Go As A River by Shelly Read

Publisher’s Blurb:

Set amid Colorado’s wild beauty, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story of a resilient young woman whose life is changed forever by one chance encounter. A tragic and uplifting novel of love and loss, family and survival—and hope—for listeners of Great Circle,The Four Winds, and Where the Crawdads Sing.

Seventeen-year-old Victoria Nash runs the household on her family’s peach farm in the small ranch town of Iola, Colorado—the sole surviving female in a family of troubled men. Wilson Moon is a young drifter with a mysterious past, displaced from his tribal land and determined to live as he chooses.

Victoria encounters Wil by chance on a street corner, a meeting that profoundly alters both of their young lives, unknowingly igniting as much passion as danger. When tragedy strikes, Victoria leaves the only life she has ever known. She flees into the surrounding mountains where she struggles to survive in the wilderness with no clear notion of what her future will bring. As the seasons change, she also charts the changes in herself, finding in the beautiful but harsh landscape the meaning and strength to move forward and rebuild all that she has lost, even as the Gunnison River threatens to submerge her homeland—its ranches, farms, and the beloved peach orchard that has been in her family for generations.

Inspired by true events surrounding the destruction of the town of Iola in the 1960s, Go as a River is a story of deeply held love in the face of hardship and loss, but also of finding courage, resilience, friendship, and, finally, home—where least expected. This stunning debut explores what it means to lead your life as if it were a river—gathering and flowing, finding a way forward even when a river is dammed.

My Thoughts:

This debut novel was beautifully written. The main character was dealt a difficult hand early in life, and although there was a lot of sadness to the events in the book, I loved her resilience. Because of her strength and perservearance I always felt there was a hopefulness to her story, too. The audiobook was narrrated by Cynthia Farrell who did an excellent job. Highly recommended.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Published by: Spiegel and Grau by Orange Sky Audio; February 28, 2023; 9 hrs 58 mins/320 pages

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

Book Blurb:

The New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history’s deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story.

In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kyiv, wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son–but Hitler’s invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper–a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.

Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC–until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila’s past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.

Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.

My Thoughts: Kate Quinn is an author you can count on to write an interesting, well-researched historical fiction novel set during WWII. Her books feature women who accomplish remarkable things and usually are underestimated in their abilities. This one falls into that category. The story goes starts with the main character arriving to meet President and Mrs. Roosevelt when on a tour at the US hoping to gain funds for the Russian military in the war effort. The story alternates between that time and her time learning to and becoming a sniper who had over 300 successful kills. It also contained portions of her authorized biography and the unauthorized one. Although I did not lose interest in this one, it did start off a little slower for me at times, probably because I wasn’t as interested in the details of how to be a sniper, but she does a good job of portraying that for those who do. The story picked up for me as time went on and the story developed more. Highly recommended.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow; March 29, 2022
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 435 pages

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Publisher’s Blurb:

2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize Winner
Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction

A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a mystery that will haunt the survivors, unravel a family, and remain unsolved for nearly fifty years

“A stunning debut about love, race, brutality, and the balm of forgiveness.” —People, A Best New Book

July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.

In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.

For readers of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.

“A harrowing tale of Indigenous family separation . . . [Peters] excels in writing characters for whom we can’t help rooting . . . With The Berry Pickers, Peters takes on the monumental task of giving witness to people who suffered through racist attempts of erasure like her Mi’kmaw ancestors.” —The New York Times Book Review

My Thoughts:

I was intriqued by this book when I saw it was about the indigenous Mi’kmaq people from Nova Scotia, and I enjoy learning new things through historical fiction. This book was well-written and had a dual storyline about the repercussions to the family left behind and the difficulty the kidnapped girl found fitting into her new family. I selected it for one of my book groups, and they all gave the book 4.5 stars out of 5. I gave my rating as 4 mainly because of my expectations going into the book. Although it touched on the Mi’kmaq people, I was hoping for more detail about their history, too. I would highly recommend this book still because she does an excellent job of capturing the fall-out from the kidnapping, with excellent character development and story telling.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: Catapult; October 31, 2023; 320 pages

Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden

Version 1.0.0

Publisher’s Blurb:

Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime.

To avoid spending her life in prison, Quinn makes a run for it. She leaves behind her home, her job, and her family. She grabs her passport and heads for the northern border before the police can discover what she’s done.

But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kindly owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night.

Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn’t the quiet safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark and disturbing past. And in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick’s ailing wife is always at the window. Always watching.

