Book Review - The Ambush of Widows; Jeff Abbott

 

An Ambush of Widows; Jeff Abbott

Grand Central Publishing - 2021

Henry North lives in New Orleans and works as a cyber security expert. Adam Zhang lives in Austin and is a very wealthy venture capitalist.  The men who have little in common and don't appear to know one another have been murdered in a warehouse in Texas.  Henry's wife Kirsten thinks her husband was in New York on business so when she receives a muffled call from her husband's cell phone saying that he is dead which the authorities later confirm, she heads to Austin to deal with the aftermath of her husband's death.  In Austin she meets Flora, the other widow, this one rich unlike Kirsten,  who stands to become an even wealthier woman now that her husband is dead. With both woman a bit under suspicion they find a way to work together in an attempt to find out what was going on, what the men in their lives were hiding and who was involved in their murders.

This was an extremely well-paced story, I liked all the intricate details that quickly drew me into the story. The characters were well explored and, I even found the sections about the hitman to be ones I enjoyed.  I liked Flora and Kirsten both strong women, each who had some interesting things they had been hiding as well.   There were a few chapters set in the past which were important into Henry, Kirsten and her foster brother's background, it felt slightly odd yet, the information was important to the overall story line.  So happy I read this one and will definitely consider some of the other twenty-plus books that have been written by this author.

This book arrived in 2021 from the publisher.  Ambush of Widows was an extremely well written mystery/ thriller. The story had well rounded characters and kept me guessing to the very end and it was one of the books that I found difficult to put down as well.

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

Book Reviews - 3 mini Book Reviews: Unsettled Ground; Claire Fuller - Not a Happy Family; Shari Lapena and All the Lonely People; Mike Gayle

Thank You Deb@ Reader Buzz

Whew this has been such a hot and humid weather week with some terrible thunderstorms and a brief loss of power (2 hours) one night while we slept. We stayed indoors with AC as much as possible and spent time with (3) books, watched one movie, Saving Private Ryan and playing gin rummy with my husband.  Speaking of "gin" we tried our gin soaked raisins this past week (10) each evening and so far (it's only been 3 nights so far) we don't see any change in his low back pain or my knee pain but, it says it can take (3) weeks so I'll keep you all posted.

My daughter stopped over with the girls one day and while my husband entertained the girls, playing cards (WAR) for money, we got to chat uninterrupted. He is so good amusing them and they had so much fun. They said they's like to come back to play cards with him again.  He told them "you are welcome here anytime and S the 9 year old said "great, not tomorrow though, we are busy." LOL.  Of course they went home with extra money from their card game winnings, how did that happen?

My (3) days of yoga this week had slightly fewer people than the first week which was nice. I also had an ultrasound this week with good results so that was a relief.  Looking forward to lower temps starting tomorrow - still summer-like though.  

How was your week?

READING

It seems like I've been reading about (3) books a week most weeks and I am happy to report that this week's books were much better than the ones I read the previous week.  I still need to get better control over the books I want to read or have committed to reading so, I bought myself a 17 month planner - fingers crossed, I use it and it helps. In my working life I was so organized - less so as a retiree.

Here's what I finished this week:

Unsettled Ground; Claire Fuller

Tin House Books - 2021

(library hardcover)

Unsettled Ground was a beautifully written story that, quite frankly, left me feeling more than a little "unsettled."

Jeanne and Julius are 51 year old twins who have never left their run down remote cottage in Inkbourne (UK). Their father died when they were only 12 years old (the tragic details are revealed eventually)and as the story opens their 70 year old mother Dot dies of a stroke.  Neither of the kids have had much schooling and Jeanne doesn't even know how to read. She and her mother for years have spent their time tending to a large garden while Julius picked up odd handyman jobs. Neither has held a proper job, they have no real friends nor much of a life to speak of. When their mother was alive the (3) of them were content making music together in the evenings by each playing a different musical instrument. They don't have a car, a television or even a bank account and although they believed the dilapidated cottage was theirs to live in rent free, after Dot's death they learn that is not the case.  With no money, no jobs,  a mother to bury, and now also facing eviction, the reader wonders why the family has  allowed this to happen and wonders why they have chosen to live in seclusion and never asked for help.  

As the reader I felt sad for these characters but, I think they were more comfortable with their life than I was reading about it.  Although most of society might view these individuals as a bit odd, the author makes them seem rather content with life on the whole.  There was a bit of a mystery element to the story which slowly gets revealed and although this story had a quiet feel, it packs an emotional punch. Very will written and highly recommended.

4.5/5 stars

Not a Happy Family; Shari Lapena

Penguin Audio - 9 hours 11 min.

