857. "Odd Partners" by Allison Brennan, Jeffery Deaver, William Kent Krueger – 4 Stars

Odd Partners  by Allison Brennan, Jeffery Deaver, William Kent Krueger – 4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing – Ballantine Books

ISBN: 9781524799359

Odd Partners is a collection of 19 short stories by established authors. Each has a mystery/suspense theme with a unique plot, setting, and characters. All have a bit of surprise at the end. There are thieves, murderers, animal heroes, political tricksters, and ordinary people. Even some of the supernatural is included. None are boring and the good guy usually wins. Each story is entertaining because of its diversity.

I usually prefer the depth of a novel, but chose this anthology to read because it contained stories by recognized authors whose books I read in the past. I was surprised how well each story was developed and completed the book in a few days. It is obvious that the authors included in this anthology are award winners and best sellers.

Reviewer: Nancy

856. Windows 10 Version 1809 *****

It was my turn to tackle Windows 10 Version 1809. Although it took almost 3.5 hours to this complete the installation beginning at download to fully configured on my 2010 Dell Inspiron 1440, it was nothing but smiles. When the Windows Update process kept trying to download the package and failing I went to the Windows Assistant installation option, downloaded it from the support site, and let her fly. without any interaction she did everything from check out the system, download version 1809, install it, and build it. The Windows Assistant prefaced its download with statement how Microsoft's AI application created a better process based on all the prior installation of Feature version installations. And, that it did! Kudos to Microsoft. I only had to do one extra step this time: Reinstall my old Microsoft Card Games which was a simple run of the installation package I already had. this time it even left my Registry hack alone that disabled the Caps Lock key that I would always hit instead of just the shift key and which now prevents me FROM YELLING. I have a few other hacks in the registry and hope I don't need to reapply those either. A word of caution, throw all the hacks in a folder to simplify the need of reinstalling them if you need to. The last version (1803) also destroyed my Start Menu, my Display Preference changes, and Taskbar Icons. NOT this time. Everything was re-Pinned automatically, even the icons after reinstalling the old card games to exactly the configuration I had.

So, if you are hedging to put on Version 1809, I hope this review will relieve some of that anxiety. Great job Microsoft.

855. "The Crooked Staircase" by Dean Koontz – 4 Stars

The Crooked Staircase by Dean Koontz – 4 Stars

Publisher: Bantam Books

ISBN: 9780525483427

I made it through this book 3 of 5 series and am moving on to 4. I am a reviewer for new books on Netgalley.com and book 5 is available for request. I’ll be finished with book 4 and praying for book 5.

As in the previous books in this series, Jane Hawk efficiently and effectively takes care of business to seek the Arcadian leader. The Arcadians are members of a corrupt group committed to control the world by controlling the minds of computer algorithm selected individuals using a “brain net” injected into the victims. In this book, Jane is up against an NSA Arcadian leader. However, before she gets to him she has to deal with the underlings and the total havoc to do so. Her focus is undiminished in finding all those involved who “adjusted” her husband and programmed him to commit suicide. New characters help her, but still more victims pile up. Jane is electrifying as usual!

The story is great and 80% through I was already yearning to put book 4 at the top of my reading queue. However, I was less than excited when I had to painfully forge through the remainder of the book --it appeared that extra words and pages were needed to get the total pages above 450. I was also not pleased with the abrupt end of this one which did not leave me with the hunger for book 4. Yet, the first 80% ruled and I’ll be starting book 4 in a couple of days and have already requested book 5 to find out how the whole story ends.

Reviewer: Rich

 

854. "Murder for Christmas" by Jo-Ann Carson

Murder for Christmas by Jo-Ann Carson – 3 Stars

Publisher: JRT Publications

ISBN: 9781989031155

I would say this book is a short story that is entertaining for the couple of hours needed to read it. Expect a tale similar to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, except for the reason why the victims are lured to the island. It was not a deep, enriching novel with well-crafted asides of moving, fulfilling literacy, nor did it yield a profound conclusion. I would classify it as an airplane or beach read to pass the time for one wanting some freedom from this complex world -- a let-me-alone-for-awhile moment. That itself provides a motive to read this.

Reviewer: Rich

 

853. "Where Monsters Hide" by M. William Phelps – 4 Stars

Where Monsters Hide  by M. William Phelps – 4 Stars

Publisher: Kensington Books

ISBN: 9781496720818

I have not read other books in the True Crime category, so had nothing to compare this to and no preconceived expectations. It is an exhaustive, but compelling story of a woman who is described as “the worse female serial killer in modern America.” She was convicted of two murders and suspected of nine more.