In the morning, Quinn must leave the motel. She’ll pack up her belongings and get back on the road to freedom.

But first, she must survive the night.

My Thoughts:

I listened to this one like most of my books, and I think some of my opinion is shadowed because I wasn’t wild about the female narrator. I hate to say I didn’t care for her, but I found her to sound whiny rather than scared or nervous. That being said, I did enjoy the thrill of the book, and I must say I thought I had it figured out, but did not after all. This is my third book by this author and even though it wasn’t my favorite, I will continue reading her because I like her stories and find them suspenseful.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Published by: Tantor Audio; March 8, 2022; 7 hrs 53 mins/Hollywood Upstairs Publishing; September 7, 2021; 325 pages.

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Publisher’s Blurb:
Knives Out and Clue meet Agatha Christie and The Thursday Murder Club in this “utterly original” (Jane
Harper), “not to be missed” (Karin Slaughter), fiendishly clever blend of classic and modern murder
mystery.
“A witty twist on classic whodunits… Stevenson not only ‘plays fair,’ he plays the mystery game very,
very well.” — Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post
Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once.
I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just
unfortunate.
I’m Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I’d killed whoever decided our family reunion should
be at a ski resort, but it’s a little more complicated than that.
Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.
Who was it?
Let’s get started.
EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE
My brother
My stepsister
My wife
My father
My mother
My sister-in-law
My uncle
My stepfather
My aunt
Me

Bob’s Thoughts:

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is a pick of the Carmel Clay Mystery Book
Club, suggested by mystery book business insider, Jim Huang, and a fantastic selection it is. Stevenson
crafts a “Golden Age” style mystery expressly following Ronald Knox’s “Ten Commandments of
Detective Fiction. Ronald Knox, a member of the Detection Club with Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers,
G.K. Chesterton, and other mystery luminaries. His commandments for writers of Detective Fiction:

1. The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone
   whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow.
2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.
3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.
4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long
   scientific explanation at the end.
5. No Chinaman must figure in the story.
6. No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition
   which proves to be right.
7. The detective must not himself commit the crime.
8. The detective must not light on any clues which are not instantly produced for the inspection of
   the reader.
9. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass
   through his mind; his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average
   reader.
10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for
    them.

[https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/tips-masters/ronald-knox-10-commandments-of-detective-
fiction ]

Stevenson crafts a spectacularly creative mystery which is both a homage to and plays with the “Golden
Age” style of mystery fiction. Consistent with novels from the Golden Age, the events play out in a
remote, inaccessible location among a closed circle of suspects. Even though he plays fair with the
reader, he includes enough twists and turns and misdirection to challenge the most attentive of readers.
Within this traditional framework, the novel takes on an almost post-modern flair. In some senses
Stevenson deconstructs the traditional mystery novel as he goes, breaking through the “fourth wall” to
comment on the narrative and its structure as it goes—and relate them back to Knox’s rules. For
example, although Ernest Cunningham tells the story from the first person, he notes that he might be
the “Watson” rather than the “Holmes” in the story; the narrator is not always the detective who
provides the solution. The more mysteries that a reader has read, the more that s/he will appreciate
Stevenson’s sly asides, but they should not distract readers that are not as familiar with the genre. All in
all, this is a brilliant achievement, not to mention lots of fun, and not to be missed. It is one of the most
creative mysteries I have read in a good while. I can’t wait to read more of Stevenson. Check it out.
I listened to the audio version of the novel (available on Hoopla) and can heartily recommend Barton
Welch’s performance.

Bob’s Rating: Five stars. Mary’s Rating: 4.5 Rating

Publisher: Mariner Books
Publication Date: January 17, 2023
Print Length: 383 pages
Audio publisher: HarperAudio
Narrator: Barton Welch
Audio Duration: 9 hours, 30 minutes

Our Only World by Wendell Berry

Publisher’s Blurb:

“Stern but compassionate, author Wendell Berry raises broader issues that environmentalists rarely focus on . . . In one sense Berry is the voice of a rural agrarian tradition that stretches from rural Kentucky back to the origins of human civilization. But his insights are universal because Our Only World is filled with beautiful, compassionate writing and careful, profound thinking.” —Associated Press

The planet’s environmental problems respect no national boundaries. From soil erosion and population displacement to climate change and failed energy policies, American governing classes are paid by corporations to pretend that debate is the only democratic necessity and that solutions are capable of withstanding endless delay. Late Capitalism goes about its business of finishing off the planet. And we citizens are left with a shell of what was once proudly described as The American Dream.

