A Favorite Series – Prey Series by John Sandford

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The first of the Lucas Davenport series, Rules, of Prey, was published in 1989 and the most recent, Toxic Prey, this year. If you like police procedurals and thrillers, this is the series for you. I’ve read them all and there’s not a dud in the bunch. The last one felt especially timely and scary since it seems like it could actually happen.

He started as a Minneapolis detective, then worked special cases for politicians, and now he’s a US marshal. I love that he’s a tough guy, but he always has me rethinking moral decisions. He talks politics in relation to his job, but takes no side, a rarity. We’ve watched him meet his wife, adopt a child from a case, and have kids of his own. His friend Virgil Flowers and daughter Letty each have their own series, but I don’t read them. They both show up in this one so I don’t have to.

You can jump in anywhere in the series, but this is one that’s fun to read from the beginning.

I didn’t start reviewing them on here until book #24, but here are a few things I’ve said about the series…

Lucas, a detective, handles only those cases that the politicos need to have disappear.  His role is more of a mentor as he works with the police all over Minnesota, but he still manages to get his hands dirty.  He is great at what he does and possesses an authority that others look to in a time of crisis.

In this 25th book of the series, there is a shift of sorts that signals changes are afoot and it’s been this progression of Lucas that has made this a standout, must read series for me.  As he turns 50 and the winds of local politics change direction it’s clear that Lucas has some decisions to make.  This case involves his adopted daughter, Letty, and I love that she has had larger roles in the last few books.

More of my other Top 100 series picks here.

Women Who Won: 70 Extraordinary Women Who Reshaped Politics

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Women Who Won by Ros Ball. 4.25 stars. YA Bios, 272 pages, 2023

Such an inspirational book. These are some amazing women! Geared to YA, but great for adults too.There are amazing women in here and reading their stories is powerful. Each woman had a portrait page and 2 pages of bio with addition room for sources used for each one. Loved it!

Though some disregarded her, she had an inner confidence, saying, ‘I’ve never underestimated myself. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious.’ —Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany

When asked what qualities have underpinned her leadership, Jacinda singled out being ‘really driven by empathy… when you think about all of the big challenges that we face in the world, that’s probably the quality we need the most’. —Jacinda Arden, prime minister of New Zealand

“I hear it all the time, it changed everything…Women thought, if she can, I can.” —Vigdis Finnbogadottir, president of Iceland

And, since I’m reading these stories, some showing how fragile democracy can be, this has been the most powerful statement so far by a woman whose own husband was killed by the previous president…

Cory served only one term, and, when President Fidel Ramos took over, Cory said it was ‘one of the proudest moments of my life… This was what my husband had died for… This moment is democracy’s glory: the peaceful transfer of power without bloodshed, in strict accordance with law.’ —Corazon Aquino, president of the Philippines

Agathe Uwilingiyimana, in 1993 became 1st woman to serve as prime minister of Rwanda. She was raped and killed along with her husband in their own home by Hutu soldiers.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarus. Her story is ongoing. Look her up and push back on anyone still romanticizing dictators.

Constance Markievicz, in 1918 was the 1st woman elected to British Parliament. She was elected from jail! And refused to swear allegiance to the king. What a story she has.

Diane Abbott, in 1987 she was the 1st black woman to be elected to the Uk House of Commons. “The thing that enabled me to go further and higher was entirely my education. Education is a liberating force.”

Berta Pipina, in 1941 she was the 1st woman elected to the Latvian Saeima. There was a coup from an authoritarian regime and she was sent to a Siberian gulag where she died. Between 1930-1953 1.5 million died in those Soviet camps.

Golda Meir, in 1969 she was the 1st woman elected prime minister of Israel. “There is a type of woman who cannot let her husband and children narrow her horizon.”

Dilma Rousseff, in 2011 she was the 1st woman to serve as president of Brazil. “The fact that I was the first woman president was a factor in what happened to me…I think it will be easier for the next woman president.”

Lessons- don’t vote for anyone who has attempted a coup, don’t vote for anyone calling for violence for political opponents, don’t vote for anyone who doesn’t think you have autonomy over your own body. And, if you’re living in one of the 70% of countries that have still have only been run by men, go forth and elect women.

Favorite Book – The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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The Shadow of the Wind. 5/5 stars, Historical Thriller, 487 pages, 2005

This is a place of mystery, Daniel, a sanctuary.  Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul.  The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it.  Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens….When a library disappears, or a bookshop closes down, when a book is consigned to oblivion, those of us who know this place, its guardians, make sure that it gets here.  In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader’s hands.  In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner.  Every book you see here has been somebody’s best friend.  Now they have only us, Daniel.  Do you think you’ll be able to keep such a secret?” (p 5)

This is my review from when I first read this in 2010…

This is a book for book lovers just in case you couldn’t tell from the passage above. In 1945, Daniel is just a boy when his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books hidden in the back streets of Barcelona and when his obsession with the mysterious author, Julian Carax begins.  Daniel chose The Shadow of Wind to take home and he soon began to search out other Carax titles.  Only there weren’t any.  Someone had been destroying them all one by one.  Daniel was sixteen when he began to search out the books in earnest and he was aided in his quest by the cagey and charming Fermin.

