*The Crossing by
Michael Connelly has Harry Bosch coming out of a retirement forced by enemies
within the LAPD to help his half-brother (The Lincoln Lawyer) defend a client whose
DNA was found on a rape/murder victim. Perhaps the client has been framed for
murder, so Bosch secretly teams up with former partner Lucia Soto to
investigate possible corruption inside the LAPD. While not his best effort,
nobody does procedural details better than Connelly.
*A Spool of Blue
Thread by Anne Tyler takes us across three generations of the Whitshanks,
their shared stories and long-held secrets, “all the unguarded and richly lived
moments that combine to define who and what they are as a family." Abby
and Red are growing older and it is time to make decisions about how best to
look after them, and the future of the house so lovingly built by Red's father.
After 50 years as a writer, Tyler still has the talent, wisdom and patience to
turn out an excellent book.
I Am My Own Wife by
Doug Wright is the script for the acclaimed one-man show exploring the true
story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a transvestite and celebrated antiques dealer
who successfully navigated the two most oppressive regimes of the past century,
the Nazis and the Communists. I had trouble following the print version of the
play, but in the Ensemble’s production, John Tufts flawlessly navigated the 30
roles and make it understandable and enjoyable.
*The Expatriates by
Janice Y. K. Lee is the story of how a traumatized college graduate, a lonely
housewife and a burned-out mother of three endure the challenges of their
respective demons and families in the face of unexpected consequences within
their American expat community in Hong Kong…” a beautiful, transporting novel
about motherhood, marriage, and friendship.”
Inside of a Dog: What
Dogs See, Smell, and Know by cognitive psychologist Alexandra Horowitz
introduces the reader to dogs’ perceptual and cognitive abilities and then
draws a picture of what it might be like to be a dog. Imagine being able
to smell every bit of open food in the house as well as sadness in humans.
Sometimes a little slow going, but Scarlett asked me to read this so I could be
more understanding of her needs.
Marry, Kiss, Kill by
Anne Flett-Giordano sounded like a great concept: a Santa Barbara murder
mystery set during the Film Festival written by a successful TV writer and the
pick of a Graduates book club. It could have been good, but wasn’t. The local color was okay, but characters
were one-dimensional and as lovable as Ted Cruz, the plot unbelievable and the
dialogue too clever by half.
*Saving Sophie by
Ronald H. Balson is about an ordinary attorney from Chicago-until his wife dies,
his young daughter is kidnapped, and he becomes the main suspect in an $88-million-dollar
embezzlement case. Jack is on the run, hoping to rescue his daughter from her
maternal grandfather (a suspected terrorist in Palestine) before he is arrested.
Balson writes an engaging story with
believable characters and even weaves some well-done history of the Israel-Palestinian
history.
Rogue Lawyer by
John Grisham is the popular writer’s alternative to The Lincoln Lawyer. Sebastian Rudd works out of a customized
bulletproof van, a heavily armed driver who is also his body guard and
paralegal. He takes on clients other lawyers won't even consider: a drug-addled,
tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult, who is accused of molesting and
murdering two little girls; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner
arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house. While not his best work, this is vintage
Grisham and an enjoyable read.
The Guilty by
David Baldacci is the 4th novel about government assassin Will Robie
that “straddles that line of edgy,
high-concept suspense, augmented with a bit of the political thriller, and deep
character studies.” Collateral damage in an assignment impacts Will’s legendary
skills and he takes a leave to help his estranged father who has been indicted
for murder in Texas. This a different tack for Daldacci, has a more personal,
introspective tone but is still engaging.