In this collection of eleven essays [sic:  look at the title to the book], Berry confronts head–on the necessity of clear thinking and direct action. Never one to ignore the present challenge, he understands that only clearly stated questions support the understanding their answers require. For more than fifty years we’ve had no better spokesman and no more eloquent advocate for the planet, for our families, and for the future of our children and ourselves.

Bob’s Thoughts:

About thirty years ago, I had the opportunity to have dinner with one of my favorite essayists, Noel Perrin (1927-2004), and to introduce him as a part of the Butler University Visiting Writers Series* to a standing room only crowd. During the course of the dinner, I asked Perrin who his favorite writers were. The writer that he most heartily recommended was Wendell Berry. In the intervening 30 years, I have read much of Berry’s work based on this endorsement, including most of his essays and some of his fiction. He is a thoughtful and rewarding writer. This is a collections of Berry’s miscellaneous essays and speeches.  The essays are principally variations on his theme that modern agribusiness is harming our society by displacing the culturally rich underpinnings of the family farm. He emphasizes the importance of community.  Like any collection, there is some variation in depth and quality, but the richness of expression is continually refreshing. To me, the highlights of the collection are “A Forest Conversation,” considering how to make forestry truly sustainable, and “Our Deserted Country,” looking at the lingering societal effects of the Industrial Revolution. Check it out.

For those wanting to dig deeper into Wendell Berry, I can also recommend:  Home Economics (1987), What Are People For? (1990), The Gift of Good Land (1981), and The Unsettling of America (1977).

*The Butler University Visiting Writers Series, now the Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writers Series has been a significant campus and Indianapolis community resource for over 35 years. All events are free and open to the public: https://www.butler.edu/arts-sciences/english/visiting-writers/ .

Bob’s Rating:  4 Stars                         

Publisher:  Counterpoint

Publication Date:  February 1, 2015

Print Length:  176 Pages

The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes

Version 1.0.0

Publisher’s Blurb:

Fresh, funny and heartfelt, The Expectant Detectives is a charming debut mystery about a group of soon-to-be moms-turned-detectives.

“A darkly witty debut. Archly funny and highly recommended!”—Deanna Raybourn

Can they solve the mother of all murders?

For Alice and her partner Joe, moving to the sleepy village of Penton is a chance to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of their first child. He can take up woodwork; maybe she’ll learn to make jam? But the rural idyll they’d hoped for doesn’t quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their local prenatal class, and they find themselves suspects in a murder investigation.

With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of the whole group, Alice and her new-found pregnant friends set out to solve the mystery and clear their names, with the help of her troublesome dog, Helen. However, there are more secrets and tensions in the heart of Penton than first meet the eye. Between the discovery of a shady commune up in the woods, the unearthing of a mysterious death years earlier, and the near-tragic poisoning of Helen, Alice is soon in way over her head.

My Thoughts:

I am a fan of humor and like it in my cozy mysteries. I liked the witty dialogue in the beginning of the book, although after a while I felt like it was a little too much and trying too hard. As the book progressed, though, it either eased up, or I just got used to it. An aspect of the book I found appealing was the sisterhood that developed between the characters as they began investigating the murders. It’s a light, fun book, but I also found it to have a little more detail than some other cozies. So, if you just want a book that can brighten your day and give you a good laugh while trying to solve a mystery, check this out. I probably would have given it a higher rating, but I also think it could have been shorter.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars (I probably would have given it a higher rating, but I also think it could have been shorter.

Publisher: Minotaur Books, January 9, 2024; 384 pages

My Sister’s Grave by Robert Dugoni

Version 1.0.0

Publisher’s Blurb:
The first book in the series that has garnered millions of readers across the globe, from New York Times
bestselling author Robert Dugoni.
Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s
disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House―a convicted
rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder―is the guilty party. Motivated by the opportunity to
obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to
tracking down killers.
When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of
Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking. As she searches for the
real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her
past―and open the door to deadly danger.

Bob’s Thoughts:
A Carmel Clay Public Library Mystery Book Club Selection. In the interest of full disclosure, I should say
that the rest of the club seemed to like this selection better than I did. I thought it was two thirds of a
great book. Credit Dugoni with telling a gripping story. The first two thirds of the novel is a classic
“sleeping murder” tale, with the body of Sarah Crosswhite reappearing after a reservoir is drained. The
evidence from this discovery leads to a courtroom drama, seeking to correct the inequities in the
original trial which had sent the sinister Edmund House to prison. So far so good. Although there is
nothing particularly new here, Dugoni brings it off well. Without including spoilers, the last third of the
novel drifts into traditional thriller territory. I found this section to be very contrived and it trampled all
over my suspension of disbelief. Although Dugoni ultimately connected all the dots, the novel skidded
from excellent into somewhat more pedestrian. Notwithstanding this lapse, the overall quality of the
writing would lead me to definitely give Dugoni another chance.