The interviews with Kelly Cochran became tedious. Several times I set the book aside to switch to another book. The length of this book becomes understandable considering the hundreds of interviews and investigation over many years. The pictures at the end put a face to the people I spent hours getting to know. I developed great respect for Sheriff Laura Frizzo and Detective Jeremy Ogden for their persistence dealing with a narcissistic psychopath who was a master of manipulation.

Where Monsters Hide was a disturbing account. The insight into the evil mind of Kelly Cochran was fascinating and frightening. The courage of those in law enforcement who did not quit until she was convicted and imprisoned was inspiring. I thank Netgalley.com and Kensington Books for the opportunity to preview this book and introducing me to True Crime stories.

Reviewer: Nancy

852. "Secret Agent Brainteasers" by Sinclair McKay -- 2-Stars

Secret Agent Brainteasers by Sinclair McKay – 2 Stars

Publisher: Quercus

ISBN: 9781635061352

I debated whether I should even review and rate this book. Let me start that I enjoyed the historical narratives and real spy tales. However, being an avid puzzler, particularly doing extremely difficult logic problems, I encountered so many puzzles that had multiple solutions or had errors. This is an UNCORRECTED COPY I am reviewing, so maybe the fallacies I report to the publisher will be corrected.

My expectation though was to find puzzles used directly in determining spy capabilities. Instead I found puzzles that were common folk teasers and had no relevance to determining spy capabilities. If you are reading this book to evaluate yourself and boost your hopes of being a spy, intelligence employee, detective, or investigator, drop that idea. However, if you just enjoy teaser games, enjoy this book. So many of the puzzles I found are simply word manipulation challenges. Likewise, many are or similar to puzzles already published in the let-me-trick-you category.

So, how do I rate this book? It did not meet MY expectations as set by the book’s description that imagined that these puzzles could test for spy candidates. The typographic errors, such as Chapter 2 puzzle #6 where two underscores are missing before “AR/” , can be overlooked in an UNCORRECTED copy. However, when at least 10+% of the puzzles I did have at least one alternate solution, such as Chapter 1 puzzle 4 where one could use the logic that the sector with 11 and 22 in outside circle and 20 on inside should be the numbers of the combination because it’s the only sector where the three numbers increase from left to right, then it already presents only a 50-50 chance of success -- one no spy would take. I’d like to rate this 3 or 4 because these word-teasers (most not really testing one’s logic) together with the good narrative history and tales would be enjoyed by many people. However, I’m being asked what my opinion is, and that has to be based on my expectations from its description versus what I discovered. Also, I couldn’t commit myself to doing more than the approximately 30-40 puzzles because of the issues I found! Thus, I can only rate this 2-star.

Reviewer: Rich

 

851. "The Whispering Room" by Dean Koontz -- 5-Stars

The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz – 5 Stars

Publisher: Bantam Books

ISBN: 9780345546807

Jane Hawk evades “Them” again in a masterful, suspenseful victory towards eliminating the evil mind control brain net. I enjoy reading a novel where not only is the story great, but the use of words excels, the portraying of environmental situations and locations perfectly put you right there, and the construction and organization of the novel enhances without confusing the reader.

The “Whispering Room” is an interesting concept that everybody can relate to at times when a tinge of paranoia raises its ugly head. Plus, this whispering room adds even more evil elements. Jane learns the secrets and utilizes them to her advantage. How she does it, with a commitment to bring down the evil-doers who sacrificed her husband, is what makes this story intense and captivating throughout. But, this is only the second book of five and book three is on its way. Great job Mr. Koontz.

Reviewer: Rich

850. Black & Decker...Plumbing...Edition 7" by Cool Spring Press -- 4 Stars

Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Plumbing Updated 7^th Edition  by Editors of Cool Spring Press – 4 Stars

Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Spring Press

ISBN: 9780760362815

If one can’t use the Internet, then a hard copy book is essential, particularly for emergencies or minor repairs. Several DIY books are on the market with some like this one dedicated specifically for Plumbing, while some others cover topics more completely and add troubleshooting and repair for key appliances in the plumbing system. My father was a plumber and I did pipe fitting during the summers while attending school. Therefore, I know the basics and more. Yet, I am challenged by the many weird things that occur in a plumbing system, such as pipes hammering only after a toilet flushing, popping noises from the hot water heater, hard water destroying shut off valves, water filtering solutions, cleaning vents, and periodic toilet stoppage in cold months to name a few. So, I’m looking for something that UP FRONT alerts me to any potentially misbehaving components of my plumbing system; then gives me the remedies and repair procedures.

