Another thing that I really appreciated is the behavior of the sheriff in the wilderness area. So many authors, in the same circumstances as this sheriff, would have Josie and Samantha treated as prime suspects. Not Borg. His sheriff is intelligent enough to gather all the facts and trust the two-- even though what they did was incredible.

And as the action returns to Los Angeles, another character joins the cast. Cumberland Durand, a former student of Josie's as well as a computer hacker, is an unlikely hero, but his skills shone when he teamed up with Josie and Samantha.

Strong characters, thrilling action, a vivid setting... bring on the next book!

Wilderness Vacation by Todd Borg

eISBN:  9781931296755

Thriller Press © 2024

eBook, 285 pages

Thriller, #1 Josie Strong

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

First Frost by Craig Johnson

 

First Line: "You're too big to surf."

 

It's the summer of 1964 and recent college graduates Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear have enlisted to serve in the Vietnam War. Catching a few final waves in California before reporting for duty, a sudden storm capsizes a nearby boat, and Walt and Henry rescue some of the crew. Unfortunately, the boat was carrying valuable contraband, and the police are reluctant to turn Walt and Henry loose. But they finally do, and the two young men head east on Route 66. They have a date with the military.

Back in the present day, Walt is forced to speak before a judge concerning the fatal events of The Longmire Defense. It doesn't take the sheriff long to realize that he's got some powerful enemies lurking behind the scenes. 

These are two pivotal moments in Walt Longmire's life. Moments in which he stands in the crossfire of good and evil, of law and anarchy, and of compassion and cruelty.

~

When Vic Moretti starts cleaning out Walt's basement and finds a battered surfboard, it's the perfect beginning to the dual timeline tale of First Frost. Although the present-day timeline concerning Walt being questioned about the events in The Longmire Defense is important to his future, it's the treat of seeing Walt and Henry Standing Bear as young men that steals the show. 

Who wouldn't want to see these two on a road trip traveling Route 66, and where else should they be stranded than in the Middle-of-Nowhere, Arizona? Stranding Walt and Henry at the location of an old World War II Japanese internment camp lets Craig Johnson bring out a stellar cast of the weird, the downtrodden, and the deadly, and I relished meeting every one of them. 

Although Walt is still at a crossroads in his life, First Frost is also a return to some of the things longtime fans love the series for. There's Undersheriff Vic Moretti at her mouthy best and Henry Standing Bear, side by side with Walt, for example. I'm hoping that we'll get to see more of these two as young men, but who knows what Johnson has in store for us?

 

Characters, setting, story... Johnson is a master at all three. Moreover, he's also a master of the descriptive phrase that can really grab me. "...cruising away in the school of traffic like a killer whale." "...the hand that had reached up to me in the darkness like a flower breaking from the dark earth." "His eyes came up above the sunglasses again, dark, like swirling drains." 

I'm still smiling after finishing this latest installment in the life of my favorite sheriff, and once again, I'm waiting impatiently for the next. Boy howdy.

First Frost by Craig Johnson

ISBN: 9780593830673

Viking © 2024

Hardcover, 336 pages

 

Police Procedural, #20 Walt Longmire

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen Bookstore.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 

First Line: Back in 1961, when women wore shirtwaist dresses and joined garden clubs and drove legions of children around in seatbeltless cars without giving it a second thought; back before anyone knew there'd even be a sixties movement, much less one that its participants would spend the next sixty years chronicling; back when the big wars were over and the secret wars had just begun and people were starting to think fresh and believe everything was possible, the thirty-year-old mother of Madeline Zott rose before dawn every morning and felt certain of just one thing: her life was over.

 

It's the early 1960s, and chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your typical woman. Only one man at the Hastings Research Institute realizes that she is a treasure: Calvin Evans, the Nobel Prize-nominated scientist who falls in love with her mind.

 

A few years later, Elizabeth Zott finds herself a single mother and-- wonder of wonders-- the very reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show, Supper at Six. Her unusual approach to cooking is revolutionary, but as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo. 

~

I kept hearing about Bonnie Garmus's Lessons in Chemistry, but it took me a while before I finally got around to finding out what all the talk was about. I decided to listen to the audiobook, and I found Miranda Raison's narration perfect. She brought Elizabeth Zott to life.

