In the farm country outside Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan―a border town where life moves slow and dreams run fast―most kids want out. Not Everett Lindt. He’s set on staying put, rebuilding his family’s sheep farm, and carving a future from the land he loves.
Then he meets Mary, a new girl in town with restless energy and bigger plans. When their relationship reaches a crossroads, Everett sees a life together. Mary, however, is desperate to find a way out. Together, they make an impulsive choice―one that could change everything.
Tense, lyrical, and deeply felt, Sara Maurer's unforgettable debut breathtakingly captures the ache of first love, the beauty and brutality of rural life, and how one decision can echo through generations and shape who we become.
My Review:
This
is a touching and well written first love and coming of age story
revolving around farm life and raising sheep. There is a good
exploration of remaining on the farm as opposed to getting a college
education. There are good descriptions of farming experiences and the
Upper Peninsula. I felt the story ended a little soon and would have
liked more of it in the end. It is a good novel for readers who like
one concentrating on characters and the decisions they make. It is a
novel to savor and a good debut effort.
My
rating: 4/5 stars.
About the Author:
Sara Maurer lives with her family in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She earned her bachelor's degree from Albion College and her master's from Eastern Michigan University. She honed her creative writing craft while completing Stanford's Continuing Studies Novel Writing Certificate program. Her short fiction can be found in Dunes Review, Hominum Journal, and The Twin Bill. A Good Animal is her first novel. Photo Credit: Libbey Ann Studios.
St. Martin's Press, 288 pages.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.
(My
star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it,
1-I hate it.)
In suburban Westchester County, just outside the frenetic pace of New York City, a deadly murder occurs. After a violent struggle, FBI agent Shane Walsh is dead and his wife, Caitlin, has vanished. At the urging of a mysterious text, the Walshes’ nine-year-old daughter, Kennedy, has been safely whisked away by a close family member.
The FBI is determined to bring down whoever assassinated one of its own and is focusing on Caitlin as a prime suspect. Ryan McKay, Forensic Instincts’ chief technology officer, as well as Shane’s cousin and lifelong friend, vehemently disagrees. Ryan knows the Walsh family well. He insists that Caitlin is innocent, and that she, herself, is in danger.
After convincing his team to cast a wider net, Ryan leads FI on a zigzag course across two continents to locate Caitlin, sidestepping the FBI at every turn, and protecting Kennedy at all costs. But the FBI is on the warpath, and threatens to permanently shut down Forensic Instincts if they don’t back off. Undeterred by the FBI’s threats, FI goes underground in pursuit of their rogue mission.
As the pace quickens, Kennedy becomes the target of unnerving text messages. Both The FBI and the Forensic Instincts teams sense that the end game is near and that the chess match is spiraling to a stunning conclusion. Determined to declare “checkmate” before the killer, Forensic Instincts must not only protect Kennedy but make sure that their team doesn’t end up as collateral damage when the king falls.