Narrated by Ellen Archer (very good)

(library download)

When millionaires Fred and Sheila Merton are found brutally murdered after the family has gathered for Easter dinner at their Brecken Hills estate in New York, everyone in the family and extended family are soon suspects in the murder.

When the (3) adult Merton children and spouses and partners gather for Easter dinner, everyone is uptight and on edge. Fred Merton is not well liked or respected and has been known to routinely upset the applecart. On this occasion something happens and everyone leaves in a huff, including the maid who had once been a live-in nanny to the children.  By the next day the children: Catherine, Dan and Jenna as well as Irina, the maid, and Audrey, Fred's sister, are suspects in the murders.

This was a very good audio book that hooked me early on and never let up.  None of the characters had any redeeming qualities but I still found the story addictive.  My husband and I listened to this one together and we found ourselves changing our theories a few times as new info got revealed. Fast paced, character driven, with unexpected twists, we liked that extended family members were also introduced along the way for even more mystery.  The detective duo left a lot to be desired and it felt like this was their first case of this type.  The epilogue was a welcome bonus and made me smile.

4.5/5 stars

All the Lonely People; Mike Gayle

Grand Central Publishing - 2021

(finished copy sent to me by Publisher)

Hubert Bird is an 84 year old man who has lived alone after his wife Joyce passed away and his daughter Rose moved to Australia to teach at the University.  Rose calls him weekly to check in and Hubert has painted a rosy picture of his fun life as a retiree so that she doesn't worry about him.  The truth is his life is anything but rosy. He has basically shut himself off from others and the friends he used to have, so when Rose tells him she has taken a sabbatical and will be coming home for a visit, Hubert must change his ways and make friends fast or reveal the sad truth to his daughter.

Told in the present day and through flashbacks to when Hubert arrived in England as an immigrant from Jamaica in search of a better life.  Instead of finding opportunity as a young man in a new country, he faced racism and prejudice prevalent in his workplace and also as he fell in love with Joyce, a white woman who became his wife.  I liked the dual timelines and the overall flow of the story. Yes, loneliness is often reality for seniors like Hubert who live alone and don't have a support system close by.  I thought the subject was handled well and the story was more uplifting than depressing.  This is my first novel by Mike Gayle but, I will be curious to see what other books he has written.  

Rating - 4/5 stars

The Rest of August

I need to read a few more books for my (20) book Summer Reading Challenge - I think I've read 16/20. I'm already thinking and hoping that there will be another RIP Challenge for Fall. I've participated for about 12 years now and am already making a thriller, mystery list for September and October fall reading - not that I want to rush the seasons.

                                         Hope Everyone Has a Great Week!

Book Review - We Keep the Dead Close; Becky Cooper

 

TITLE/AUTHOR:  We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence; Becky Cooper

PUBLISHER:  Grand Central Publishing

YEAR PUBLISHED:  2020

GENRE: Non Fiction  - True Crime/Memoir

FORMAT:  hardcover  PP/LENGTH: 512

SOURCE:  hardcover sent by publisher

SETTING(s):  Cambridge, MA 

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:  A true crime memoir about a 1969 murder that rocked Harvard and, a case that remained unsolved for half a century.

BRIEF REVIEW:  Jane Britton was a grad student preparing for her doctorate in Anthropology at Harvard in 1969 when she was found brutally beaten and raped in her Cambridge, MA apartment.  Her murder was unsolved for 50 years although there were several suspects which included faculty.

The author Becky Cooper, became interested in Jane's unsolved case in 2009 when she was an undergrad at Harvard herself. She soon began to immerse herself in the details of Jane's life on campus as well as many of the rumors and speculation about her life leading up to her murder. Included in this was Jane's relationship with a married, tenured, faculty member, a few boyfriends and conversations with former classmates and friends. With each new interview the story grew more complex. Not only was this a story about Jane Britton, it was a story about a prestigious institution and the university's desire to make the speculation and investigations disappear in an effort to protect the school's reputation and that of its faculty members.

The story jumped back and forth in time from the late 1960s to the author's time on campus followed by nearly a decade of research and interviews.  I thought the author did a great job acclimating the reader to Harvard /Radcliffe culture and the way faculty were revered and coverups, at times,  seemed almost commonplace.   This book, 500 pages with sources and photographs, was very good but, I did think it could have been shortened. I didn't think that the author needed to insert so much of her personal story into this effort.  The Jane Britton murder was eventually solved a few years ago as the author was finishing this book.  (DO NOT Google this case, as I did,  if you plan to read this book -- even though I knew the outcome, I still thought the author's efforts were commendable. and I was happy I read this one.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for sending me a finished copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

RATING: 4/5 stars

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half of Century of Silence; Becky Cooper

 

Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, now hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book they are reading or that they plan to read soon.