Elizabeth Zott will strike a chord with most women. Like it or not, most women have dealt with the same problems she has. What makes this story truly wonderful is that no matter the experiences she must endure, Garmus tells her story with a light touch. She never mines the depths, and the reader is never far away from a smile. 

Readers may learn a bit about chemistry, research labs, and television in the early 1960s, but that's merely a byproduct. What I loved about Lessons in Chemistry was the cast of characters surrounding Elizabeth Zott. Calvin, the man who loved who she truly was. Her daughter, Mads. Her neighbor and friend, Harriet, and Walter, her boss at the television station. Oops! I almost forgot her dog, Six Thirty, which is based on the author's dog. The story would not be complete without Six Thirty.

Speaking of the author, there's an author interview at the end of the audiobook which everyone should read after they've read the book. (It contains spoilers.) I think it brought me just as big a smile as Elizabeth and her friends and family did. 

If you're in the mood for a feel-good story, here it is. I loved every bit of it.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Narrated by Miranda Raison.

ASIN: B09BBK79VB

Random House Audio © 2022

Audiobook. 11 hours, 55 minutes.

 

Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Audible.

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

 

First Line: The family gathered in the visitor lot: Jorge Ochoa's mother and brother and me.

 

After getting a wrongfully convicted man out of prison, lawyer Mickey Haller is inundated with requests from incarcerated people who claim they're innocent. He recruits his half-brother, retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch to weed through the letters. Both men know that most of them will be false.

 

When Bosch reads the letter of a woman in prison for killing her husband, a sheriff's deputy, he reviews the case and sees that some things just don't add up.

 

Now Haller has an uphill battle to fight in court. He and Bosch are both in danger from people who don't want the case reopened and will do anything to keep the truth from coming to light.

 

~

 

Reading one of Michael Connelly's books featuring Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch is a sure thing. Readers are guaranteed a roller coaster ride story showcasing how brilliant these two men are at ferreting out the truth and successfully getting justice. I also like how Connelly has dealt with the aging Harry Bosch. Yes, his advancing years are affecting him, but he's still more than capable of playing a vital role in any pursuit of truth. And as far as Mickey Haller is concerned, by the book's end, he's reached a crossroads, and I'm looking forward to seeing which road he takes.

 

I don't care what format I choose to read Connelly's books. Still, after having enjoyed Amazon's TV series, Bosch, I have to admit that I have a bit of a preference for the audiobook version so I can listen to Titus Welliver. (Love his voice!) 

Are you in the mood for a compelling investigation and riveting courtroom drama? Get your hands on Resurrection Walk.

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

Narrated by Peter Giles, Titus Welliver, and Christine Lakin

ASIN: B0BT24RVJH

Little, Brown & Company © 2023

Audiobook. 10 hours and 30 minutes.

 

Legal Thriller, #7 Lincoln Lawyer thriller

Rating: A

Source: Audible.

Tulle Death Do Us Part by Diane Vallere

 

First Line: My ten-fifteen appointment was twenty minutes late.

 

Polyester (Poly) Monroe's in for more excitement than she bargained for when she agrees to a private appointment with a bride-to-be. Their meeting ends with an order for a marvelous dress, and the wedding is to take place at the historic Waverly House there in town. When a guest is found dead in the chapel before the wedding, suspicion immediately falls on the bride-- Poly's private appointment. Poly's in for even more surprises when the bride's groom-to-be asks for her help. The groom? Poly's ex-boyfriend of ten years.

Poly's got a lot of work to do to untangle all the knots of clues if she's to find a killer and get that wedding dress put together.

~

Diane Vallere's Material Witness cozy series is one of my favorites. It reminds me of hours spent with my grandmother in fabric stores, listening to the rustle of paper patterns, and the sound of her shears slicing through colorful material. I was thrilled to see this fourth book appear after seven long years of silence, and I snapped it up. Tulle Death Do Us Part does not disappoint.

 

There's a good, twisty mystery in the pages of this book-- and more. I learned about the physical effects of a life spent in ballet, and good ways to promote a small business in a local community. Poly's creativity with fabric and design lights my own fires, and I find myself eyeing my yarn stash and looking through patterns for my next project. 