Praise for Life Or Death:
"Life Or Death is a riveting read that explodes right from the opening pages with the shocking murder of an FBI agent - then takes the reader on a non-stop, roller coaster ride of thrills and suspense during a desperate search to find the victim's missing wife and to protect his 9-year-old daughter. Andrea Kane really delivers the goods in this book, the 11th in her Forensic Instincts series." ~ R.G. Belsky, author of the Clare Carlson mystery series
"An adrenaline-fueled joyride. Andrea Kane doesn’t pump the brakes in LIFE OR DEATH. Centered around family ties, and who can you really trust when shadowy forces close in? Combustible pacing and a cast of characters you can’t get out of your head long after the last page." ~ James L’Etoile — award-winning author of River of Lies and the Detective Nathan Parker series
"Life or Death, the latest heart-stopping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Andrea Kane, delivers nonstop tension, emotional depth, and a twist-filled chase that spans continents. When an FBI agent is murdered and his wife vanishes, the elite Forensic Instincts team must outsmart the Bureau itself to uncover the truth. Ms. Kane once again proves why she's a master of psychological suspense. Fans of razor-sharp plotting, unforgettable characters, and fast-paced suspense will devour this one!" ~ Marjorie McCown, author of The Hollywood Mystery Series
"Forensic Instincts’ leader, Casey, is recovering from an injury sustained in a previous case when tragedy strikes. An employee’s cousin is murdered, and his wife has vanished. Left behind is their traumatized eleven-year-old daughter, Kennedy. As the FBI and Forensic Instincts compete to solve the case, Kennedy’s close-knit family and the FI team surround her with love and support. Life or Death, the eleventh book in Andrea Kane’s gripping series, draws readers into an emotional high-stakes race for the truth." ~ Stacy Wilder, author of the Liz Adams Mystery series
Life Or Death Trailer:
My Review:
I
have liked this series. Kane has created and interesting mix of
people in the Forensic Instincts group, including a woman who has deep
insight and can detect truths from items belonging to a victim.
Having read all of the books in the series, I know the group well and
appreciate each one's unique abilities. If this is your first read in
this series, don't worry as Kane has given a good introduction to the
team members at the beginning of this book. The relationships between
the team members is important and Kane spends a good amount of time
on that. Here, for example, FI owner Casey and her FBI agent husband
get into quite a disagreement when FI makes serious advances on a
case when the FBI is stymied. I appreciated the detailed explanation
of how the FBI would inform and support a girl whose father was
murdered and mother is missing.
This
is a good series for readers who like investigative type mysteries
that include much information about the people involved. The personal
lives of FI members play an important part of this ongoing series,
making it more interesting than just a pure investigation novel. I
recommend it.
My
rating: 4/5 stars.
Book Details:
Genre: Suspense Thriller Published by: Bonnie Meadow Publishing, LLC Publication Date: March 17, 2026 Number of Pages: 304, HC ISBN: 9781682320686 (ISBN10: 1682320685), HC Series: Forensic Instincts, Book 11 | Each is a stand-alone novel Book Links:Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | RBmedia, Audiobook Links
Read an excerpt:
Bronx River Parkway
Friday, 3:55 p.m.
It wasn’t rush hour—not quite yet. So the drive was an hour plus away. That now left a short distance to go.
Ryan remained quiet and tense, staring out the passenger window as he had throughout the trip to Westchester County.
“Where are we going in New Rochelle?” Marc finally asked, glancing at his GPS, aware that he didn’t recognize the address Ryan had given him.
“To my cousin, Shane Walsh’s, house,” Ryan replied.
Marc nodded as they reached their exit and he eased his car around a loop and off the parkway. “Tell me only what I need to know. I’m not going to pry.”
“You’re not prying. I’m just really freaking out.” Ryan cleared his throat and relayed the entire situation to Marc.
Marc took it all in. “You’ve mentioned that you had a cousin with the Bureau. But that’s about all you’ve said, other than the fact that he has a wife and a young daughter.”
Ryan shrugged. “Shane’s a private guy, so I don’t talk about him much. He’s a Special Agent, Violent Crimes division, at the New York field office. He’s been there since he joined the FBI about eight years ago.”
“Does Hutch know him?”
“I never asked. But I doubt it. Hutch is in charge of all the Violent Crimes divisions. That’s too high up to know every agent who works under him.” Ryan pointed, shifting to the edge of his seat, and reiterating what the GPS was already showing them. “Make your next right. Two blocks down and make a left. Go through a few lights. You’ll see a cul-de-sac on your right. Marigold Terrace. Shane’s house is number 15.”
Marc understood that Ryan’s redundant supply of information was a manifestation of his anxiety. He just nodded again, then pressed his foot a little harder on the gas pedal to speed them up without accelerating too much. Suburban cops lived for speed traps.
Four minutes later, Marc turned onto Marigold Terrace and eased slowly around the curvy road.
