The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
Jack McEvoy is a veteran reporter at the LA Times working the cop beat. It is not a good time for the traditional newspaper business and Jack is given his two weeks notice. Just one problem, he thinks he may have stumbled on a serial killer. Jack decides to get his final screw you in
Circe by Madeline Miller
This is the story of Circe, a minor Greek goddess, who was the daughter of Helios who was god of the sun, and Oceanus goddess of fresh water, both of whom were titans. Circe is a nymph. Oddly Circe wasn’t born with any special powers and she grew up in her father’s palace. Most were
Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra
Tiny Pretty Things is a story that centers around three young ballet dancers who attend the elite American Ballet Conservatory (ABC) in New York City. Gigi, June and Bette are all vying for the lead roles in the school productions. Getting the lead roles is a big deal because those dancers are sometimes picked to
Storm Watch by C.J. Box
Storm Watch by C. J. Box is the 23rd Joe Pickett book in the series. It is early Spring, but there is still time for some end of season storms. Joe is on the trail of a wounded elk. He is up in the mountains and there is a doozy of storm brewing. Wouldn’t it
What Happened to the Bennets by Lisa Scottoline
Lisa Scottoline’s What Happened to the Bennets is a story about the Bennett family that goes into the witness protection program. The family is travelling home from their daughter’s school sports game when they witness a horrible crime. Witness protection is usually for criminals who are testifying against other criminals, but the Bennetts are just
Book of Night by Holly Black
The Book of Night by Holly Black takes place in our world, but it is known that there are some people who have extra abilities. The system of magic in the story revolves around “gloamists” who can manipulate their shadows to do tasks for them. Of course the gloamists are after as much power as
Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor
Dirt Creek is a mystery by Hayley Scrivenor about the disappearance of 12 year old Ester. Shortly after she goes missing Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels and her partner are sent to Durton, nick-named by the locals as Dirt Town. The police are focusing on pretty much all of the men in the town and it
The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding
The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding is a story about the Adler family: husband Thomas, wife Vivian, teenage son Eli and teenage daughter Tarryn. On the surface they appear to be the ideal family. Thomas is a successful relator, Viv is doing interior design, Eli is off to college as a sports star, and Tarryn
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
This story takes place in Panga, where robots achieved sentience, but instead of a Matrix-type world, they just withdrew to live among themselves. The people live in a post-factory age, now low tech where people are taught to respect the environment. The main character is Dex, is a non-binary “tea monk.” As a monk, their
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki is an unusual book. It is almost as if someone bet that they would pull several topics from a hat and the author would write a story combining them. The cast of characters includes, but is not limited to, a trans girl, a famous violin teacher, a starship
One by One by Ruth Ware
One by One by Ruth Ware opens with Erin, who is a hostess at a ski chalet in the Alps, and her coworker Danny, who is the chef, prepare for the arrival of 10 employees of a hot tech startup who are coming for a company retreat and a few days of skiing. We are
The Judge’s List by John Grisham
The Judge’s List is a book by John Grisham is a story about Lacy Stoltz, who is an investigator for the Florida Board of Judicial Conduct (BJC). The BJC is obligated by law to investigate complaints against judges and Lacy gets a complaint from a woman named Jeri Crosby who claims her father was murdered