Darlene's Digest

The Drifter by Nicholas Petrie My rating: 4 of 5 stars Intriguing new thriller, likely to please fans of Lee Child Jack Reacher novels. Peter Ash is a war vet, still dealing with the demons in his head and the "white static" that envelopes him when his claustrophobia takes hold. Yet he perseveres, looking for clues into his war buddy's suicide while helping his widow. What he uncovers is a mystery involving a great deal of money, bricks of explosives, and a large, noxiously fragrant and dangerous dog. I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to more from Mr. Petrie. View all my reviews

“I find that singing makes the time pass, Doctor. Not gloomy songs, but cheerful ones. Don’t you know any songs? Isn’t there some Scotsman named Brown, or Bowen who wrote some songs?” He stopped cleaning the fish and looked at her with an expression of deep pain. “Might you be referring to Rabbie Burns, the bard of Scotland?” Daphne thought about it for a moment. “That sounds right. He wrote a song about a red rose, and one about a hag.” Her brow scrunched. “Though why someone would want to write a song about a hag is beyond me.” He closed his eyes, then opened them and looked at her. “Not a hag, Miss Farnham, a haggis. A haggis is a dish enjoyed by the people of Scotland.” “Really? What is it?” Dr. Murray described, with loving detail, the inner workings of the mysterious haggis. Daphne looked at him, speechless for a long moment. “I would think raw fish a treat after that!” -- Castaway Dreams Today is the birthday of Robert Burns, the bard of Scotland.  I will forgo the haggis ...

My Aspen Gold winning historical romance, Castaway Dreams , is back in print and available from your favorite bookseller. Check out the romp that All About Romance rated a "'Desert Island Keeper'... Castaway Dreams is remarkable." Need more?  "Alexander Murray knows one cannot exist without a brain, yet Daphne Farnham may be the exception. Her head contains nothing but rainbows, shoes, bonnets, pink frills and butterflies. Even her fluffy dog is useless. But the war with Napoleon is finally over and the surgeon is certain he can put up with cloth-headed Miss Farnham until their ship reaches England. Did that naval officer have his sense of humor surgically removed? It is bad enough Murray has no fashion sensibilities at all, never smiles at her like other men do, and doesn’t adore her darling pup Pompom. He had the gall to proclaim her “useless” when everyone knows it’s Daphne Farnham who’s the best at picking out just the right ensemble for any soci...

Night School by Lee Child My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is vintage Reacher, sure to please his legion of fans. The '90s setting with Reacher still a major in the US Army makes the story more intriguing, as we get glimpses of the kind of action that made him into the man whose adventures continued in the first book, the Killing Floor . As always, a very satisfying tale of action and suspense. View all my reviews

Market Day by James Sturm My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was a gift from my son, and it's a wise son who knows his mother so well. I found this little tale of a man's journey on market day to be deeply connected to ideals of art vs. commerce, pragmatism vs. creativity, and what it means to be a husband, a father, a creator. Mendleman is trying to make a living in his Eastern Europe shtetel , never an easy task. He weaves magnificent, one of a kind rugs, each one a story, each one hand-crafted to stand the test of time. But who would buy such rugs? Merchants want to make quick sales and high profits and are less concerned with craftsmanship than costs. I look forward to discussing this little tale with the gift-giver, also an artist trying to eke out a living in a harsh environment. When your livelihood is connected to your creativity (something novelists share with artists) reading Market Day gives one much to think about. View all my reviews

When Falcons Fall by C.S. Harris My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another excellent entry in a series that continues to enthrall. Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, has come to Shropshire to investigate clues as to his own origins and fulfill a deathbed promise to a friend. Of course, a dead body pops up and Devlin's called in by a young and inexperienced country magistrate for some expert help. The peaceful village seethes with secrets, some related to Devlin's past, some connected to the work being done by his wife, some possibly linked to world affairs. It's a rousing good read, and I was kept guessing right up to the end "whodunnit?" I highly recommend this series to readers who like solid historical research along with their murder mystery, and I eagerly await the next volume. View all my reviews