I couldn’t help but fall in love with Daniel and Fermin and I was drawn into the mess they got themselves into when they started asking questions about Carax.  Why were so many people trying to keep the truth hidden?  And who were the good guys?  The characters they meet along the way heightened the suspense and I loved them all (well, I loved their addition to the story!).

I have the attention span of a gnat these days, but this book kept me reading every spare moment I had, even if it was only a few minutes at a time.  I loved the drama, the mystery, the love, the Spanish setting, the wide cast of characters, and the love and respect of books shown in the story.  This book has a little bit of everything and I loved it.  Since I’m rating this a 5 it is obviously one of my favorites this year!

I’ve spent the last week listening to the audio and much of what I loved the first time was still there. The atmosphere, the characters, the stories, the mystery, and the absolute devotion to the written word all combine to make this a great read. I liked experiencing the book a second time and think the reading the words on the page is the way to go with this one. I’m keeping the book on my favorites list for now as I try to work through what belongs there and why, but I’m not sure it will stay.

“Books are mirrors – you only see in them what you already have inside you.”

“In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner. Every book you see here has been somebody’s best friend.”

Top 100 Fiction Books list

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

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The Sun Down Motel. 4.5/5 stars, thriller, 327 pages, 2020

The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before, in this new atmospheric suspense novel from the national bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate NY, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn’t right at the Sun Down, and before long she’s determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden…

There is a creepy, sinister, and forgotten feeling you get when reading about Fell, NY and The Sun Down Hotel. There are ghosts, killers, and missing and murdered girls. The book is a whole vibe.

One storyline is about Viv in 1982 and the second is about her niece Carly in 2017. Lots of parallels and mystery that will keep you reading. There are even a few boys!

I didn’t love this one at first, but it didn’t take me long to be hooked. I listened to the audio and Brittany Pressley and Kirsten Potter took turns narrating.

I loved Broken Girls last year and loved this one too, so I guess I have another author to read!

“The person who could be truly alone, in the company of no one but oneself and one’s own thoughts—that person was stronger than anyone else.”

“I put my book down, finding a Post-it note to use as a bookmark, because folding the corner of a page—even in a thirty-year-old book—is sacrilege.”

Favorite Author – Harlan Coben

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I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Harlan four times, once in Houston and three times when he’s come to Cleveland. He is ALWAYS a hoot.  He is charming, smart, and quick with the humor.  You will never regret seeing him in person.  I’ve read all of his books and have liked them all, some more than others. I first read Tell No One, a great place to start if you’ve never read him, and then read his first book and haven’t looking back.

Even if you’ve never read his books, you’ve probably seen at least one of his book adaptations on Netflix or Amazon Prime. They are always well done.

His thrillers are always full of twists and turns, humor, and fantastic dialogue. If you love thrillers, the kind that you can’t put down until you’re finished, this is the guy for you.

Myron Bolitar series (Harlan calls them the Myron and Win books)

Myron is a smart ass, but one with a certain humanity and goodness and I am always rooting for him and his even bigger smart ass friend, Win, to save the day.  And they usually do, but they do not come away unscathed.  Myron is the heart and Win is the muscle and both are whip smart and loyal to each other. This series has a fantastic cast of characters and I love that time does go by and they are showing their age, but still kicking ass. I love all of these books.

Win got his own first person book.

And Myron’s nephew Mickey has his own trilogy. This was made into a fantastic series on Amazon Prime.

Wilde series

So far this only has two books, but I loved them both.

Standalones

Here are my other Top 100 authors.

Think Twice by Harlan Coben

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Think Twice. 4.25/5 stars, Thriller, 368 pages, 2024

Don’t even start a Harlan Coben book unless you have time to read the whole thing. He’s been a favorite of mine since I read Tell No One (read it), but it’s his Myron and Win books that are my favorite. This is the 12th book featuring them both (13 if you include Win) and they’re both getting a little older, but still just as sarcastically fabulous as they e always been.

Myron was a star on the Duke basketball team and played one game for the Boston Celtics before a cheap shot took him off the court forever. So, he went to law school and opened his own sports representation business. The cast of characters in these books are so chock full of warmth and humor that you will fall in love with them. Personally, I’d read the books in order so that you don’t miss a minute, but you can read this as a standalone.

These are all thrillers full of twists and turns you don’t see coming. He’s the master. This one has a serial killer and some old scores being settled. And Myron’s parents are in Florida living their best lives with the help of edibles.

I adore Myron and Win and loved this one.

May Reads

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May was a great reading month! I read these 9 plus a picture book. That brings my 2024 total to 57.

