Walk the Wire by David Baldacci

 

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This might be the best Amos Decker yet, excepting the first one! Wowza!!!!  So many plot twists and murders and connections and surprises in this classic Baldacci thriller.  Decker and Jamison are in North Dakota to investigate a strange murder/dead body, and we go along for the ride to learn all about fracking, small town politics, best friends who drift apart, jealousy, affairs, and a couple of surprise cameos by characters that will have discerning readers jumping with literary joy.

Ok, maybe not jumping, but I did pump my fist.  Once.

Keep it a surprise and don't read more reviews!  That is one that should not be spoiled.  

Baldacci's style is typical here - short sentences, very little bridging between scenes ("They drove to the house.  He thought about the case.  Decker left." (HA, I love it when Decker just ups and leaves the room in mid-sentence.))  But in this one the case itself is so complicated I almost needed a character list to keep track.  Definitely kept my attention!

I am also very intrigued at how Decker's abilities and conditions seem to be mutating.  In the last book or two he has had brief scenes of empathy and understanding, which are lacking because of his brain injury from football years ago.  Jamison notices and isn't sure what to think about her partner and dare I say bff.  I like that there is no romance between the two.  But she sure does look out for him, as he does for her.  Nice.

{One small complaint - I get annoyed that the author refers to everyone by their last names.  The victims, the main characters, and ok fine this is what really bugs me - the women!!!  The Southern girl in me gets tripped up by this.  Maybe it is a policeman lingo thing, so I guess I get it for his partner Jamison (who he sometimes calls Alex - pick one!). But for the victims?  Just call her Irene for goodness sake!  Or Ms. Cramer.  Or the Victim (although, too many victims here to warrant a singular).  A small thing in the overall, but still, wondering if anyone else thinks this way?}

This is a great story, I love The Memory Man, and won't say much more about the plot.  If you are  a Memory Man fan, you should definitely read this one.  I have read them all in order, but I am not sure you really need to do so.  Of course, the first one you need to read, and I prefer to read books like this in order personally.  But I think you could skip the fourth one, and just dive into the fifth and sixth.  Some similarities in the small town bust scenario, but worth it.  

Redemption by David Baldacci

 

Back on track, Decker!  (This is #5 in the series....#4 wasn't really my favorite.)

The fourth book in the Memory Man series is fabulously convoluted and twisty and I did not see everything coming.  And neither did Decker.  WHAT???  He notices and remembers EVERYTHING!

Some of this tangled web becomes obvious and Baldacci tries to slip in some overlooked clues which I caught.  But whoa Nelly, I did not see the overall result coming!!  

Decker goes back to his hometown annually to visit the grave of his daughter, murdered one night several years ago while he was staying late at work to try to solve another case.  His guilt is overwhelming and he channels his energies into tracking down other killers.  As he visits the graveside, an elderly man approaches him and declares his innocence.  Amos recognizes him as his first case - found guilty of four murders.  Could Amos have been mistaken in his work?  Infathomable!

But....yet, Amos begins to delve into what really happened all those years ago, and more questions than answers pile up, along with additional dead bodies.  Reunited with his former police partner while Alex Jamison heads back to FBI headquarters, Amos struggles with his own guilt, with whether the case was a set up, and who was involved and why.  Some simple language and syntax in this one keeps it from being a five star read.  This is not prose, but it is a very good mystery/crime drama!

The Fallen by David Baldacci

 

One of my favorite writers and series (The Memory Man/Amos Decker series), but this offering was not as strong as the first three.  A timely topic indeed with the emphasis on the epidemic of drug use in our country and the existence of bad cops, and I did like putting Alex front and center in this story, with some background and family life from her side.  Still definitely worth a read; I always hate giving three stars even though that does mean I LIKED it, because it seems like I am being critical.  But, there are better Baldaccis out there and this one was just not the best in the series.  I still like Amos and his uncanny abilities, and we are given a hint in this installment that his lack of empathy towards others may be softening, as may his ability to remember every single detail (both conditions stemming from a TBI on the NFL football field years ago).  Looking forward to seeing how that twist on the entire premise of why Amos is such a good investigator holds forth in future installments!!!

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

 

First of all, I gave this three stars on Goodreads, which means I liked it ok.  Not that I hated it.  If I hated it, I would not even be rating it (which I guess negates the whole star process if I never rate anything bad.....) 

This book is sad.  So sad, all the lost opportunities to show love and support and tell your truth.  We know from the get go that Lydia is dead (see one of the greatest first lines ever!!).  But we don't know how or why.  What we learn about Lydia and her family along the way of this brief but heartbreaking story is typical and devastating at the same time.  Themes of racism, bullying, parental transference, a frustrated housewife, an overlooked youngest child.... all come together to attempt to piece it all together.

But this puzzle is complicated, and some answers are never to be known.  I found it a struggle to get through this one.  Not much hope here and I worried all along about the long term affects on the kids mostly.  Still, I persisted.

And the last 10 pages made it worthwhile.  Beautiful introspective language and a tiny bit of hope if not redemption.  Those last ten pages were amazing, giving the reader a glimpse into what happens in future years.  I loved how the author did that.  Still, I did not really enjoy the read until the end, and then of course the title makes sense in more ways than one.  This probably would be a good book club selection because I do think there is a LOT to talk about, but if you are looking for a light entertaining read, I'd say this one is heavy and a bit gloomy, so just be aware.