“Three down on your left,” Ryan instructed. “White clapboard house, blue shutters.” His tension intensified as Marc reached Shane’s home. “That’s Caitlin’s car parked in the driveway. And Shane’s parked in his usual spot on the street. If they’re both home…but they don’t want Kennedy there… Shit.”
Ryan flung open the passenger door before Marc had brought the car to a complete stop. He was halfway to the front door, digging in his pocket for the key Shane had given him long ago, when Marc reached his side.
“Ryan, wait.” Marc grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.
“Why?”
Marc tugged out the two pairs of latex gloves and shoved one pair into Ryan’s hand. “Put these on.”
Ryan gritted his teeth, while he and Marc worked their hands into the gloves. “Can’t leave any new fingerprints,” he muttered. “In case this is a crime scene.” He sounded ill.
“Is the door unlocked?” Marc asked, quickly assessing the garage door, which was up. He might have suggested accessing the house through there, but Ryan was already in motion. And time was precious.
Ryan jiggled the doorknob. “No.”
“Okay, use the key. I’ve got my Glock. Let’s go.”
Ryan’s hands were shaking as he turned the key and pushed open the door.
He and Marc stepped inside. The foyer was empty and quiet. In fact, the whole house was silent in a way that suggested no one was home.
“Shane?” Ryan called. A pause. “Caitlin?” No response. No sound of footsteps. Nothing.
Marc eased his way in front of Ryan, then crept ahead, sweeping the area with his gun.
Ryan followed behind him, aware that, not only was Marc armed, he was former FBI. He was trained at this. Ryan was not.
They’d barely gone fifteen feet, when Marc caught something in his peripheral vision, and swerved to his right. “Shit,” he muttered.
Ryan peered around him and gasped. Just outside the bathroom was a crumpled body, unmoving and lying in a pool of blood. Beside it, were two shell casings and a cell phone that had been crushed. On the other side of the cell phone was a jagged line of blood.
The inconsistency of the blood pattern struck Marc at once. Reflexively, he whipped out his cell phone and took a few quick photos.
Ryan was in a whole different headspace. Pushing past Marc, he strode over, squatting as he reached the body. “Shane,” he managed.
“Oh my God. Shane.”
Marc was beside Ryan in a heartbeat, restraining him from doing anything that would contaminate the scene. He leaned over Shane’s body, checking for a pulse, a breath—any sign of life.
There were none.
Marc gripped Ryan’s arm, standing and pulling him to his feet. Ryan’s entire body was stiff with shock, but Marc knew that consolation would have to wait.
“Ryan, we’ve got to get out of the house,” he said, visually sweeping as much of the ground floor as he could. “The killer might still be inside. He might have Caitlin.” A hard swallow, as Marc considered the possibility that she might also be dead. That additional jagged line of blood didn’t bode well. “I’ll call 911 as soon as we’re on the front lawn.”
Ryan didn’t budge. He was staring, wild-eyed, down at Shane’s lifeless form. It was only when Marc tugged insistently at his forearm that he regained some semblance of awareness. “No, Marc.” He gave a firm shake of his head. “I have to stay with him.”
“He’s gone,” Marc stated simply, placing a supportive hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “But Caitlin might not be. Let’s get the EMTs and the cops here. We might be saving her life.”
Slowly, Ryan turned, allowing Marc to lead him outside the house and to the front lawn, where he sank down on the grass, still unable to process this horrific occurrence.
Marc kept his Glock at the ready—just in case it was needed. “I’ll watch the windows and the doorways to block any attempt at escape,” he told Ryan. When there was no response, Marc glanced down, giving Ryan a worried look. The poor guy was staring off into space and wasn’t even hearing him.
Stationing himself close to his friend’s side, Marc took out his iPhone and called 911.
“What is your emergency?” was the immediate response.
Marc supplied his name, the address of the crime scene, and then, in staccato phrases, the necessary information.