❤️

The Women by Kristin Hannah. Historical fiction about the women nurses that served in the Vietnam War. 480 pages, 2024

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey. Romance between a king crab fisherman and movie director’s assistant with a nod to the comfort of music. 353 pages, 2023

Nat Turner by Kyle Baker. Nonfiction graphic novel about Turner and the slave rebellion of 1831. 213 pages, 2006

⭐️

The Secret Place (541 pages, 2014) and Broken Harbor (450 pages, 2012) by Tana French. Books 4 & 5 in the Dublin Murder Squad mystery series.

Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Romance murder mystery between a sports agent and a baker. 384 pages, 2024

Toxic Prey by John Sandford. Latest thriller in the Lucas Davenport series that also features his daughter Letty who has her own series. 400 pages, 2024

👍🏻

Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer. A romance set in a Jewish bakery in Brooklyn. Learned a lot about Jewish traditions and living with a chronic illness. 432 pages, 2023

🤷🏻‍♀️

How To Walk Away by Katherine Center. Fiction set in the aftermath of a plane crash that leaves one half of a couple without a scratch and the other partially paralyzed. This has been my least favorite of hers so far. 302 pages, 2018

And a fun picture book too…

I Want to Be a Vase by Julio Torres. This is so colorful it demands to be reads. A delightful book about accepting people for whoever or whatever they want to be.

Which ones have you read?

Broken Harbor and The Secret Place by Tana French

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Broken Harbor, #4 in the Dublin Murder Squad series. 4 stars, mystery, 450 pages, 2012

This story begins with a young family murdered in their home. Well there was one survivor, but it wasn’t either of the young kids. This was an especially hard one and when I finished it on Mother’s Day it felt especially wrong.

Families can look glossy on the surface, but once you rub a bit of that shine off there’s usually something more interesting going on and in this case it was deadly. Bizarre revelations, old friends, and financial instability make the mystery of this family a tough one. This hasn’t been my favorite of the series, but they’re all so good that it didn’t need to be to be good.

The Secret Place, #5 in the Dublin Murder Squad series, 4/5 stars, 452 pages, 2014

You don’t need to read these books in order, but I’d recommend it if you can. My favorite of the series so far, Faithful Place, featured Detective Frank Mackey and he and his daughter make another appearance here. Stephen Moran is also back.

This one takes place at a boarding school for girls. A year after a boy from a neighboring school was murdered on school grounds the detectives have a new lead and it comes from inside the school. Oh, to be amongst all of that teen angst and those friendship circles again!

The book spans one day of investigation, but it goes into the past investigation and events in depth. I wasn’t crazy about it at first, boarding school stories are iffy for me, but it grew on me and Frank Mackey appeared at just the right time to reel me in for the somewaht surprising finish.

Tana French is such a talented writer! Both books had a paranormal element that mostly worked, even if I think it could have been avoided altogether in The Secret Place and been fine, or even better.

Have you read any of this series? I love the Ireland setting.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

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The Women by Kristin Hannah. Historical Fiction, 4.5 stars, 480 pages, 2024

Frankie enlists in the Army to serve as a nurse in the Vietnam War. What she finds there is not what she thought she was signing up for. And when she returns home she is repeatedly told, no women served in Vietnam.

I was completely drawn into first half of the book set in Vietnam. It was horrifying and, yet, purpose could be found and the bonds of friendship for a lifetime forged. The second half, once she returns home is equally heartbreaking and full of the shame and anger that the soldiers felt upon their return home.

My father was drafted and served in Vietnam. Although he rarely talks about the war itself, he does talk about how much disrespect they received once they were home.

The book is emotionally draining and I finished the 470 pages in less than 24 hours! It was addicting. Telling the story of women who saved lives in the Vietnam War is so important and I’m glad that it was done so well.

Some have complained about the end of book romance and I am mostly in agreement. I would have preferred that it was given its proper due or just left out altogether. But that didn’t spoil one bit of my enjoyment of the novel.

It seems to be the book of the season. Have you read it? What did you think?

Nat Turner by Kyle Baker

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Nat Turner by Kyle Baker. 4.5/5, graphic novel, 213 pages, 2006

In March I went to a book swap and I came home with this. I knew next to nothing about Nat Turner, but I’m a sucker for graphic novels. What a book! The only words in the book are quotes, most coming from Nat Turner as he sat in prison. Over 200 pages of shocking, emotional, and violent black and white drawings.

We start at the beginning of incarceration from the villages in Africa, cross the sea in slave ships, and sold to the highest bidder. There is one horrific image from this section that will surely stick with me for quite awhile.

The middle is full of how Nat became this religious figure, who received visions from God, and finally decided that it was time to revolt. The revolt, or insurrection, section was shocking in its violence. Nat and his men were responsible for killing 55 men, women, and children, but even knowing that from the introduction didn’t prepare me. Those images are also going to stick me for quite awhile.

This book is powerful. Some will find the images too violent. It’s not for everyone. The shocking images served the purpose of making me take notice and feel the horror, to see it. It’s a great book.

Recommend for graphic novel lovers and for those who want to know more about Nate Turner and the slave rebellion of 1831.