I like that Black & Decker did nicely cover plumbing materials, fittings, repair materials, and tools. I found the information on the use of more skilled tools needed in some cases complete enough for the layman to begin to tackle. The book is reasonably well organized and provides clear step-by-step pictures to aid the user in performing the job. Yet, unlike the Internet a book does not provide videos of a repair being done and is limited to repairs in general.

I’m here to evaluate the book though, not how to best get all the information I need for a plumbing job. Thus, I would rate it better than average. If at all possible, and maybe I missed it, a reference to repair videos and websites would be a nice touch, as would actual videos on the Black & Decker Website that could be downloaded.

 

Reviewer: Rich

 

849. "The Future is Asian" by Parag Khanna -- 2-Stars

The Future is Asian by Parag Khanna – 2 Stars

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 9781501196263

This book provides a lot of incentive to think beyond the box; the box in this case is what is presented. Who’s the audience? This is a dump of everything learned by everybody imaginable without clearly separating fact from findings or observations. It is obvious that much research has gone into this to collect and report all the information. A PhD in Asian History may like the beginning chapter to refresh him/her with details of an era he desired; you get the author’s attempt to list all the “Asian” events from the beginning of time. I, on the other hand, was anticipating only something discussing how recent events and actions throughout Asia affect the goal of globalization. Instead, I was presented with a case study, somewhat biased, pitting the Western blunders vs. Non-Western successes. I wanted to know what plans the Asian countries have already initiated and are planning to employ to enhance globalized, worldwide relationships. This would have given me insight to private business changes, my investments, and America’s efforts to synchronize relationships towards a successful global integration.

A consultant needs to analyze ALL the findings relevant to predefined hypotheses of conclusions. Many of the findings in this book are bias toward Asian thinking which distorts the formulation of facts needed by the individual seeking global unity. Conclusions are sketchy against a synchronized global plan.

Despite the struggle I had to get through this book, it did make me think ALOT. The knowledge before reading this book was already adequate to understand the issues hindering the efforts of globalization. The last thing I needed was that the West is still trying to colonize the world while the non-west is opening it up (but, not to the West) with THEIR only objectives in mind.

Sorry, I’m not impressed with the pain-staking effort that apparently went into the research of this book when the message is ambiguous and conflicting at times. Way too many words and pages to get what should be a message to the West to pay ample attention to the world, seek ideas coming from the non-West, and together formulate plans for successful globalization. I certainly wasn’t the audience in mind for this book.

Reviewer: Rich

 

848. "The Pandora Room" by Christopher Golden -- 5-Stars

The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden – 5 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 9781250192103

The Pandora Room has all the elements of a scary horror adventure. The setting is a dark claustrophobic cave system where a deadly plague with evil phantoms leaks from a jar. Seeking the jar are nasty ISIS replacement soldiers who want to use it as a weapon. And what’s a tale without ancient mythology as background? There are characters that heroically fight to protect the jar and survive against overwhelming odds.

This is the second book with Ben Walker as the main character, but is fine as a stand-alone novel. The relationship between Ben and Kim introduced in the first book is sufficiently covered in this book.

There is tension throughout. Overused comments like “wild ride” and “can’t put down” come to mind to describe its intensity – and all both true. I have not read anything by Christopher Golden in a few years, but will return to read Arafat and other books I have missed.

Reviewer: Nancy

 

847. "Trapped" by Amanda Byrd -- 2-Stars

Trapped  by Amanda Byrd – 2 Stars

Publisher: Blacksheep Press

ISBN: 9781619848160

This book was tagged in the Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy categories.

When I think of horror, I think of books I read from Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Bentley Little, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, Bram Stoker. Thus, I would not characterize this as a horror story. Sci-Fi? Certainly not approximating stories by Ray Bradbury, H.G. Wells, Mary Shelly, Michael Crichton, David Golemon, Dan Simmons. But, it does fit the Fantasy category – with a werewolf, vampire, gargoyles, and a chimera why wouldn’t it?

I did find the conversations between Miranda’s three entities – Human, Werewolf, and Vampire – humorous and necessary to keep this book somewhat entertaining. Plus, the characters are interesting, each with strange personalities and roles. The overall story one could say is a very good “campfire” story fantasy.

