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cjeanne99's reviews
972 reviews
Beyond Basketball: Coach K's Keywords for Success by Mike Krzyzewski, Jamie K. Spatola
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Coach K gives us words to live by. Lots of basketball talk with some family stories thrown in. Enjoyable.
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The first in the Amelia Peabody series - a light and fun story of two women traveling in Egypt inthe late 1800s. Mummies, suitors, English society mores.
The Whitewashed Tombs by Kwei Quartey
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Emma Djan and team investigate the murder of a gay activist in Ghana - and get involved with an ultra right Christian pastor from the United States who has brought his ministry to Ghana - spreading a message of male dominance in a purely hetero sexual world. As the bodies pile up, Emma puts the pieces together, saves a few lives and solves the murders.
Death in Paradise by Robert B. Parker
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
2.5
This was not enjoyable as an audio book - I didn’t realize how much I must usually skim when reading Jesse Stone books - so much “Jesse said”- “She said” - “Suit said” in the dialog - it annoyed me.
The story line of “who killed the teenager whose body was found in the water” was diluted by the side theme of “Jesse loves Jenn and drinks too much” - and “man abuses wife because he wants to control her and now he’s going to kill her”.
The search for the killer was not engaging for me - and now that I've finished the book -I think they played down the issue with the dead girl to focus on the teen age prostitution ring. Was someone finally charged with the murder? And what happened to the controlling mother in the dead girl's family?
The story line of “who killed the teenager whose body was found in the water” was diluted by the side theme of “Jesse loves Jenn and drinks too much” - and “man abuses wife because he wants to control her and now he’s going to kill her”.
The search for the killer was not engaging for me - and now that I've finished the book -
Short Straw by Stuart Woods
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Ed Eagle - another Stuart Woods attorney who gets involved in solving a criminal case - this time with his wife. Eagle wakes up one morning very groggy - wondering where his wife is. She's skipped town - only after liquidating his stock portfolio and emptying his bank accounts. Too bad for Barbara, Ed woke up before the trade deal went through before the stock liquidation (and he should probably get a new broker - since his current one executed the liquidation of his entire portfolio based on a fax from his wife - that should have caused some alarm bells to go off)
The story centers on the two PIs that Ed hires to track down Barbara to get her to sign divorce papers. They travel to Mexico - following her from town to town - evading Mexican police who are after her for a murder that happened a few years ago. The two PIs catch up to Barbara - and on their way back to the United States - she unsuccessfully tries to get rid of one of the PIs. She tries as hard as she can to forge a new life as a new person - but Ed is too smart for her - well - he hired the right PIs.
It's typical Woods - moves quickly and keeps your interest.
The story centers on the two PIs that Ed hires to track down Barbara to get her to sign divorce papers. They travel to Mexico - following her from town to town - evading Mexican police who are after her for a murder that happened a few years ago. The two PIs catch up to Barbara - and on their way back to the United States - she unsuccessfully tries to get rid of one of the PIs. She tries as hard as she can to forge a new life as a new person - but Ed is too smart for her - well - he hired the right PIs.
It's typical Woods - moves quickly and keeps your interest.
Old Girls Behaving Badly by Kate Galley
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.75
Cute idea - but the execution didn't live up to my imagination.
Real Tigers by Mick Herron
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Slough House crew becomes entangled in a plot to discredit the Prime Minister and shut down their operations. But - the people who dreamed up this scheme grossly underestimated Jackson Lamb. My favorite Lambism from this book - when Lady Di is meeting with Jackson to tell him about the plan to disband Slough House he says - “You can’t - I have hostages” -“They are employees, Jackson” “Same difference”
Catherine Standish is kidnapped - and picks River Cartwright as the one co-worker she would trust with her life. This begins a chase fo River to gain access to Regents Park and bluff his way into retrieving some “grey files” in exchange for Catherine. He gets in, but is unable to retrieve the files. Jackson and Diana T collaborate - but in the end Jackson and his crew figure out where the files really are. After firing Shirley and Marcus - they decide to keep investigating. They end up in a basement location with one lone MI5 employee - while River and Louisa Guy are heading to the same place - along with the private Tiger Team that I believe is connected to the Prime Minister. The Slow Horses persevere - and Jackson and Min Ho find Catherine and secure her release.
At the end -the Tiger Team sends someone to Slough House to close up a loose end - and kill Jackson Lamb. Herron goes through this big description of the “ghost” coming in to the house - heading upstairs to an office - listening to Jackson Lamb snoring. Just when the ghost thinks this will be too easy - they open the door - and Lamb shoots them.