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

In the interest of not giving TOO many five stars, this one is a solid four, four and a half. Which means I really liked it!!! (So much pressure with these stars, y'all.....) Reminiscent of a Lianne Moriarty but confined to one family.

My friend Kim (thanks for the lend!) stated it best when she told me, "If you like This is Us, you'll like this book." SO TRUE!! The author takes one year in the life of a family of six and then delves back in time in a zig zag to fill in the blanks for the reader. Four sisters with two parents who are madly truly deeply sickeningly in love survive secrets big and small, imagined and never dreamed of, unthinkable and totally relatable. Each sister has her own personality but I definitely felt Wendy, the oldest, was the most fleshed out, and the wildest yet most stable of the bunch, followed by her Irish twin Violet, whom I did not find very likable. Liza gets kind of lost in the middle, and Gracie, well, typical youngest child really - but I would read another book just about Gracie! And of course each sister has her own way of trying to emulate her parents' perfect pairing. It's a lot of stress!!!

Anyway, a great read, kept me interested even with all the plot twists and sisterly arguing and family love and OH THE DRAMA!!! But the drama is not overdone, even if you do wonder if any family has this much going on (they do, I assure you, you just don't hear about it on Facebook, duh). Each sister has her own "THING" going on, and the introduction of a new family member (or two) shakes things up big time. Past losses are revealed, current lies unearthed, and one huge health event later, we have ourselves a novel just waiting for the big screen. Different chapters focus on the backstories of the different sisters, but I could see the whole thing being told from Wendy's point of view, or maybe even from David's (the Dad). And the best part of all, the Title of the book is, well, the most fun I ever had with a title reveal. ;-)

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

 

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I know I said I would be better about giving so many five star reviews, but damn this was good, too!!!

Fascinating historical fiction about the woman who loved and was loved by C. S. Lewis.  Yes, THAT C. S. Lewis.  Joy Davidman was an American housewife, mother, author and poet who began a years long correspondence with Lewis after experiencing a similar conversion into Christianity.  They finally met, developed a deep friendship, and as her marriage to an abusive husband crumbles, she realizes she feels very deeply for Lewis as their conversations and letters continue.  He is a confirmed bachelor and is troubled by her eventual divorce and how that is viewed by the church.  Their relationship is beyond special, and moves slowly through all four types of love.

Callahan imagines Joy's thoughts, letters, conversations and life in such detail that this reader was not only thoroughly engrossed, but almost convinced she was reading an autobiography from beyond.  The use of first person here is magnificent - I felt as if Joy were my best friend in the world and telling me her life story.  Mission accomplished, fair researcher and author!!!!

And research galore is to be had here.  Through interviews with Joy's son and deep dives into just about everything written by and about Joy and Lewis, Callahan gives us a true gift.  This is a love story, yes, but it is really a story of a singular, strong, ahead of her time Woman who loved fiercely, spoke her mind, raised two boys, and followed her heart, all the while respecting and nurturing the man she loved, admired, and waited for.  Miracles abound even in tragedy, and paradox is truth.  The parallel story of religion and conversion and faith is not overdone here, but is of course an important part of their lives and stories.  How fascinating to have even an imagined glimpse into the friendship between Lewis and Tolkien, the mention of other famous authors of the time, and of the character that is the city of Oxford.  I borrowed this book, but may have to purchase my own copy, as well as dive into Lewis' and Joy's works.  I have only ever read the Chronicles of Narnia, but now feel the need to read more.  

If you love to read, if you appreciate the life of writers, if you want to be engrossed in a story of England and lore and love and friendship, this is the book for you. My book club loved it and we had one of our best ever discussions about this book, their story, and what Lewis' writings have meant to us.  I especially loved the reveal of how Lewis gave himself his nickname.  Well done Callahan, I feel like this is probably the work you were meant to share with your readers the most.  Very impressive.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

 

The Vanishing Half 

(remember, because I can't work my blog (ugh), you need to click on the link above to read the entire review on my blogsite, Thank you!!)

I may never give another five star rating again.

Yeah, ok, I will, but THIS is the kind of book that truly deserves the five stars.  This is the book those stars should be reserved for.

Gorgeous writing.  Poignant.  Gut punching.  Deeply introspective.  So many sentences I wanted to copy down and post and reread and just BE IN.

Timely topics not many writers would be brave enough to tackle.  Vernacular you can hear in your head, easily.  Identity as you see it, as you feel it, as you CHOOSE others to see.  Very interesting.  Heartbreaking secrets and sliding doors.

Intrigued, yet????  You should be.

Two sisters (twins!). Two cousins (who did not know the other existed - until...).  Very different lives.  So many threads here, it is hard to review.  I liked Desiree's story more I think, but Stella's is equally important and heartbreaking for so many different reasons.  Choices really do alter lives.  Sometimes for the better, but not always for the best.  The ending is my only complaint - it seemed abrupt - but really I think what the author wanted to say had been said.  The characters moved on, but I was not ready to let them go. I wanted to know more of where they were going.

But the story was about where they'd been.  Loved how the author jumped around in time a bit, ever moving forward.  Hopefully her characters will all move forward after the end.  I can see them just nodding, like, yep, ok, we're good now.

So, go read this book.

The End.