The entire book was written in a matter-of-fact way. Almost like an explanation of a very short period of someone’s time without any content beyond the confining lines. I’m sure some people would love to read a book ONLY to get to the end in a hurry. This would be for them. Not for me. I was expecting much richer depths. Why build up to a battle of mythical entities and then have the battle last less than a couple of pages and exactly like already planned with no deviation, suspense, or intrigue? Dull! Likewise, the human Miranda needed to satisfy her other two entities. A slam, bam, kill ‘em, eat ’em, of, maybe three, individuals could have been greatly enhanced to fulfill the hidden “evil” fantasies within the reader.

So, the book was good from a I-don’t-have-much-time-but-do-have-some-time-to waste point of view. It is readable and somewhat funny. But it definitely lacked any depth or richness. The Introduction was quite confusing. I took it as just an Introduction; whereas, my wife was thinking there must have been other books in the series preceding this one. The Introduction, a short summary of how Miranda became a 3-way freak, could have been a prequel book in itself – well, with about another 350-400 pages.

If I consider a 3-Star as good, 4-Star as very good, and 5-Star as exceptional, I could have rated this 3-Star. However, if I compare it to all the other books I have read in all three of the categories, I struggle to rate it more than a 1-Star. So, let me just give it a 2-Star.

Reviewer: Rich

 

846. "Stolen Lives" by Matthew Prichard -- 4-Stars

Stolen Lives  by Matthew Prichard – 4 Stars

Publisher: Sapere Books

ISBN: 9781912786787

When I began reading, I realized the author was referring to events in Spain’s past that I knew little about. Therefore, I took time to learn about the Spanish Civil War, its influence on past events, and the effects of those events on the present. After that I was better able to easily enjoy this book and understand the characters.

The historical aspect of the plot was intriguing while the mystery unfolded. For decades the trafficking of infants perpetrated by those who influenced others and who should have been protecting those who trusted them was disturbing and true.

The very believable characters whose lives were so tragically affected by the actions of politics and religion made the plot’s events and mystery realistic.

Stolen Lives was thought provoking, well researched, and entertaining.

 Reviewer: Nancy

 

845. "Judgement" by Joseph Finder -- 5-Stars

Judgement by Joseph Finder – 5-Stars

Publisher: Penguin Group, Dutton

ISBN: 9781101985816

This book was a pleasure to read. Exceptional!

Judge Brody has a fling that not only causes personal family issues, but initiates blackmail regarding a case she is trying as well as threats to her and her family’s lives. I suppose you could say this book is about doing what is right, persistence to get it right, and working through the consequences of your actions and those imposed on you. The exceptional part of this writing is that you will actual feel what is happening instead of just reading it. Every paragraph, every sentence, every word seems to have been selected to involve you emotionally while it logically takes you through its suspense and intrigue.

Supplementing the story itself is some very subtle humor, and possibly satire. For example, I loved her friend Martie’s dog’s toy. Depending on your political affiliation and using the glass-empty or glass-full rule you can easily think it is criticizing our president or complimenting him for his persistence throughout these ripping times.

Care to know what the Russian’s are up to and how the Oligarchs were created and now utilized by Putin? Wonder why America isn’t stepping up to the alleged Russian meddling? The correct answer may not be within, but some compelling reasons will get you to think about why.

Persistence is the theme. Intelligent and clever writing seals this novel as one of the best I’ve read in a long time.

Reviewer: Rich

 

844. "The Silent Corner" by Dean Koontz -- 5-Stars

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz – 5 Stars

Publisher: Bantam Books

ISBN: 9780345545992

This is the first book in a series. The last book is available upon request at Netgalley.com. So, I wanted to prepare for it by reading the first four books. After this read I am very much looking forward to the entire series.

The series is based on a character Jane Hawk who has somewhat departed from the FBI after her husband commits suicide -- well, as “They” claim. She is already deep into a conspiracy theory that is sounding truer as time passes: that the inordinate jump in the number of suicides is caused by something or someone evil. Her mission is to find out what, to stop it, and to punish anybody involved. She is so motivated and angered that she has to hide her child Travis with guardians to protect him from the same people who are hunting her. “They” cannot let her reveal “their” plans.

Throughout this novel the suspense and action continues unabated. The flow of the story is supplemented by descriptions of location and characters that only a few authors can duplicate – always interesting and informative. Mr. Koontz is a master of words and story telling.