 

As with any mystery by Diane Vallere, the characters shine and really bring readers back for each new installment in her series. In Tulle Death Do Us Part, Poly shows a lot of emotional growth in being forced to deal with her ex-boyfriend. (It was a painful split after being together for ten years.) 

Now that Poly has returned, I'm looking forward to her next adventure. Bring it on!

Tulle Death Do Us Part by Diane Vallere

eISBN: 9781954579835

Polyester Press © 2023

eBook, 286 pages

Cozy Mystery, #4 Material Witness mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Looking Glass by Andrew Mayne

 

First Line: Tiko kicked the deflated soccer ball down the alley, laughing as MauMau, the tan puppy with the chewed-up ear, chased it into the puddle, his too-big paws splattering mud and droplets everywhere.

 

After using revolutionary scientific methods to catch one of the most prolific serial killers in history, Professor Theo Cray has found himself cut off from university research. He's trying to rebuild his life, but when the desperate father of a missing child comes to him for help, Cray finds himself drawn into another unsolved case.

 

The only clues he has to go on are children's drawings and an inner-city urban legend about someone called the Toy Man. To unravel this mystery, Cray is going to have to set aside his scientific preconceptions and learn to embrace a world where dreams and nightmares carry just as much weight as reality. 

 

~

 

When I read the first book in this series, The Naturalist, I felt as though I'd hit the jackpot with the main character, Dr. Theo Cray. This feeling continued in Looking Glass. In my review of the first book, I said: "Cray is a wimp. He's a nerd. He has trouble relating to people because his head is so thoroughly buried in science and he spends so much time alone on field trips." In this second book, Cray isn't such a wimp anymore. His experiences have changed him, and he's learned how to protect himself better and how to minimize the risks he takes. What hasn't changed is how much I love watching how this character's mind works and how he tracks things down and puts them together. He sees patterns that no one else can, and that's highly important in his search for the Toy Man and the missing children. Cray may say that he can't read his own moral compass, but he definitely has one. When he sees something wrong-- especially something that others are knowingly turning a blind eye to-- he will not quit until the bad guys are caught. No matter what it takes.

Shunned by fellow academics, Cray is looked upon as the Dark Knight in defense intelligence circles, and they're hoping that he'll develop programs they can use both in war and in law enforcement. He's doing his best to steer clear of the war part of the work, and he made me smile when he uses his clearance and some of the tricks he's learned in his new job to help him on his quest to find the missing children. 

Andrew Mayne certainly knows how to write a story and a main character that set fire to my imagination, and although I did find the serial killer in Looking Glass to be a bit over the top, both the killer and the events surrounding him aren't completely out of the realm of possibility. I've grabbed a copy of the next Theo Cray thriller, and I know that I'll enjoy reading it.

Looking Glass by Andrew Mayne

eISBN: 9781542047999

Thomas & Mercer © 2018

eBook, 317 pages

Thriller/Amateur Sleuth, #2 Dr. Theo Cray mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Tahoe Flight by Todd Borg

 

First Line: On a chilly evening in November, Avery Kingsley strolled along the sidewalk on the boulevard in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe's northwest shore.

 

When Owen McKenna was a rookie on the San Francisco police force, he helped catch the killer of Benito Diaz's mother. Young Benito's testimony put the killer, Tucker Dopple, in prison. Twenty years later, McKenna is a private investigator in Lake Tahoe and Benito Diaz is an oncologist attending a doctors' reunion. Unfortunately, Tucker Dopple has been paroled and is determined to kill both McKenna and Diaz. 

But the two men have more problems than a murderous ex-con. The doctors and previous medical school classmates have scores to settle, and when McKenna gets in the way, he and his Great Dane, Spot, are kidnapped.

~

With Street Casey in the process of adopting a nine-year-old deaf girl, Owen becomes part of a family, and this new phase of his life leads to a more sedate pace in Todd Borg's Tahoe Flight. This slower pace makes perfect sense because the author just can't put Owen's girlfriend, a little deaf girl, and dogs Blondie and Spot in jeopardy over and over again. Well, he could, but readers like me certainly wouldn't be very happy about it!