      We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half of Century of Silence; Becky Cooper                                                               Grand Central Publishing - 2020

Part One

The Story

MORNING OF GENERALS

"IT WAS THE WARMEST IT had been in more than a week, but Bostonians turning on their morning radio broadcast woke up to gale warnings along the coast.  In Cambridge, across the Charles River, the day was equally grim. A wintery mix of fog and rain and snow hung over the city, and the streets of Harvard Square were quiet.

A delivery person piled stacks of that day's Harvard Crimson inside the undergraduate houses.  The front page was a black-and-white picture of a girl curled up in fetal position on the floor of one of the campus libraries.  Her head was propped on a book. Her feet were bare.  She had on jeans and a sweater and looked more like a body than a person.  The caption read, There was a girl who fell asleep on her book and dreamed, and there was the boy who dreamed of the girl asleep on her book, and...Don't let the times get you down."

I wanted to read a non-fiction and this one has been on my shelves since late last year, it's almost 500 pages with sources etc. but I'm half way through and really liking it so far.  

What do you think, read more or pass?

Book Review - The Undoing; Jean Hanff Korelitz (book and miniseries)

 

The Undoing; Jean Hanff Korelitz

(initially published as You Should Have Known)

2014 - Grand Central Publishing

I tried timing this book to coincide with the 6-week HBO miniseries by the same title with Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland. I then realized I read this book back in 2014 (Goodreads Review Here)  I wasn't disappointed with the miniseries which I enjoyed more than the book. Have you read or watched this one?

Grace (Kidman) is a relationship psychologist in New York City, married to Jonathan (Hugh Grant), a pediatric oncologist. They have a 13 year old son Henry who attends a private school in NYC. The couple is wealthy.  Franklin (Donald Sutherland is Grace's father) and he is even wealthier and comes from old money.)  The family seems to have an enviable life until things start to unravel for them.

Elena, is a beautiful artist, she's married and her son attends the same school as Henry (on scholarship.)  She also has an infant daughter. One night she is brutally murdered and although there are a few suspects, Jonathan, however, is the primary focus. 

What was Jonathan's connection to Elena? How does it all play out? Grace knows Elena, Jonathan knows Elena, everyone has secrets. The miniseries and the book were enjoyable - my opinion of the killer changed a few times.

There were a few differences between the book and the miniseries and fewer characters in the miniseries as well. Elena is called Malaga in the book and she is much sexier and alluring on screen vs the book. Grace's father is married for the second time in the book but, single in the miniseries. In the book, Grace is writing a book called: "You Should Have Known: Why Women Fail to Hear What Men in Their Lives Are Telling Them."

Miniseries Very Enjoyable - Book Rating - 3.5/5

31-Day Food Revolution; Heal Your Body, Feel Great & Transform Your World; Ocean Robbins

TITLE: 31-Day Food Revolution: Heal Your Body, Feel Great & Transform Your World

AUTHOR:  Ocean Robbins

PUBLISHER: Grand Central Publishing

PUB. YEAR: 2019

SETTING: n/a
FORMAT:  print

RATING - 4.5/5

I've never been much of a meat eater with the exception of an occasional burger and turkey on Thanksgiving. I prefer pasta dishes, soups and every type of veggie. I often thought it would be easy for me to become a vegetarian but, I just never took the plunge. 

I borrowed this book from the library and was intrigued after listening to the first few chapters on audio. So I decided to order the print edition realizing that there was lots of info I'd like to highlight and refer back to afterward. 

The book is written by the vegan grandson of the founder of Baskin Robbins ice cream. So much of what he writes just made sense and the book has also been promoted by people like: Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Mark Hyman, Paul McCartney and several others.

If you are interested in healing your body, losing extra weight and freeing yourself of toxic foods this book provides some easy enough to follow guidelines.

The book is divided into (4) parts -- 1) Detoxify, 2) Nourish, 3) Gather and 4) Transform.

• Detoxify - discusses what foods to eliminate (think all processed foods) from our diet and our shelves.  
• Nourish - discusses how to go about fueling our bodies to beat breast cancer and heal your gut by focusing on healthy super foods.  
• Gather - discusses the social aspects of food and how lonely people are often negatively impacted by poor food choices as opposed to people who are socially involved. 
• Transform - educates us as to how to be part of the solution by choosing organic foods and making our food choices cruelty free.

I the book was well-organized with great ideas for changing your eating habits bit by bit. I learned several interesting things and, I was surprised to learn that eating a high-protein after age 50 just might contribute to cancer and, how eating lots of greens can ward off dementia.  The book does not promote a specific diet, it's not preachy and it includes some pretty easy and delicious sounding recipes as well.  I really liked this book a lot and, I have already taken steps to purge my pantry and restock it with healthier alternatives as I get ready for beginning the 31-day challenge.