The Scent of Winter by Tiffany Reisz My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another charming and erotic holiday story from the Original Sinners world. Soren and Kingsley are mature men now and their relationship is a far different one from what it was when they were teenagers. Family, career, life have all taken their toll, but the love remains constant. This is probably best enjoyed by fans of the series, but Reisz's quality writing makes it work as a stand-alone novella as well. View all my reviews

The Old Man by Thomas Perry My rating: 4 of 5 stars Back in '94, Gov. "Walkin' Lawton" Chiles became part of Florida Cracker lore when he said to his opponent, "... let me tell you one other thing about the old liberal. The old He-Coon walks just before the light of day.” The opponent was befuddled, but the old Floridians watching the debate nodded their heads at this sage observation. In Florida folklore, the He-Coon is the wisest member of the pack of raccoons, the oldster who lets the young ones run around and get trapped. The He-Coon waits, biding his time, then saunters off to his den. This book's about a He-Coon, a man with a "special skill set" who's been living below the radar but his enemies just won't leave him alone. It's book candy for fans of Thomas Perry, especially fans of a certain age who like to see a guy in his sunset years kick butt and take names. This is one of Perry's stand-along novels, not connected...

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is liable to be the most important book I'll read this year. The author pulls no punches in laying out an indictment of racism in America and skillfully uses language to force the reader to re-evaluate her/his own attitudes toward race. I liked the concept of taking various individuals and writing about them in the context of the events of their times, from Cotton Mather to Angela Davis. I would recommend Stamped from the Beginning to anyone wishing to understand more about why we've not achieved the post-racial society some had hoped for 50 years ago during the Civil Rights movement. Whether we ever reach that point will remain for future generations to examine. View all my reviews

Appreciate that when the puppy wants to play, it's not because she's trying to sabotage my writing. These moments won't last forever.  Get outside more.   Write.  Write some more.  Don't give up, keep writing!  To facilitate writing, stay away from social media. Later, gators!

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's clear why The Fifth Season won the Hugo Award in 2016. The combination of skilled writing and world-building keep the reader on her toes in a satisfying science fiction novel about the end of the world. It's a fabulous tale and I can't wait to see where Jemisin goes with her masterful storytelling. View all my reviews

The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly My rating: 4 of 5 stars Harry Bosch's life changes as he ages, but one thing remains the same, his commitment to getting the answers and solving the crime. Now that Harry's left the LAPD he's splitting his time between a smaller police department and private investigation. It's the latter that leads him to a possible missing heirs case, and the story unfolds with two side-by-side investigations. Longtime fans of Bosch will find this another satisfying entry in the long-running series, but it even works as a stand-alone novel. View all my reviews

Christmas in America by Holly Bush My rating: 4 of 5 stars As is usually the case with collections, I liked some stories more than others. I'm giving this one four stars primarily because of Donna Thorland , author of the Renegades of the Revolution series. Her bittersweet (to those of us who've read the books) Christmas story fills in a gap in the history of one of the recurring characters, incidents that were referred to but never clarified. The other tales were enjoyable, and in keeping with the season, but Thorland's offering really hit the mark. Her research and writing are outstanding. View all my reviews

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer My rating: 4 of 5 stars I sometimes find myself out of step with other readers. Something everyone else loves leaves me feeling "meh", while I'll enjoy the hell out of a book that's getting less than stellar reviews. This seems to be one of those times. There were parts of The Chemist that seemed over-the-top and strained my credulity, but no more so than plenty of other thrillers I've read and enjoyed. And I liked the premise, a lot. A scientist with a particular set of skills works for a super seekrit government black ops agency. She is a torturer par excellence , known as The Chemist. But the chemist knows too much, and is on the run for her life, and when she's offered a chance to stop running she grabs it...and things get worse. There's a highly improbable (but sweet) love story, an intriguing cast of characters, and a high stakes, fast-paced action scenario. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Many of the negative com...

