⭐⭐⭐ 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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A Norwegian Twist on WWII Fiction
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Resistance Girl by Mandy Robotham offers a fresh take on WWII fiction by shifting the setting to Nazi-occupied Norway. It was a welcome change to step outside the usual France-or-England narrative and experience the war from a different vantage point. The icy backdrop, secret missions, and quiet acts of defiance give this story a unique atmosphere. The plot centers on a young woman drawn into the resistance after a personal tragedy. She’s not a superhero, but her courage feels real—and that grounded strength gives the book its heartbeat. There’s a romantic subplot that adds warmth, though at times it overshadows the larger wartime stakes. A few secondary characters […]
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Dual‑Timeline Tale of WWI and WWII Wrens
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars) If you enjoy wartime fiction with strong female leads, add The Call of the Wrens to your reading list. Jenni L. Walsh takes us on a ride—literally—through two world wars with dual heroines who sign up for the Women’s Royal Naval Service, better known as the Wrens. Marion is an orphan in WWI who finds purpose as a motorcycle dispatch rider. Evelyn is a wealthy young woman in WWII, born with a clubfoot and aching to break free from expectations. Their stories are told in alternating timelines, and I found both characters really likeable and well-drawn. I was especially moved by how their paths ultimately connect in a meaningful […]
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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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A Dark and Twisty Honeymoon Gone Wrong
4.5 stars Talk about dysfunctional families! Everyone in Karin Slaughter’s This Is Why We Lied has secrets, but only one of them is a killer. From the first scream at McAlpine Lodge, the tension never lets up. This locked-room mystery—the 12th book in the Will Trent series—had me hooked from the start. Will Trent and Sara Linton just wanted a quiet honeymoon. Instead, they stumble upon a murder and a web of lies so tangled it’s hard to know who to trust. Mercy McAlpine, the lodge manager, dies whispering her last words to Will, and every family member and guest quickly becomes a suspect. Mercy’s abusive ex, her ice-cold parents, […]
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When the Music Turns into Mayhem: The Dark Maestro Hits a Sour Note
⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars) I was really looking forward to The Dark Maestro. Brendan Slocumb’s first two books were fresh and original, blending music and mystery in a way that worked beautifully. But this one? It veers way off-key. The plot centers on Curtis Wilson, a classical music prodigy whose career gets derailed when his dad—who happens to be a drug dealer—ticks off a ruthless cartel. The family goes into witness protection, but when law enforcement fails to deliver, Curtis and crew decide to take down the cartel themselves. Sure, why not? The premise was already shaky, but then came the comic book storyline. It was supposed to be metaphorical or […]
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A Gritty Slice of Oregon History
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kristina McMorris has a gift for blending history and heart, and her latest novel, The Girls of Good Fortune, digs deep. Set in 1888 Portland, the story opens in the city’s infamous Shanghai Tunnels, where Celia, a young woman of mixed heritage, awakens in a drugged haze, disguised and imprisoned. She’s about to be shipped off as forced labor—shanghaied into a nightmare that pulls no punches. Celia’s struggle to piece together how she ended up there takes readers on a twisting journey through corruption, injustice, and survival. As a half-Chinese woman passing as white in a time of deep anti-Chinese sentiment, her very existence is a balancing act. The […]
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Wanted to Love It — Settled for Liking It
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I recently read Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera, and I’m a little bummed. This was one of those books where the premise reeled me in right away: a Dominican-American mother and daughter facing off over the gentrification of their neighborhood. Yes, please. But while it had all the ingredients for a knockout debut, it didn’t quite land for me. The story follows Eusebia, a neighborhood matriarch secretly sabotaging luxury condo development, and her daughter Luz, who falls for one of the developers. It’s a setup that promises rich drama and layered themes—but the execution never quite came together. I struggled with the disconnect between the two narrators and found […]
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Royals, Rascals, and a Rattled New Mom: We Three Queens Is a Cozy Escape Worth the Read
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rhys Bowen’s We Three Queens is a delightful entry in the Royal Spyness series, blending royal intrigue, murder, and new-mom chaos. Lady Georgiana Rannoch has barely figured out how to burp her baby when she’s asked to hide someone far more troublesome—Wallis Simpson. Yes, that Wallis. As Georgie tries to keep the soon-to-be Duchess of Windsor out of sight, a film crew shows up to shoot a period drama about Henry VIII. Cue the chaos: egos, costumes, and a murder on set. Between diaper duty and damage control, Georgie has her hands full. I alternated between the eBook and audiobook, and the audio version was extraordinary. The narrator nailed […]
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A Bold, Beautiful Shift for Baldacci
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strangers in Time is a refreshing change of pace for David Baldacci—and an absolute triumph. Best known for his pulse-pounding thrillers, Baldacci trades high-tech espionage for wartime Europe, and the result is a deeply human, emotionally rich novel that’s hard to put down. Set during World War II, this story isn’t just about battles and strategy. It’s about people—flawed, brave, complicated people—thrown into impossible circumstances. Baldacci’s gift for plotting is still here, but this time he leans hard into character. The relationships feel real, the dialogue is sharp, and the stakes are personal in all the right ways. He doesn’t just recreate the era—he brings it to life with […]
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