Mary’s Comments: I was one of those other mystery group members who really enjoyed this book. I have read several of his books (not all of them are mysteries), and I find them well-written and compelling. I like thrillers more than Bob does, and I have a fairly high bar for suspension of disbelief, so that may be why I enjoyed it more than he did. I will definitely be reading more in this series.

Bob’s Rating: 3 stars. Mary’s Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: November 1, 2014
Print Length: 410 pages

The Mother Road by Meghan Quinn

Publisher’s Blurb:

Never in a million years would I have pictured myself as an axe-wielding, dragon lady, chopping up multi-colored flannel shirts into my very own plaid mulch. But here I am, chopping away my frustrations.

It all started when my brother, Paul, convinced me to go on one last family road trip across the Mother Road with him and my dad. Just like old times, right? Wrong. What Paul fails to mention is his best man, Porter, will be joining us, who just so happens to be my childhood crush and the man who broke my heart four years ago.

What is supposed to be a fun, family bonding experience across Route 66 turns into a war of pranks, awkward moments and bathrooms full of dirty flannel shirts and day old beard clippings. Paul’s know-it-all attitude and Porter’s devilish charm brings me to the brink of my sanity on my seven day trek across the United States with three bearded men in a small 1980’s RV

Bob’s Thoughts:

I read an occasional rom-com in order to let my feminine side run amok. This is my first time reading Meghan Quinn, but I liked this outing enough to try some more. I was drawn to this one because of the road trip along Route 66, which is a long-time unfulfilled bucket list item of mine. The book would have been better if it had focused more on the road trip aspects and on Route 66. Instead, the author spends too much time on a series of juvenile misadventures and pranks between family members, most of which I would have probably found a lot funnier when I was thirteen and still enjoyed potty humor. The romance side of things is mildly spicy and fits into the “enemies to friends” and “slow burn” tropes. Megan Quinn clearly knows her business but the plot follows a Hallmark Movie style arc to the predictable happy ending. Overall, I would characterize the book as an entertaining, workmanlike effort but she misses opportunities to make the book stand out over the crowd. Check it out.

Bob’s Rating: 3 stars.

Publisher:  Hot-Lanta Publishing, LLCds

Publication Date:  January 12, 2016

Print Length:  360 pages

Audio publisher:  Audible Studios

Narrator:  Greyson Ash and J.F. Harding

Audio Duration:  10 hours and 12 minutes

The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay

Publisher’s Blurb:

In this twisty, fast-paced thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Find You First and Take Your Breath Away, a man desperately tries to track down his father—who was taken into witness protection years ago—before his enemies can get to him.

Your dad’s not a good person. Your dad killed people, son.

These are some of the last words Jack Givins’ father spoke to him before he was whisked away by witness protection, leaving Jack and his mother to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives as best they could.

Years later, Jack is a grown man with problems of his own. He’s a talented but struggling author, barely scraping by on the royalties from his moderately successful first book. So when the U.S. Marshals approach him with a lucrative opportunity, he’s in no position to turn them down. They’re recruiting writers like Jack to create false histories for people in witness protection—people like Jack’s father.

The coincidence is astonishing to Jack at first, but he soon realizes this may be a chance to find his dad. Only there’s one problem—Jack’s father hasn’t made contact with his handlers recently, and they have no idea where he is. He could be in serious danger, and Jack may be the only one who can find him.

But how will he find a man he’s never truly known? A man who has done terrible things in his lifetime and made some deadly enemies in the process—enemies who wouldn’t think twice about using his own son against him.

My Review:

Linwood Barclay can always be counted on to write a compelling thriller/suspense novel. This book is no exception. I found the storyline that an author is recruited to write past histories for people in the witness protection program when that is where his dad went when he was 9, interesting. Although I found this one compelling, I didn’t enjoy it as much as some of his past ones. I wasactually able to figure out some of the surprise and felt that it was not too hard to see coming. I also had a little trouble buying the reason for why the person did what they did. That being said, I still enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it to people who enjoy this genre.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Published by: William Morrow; May 16, 2023; 352 pages