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Spy novels: Mini-reviews

September 11, 2025

red

Given that thrillers have been such fabulous reading for me lately, I thought it was worth sharing two more this week. Author Alma Katsu worked in the world of U.S. intelligence at the CIA and NSA for 29 years imbuing her Red Widow series with an authenticity that makes both novels, Red Widow and Red London, hard to put down.   Lyndsey Duncan had been a rising star ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: mystery, thriller, vacation reading

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

March 26, 2025

witness

I’m switching gears from heart-warming to heart-pounding with Witness 8 the latest in the Eddie Flynn mystery series. When the body of a wealthy woman is found dead in her home in an exclusive Manhattan neighborhood it leaves the rest of the neighbors stunned that such a thing could happen. That the murderer turns out to be one of their own, a renowned pediatric surgeon, is ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: Manhattan, mystery, thriller, vacation reading

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz

November 18, 2024

the sequel

More devious, delicious, escape reading! The Sequel is just that, the sequel to Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel The Plot. Anna Williams-Bonner is the widow of critically acclaimed author Jacob Bonner. Only she’s not happy about her husband’s success as his novel cuts a bit too close to her own life. She’s aggrieved by this as she is by most things. Her most fervent wish is to be ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: mystery, thriller

Nightwatching: A Novel

May 9, 2024

nightwatching

On Tuesday I shared a slow-burn novel of suspense, so I’m wrapping up the week with a fast-paced dreadfest extravaganza. Author Tracy Sierra takes on the primal ‘stranger in the house’ fear that’s spawned decades of movies and books and makes it her own in her debut, Nightwatching. In this modern take on old-fashioned terror one woman is trapped alone in her home with her two ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: debut, suspense, thriller, vacation reading

The Puzzle Master: A Novel

June 20, 2023

puzzle

It’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a book that I not only loved, but would recommend to everyone I know. The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni is a propulsive novel about a man with an extraordinary gift for puzzles, patterns, and all things numbers who’s pulled into unexpected drama when a prison inmate asks him to meet with her. Mike Brink is a star high school ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: mystery, thriller, vacation reading

State of Terror by Louise Penny and Hillary Clinton

October 25, 2021

state

We’ve all heard of crossover artists. Singers who become actors. Actors who become writers. But politicians? Not so much. Politicking is a skill that doesn’t often translate to other arenas. I tried reading fiction by a politician that I admire tremendously and I quit at 10%. So, it was with great trepidation that I decided to read Hillary Clinton’s fictional debut, State of ... Read More...

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, mystery, political intrigue, thriller

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