Without giving the story away, let me say that Jane encounters many adverse situations that are smartly resolved with cunning planning and skills. Her use of outsiders to assist her proves rewarding, despite the high risks to her, to them, and to her family, which includes her parents and the guardians of Travis. She has already concluded that “They” are an elite, rich group of people who want to control all living things in the world. This first book introduces and clarifies her goals, her skills, her tactics, her persistence, and her continuous and cautious awareness of “Those” after her. As you learn, “They” are infiltrated everywhere.

The book ends at a logical break in the action, but one that will force you to read the next book. At least it wills me!

Reviewer: Rich

843. "Downfall" by Will Jordan -- 3-Stars

Downfall by Will Jordan – 3 Stars

Publisher: Canelo

ISBN: 9781910859735

Let me begin with this is one of the most difficult books to review. Am I an action novel enthusiast? Yes. I love one that is consistently intriguing throughout, suspenseful, and cleverly combative when necessary.

First I have to give it an A+ for grammar, vocabulary, and construction. But the repetitious events, combats, and predictability ruined this book for me. How many combat situations do you need where every one is identical except for a minor change of characters? It became like visiting a dentist to have a tooth pulled and then when finished and you are paying he comes back and says he forgot to pull the other one. Now repeat this over and over until most of your teeth are gone. Then he says, “Oh, I must have been my other self to do that.” Sorry. Hope I didn’t give away the plot with that analogy, but I just can’t explain my dissatisfaction any better than that. Now, if you are into repetitive action that is no more than just another battle, somewhat like reading 20 comic books just to see if the good guy wins again, then fine. This is what you will get.

The idea of what is wrong with Ryan Drake, how he reacted and the resolution to his issues were clever. But the continuous cat-and-mouse hunt and same characters scene after scene bored me quickly, as did the unnecessary pages of Hawkin’s past.

To sum it up, I would approximate the entire story could have been told more effectively and entertainingly in just 25% of the words. Now if you add another 75% with meaningful, interesting material without repetition, then it would be a great book. Sorry. Not so as is.

This is the first book I read by this author. Maybe had I read the first 8 books in the Ryan Drake series I would have acquired something of benefit that would not have made the reading of this one so torturous.

Reviewer: Rich

 

842. "Memory Man" and "The Last Mile" by David Baldacci -- 4 and 5 Stars

I can't describe these novels any better than Amazon's description. I found Memory Man, the first novel of the series, very entertaining and where he introduces his main character Amos Decker. As a result of a football injury, Decker is "gifted" with an ability to never forget anything is realizes in the world. But, he is plagued by a spontaneous display of colors when stressed. Amos returns from retirement to resolve two mysteries: the murder of his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law and a mass murder in a little town. His inability to be social confuses his teammates and causes some tense events, but he works through it and impresses everybody with his discovery of information and use of logic to produce effective results. In this first book he teams with an astute woman Jamison to solve both mysteries. Because of their collective success, they are offered jobs on a special government team to investigate other cold cases in book two of the series, The Last Mile, when they informally add a most unsuspecting character to their team. This team works outside the law at times in a suspenseful venture to track down the real murderer for which someone on death row has been framed. This second in the series portrays Baldacci's writing talents at his best. I recommend both books and look forward to reading the third in the series, The Fix.

Reviewers: Rich and Nancy

841. "Don't Get Mad" by John Vocale -- 3-Stars

Don’t Get Mad by John Vocale – 3 Stars

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

ISBN: 9781684331253

Although I found this novel somewhat entertaining and often quirky, I was displeased with slow, long-character back stories, setting descriptions, repetitive dialogue, and a strange romantic subplot. Most of the book was a setup for a brief assassination. Sturgis’s friend got it right when he told Sturgis to hurry up and get to the point because he hates it when people tell a story with thrown in useless facts. This novel is a fast, uncomplicated read. I agree with other reviewers who recommended this as a casual vacation book.

Reviewer: Nancy

840. "How Finance Works" by Mihir Desai -- 3 Stars

How Finance Works by Mihir Desai – 3 Stars

Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press

ISBN: 9781633696709

“Only prerequisites … curiosity and perseverance” so stated the author are required to get you through this book. Well, I’m retired now, but like my very successful service and consulting preretirement career where I ran into financial issues with clients and the 30 years of investing using Financial Ratios and other data, my continued curiosity and perseverance was not enough. After at least 5 passes, up to a least 10 in some sections, I still hadn’t successfully comprehended, even moderately, much of the lessons from Chapter 3 on. I did get a keen and quick insight of the important areas of Finance. The Intro and chapters 1 and 2 were very beneficial in introducing the key Financial definitions and data relevant to investors and those in Financial area careers. But, one needs to be prepared for some errors, such as on pages 34 and 35 where virtual company M is used for two different real companies.