As always, Borg managed to astound me with a new way criminals have devised to make money-- one involving being able to fly in and out of less visible (and accessible) areas surrounding gorgeous Lake Tahoe. I do have to admit that the aviation logistics proved to be a bit too much and kept me away from one of the things I enjoy so much about this series: the characters.

Borg has a knack for creating intelligent characters that readers would love to make a part of their own families. Now there are children in the cast, and I'm enjoying their addition, too. Nine-year-old Camille shows readers how Street and Owen are adapting to life with a deaf child, and I really liked Benito Diaz's nephew, Damen. In fact, I'm hoping Damen will appear in a future book or two.

The pace may be slower in Tahoe Flight, but there's a barn burner of an ending when Owen and Spot are kidnapped, forced onto a plane, and taken over Lake Tahoe. I knew that nothing horrible was going to happen to Owen and Spot, but I certainly couldn't figure out how in the world they were going to get out of that mess!

I've loved this series from the beginning for its intelligent cast, its exciting mysteries, and its drop-dead beautiful setting. Chances are, if you're new to these books, you'll enjoy them for the exact same reasons.

Tahoe Flight by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296311

Thriller Press © 2023

Paperback, 320 pages

Private Investigator, #21 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: B

Source: the author

A Deadly Bone to Pick by Peggy Rothschild

 

First Line: "Please be careful with that."

 

After the death of her husband, ex-police officer and former P.I. Molly Madison and her golden retriever, Harlow, move cross-country from Massachusetts to California to start over. 

 

On her first day in her new house as the movers are bringing in the furniture, a very large, slobbery Saint Berdoodle wanders in. Molly winds up taking on the responsibility of training Noodle for his busy owner. During one of their beach walks, Noodle digs up a severed hand. 

 

When Molly alerts the local police, they run a background check on her, and a past incident they find makes her the prime suspect for one of the investigating homicide detectives. Now it's up to her to clear her name.

~

When I read the synopsis of A Deadly Bone to Pick, I was intrigued by the main character's background as an ex-police officer and former private investigator. Being a lover of canines, Molly's current calling as a dog wrangler was icing on the cake. I was ready to see how well the crime solving blended with the dog walking.

As it turns out, very well indeed.

 

After the fracas surrounding her husband's death, Molly has shut herself off from almost everyone, only letting in her mother and a trusted friend. Her friend worries about her and keeps telling her to get out and meet people. Molly's not so sure, but she soon finds that walking two large dogs down to the beach every day is a guaranteed way to make new acquaintances. 

 

After learning that Molly has a collection of signed first editions of Sue Grafton's mysteries AND that one of her first stops in her new hometown was the used bookstore, I wanted to go knock on her door and introduce myself. (And pet her golden retriever, Harlow, but I digress.) Whether she wants to be or not, Molly is a magnet for both people and dogs. In no time flat, she's made friends with eight-year-old Ava and is helping her train her puppy, Butterscotch. The precocious Ava actually sets her up as the local dog wrangler, and her "collection" of canines begins to grow.

 

One of the things I liked the most in A Deadly Bone to Pick was the fact that the dogs aren't just a prop to draw people to read the book; they are an important part not only of the book but of Molly's life. Harlow goes through agility training. After watching him, Molly thinks Noodle would benefit from scent training, and she also takes on the training of a deaf puppy. Whenever she's questioned by the police, she sees to the needs of the dogs first.

The mystery also kept me guessing, although when whodunit was revealed, I mentally slapped myself upside the head. I guess I was enjoying being around those dogs so much that I forgot to pay attention to the clues Rothschild planted all along the way.

If you love crime fiction and animals and are looking for a mystery where the animals do more than demand to be fed or let outside, A Deadly Bone to Pick is the book for you. With an engaging main character ("Why didn't you like me?"..."You weren't nice to your dog."), an intriguing mystery, and plenty of canine involvement, I find myself looking forward to the next book in the series with a great deal of anticipation.

A Deadly Bone to Pick by Peggy Rothschild

eISBN: 9780593437094

Berkley Prime Crime © 2022

eBook, 304 pages

 

Amateur Sleuth, #1 Molly Madison mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.