Books
The IBPA Ben Franklin Awards
Ooma and I traveled to Orlando this past weekend. It was partly just a weekend getaway, but the raison d’etre for the trip was the IBPA Ben Franklin Awards. I was, in effect, a “proxy finalist” as I was representing David Benjamin and Last Kid Books. Fat Vinny’s Forbidden Love was nominated in the “best … Continue reading
“Fat Vinny’s Forbidden Love” by David Benjamin
Copyright 2021 by David Benjamin. Published by Last Kid Books, Madison WI. First, the usual disclaimer: David Benjamin is one of my oldest and best friends. Also, this book is nominated for a “best comedy book” award by the Independent Book Publishers Association and, if it wins, I will be accepting the award in his … Continue reading
“Violets are Blue” by James Patterson
Copyright 2001 by James Patterson. Published by Warner Books, Inc., New York. This is not so much of a review as a rant. WTF is wrong with James Patterson? Why is he a popular author? If you recall I characterized his “Sunday at Tiffany’s” as “dreck.” This, too, is dreck. But this time he can’t … Continue reading
“The Promise” by Robert Crais
Copyright 2015 by Robert Crais. Published by G.P. Putnam & Sons, New York. Robert Crais spins some good yarns. His most popular books are those featuring Elvis Cole, the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest detective” and Joe Pike who defies a simple description. Maybe “mysterious mercenary?” He is an iconoclast, for sure, and has amazing skills at … Continue reading
“Make Me” by Lee Child
Copyright 2015 by Lee Child. Published by Dell, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. This is #20 in the series of books by Lee Child featuring Jack Reacher, the footloose one-man police force. I don’t think there is such a thing as a bad Reacher book; they range from Good to Great. … Continue reading
“Regrets Only” by Nancy Geary
Copyright 2004 by Nancy Whitman Geary. Published by Time Warner Book Group, New York. It is usually good when, in a mystery story, everything fits together. But sometimes everything fits together just a little too well to be realistic. I am thinking of some of the Agatha Christie books, like Ten Little Indians or Murder … Continue reading
“The Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked” by David Benjamin
Copyright 2020 by David Benjamin. Published by Last Kid Books, Madison WI. The usual disclaimer: The author is one of my oldest and best friends. I am having a hard time reviewing this book, partly because I have read it before and I tend to rush a second reading. Also – and I hate to … Continue reading
“Tell No One” by Harlan Coben
Copyright 2001 by Harlan Coben. Published by Dell Publishing, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. I really like Coben’s books. He always keeps you guessing. His plots are deep, devious and very satisfying. And he has a way of revealing details that keep me turning the pages – like an archaeologist slowly uncovering … Continue reading
“Broken Prey” by John Sandford
Copyright 2005 by John Sandford. Published by the Penguin Group of G. P. Putnam Sons, New York NY. This is the 16th in the popular “Prey” series featuring detective Lucas Davenport. While in later books Davenport takes on other jobs, in this one he is still with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Minnesota’s state-level … Continue reading
“Sundays at Tiffany’s” by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Book copyright 2008 by James Patterson. Audiobook copyright 2008 by Hachette Audio and published by Books on Tape, Westminster MD. Narrated by Ellen Archer. I don’t normally review audiobooks because I feel that listening to a book while I drive both avoids the effort of actually reading the book and allows my mind to wander, … Continue reading