Wild at Whiskey Creek by Julie Anne Long My rating: 4 of 5 stars Absolutely delightful friends-to-lovers tale. There were laugh-out-loud moments, and I didn't feel the conflict was too contrived, though it was clear to anyone who knew these two that they were slated to be together or miserable apart for all their lives. I also liked that there were no obvious villains and that most of the time these two acted like grown-ups. The theme of financial insecurity, where a family can be one car breakdown from homelessness was also handled sensitively. Ms. Long has made a graceful transition from writing fabulous historicals to writing fabulous contemporaries, and I look forward to her next novel. View all my reviews

Crosstalk by Connie Willis My rating: 3 of 5 stars I enjoyed it, but it's not going to be the book of Ms. Willis' where I grab fans of romantic comedy with science fiction and say "Read this, right now!" That would be Uncharted Territory . The characters and set up were interesting, but I felt Briddey was far too easily manipulated by Trent and others. Even CB, to a degree, moved and directed her actions and all of them kept information from her, limiting her ability to act. The length of the novel and the pacing contributed to Briddey's problems far too long as well. I kept gritting my teeth after the umpteenth selfish act by Trent and hoping Briddey would stand up and say, "No." I love Ms. Willis' novellas. She really shines in that genre and this would have been far more enjoyable, in my opinion, had it been a novella rather than a novel. View all my reviews

2 A.M. at The Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino My rating: 4 of 5 stars A sweet novel about some not-so-sweet characters, including a motherless little girl who desperately wants to sing jazz. There's also her absent father, the neighborhood that helps raise her, and two longtime friends dipping their toes into the murky waters of romanceland's familiar trope of friends-to-lovers. Then there's The Cat's Pajamas, a struggling nightclub with an over-zealous, code enforcing cop breathing down its neck. The habitues of the jazz club are a book in themselves, a father trying to reconnect with his musician son, some scheming to keep the club open, fake Cubans and more. I stumbled across this little literary gem at an indie bookstore, Mac's Backs in Cleveland. If nothing else, it's a good illustration of why we need bricks-and-mortar stores, where you can browse, wander among the stacks, and maybe walk out with an unexpectedly enjoyable read. View all my r...

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare My rating: 4 of 5 stars Absolutely delightful addition to the Spindle Cove/Castles Ever After series. I feared the book would lose me after the hero did something exceedingly stupid, but the author kept the story going in just the right way. That's the difference between a journeyman and a master when it comes to romance writing. Scandal is certain to delight Ms. Dare's legion of fans, and can be read as a stand-alone by anyone wanting to check out this always satisfying author. View all my reviews

The Year of the Crocodile by Courtney Milan My rating: 4 of 5 stars There were some great laugh-out-loud lines in this short piece set in the Cyclone storyline. The cross-cultural, take-no-prisoners attitude of the future in-laws is every couple's nightmare, but it was handled with style, humor and panache. Ms. Milan's move into contemporary romance continues to satisfy. View all my reviews

Unquiet Land by Sharon Shinn My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sharon Shinn offers outstanding fantasy worldbuilding, and her stories are a pleasure to read because the characters seem so grounded and human, even when they have enhanced abilities. In Welce there are primes who are connected to the "elements": Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Wood, Soul. We've had stories dealing with Air, Fire and Water, and now we get torz or Earth, people who are connected to the soil and rock. Leah Frothen has returned home after many years abroad, some of them spent as a spy for Welce. Now she's anxious to spend time with the daughter she gave up, a child who doesn't know her birthmother exists. Shinn's characters, especially the women, deal with issues that resonate in the real world. It's not always about finding a magic ring or pulling a sword from a stone. Sometimes, the story is about people who make difficult life decisions that have consequences. I highly recommend her novels...