⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Erika Robuck’s The Last Twelve Miles is a thrilling Prohibition-era showdown between two real women—one a 5’2” code-breaking genius, Elizebeth Smith Friedman, cracking smuggler codes for the U.S. Coast Guard; the other, Marie Waite, a fierce and calculating rumrunner determined to rule the high seas. Both are brilliant, fearless, and driven—just on opposite sides of the law. Robuck captures the grit and glamour of the 1920s beautifully, from smoky D.C. offices to the perilous waters off Florida and Cuba. The alternating perspectives pull readers into the minds of two masterminds—Elizebeth’s quiet intellect and Marie’s ruthless ambition. The tension builds as their paths tighten into a deadly cat-and-mouse chase that feels cinematic […]
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Fast, Flashy, and Forgettable
⭐⭐⭐ I thought I would love this book. Brad Meltzer knows how to spin a good government thriller, but The Lightning Rod didn’t maintain my interest the way I expected it to. The premise—an ex-military man murdered after dropping off his car—starts strong, but the story quickly gets bogged down in convoluted twists and uneven pacing. Nola Brown, a standout character in the first book, is back, but this time she feels underused. Her sharp edge and emotional complexity take a backseat to a busy plot that never quite finds its rhythm. The short chapters move things along, but I often found myself tuning out. The pacing is fast, with […]
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Timely Tension and Tactical Thrills
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Andrews and Wilson’s second entry in Clancy’s Jack Ryan series (following Act of Defiance) is a top-notch geopolitical thriller centered on rising tensions between China and the United States. When China’s new hardline president sets plans in motion for an invasion of Taiwan, U.S. President Jack Ryan must navigate diplomacy, military strategy, and international fallout—all while working to extract a high-ranking Chinese defector. Though technically a military thriller, this book focuses more on strategy and global maneuvering than nonstop action. There’s some danger and suspense, but it’s the behind-the-scenes planning and diplomatic brinkmanship that drive the story. I appreciated how current the storyline felt—it could’ve been lifted from today’s […]
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