In Pieces; Sally Field

TITLE: In Pieces

AUTHOR: Sally Field

PUBLISHER: Grand Central Publishing

PUB. YEAR: 2018

SETTING:  CA
FORMAT:  - hardcover/personal copy

RATING: 4/5 stars

I always liked Sally Field and can recall looking forward to watching Gidget and later the Flying Nun in my room on my black and white portable television in the late 60's. Her memoir, In Pieces, was enjoyable. 

 (My review contains some SPOILERS so please skip if you plan to read this one).

Sally was born in 1946, her parents separated when she was just 3 years old. She and her brother were raised by women in the early years: mother, grandmother, great aunt and great grandmother. Her mother, Margaret Morlan was also an actress. I thought her mother came across as accessible but, emotionally absent from her life.  

Sally was sexually abused by her stepfather, Jack Mahoney, an actor and stuntman, but, she never told her mother when it was happening. She talks about her relationship with Burt Reynolds, personal and professional, her (2) failed marriages - although not much is said about her second husband, Alan Greisman.

The memoir pretty much covers the first 30 years of her life with lots of details about her acting career and the self-doubt that seemed to haunt her thought her life, which seemed to be best attributed to the complex relationship she had with her mother, who passed away when Sally was 65. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and although I really liked this book, I do wish there was a bit more detail about the second 30 years of her life as well.

Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital; Eric Manheimer, M.D.

TITLE: Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital

AUTHOR: Eric Manheimer, M.D.

PUBLISHER: Grand Central Publishing

PUB. YEAR: 2012

SETTING:  NYC
FORMAT:  - library

RATING: 3.5/5 stars

Twelve Patients is a memoir and more written by the former (13) year medical director of Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in NYC.  This story was the inspiration for the new 2018, weekly medical series, New Amsterdam, which we've been watching and enjoying.

As Manheimer is put in charge with getting the medical team and hospital back on track, he a;p learns he has cancer and is forced to deal with his own illness. In addition to his story we read the stories of (12) different patients in medical crisis, Many of the stories involve individuals who never benefited from preventative health services before their situations reached too critical to cure levels. From prison inmates, illegal immigrants, the homeless and even a Wall Street executive, were just some of the stories Manheimer shares. Some of these stories end well, some do not, but, it was easy to be drawn into lives of these patients. 

Overall, this was a decent read,  even though I found the details about government regulations and drug companies a little dry and less interesting than the rest of the book. If you like non-fiction or stories of medical crises, try this one.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - In Pieces; Sally Field

Each Tuesday, Vicki, from I’d Rather Be At The Beach hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros where  readers post the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book that they are reading or plan to read.

In Pieces: a memoir; Sally Field

Grand Central Publishing - 2018

1

My Grandmother's Daughter

"I WAIT FOR my mother to haunt me as she promised she would; long to wake in the night with the familiar sight of her sitting at the end of my bed, to talk to her one more time, to feel that all the pieces have been put into place, the puzzle is solved, and I can rest.

Sometimes I think I've seen something out of the corner of my eye and I stop still in the middle of my Pacific Palisades kitchen, looking for the flutter of a sign; or I'm walking in the West Village, headed to my New York apartment, loaded down with groceries, when I hear her laugh ring out.  I turn in circles looking for her. Where are you mom? Why won't you come?"

What do you think, Any interest in this one? 

I love a good memoir and this one has been getting great reviews. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for sending me this boo.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Down City; Leah Carroll

Every Tuesday I host First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros sharing the first paragraph, maybe two, of a book that I'm reading or plan to read soon. 

Down City: A Daughter's Story of Love, Memory & Murder: Leah Carroll

Grand Central - 2017

PROLOGUE

On the night she died, my mom drove to a motel to buy cocaine with two men: Peter Gilbert and Gerald Mastracchio.  Once inside, Gilbert watched television while Masttracchio spread the cocaine on a table and demanded sex from my mother.  She complied.  Years later, Gilbert would testify that "Mastracchio emerged from the bathroom with a towel, threw it around Carroll's neck and yanked. Mastracchio grunted to Gilbert to help as Carroll's face turned purple. ' Come you rat', Mastracchio wheezed. 'Give me the death rattle.'"

This happened at the Sunset View Motel in Attleboro, Massachusetts, just minutes from the Rhode Island border.  It was October 18, 1984.  My mother was thirty. Her name was Joan Carroll.  I had just turned four years old.

Would you read more or pass on this one?

Feel free to join in by linking your INTRO Post below.