He disconnected the call, knowing that it would be two minutes, at the most, before the ambulance showed up. He used the time wisely, pressing the button to Hutch’s private cell phone line.
One ring. Then, “Marc?”
“We’re in New Rochelle,” Marc said. “Ryan’s cousin, Shane Walsh, has been killed at his home. He worked for the Bureau, New York field office, Violent Crimes. I called 911, so the locals must already have been dispatched.”
Not even a heartbeat of a pause. “Text me the address.”
“Already done.”
“Then I’m on my way.”
***
Excerpt from Life Or Death by Andrea Kane. Copyright 2026 by Andrea Kane. Reproduced with permission from Andrea Kane. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Andrea Kane is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty-three novels, including nineteen psychological thrillers and fourteen historical romantic suspense titles. With her signature style, Kane creates unforgettable characters and confronts them with life-threatening danger. As a master of suspense, she weaves them into exciting, carefully-researched stories, pushing them to the edge—and keeping her readers up all night.
Kane’s first contemporary suspense thriller, Run for Your Life, became an instant New York Times bestseller.
She followed with a string of bestselling psychological thrillers including No Way Out, Twisted and Drawn in Blood.
Her latest in the highly successful Forensic Instincts series, Life or Death, forces this eclectic team of investigators to navigate a high wire act between the FBI on one side and a vicious killer looking to terminate the rest of a young family on the other. The first showcase of Forensic Instincts’ talents came with the New York Times bestseller, The Girl Who Disappeared Twice, followed by The Line Between Here and Gone, The Stranger You Know, The Silence That Speaks, The Murder That Never Was, A Face To Die For, Dead In A Week, No Stone Unturned, At Any Cost, Struck Dead and Life or Death.
Kane’s beloved historical romantic suspense novels include My Heart’s Desire, Samantha, Echoes in the Mist, and Wishes in the Wind.
With a worldwide following of passionate readers, her books have been published in more than twenty languages.
Kane lives in New Jersey with her family. She’s an avid crossword puzzle solver and a diehard Yankees fan.
From the time the country was founded, early Americans assumed that the land’s natural resources were infinite, including its birds, which were zealously hunted for food, game, and fashion. With the rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon—a bird once so numerous that its flocks darkened the sky in flight—many realized actions needed to be taken if other birds were to be saved. What followed was both a spiritual awakening and a great crusade to save birds and their habitat. The campaign took place on many battlefields: society teas in Boston, hunt clubs on the East Coast, the mangroves in the Everglades, and in the editorial pages of newspapers and periodicals. From many corners of the country the bird protection movement was born and brought together a remarkable coalition of people and organizations to save America’s birds.
The Feather Wars is an entertaining and expansive work of American history, an incredible story about how disparate characters—progressive politicians, free-thinking society belles, nature writers and artists, bird-loving U.S. presidents, gunmakers, business titans, and brave game wardens—came together to save hundreds of species of birds. Heroes, martyrs, villains, and conflicted do-gooders—the early bird conservation movement had them all. Together they transformed how Americans thought and cared about birds, forever altering the American landscape.
My Review:
I
like birds. I have bird feeders in my yard. I had no idea of the
large number of birds that are now gone. About one in four birds in
the last fifty years, about three billion. I was aware of the carrier
pigeon but many more are extinct or close to it. I do appreciate
reading about the efforts of so many groups and individuals to
preserve birds.
This
is a good book highlighting people's attitudes in the past towards
nature and birds in particular. I am glad I live in an era when birds
are no longer killed to provide a decorative addition to a woman's
hat! This is a good book for any reader interested in nature and
preserving it for generations to come.
My
rating: 4/5 stars.