I thought the exercise using the virtual companies to discover the real companies was a brilliant idea and a great way to get a grasp on the fact that ratios depend on the industry type and can not be numerically compared to other industries or even other countries where things like taxes are different.  However, after three passes I did wonder whether the steps in this exercise could really be applied to the companies in my universe or whether it was a method derived from working backwards to make the exercise workable. Regardless, it confirmed what I learned over the many years of investing and added some new ammunition for forward progress. So, up through chapter 2, I would agree that a new individual to Finance and one like me with many years of touching Finance, but not into the bowels of it, and for all investors, that this book would be very helpful.

However, later the substitution of many diagrams and graphs became a shortcoming rather than an aid. I felt that the essential text describing a topic failed to adequately explain the forest and simply focused on the trees. My opinion is that it was more important to select many diagrams and graphs and fit them together than to give a comprehensive and logical written overview, explanation, and relation to the real world. Granted, the Reflections throughout were well placed and significant. But, I was less impressed with many unnecessary formulas and other detailed information that certainly was not pertinent to what I expected from this book, nor, I believe, would be of any importance to others. I finally concluded that this book was simply an outline of a Harvard course, but, without the interactions of an audience. Much of the relevance and constructive discussions appeared ignored. I suppose my example would be developing a customer presentation and publishing it without really capturing the effectiveness of it.

Thus, although I am most curious in Finance and Economics and have a very high level of perseverance, both qualities a must in the consulting arena, my interest to learn Finance to a detailed level waned when I retired and I could not read it from front to back as the author commented. So, I did test it as a reference and also concluded that since it lacked an index it was not very practical as a reference either, unless you were interested in rations, cash, and valuation chapters. All chapters were visited, hoping that from the Conclusion chapter I could pop back earlier to glean reasons for the conclusions. That also did not work to my satisfaction.

For all the above reasons I would recommend that a rework be done that emphasizes the missing student interactions and discussions and replace some of the diagrams, graphs, etc. that clutter the important area of Finance with more effective, logically sequenced text.

Reviewer: Rich

839. "Watcher in the Woods" by Kelly Armstrong -- 5-Stars

Watcher in the Woods by Kelly Armstrong – 5 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

ISBN: 9781250159915

Reading this book without reading the previous three in the series will be a disadvantage for you. The fourth novel in the series begins without the required details about the town of Rockton and the background of its inhabitants. You may struggle a bit until you learn that each character displays two profiles: one a new fabricated presented to their neighbors and the other the real past -- good, bad, or ugly. This accentuates interest in every character and continuous entertainment. Although the plot has some fantasy-like events, they are not dressed up to convince you they are real which frees your mind of challenging credibility entirely. It is just fun to read.

Despite each book beginning where the previous book in the series left off, each provides a mystery in itself and completely told -- the crime is set up, investigated, and solved.

This novel presents its mystery with suspense, a psychological element, a love story, and complex characters, even including two dogs. All the elements compliment each other in fast paced plot to yield a very enjoyable novel.

Having already read the first books in the series and now the fourth, I look forward to reading future additions.

Reviewer: Nancy

838. "To Destroy Jerusalem" by Haward Kaplan -- 5-Stars

To Destroy Jerusalem by Howard Kaplan – 5 Stars

Publisher: HK Books

ISBN: 9781723912351

This is the first book I’ve read in the series and had no problem reading it as a stand-alone novel. All characters were adequately introduced requiring no prior book knowledge.

The explosive relationship and plight between the Israelis and the Palestinians was fairly addressed. Though an Israeli agent, Shai Shaham understood and empathized with the Palestinians issues. Through his eyes I furthered my acceptance of the delicate situations and relationships that exist today.

Impressive was the detailed history and geographical depictions of the area which added to the realism and provided a continuous image of the location and environment as the story progressed. Although I know little about constructing a nuclear bomb, I felt the fear, chills, and suspense -- the author’s explanation was certainly credible.

My only negative was that I found some sentences awkward, requiring me to reread them several time before I finally assumed the meaning and continued on.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It was suspenseful and yielded essential information required to better understand and envision the issues between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Reviewer: Nancy