Crime

Sparring Partners by John Grisham

This is a collection of three short stories by Grisham that don’t have anything in common other than the law. I enjoyed the first story, “Homecoming”, the best because we once again visit Ford County and Jake Brigance. It’s not the courtroom thriller we are typically treated to in this setting, but it was great to read about the familiar characters that I’ve come to love. This time Jake is helping an attorney from Clanton, Mack Stafford, that notoriously, and allegedly, stole client money, left his unhappy marriage and children, and fled to parts unknown, never to be heard from again. Hearing that his ex-wife is dying, Mack returns to apologize and try to form a relationship with his daughters. The story is heartbreaking and uplifting and will make you yearn for more stories from Ford County.

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June 3, 2022 0

Watch Out For Her by Samantha M. Bailey

This is an ok mystery/thriller centered around a family and their babysitter. The mother, Sarah, is wound tight and doesn’t trust easily. Her husband hires 22 year old Holly, the daughter of one of his club friends, to babysit their 6 year old son. Initially things go well, but Sarah’s suspicions start to build until she eventually learns something about Holly she can’t overlook. The family moves across the country to start over, but Sarah finds hidden cameras in their rented house and then starts to receive ominous texts from someone, possibly Holly. As the mysteries mount up, Sarah is determined to get to the bottom of it all.

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May 6, 2022 1

Never a Duke (Rogues to Riches #7) by Grace Burrowes

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This is a good historical fiction romance mystery book. I haven’t read many books with these components and it was a nice change of pace. This is book seven in the series. I haven’t read any of the previous books but since this is a stand alone story it isn’t necessary to read the others. There is also plenty of exposition that explains a lot of the backstory of the characters, so I didn’t feel lost.

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April 28, 2022 0

Free: Two Years, Six Lives, and the Long Journey Home by Lauren Kessler

This is a very good non-fiction book that takes an in-depth look at the difficulties people released from prison face once they are released. The author focuses on six individuals that were incarcerated as minors and follows their journeys as they are released and attempt to integrate back into a society that most of them barely recognize.

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April 25, 2022 0

Dream Town (Archer #3) by David Baldacci

This is a really good historical fiction mystery/thriller. I must admit, I read the first book in this series One Good Deed and did not enjoy it very much. In fact, I couldn’t even finish it! This really surprised me, because I normally really enjoy David Baldacci’s books. I’m so glad that I revisited the series because this book was so good.

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April 21, 2022 0

Or Else by Joe Hart

This is a good contemporary mystery/thriller. Novelist Andy Drake returns home to care for his sick father. He re-connects with Rachel, a childhood friend, starting an affair that gives her a break from her emotionally abusive husband. After several months, Andy receives an anonymous note telling him to break it off with Rachel, or else.

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April 10, 2022 0

What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline

Your family has been attacked, never again to be the same.
Now you have to choose between law…and justice.

This was a great contemporary mystery/thriller that is fast paced and action packed. The story starts with one fateful night that changes a law-abiding family’s life forever. The story ends with how that family copes with the rest of their life.

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March 31, 2022 0

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Wow. Let me just say, I loved this book! I went into it not really knowing what it was about and the story was such a pleasant surprise. Now I know why it was all over Instagram! The story focuses on Daunis, an 18 year old girl living in a small Michigan town near the Canadian border. She is part Caucasian and part Ojibwe Native American. She doesn’t really fit into either world, and has hopes to start over while away at college. But, a family tragedy puts those plans on hold and she stays to care for her mother and ailing grandmother. Rather than out-of-town college, she plans to attend community college classes with her best friend.

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March 30, 2022 0

The Justice of Kings (Empire of the Wolf #1) by Richard Swan

4.5 stars

Wow. This is a fantastic first book in a new epic fantasy series. I am not sure when the next book in this series is coming out, but it’s not soon enough. I have not read this author before and I’ve clearly been missing out. I need to go back and read his other series The Art of War Trilogy.

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March 6, 2022 0