About the Author:
James McCommons, professor emeritus, taught journalism and nature writing at Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula for 20 years. Previously, he was a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and business writer. He continues to work as a book author and freelance magazine writer with specialties in travel and environmental issues. He has published in Audubon, the L.A. Times, the New York Times, Discover, the History Channel Magazine, and Better Homes and Gardens. His latest book "The Feather Wars and the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds" will be released March 17, 2026 by St. Martin's Press.
St. Martin's Press, 416 pages.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independet review.
(My
star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it,
1-I hate it.)
Are children naturally picky? It sure seems that way. Yet, amazingly, pickiness used to be almost nonexistent. Well into the 20th century, Americans saw children as joyful omnivores who were naturally curious and eager to eat. Of course, this doesn't make sense today. Don't kids have special taste buds? Aren't they highly sensitive to food's texture and color? Aren’t children incapable of liking “adult foods,” and don’t parents risk harming kids psychologically by urging them to eat?
But Americans in the past didn’t think any of those things. They assumed that children could enjoy the same foods as adults, and children almost always did. They loved spicy relishes, vinegary pickles, and bitter greens. They spent their allowances on raw oysters and looked forward to their daily coffee. So how did modern kids become such incredibly narrow eaters? The story is fascinating – and about much more than rising abundance. Picky shows how fussy eating came to define "children’s food" and reshape American diets at large. Maybe most importantly, it explains how we can still use the tools that parents used in the past to raise happy, healthy, wildly un-picky kids today.
My Review:
There
is a great deal of information in this book, probably more than most
modern parents are willing to read. She reminds us of what most
children experienced in the last several centuries. I was amazed at
the variety of food children ate in the 1800s, for example. Then came
modern psychology, corporate profits and marketing. The book may
focus too much on the experiences of children in the western world.
Parents may be frustrated that there is not clear suggestions for
getting their children to broaden their food choices. It is a
difficult subject but Veit has provided good information on the historical aspect of it.
My
rating: 4/5 stars.
About the Author:
Helen Zoe Veit is an award-winning historian and writer. An associate professor of history at Michigan State University, she is the director of the What America Ate and the America in the Kitchen projects, was an advisor for HBO's The Gilded Age, and is a former editor of Gastronomica. She is often cited in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and more. Her book Modern Food, Moral Food was a James Beard Award finalist, and her edited volume Food in the Civil War Era: The North won a Gourmand International award. Photo credit: Clara Keith
St. Martin's Press, 304 pages.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.
(My
star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it,
1-I hate it.)
Book: The Bible Companion Book 7 Proverbs-Song of Songs
Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow
Genre: Bible Study
Release Date: September 6, 2025
Are you disappointed with life?
The Bible Companion Book 7 helps you reconcile the realities of life with the promises of God. A simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scriptures without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions connect your story to God’s Word. For personal, group, or homeschool Bible study.
In the Books of Wisdom, God speaks to us in poetry—the language of the heart. These books reveal a God concerned not only about our minds and bodies, but also our emotions. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs bridge the gap between life as we hoped it would be and life as it is. If you struggle with your life’s circumstances, The Bible Companion Book 7 will help you find guidance, comfort, and strength in the poetry of men and women who searched for God in the dark and found Him.
I
have really appreciated this series. Westbrook does an excellent job
helping us understand these difficult genres of the Bible, such as
poetry. I really like that God wants to touch our hearts as well as
our minds. She helps us understand the symbols used and the literary
devices employed, such as parallelism. She also provides other
Scriptures that build on the truths here. Her information on
Ecclesiastes was especially helpful.
There
is plenty of space for personal study notes and Westbrook adds
thoughtful questions for reflection. A small group guide is also
included.
KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.
More from Karen
The Promise Box
My mother had an intricately carved wooden box approximately 4” x 3” that was passed down to her by her mother. It was called a Promise Box and held 150 small cards in assorted colors. One side had a Scripture verse, the other a prayer. Most of the verses came from Proverbs.