Catherine Standish is kidnapped - and picks River Cartwright as the one co-worker she would trust with her life. This begins a chase fo River to gain access to Regents Park and bluff his way into retrieving some “grey files” in exchange for Catherine. He gets in, but is unable to retrieve the files. Jackson and Diana T collaborate - but in the end Jackson and his crew figure out where the files really are. After firing Shirley and Marcus - they decide to keep investigating. They end up in a basement location with one lone MI5 employee - while River and Louisa Guy are heading to the same place - along with the private Tiger Team that I believe is connected to the Prime Minister. The Slow Horses persevere - and Jackson and Min Ho find Catherine and secure her release.
At the end -
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
The focus turns to Robin - as someone decides that he is going to kill “The Secretary” as a means of getting even with Strike. It’s a solid premise but the execution left me wanting more. We start with Robin receiving a severed leg in a box, brought to Strike’s office from a bicycle delivery person. The press catches on to the incident - and Strike starts losing clients.
Strike thinks of three people who might be capable of sending a severed leg - and starts his own investigation in addition to the official police inquiry. Interspersed with the Strike and Robin chapters, are the chapters with the man stalking Robin who refers to the woman he lives with as “It”. These chapters were never creepy enough - and while they gave a few red herrings - I kept thinking that Galbraith could have learned from John Sandford or maybe Lincoln Child about inserting chapters from the bad guy’s pov.
We learn some more of Strike’s background, meeting his friend Shanker and his step-father Whittaker. Robin fights with Matthew and temporarily breaks their engagement.
The book has some loose ends that annoyed me. Robin receives a dozen roses delivered to the office after Matthew has been home alone for his dad’s birthday. She never looks at the card attached to the flowers - so we don’t know if they are from Matthew - or the stalker/killer. When Strike figures out that the killer is Laing - who is leading a double life - we haven’t had much interaction with Laing as Ray Williams - living with the older sister of the girl who’s severed leg was sent to Robin - beyond the visit Strike made to see Hazel. The Laing narrative was incomplete - especially when I think about all the red herrings pointing your thoughts to Whittaker and Stephanie.
The ending certainly sets up Strike for continuing to solve cases with Robin.
Strike thinks of three people who might be capable of sending a severed leg - and starts his own investigation in addition to the official police inquiry. Interspersed with the Strike and Robin chapters, are the chapters with the man stalking Robin who refers to the woman he lives with as “It”. These chapters were never creepy enough - and while they gave a few red herrings - I kept thinking that Galbraith could have learned from John Sandford or maybe Lincoln Child about inserting chapters from the bad guy’s pov.
We learn some more of Strike’s background, meeting his friend Shanker and his step-father Whittaker. Robin fights with Matthew and temporarily breaks their engagement.
The ending certainly sets up Strike for continuing to solve cases with Robin.
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Story of two of the Red Cross Donut Dollies who served in Europe during WWII. A little sappy at times - and covering most of the major events of the European theater - we follow Irene and Dorothy - Dot - as they take their training and travel across Europe serving coffee and donuts to GIs. The descriptions of the battles were well done - kept the book moving.
Towards the end of the book , the focus switches to Irene. And just when I thought that the ending was a bit melodramatic - Urrea tells a similar story of his own grandmother and one of her Donut dolly sisters.
Towards the end of the book , the focus switches to Irene. And just when I thought that the ending was a bit melodramatic - Urrea tells a similar story of his own grandmother and one of her Donut dolly sisters.
The Long Way Home by Louise Penny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
A focus on Three Pines residents - with a murder tossed in. Not my favorite in the Gamache series. In a previous book, Clara Morrow has asked for a one year trial separation with Peter - feeling that he is not appreciative of her as an artist - which is effecting their marriage.
Peter does not come home on the appointed night - and one week later, Clara asks Gamache for help. With the help of everyone in the Three Pines “group” - they begin their search for Peter. They find where Peter went from his credit card charges (which - somehow have been paid over the past year - and Clara didn’t know) They talk to old art school colleagues and professors, they decipher where Peter has been - and magically (not really) - Gamache determines Peter’s most recent location.
Clara, Myrna, Jean-Paul, Gamache, and a gallery owner they have met in Quebec - all travel to a remote village in search of Peter.
No surprise - they find him.
Peter does not come home on the appointed night - and one week later, Clara asks Gamache for help. With the help of everyone in the Three Pines “group” - they begin their search for Peter. They find where Peter went from his credit card charges (which - somehow have been paid over the past year - and Clara didn’t know) They talk to old art school colleagues and professors, they decipher where Peter has been - and magically (not really) - Gamache determines Peter’s most recent location.
Clara, Myrna, Jean-Paul, Gamache, and a gallery owner they have met in Quebec - all travel to a remote village in search of Peter.
No surprise - they find him.