The Promise Box was always kept in place we passed many times a day. A place where we’d be sure to see it and be enticed to pull a card. I’d lift the lid and breathe in the musty smell of years gone by then choose a card, eager to see what message from God awaited me. The limp cards with their faded colors told me I wasn’t the first.
My mother’s Promise Box had belonged to her mother. When my mother-in-law died, I received the Promise Box that had belonged to her grandmother. By then the metal box engraved with an intricate family scene had seen better days. The hinges had broken apart. The once shiny box had darkened to near black. But I couldn’t part with it. It had to be more than 150 years old. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times those who owned it reached for a word from the Lord to get them through their day.
Most had lost children. They depended on God for daily bread literally as the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl took their family members and livelihoods. As an adult, I understood that we aren’t to treat the promises of God like fortune cookies we hope will bring us good luck. A daily visit to the Promise Box doesn’t substitute for time spent with God in prayer and His Word but it has value. The Promise Box reminds us that God is not only in the church, He is in our homes. He wants us to see Him, to reach for Him, and rely on His promises. If a little box nudges us to look to Him with expectation., then it is not only a gift we should treasure, but a treasure we should pass on.
Charlie Shaw is low on sleep. And cash. Otherwise, life is going pretty well for the ex-crime reporter: he’s happily married to his college sweetheart, he’s a first-time dad to the most adorable baby girl in existence, and he’s making ends meet as a rookie PI. But when Charlie meets Friday Finley, a frightened sixteen-year-old runaway on a stakeout-gone-wrong, his world gets a little more complicated.
Friday is looking for her estranged father Shawn, an unreliable alcoholic who left when she was young—and who also happens to be her only shot at avoiding the foster care system since her mother’s death a few weeks earlier. At first, Charlie believes the man is simply hiding out somewhere, avoiding his responsibilities as usual, but the more he investigates, the more unsettling—and dangerous—Shawn’s disappearance becomes. When his own family is threatened, Charlie realizes he’s in over his head, but can he back out now that he’s begun to care for Friday as his own?
A perfect page-turning blend of humor and high stakes, Stakeouts and Strollers is a heartwarming story of fatherhood, family, and what it really means to be a “Girl Dad.”
My Review:
This
is a fun mystery. It took me a while to like the hero as he seemed
like a rather reckless and bumbling private investigator. He grew on
me and by the end Charlie became a favorite new hero. He is a man
with a heart, especially for his newborn daughter. He also has a dry
sense of humor that grew on me too. The relationship he had with his
baby was precious. The relationship he had with his forbearing wife
was amazing. There is a little repetition, such as when Charlie
recounts events to the police, but generally the plot moves along
well.
This
is definitely a good debut effort. It is sort of a light hearted
mystery even though there is danger, suspense and some murders. And
Charlie matures into his hero status so that by the end I was ready
to be on the lookout for the next adventure he will have.
My rating: 4/5 stars.
About the Author:
Rob Phillips grew up in the Dallas area, where he became an Emmy-winning sportswriter covering the Dallas Cowboys for print, radio and television. Rob and his wife are proud parents to a spunky senior King Charles spaniel and a lively young daughter, who’s still waiting for her first stakeout. His debut novel, Stakeouts and Strollers, won the Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Award. Photo Credit: Andrew Hancock
Minotaur Books, 336 pages.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.
(My
star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it,
1-I hate it.)
An energetic and impassioned work of popular science about scientists who have had to fight for their revolutionary ideas to be accepted―from Darwin to Pasteur to modern day Nobel Prize winners.
For two decades, Matt Kaplan has covered science for the Economist. He’s seen breakthroughs often occur in spite of, rather than because of, the behavior of the research community, and how support can be withheld for those who don’t conform or have the right connections. In this passionately argued and entertaining book, Kaplan narrates the history of the 19th century Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis, who realized that Childbed fever―a devastating infection that only struck women who had recently given birth―was spread by doctors not washing their hands. Semmelweis was met with overwhelming hostility by those offended at the notion that doctors were at fault, and is a prime example of how the scientific community often fights new ideas, even when the facts are staring them in the face.
In entertaining prose, Kaplan reveals scientific cases past and present to make his case. Some are familiar, like Galileo being threatened with torture and Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó being fired when on the brink of discovering how to wield mRNA–a finding that proved pivotal for the creation of the Covid-19 vaccine. Others less so, like researchers silenced for raising safety concerns about new drugs, and biologists ridiculed for revealing major flaws in the way rodent research is conducted. Kaplan shows how the scientific community can work faster and better by making reasonably small changes to the forces that shape it.
My Review:
I
had no idea science did not advance easily when new ideas are
presented with evidence. Kaplan opened my eyes there. He also opened
my eyes to the pressure scientists experience to publish or to earn
their employers money. Unfortunately, I did not find the book
captivating. Kaplan seems to take a long time to tell each story. He
also inserts much from his own ideas and experiences. There could have been more
of the subject and less of him. He has definitely done his research,
as the extensive footnotes show. Committed science readers will do
okay with this book but I do not think it will attract new readers on
the subject.
My
rating: 3/5 stars.
About the Author:
Matt Kaplan is a science correspondent at The Economist where he has written about everything from paleontology and parasites to virology and viticulture over the course of two decades. His writing has also appeared in National Geographic, New Scientist, Nature, and The New York Times. He is the author of The Science of Monsters and Science of the Magical, and co-author of David Attenborough’s First Life: A Journey Through Time. He completed a thesis in Paleontology at Berkeley, and one in science journalism at Imperial College, London. In 2014 he was awarded a Knight Fellowship to study at MIT and Harvard. Born in California, he lives in England. Photo credit: Zach Le Coze
St. Martin's Press, 288 pages.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.
(My
star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it,
1-I hate it.)
This fresh debut thriller finds a Scotland Yard detective trying to find the author of a self-help book that promises quite literally to teach readers how to get away with murder, which seems to have inspired London's newest murderer.
Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen has been on leave for six months, recovering from a breakdown she suffered at work, but when a fourteen-year-old girl is murdered in a local park, Sam jumps at the chance to return to the job and prove that she's still got what it takes to be the Yard's most successful homicide detective. One of the case's only leads is a copy of a self-help book found in the victim's backpack called How To Get Away With Murder by a man named Denver Brady.
Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time, which is why no one's ever heard of him. Chapter by chapter, he details his methodology and his past victims, and as Sam's investigation progresses and the details of the book go viral, Sam begins to suspect that there’s more to the author than what he’s revealed. But in order to find a killer and get justice for young Charlotte, Sam must learn to trust her instincts once again, before Denver Brady--or someone else--really does get away with murder.
My Review:
I
had difficulty liking Samantha. She started out being a seriously
flawed heroine. I did appreciate her working through her issues as
she recovered from trauma but never found her engaging. I did not
like reading the murderer's book. While it was a clever way to form
the story line, I just did not want to set my mind to trying to do
such horrible things. That part was too dark for me. I also did not
like the language and sex included in this novel.
My rating: 3/5 stars.
About the Author:
REBECCA PHILIPSON grew up in a mining town in County Durham, where she still lives. Educated in a small convent, she deferred her university degree to set up her own business at 21. Rebecca finished her BA in English Literature at Northumbria University, graduating with First Class Honours, and completed a PGCE in English at Durham University whilst on maternity leave. After returning to her business, Rebecca also lectured part-time in Literature and Language in Newcastle. Having sold her business in 2020, Rebecca is now devoted to her writing career. She graduated from the University of East Anglia (UEA) Masters Program in 2024 and won a scholarship to Liverpool University where she will be reading for a PhD in Creative Writing. Photo credit: Adam Cowie Photography.
Minotaur Books, 368 pages.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.
(My
star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it,
1-I hate it.)
About the Book:
