Authors: Julie Pace and Darlene Superville

Publish date: April 19, 2022

Publisher: Little Brown & Company

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jill-Biography-First-Julie-Pace/dp/0316377503/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2NLPI09YYQEDI&keywords=jill+a+biography+of+the+first+lady&qid=1651269692&sprefix=jill+a+birography%2Caps%2C254&sr=8-1

Dr. Jill Biden has been described as President Joe Biden’s greatest political asset. Like many women of her generation, she holds her commitments as wife, mother, and grandmother at the center of her life. She is a professor, earned a doctorate in educational leadership, and taught at Northern Virginia Community College. She broke barriers as First Lady as the first to hold a paying job outside the White House. Jill is the story of this accomplished American woman.

From her earliest days dating Senator Biden to her embrace of Biden’s young sons Beau and Hunter Biden and the birth of their daughter Ashley; her role by Joe Biden’s side through Senate reelection race after Senate reelection race; her years as Second Lady; to Joe’s successful third run for the Democratic presidential nomination, Jill has lived in the public eye.

Jill: A Biography of the First Lady by Julie Pace and Darlene Superville with Evelyn M. Duffy is an exceptionally researched and illuminating read. Pace and Superville of the Associated Press are veteran correspondents of the Washington DC political scene, and this new biography helps shed light on some the more intimate details of Jill Biden’s life. Through this exposé we are able to better understand her personality, which has been a bedrock for the Biden family through heartbreak and good fortune alike.

“She arrived hardened, and at times jaded, by the harsh realities of American politics and the personal tragedies her family has endured in the public eye. Yet she also stepped into a White House as a symbol of resilience and relatability—a woman fiercely protective of her family and her passions and ambitions.”

Skillfully constructed, this profile goes further than just summarizing the story of the Jill Biden most of us only know from news bites. The authors have carefully and expertly trimmed the narrative to the most important events, while still creating an interesting and poignant story. We all know of the heartbreaks that have struck President Biden, but this biography delivers critical understanding of the role Jill has played in his life. This book leaves the reader with not only a deeper understanding of who Jill Biden is, but also a clearer perception of Joe Biden, his children, and their inner circle.

A proper biography is one that shares the life of its subject, but an exceptional biography is one that goes above and beyond just their life story and leaves the reader feeling like they were at least for a short period of time, a part of their life. Jill: A Biography of the First Lady, does just that and more.

This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on April 29, 2022 – https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/jill-biography-first-lady

Author: James Petterson

Release date: November 22, 2021

Publisher: Little Brown & Company

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fear-No-Evil-Alex-Cross/dp/0316499145/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=james+patterson&qid=1638212199&qsid=137-0792672-2832115&sr=8-2&sres=0316499145%2C0759554269%2CB08W529Q23%2C0316499374%2C0316276626%2C0316499870%2CB09L82GKQX%2C1538752832%2C1538718855%2CB08WRNPF3M%2C1538715457%2C0316499447%2C0316540714%2C1538703556%2C1529125871%2CB08Y8ND73G%2C1538703939%2C075955434X%2C0316499773%2C1538703548

Alex Cross ventures into the rugged Montana wilderness where he will be the prey. He’s not on the job, but on a personal mission—until he’s attacked by two rival teams of assassins, controlled by the same mastermind who has stalked Alex and his family for years. Darkness falls. The river churns into rapids. Shots ring out through the forest. No backup. No way out. Fear no evil.

“Someone had dipped a rolled-up section of that morning’s Los Angeles Times in the blood pooled on the floor and used it to scrawl these words on the wall . . . Las Familias Muertas No Cuentan Cuentos . . . Dead families tell no tales . . .”

This is the 29th installment of bestselling author James Patterson’s wildly successful Alex Cross thriller series. Patterson is known as the world’s bestselling author and has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist living today. The Alex Cross series was first published in 1993 with Along Came a Spider.

The main protagonist in the series, Alex Cross, is a highly intelligent and rational detective and specialist in forensic psychologist based in Washington, D.C. He started as a homicide detective but eventually becomes a senior agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During the series, he eventually returns to private psychology practice but continues to work with the local police department as needed. Each novel contains an entirely new plotline, however, there are references to prior narratives in each new novel.

Fear No Evil is somewhat unusual in that Cross and his associates find themselves caught in the crosshairs of two warring drug cartels. They are pulled into a case where the body count rises precipitously. Cross, et al, soon become the targets for both groups, and they end up in the wilds of Montana.

“I want someone who can help me understand the situation enough to halt the needless killing. . . . You do know that you can never stop that kind of violence, Señor Cross. I’ve spent my whole life in it. Never once stopped. Oh, maybe a week here, a week there. But violence, fighting for what’s yours, building an empire, becoming as king—that is the natural course of life. How are you going to stop life doing its violent things?”

Throughout the entirety of the Alex Cross series, Patterson has consistently included the strong bond of friendship and love, and this continues with Fear No Evil. Cross is still the supportive husband to Bree and good friend and longtime partner to John Sampson, always there in their times of need.

Kudos to Patterson for creating yet another exciting chapter in the Alex Cross saga. A master of his craft, Patterson slowly builds the plot with a series of set pieces, well-timed reveals, and a final twist that climaxes in a heart-pounding and tense ending. Fear No Evil is a compelling and captivating read. A sure-shot bestseller. An action-packed suspense-filled crime thriller that will have you racing through every page. A must-read for all James Patterson and Alex Cross fanatics.

Review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on November 28, 2021 – https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/fear-no-evil-alex

Author: Jean Becker

Release Date; June 1, 2021

Publisher: Twelve Books

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/153873530X?pf_rd_r=YS3E4A928K57BB8JDSXM&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=3109eccb-9d23-4b23-bf98-44d306427980&pd_rd_w=5exMv&pd_rd_wg=NoRbD&ref_=pd_gw_unk

George Herbert Walker Bush came into the US presidency as one of the most qualified candidates to assume office. But if presidential success is determined by winning reelection, Bush was unsuccessful because he failed to convince the American public to give him another four years in office. But if this narrow-minded definition of what constitutes a success is true, George Bush’s post-presidential legacy can only be labeled as a triumph.

As Bush’s post-presidency chief of staff, Jean Becker had a ringside seat to the never-dull story of the former president’s life after his years in the White House. After losing reelection in 1992 to Bill Clinton, Bush’s life “was filled with determination, courage, generosity, love, hope, humor fun, and always big ideas.”

He developed the odd habit of jumping out of airplanes; and learned how to adjust to life in a wheelchair, after having lived most of his life as a high-energy athlete. He enthusiastically saw two sons become governors of their states, one of whom would also become President of the United States. But one odd and highly unlikely development stands out among his post-presidency achievements. 

Through the ages, the President’s Club has seen its share of rivalries, alliances, even some true friendships, but on December 26, 2004, Bush and Clinton’s relationship changed forever when a catastrophic tsunami struck Indonesia. In Washington, President George W. Bush and his advisors searched for an appropriate way to coordinate and direct the outpouring of aid from private sources. It was the younger Bush who came up with the idea of asking his father and Clinton to work together. Both were proven fund-raisers and had deep-rooted contacts. Bush and Clinton have been described many times as the odd couple of American politics, but in the years following this tragedy the two former political foes developed a close bond and connection that surprised both men and many of their longtime aides.

The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H. W. Bush’s Post-Presidency by Jean Becker is a wonderfully poignant and intimate behind-the-scenes portrayal of George Bush’s post-presidential life and accomplishments. Becker served as chief of staff during this period and had unique and unparalleled access to the personal and public life of the former president. Based on her personal recollections, Becker details the ups and downs of running the office of a former president from the perspective of someone who knew him best.

“When he left office on January 20, 1993, he moved back to Houston . . . with every intention of staying out of the public eye. That was not to be.”

The Man I Knew is a delightfully touching narrative and worthwhile read, but Becker admits that the narrative is not objective. She confesses to being one of Bush’s greatest fans. So if you are expecting secrets and gossip about Bush’s personal life this is not the book for you.

As Becker writes, “He lived what he preached: Any definition of a successful life must include serving others.” She goes on to describe how Bush “rebuilt his life” and “found a way to continue making a difference.” This is the story of Bush’s modest journey from president to a man of the people and how, after his emotionally draining and heartbreaking defeat to Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election, he found a way to make a difference. By the time of his death in November 2018, he was one of the most admired, respected, and beloved former statesmen.

This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on June 7, 2021: https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/man-i-knew-amazing

Author: Blaine Harden

Release date: April 27, 20201

Publisher: Viking

Buy from Amazon: Murder at the Mission: A Frontier Killing, Its Legacy of Lies, and the Taking of the American West: Harden, Blaine: 9780525561668: Amazon.com: Books

In 1836, Marcus Whitman, along with a ragtag band of fellow missionaries and fur traders joined a wagon train to the Oregon Territory. He and his wife, Narcissa, along with Reverend Henry Spalding and his wife, Eliza, and William Gray, founded a mission at present-day Walla Walla, Washington. They had come to the area to convert local Indians to Christianity. For the next ten years, their efforts at conversion were met with only limited success and as more white settlers descended upon the region and intruded upon sacred Cayuses lands tensions between the settlers and tribal leaders began to arise.

Following the deaths of a large number of natives from an outbreak of measles (which was brought to the area by the white settlers), some of the tribal leaders accused Whitman of murder and in retaliation, a renegade group killed Whitman and 11 others on November 29, 1847, an event that came to be known as the Whitman Massacre. This event led to continuing warfare between settlers and native people for several years and reduced the indigenous population even further.

This massacre is known as one of the most notorious episodes in the US settlement of the Pacific Northwest and its shock and horror directly led to Congress establishing the Oregon Territory. The tragedy remains controversial and Whitman and other missionaries are regarded by some as heroes, while others view them as liars, cheats, and interlopers who attempted to impose their religious beliefs on unwilling Native Americans.

“If you think fake news started in 2016, think again. Alternative facts, self-mythologizing, and outright lies have long played a starring role in American history, nowhere more so than the expansion west in the 19th century.”

In Blaine Harden’s new book, Murder at the Mission: A Frontier Killing, It’s Legacy of Lies, and the Taking of the American West, he takes a closer look at the Whitman Massacre and its enduring impact on the region and on the Native American tribe, it helped to destroy. Harden is a contributing editor for The Economist, PBS Frontline, and former bureau chief for the Washington Post. He is a New York Times bestselling author who has penned several works that include A River Lost (1997), Escape from Camp 14 (2012), and The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot (2015).

“They traveled west into . . . the thick darkness of heathenism . . . during a peak season of godliness in the United States. Called the Second Great Awakening . . . Their quest, as they described it, was to convert the benighted Indians to Christianity and civilize them so that they might survive a looming stampede of westbound white people.”

In this fascinating well-written exposé, Harden has done a brilliant job of not only looking at the life and legacy of Marcus Whitman but also examining the context in which his tragic death begot “one of the great hoaxes in the history of the American West.” A lie that led directly to the ruin of the Native Americans of the Columbia River Plateau. For nearly 175 years the Whitman massacre victims were celebrated as martyrs, but Harden reveals that this was all just an elaborate tale spun to raise money and found a college.

In Murder at the Mission, Harden skillfully brings to life the collision of myth and reality. He has managed to write a fittingly timely book that fits well into the post-Donald Trump era of false narratives, conspiracy theories, and cries of fake news in which a large segment of the Naïve American population was deceived into believing utter nonsense by destroying others in order to make themselves feel good about themselves.

This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on April 27, 2021 – a book review by Michael Thomas Barry: Murder at the Mission: A Frontier Killing, Its Legacy of Lies, and the Taking of the American West (nyjournalofbooks.com)

Author(s): James Patterson & Matt Eversmann

Release date: February 8, 2021

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Walk-My-Combat-Boots-Americas/dp/0316429090/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=james+patterson&qid=1612889025&sr=8-5

The sacrifices of service are indescribable—except by those who have made them. Their personal stories of battlefield life reveal: the goal to be ready every day, every single day, and how that can quickly descend into chaos. The realization that every soldier must be okay with dying, consciously or subconsciously, to be good at this job. How we all need to serve something bigger than ourselves.

Men and women from every branch of the US military and every occupational specialty—armor technicians and tank commanders, combat medics and flight nurses, psychological operatives, and weapons truck drivers—tell exactly how it feels to jump out of airplanes, to be boots on the ground, to shoot and be shot at, and to recognize that they might never get back home. The dedication of these men and women to overcoming tremendous obstacles and achieving everyday victories, in combat and on the home front, is profound.

Walk in My Combat Boots: True Stories from America’s Bravest Warriors by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann takes an authentic look at what its really like to be a member of the US military. Patterson is the bestselling author of countless works that span numerous genres and his books have sold millions of copies. Matt Eversmann is a former Army Ranger of Black Hawk Down fame. In 2004 he co-authored the gripping narrative The Battle of Mogadishu: First-Hand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger.

In this broad and captivating assemblage of firsthand experiences, Walk in My Combat Boots includes before, during, and after wartime stories. It is told through the words of military veterans of varying backgrounds and expertise. Patterson and Eversmann have complied and created a suspense-filled, heart-pounding narrative that succeeds in painting a picture of what it is really like to serve on the frontlines of the US armed forces.

“Ten of our twenty patients are stretched out on litters . . . some of them are all shot up, and some have lost limbs . . . We have to treat patients while dealing with the stresses  . . . Someone screams to use the restroom . . . Someone screams for narcotics . . . another patient sits quietly, staring . . . I want to go back . . . I’m good, I want to go back, I’m ready. He’s not the only soldier who says this to me . . . All the guys on board want to go back. Every single one.”

Spanning nearly 50 years of US military actions from Vietnam to the present day, each of the over three dozen stories are divided into four parts. Written in clear and matter-of-fact style that keeps the reader engaged in the narratives to take an even-handed look at individual military service experiences in an honest and frank manner. It avoids unnecessary analysis and description while succeeding in assembling an absorbing and truthful picture of what war was really like for those who have served. Although the true strength of the book lies in its contrasting experiences, which allow the reader to interpret each unique and individual story for themselves on its merits. This collaboration is sure to be a bestseller.

This review first appeared in the New York Journal of Books on February 9, 2021- https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/walk-my-combat

Author: Eleanor Herman

Release date: September 22, 2020

Publisher: William Morrow

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Presidents-Outs-White-House/dp/0062970569/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=sex+with+presidents&qid=1600979114&sr=8-2

Why are so many Americans obsessed with the sexual transgressions of their elected officials? On one level, it’s quite simple to see because it’s just another version of the old saying that sex sells; on another level, it’s just weird. Each time a new scandal breaks it seems to shock the public and there are new ones surfacing practically daily; and the question at the center of it all is character: What was he or she thinking? How could they have taken the risk? But what if, before people judged, they could see inside the person, see the humanity, see what it feels like to be them? Why do we put our political leaders on a pedestal only to tear them down? This is one political issue that everyone seems to have an opinion about, and yet people still ask: Why did they do it?

Sex with Presidents: The Ins and Outs of Love and Lust in the White House by Eleanor Herman attempts to answer some of these questions. She does a remarkable job of psychologically profiling and detailing the many sex scandals that have dogged nearly a dozen men who have held our nation’s highest office, as well as other high-profile politicians. Herman is the New York Times bestselling author of several books that include Sex with Kings (2004) and Sex with the Queen (2006). She is also the host of Lost Worlds for the History Channel, The Madness of Henry VIII for National Geographic Channel, and America: Facts vs. Fiction for the American Heroes Channel.

“It is a logical assumption that most sane people would not want to become president of a nation . . . Americans have a reputation for being straight-laced, many of the nation’s leaders have been anything but puritanical.”

In this fascinatingly humorous and surprisingly illuminating book, Herman does a terrific job of psychologically profiling and re-examining the sex scandals that shook the White House and the nation. She does a thorough and exceptional job of answering several tantalizingly provocative questions: What is sex like with a president? Does charisma, passion, and zest for power make it better than average? Does a strong sex drive has any relevance to political success or failure? And does rampant adultery show a lack of character needed to run the country?  

“The sex drive . . . is resistant to common sense. This primeval instinct overpowers us, causing us to lose all self-control. Such loss of control never has had more explosive consequences than when played out in the bedrooms of world leaders . . . They affect entire nations.”

Overall, Sex with Presidents is a delightfully shocking read, and like with her previous books on sex with powerful people, Herman maintains both her sense of humor and commitment to research. With loads of spicy tidbits that include riveting insight into the past, Herman brings sympathy and kindness to those who deserve understanding, explaining that it isn’t easy to stand next to a person in power who displays despicable behavior while keeping your head held high.

She also declares, “Given that so many men who seek high office suffer from hubris syndrome, bipolar disorder, narcissistic disorder, and a superfluity of testosterone, it is likely many of them will continue to seek sex on the side, in ways both dignified and sordid.” Thus if you find yourself mesmerized by the private sex lives of public figures such as US Presidents then this is the book for you!

This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on September 24, 2020 – https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/sex-presidents

Author: Jessica Garrison

Release date: August 4, 2020

Publisher: Hachette

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Harvest-Terrorized-Community-Californias/dp/0316455687/ref=sr_1_2?crid=38KGWH0H810L2&dchild=1&keywords=the+devil%27s+harvest+jessica+garrison&qid=1598116950&sprefix=the+devil%27s+harvest%2Caps%2C267&sr=8-2

Jose Manuel Martínez was born and raised in California and blended in easily among the farm laborers of California’s San Joaquin Valley where he lived a modest and unassuming life. But in stark contrast to the adoring and dedicated family man he appeared to be, there was an evil flipside that allowed him to pursue a frightening line of work as a hitman and enforcer for a Mexican drug cartel—a wicked profession that he carried out with such precision and technique that he went undetected for decades and claimed the lives of dozens of victims.

Martinez tracked one victim to one of the wealthiest corners of America, a horse ranch in Santa Barbara, and shot him dead, setting off a decades-long manhunt. He shot another man, a farmer right in front of his young wife as they drove to work in the fields. The widow would wait decades for justice. Those were murders for hire. Others he killed for vengeance.

The Devil’s Harvest by Jessica Garrison is a captivating true crime story of unbelievable terror that shockingly spanned nearly four decades in California’s central coast and valley. Garrison is an investigative editor for Buzzfeed News and spent more than a decade as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times. This is her debut nonfiction work.

Garrison asked Martinez why he had murdered so many people and how he had gotten away with it for so long? How he could “kill without remorse” and sometimes “even relish” it, while at the same time be so kind and generous with his own family. Martinez “paused for a moment, and then he laughed ruefully. It’s a long story.”

In June 2013, Martinez was arrested for the murder of Jose Ruiz and eventually confessed to killing three dozen people in a murderous crime spree that crisscrossed numerous states between 1980 and 2011. In California, he pleaded guilty to nine counts of murder and was sentenced to life in prison and received similar sentences in other states. Most of his crimes were related for Mexican drug cartels, but he also killed out of revenge and pure anger. He claimed that all of his victims deserved to die because many of them had abused women or children.

So how did Jose Martinez manage to evade law enforcement for so long? According to Garrison, he was a sly, savvy character who knew how to circumvent a systemically prejudiced and often narrow-minded criminal justice system: If you killed the right people, people who were poor, non-white, and who didn’t have anyone to speak up for them, you could literally get away with murder. Well, almost get away with murder.

The Devil’s Harvest is a must-read for any true-crime aficionado and is a story that desperately needed to be told. It is well-researched and detailed—a riveting in-depth narrative that explores the complexities and failures of the criminal justice system. Jose Martinez murdered without consequence for decades. He left a trail of death and devastation within the migrant farm communities of California’s central valley, a community that was left reeling and pleading for justice that went unanswered for way too long.

“Year after year, Martinez operated with impunity. In Tulare County, where he lived for decades, officials suspected him of murder after murder and yet never charged him. Next door Kern County, where he also lived for a time and committed several murders, has one of the highest murder rates in California and one of the lowest murder-solve rates in the nation.”

Garrison’s years of investigative reporting adds credibility to the narrative and thoroughly details how law enforcement was able to track down and eventually capture Martinez, but she also controversially scrutinizes the failures that allowed the Mexican drug cartels and a psychopathic madman to roam free for decades: shockingly killing without most people ever hearing about it.

This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on August 21, 2020 – https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/devils-harvest-ruthless-killer

Author: Carlene O’Connor

Release date: February 25, 2020

Publisher: Kensington Books

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Irish-Cottage-Village-Mystery/dp/1496719050/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1582666510&sr=8-2

Family is everything to Siobhán: her five siblings; her dear departed mother for whom the family business, Naomi’s Bistro, is named; and now her fiancé, Macdara Flannery. So precious is her engagement that Siobhán wants to keep it just between the two of them for a little longer.

But Macdara is her family, which is why when his cousin Susan frantically calls for his help, Siobhán is at his side as the two garda rush from Kilbane to the rural village where Susan and her mother have recently moved. Unfortunately, tragedy awaits them. They find Susan, who is blind, outside the cottage, in a state. Inside, Aunt Ellen lies on her bed in a fancy red dress, no longer breathing. A pillow on the floor and a nearby teacup suggest the mode of death to their trained eyes: the woman has been poisoned and smothered. Someone wanted to make sure she was dead. But who?

Devout believers in Irish folklore, the villagers insist the cottage is cursed—built on a fairy path. It turns out Ellen Delaney was not the first to die mysteriously in this cottage. Although the townsfolk blame malevolent fairies, Siobhán and Macdara must follow the path of a murderer all too human—but just as evil. . . .

Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of the Irish Village Mystery series. Murder in an Irish Cottage is the eagerly anticipated fifth installment of the wildly successful series. Other books in the collection include Murder in an Irish Village (2016), Murder at an Irish Wedding (2017), Murder in an Irish Churchyard (2018), and Murder in an Irish Pub (2019).

In Murder in an Irish Cottage, summer has arrived in the picturesque village of Kilbane, County Cork, where Siobhán and her brood are on a short 10-day vacation. We soon learn that she and fellow police officer Dara Flannery’s slowly evolving romance has now blossomed into a secret engagement. The action heats up when Dara receives a panicked call from his cousin, apparently his Aunt Ellen is in some sort of trouble. Distressed by the call, the pair heads off to find out what has happened and soon horrifyingly discover that his aunt has been murdered. We follow the pair as they try to unravel the mystery and find the killer.

Wonderfully captivating, Murder in an Irish Cottage does not disappoint. Interwoven with charming descriptions of lush green Irish landscapes and tales of folklore and legends, it is a thrilling addition to the murder mystery series. Readers have over time bared witness to Siobhán O’Sullivan’s personal growth from the beleaguered caregiver of five siblings to self-confident police officer.

“The meadow glistened and Siobhán could smell the peat and imagine how soft the ground would be beneath their feet. The sun was out now, and just as Siobhán had the thought, she turned and saw it; just behind the largest hill arched a magnificent rainbow. The colors were so bright and clear, it didn’t look real.”

Carlene O’Connor has continued to evolve the storylines of each of her characters into people that are likeable and engaging. She has done an outstanding job of crafting distraction and misdirection that is essential to any successful murder mystery. As the plot unfolds in this current tale, there are loads of twists and turns that keeps the reader riveted to their seats, guessing whodunit until the very end.

The review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on February 25, 2020 – https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/murder-irish-cottage

Author: Maja Lunde

Release date: January 14, 2020

Publisher: HarperVia

Pages: 304

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/End-Ocean-Novel-Maja-Lunde/dp/006295136X/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=maja+lunde&qid=1579113673&sr=8-2

In 2017, 70-year-old Signe sets out on a hazardous voyage to cross an entire ocean in only a sailboat. She is haunted by the loss of the love of her life and is driven by a singular and all-consuming mission to make it back to him.

Twenty-two years into the future, David flees with his young daughter, Lou, from a war-torn Southern Europe plagued by drought. They have been separated from their rest of their family and are on a desperate search to reunite with them once again, when they find Signe’s abandoned sailboat in a parched French garden, miles away from the nearest shore. As David and Lou rummage through personal effects from Signe’s travels, their journey of survival and hope weaves together with Signe’s, forming a heartbreaking, inspiring story about the power of nature and the human spirit.

The End of the Ocean is Maja Lunde’s second foray into adult fiction and is a spellbinding read that focuses on the realities of climate change though the eyes of a father and daughter. Lunde is one of Norway’s most prominent authors and screenwriters, who is best known for writing the critically acclaimed international bestseller The History of Bees (2015). Her previous writings focused on children and young adult themes.

First published in 2017 in Norway, The End of the Ocean centers on base level survival in the not too distant future. Mankind is facing possible multiple ecological calamities that include droughts and a lack of sustainable resources. The plot focuses on three characters: Signe, David, and Lou. Signe’s narrative is based in present day Norway where she has lived a lifetime of activism fighting for conservation of natural resources. During her college years, she meets Magnus, and they become lovers. Both initially want to protect the environment, but after graduation Magnus takes a different path that leads him to harvest glaciers and sell the ice. Because of this the pair drift apart. The legacy of their actions impact the future.

“All life is water, all life was water . . . It gushed from the sky as rain or snow, it filled the small lakes in the mountains, lay in the form of ice in the glacier, it flowed down the steep mountains in thousands of small streams . . . The ground, the mountains, the pastures were tiny islands in that which actually was the world. I called my world Earth but thought that is should actually be named Water.”

Storyline two follows the father-daughter duo of David and Lou. They reside in France several decades in the future where mankind is struggling to survive in a world filled with chaos. Because of severe drought there are massive wildfires ravaging Europe and food, water, and medical supplies are in short supply.

“. . . the stores were emptied of food staples, and the city became emptier, quieter. And hotter. The drier the earth became, the hotter the air. Previously the sun had applied its forces to evaporation. When there was no longer any moisture on the earth, we became the sun’s target.”

Chillingly frank in its discussion of our planet’s fragile ecological system and the fight to save our basic natural resources, Lunde’s two superbly written interlinking narratives are emotionally charged and the beautifully expressed underlying message of hope, love and forgiveness helps to soften the ominous realties that could befall humanity if nothing is done to reverse the bleak certainties of climate change.

***This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on January 14, 2020 – https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/end-ocean-novel

Author: Nicholas Meyer

Release Date: October 15, 2019

Publisher: Minotaur Books,

Pages: 256

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Peculiar-Protocols-Adapted-Journals/dp/1250228956/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=nicholas+meyer&qid=1571263812&sr=8-1

January 1905: famed detectives Sherlock Holmes and his associate Dr. Watson are summoned by Holmes’ brother Mycroft to embark on a secret investigation. An agent of the British Secret Service has been found dead in the River Thames. In the agent’s pocket is a document that appears to be the notes of a meeting of a secret society that’s focused on taking over the world.

Based on real events, the adventure takes the fabled private detective’s and other captivating characters through the heart of Europe aboard the legendary Orient Express. As they travel from Paris into the heart of Russia, Holmes and Watson attempt to trace the origins of the dangerous document. Hot on their heels are men of dubious loyalty, who will stop at nothing to prevent the release of the secret plans. 

The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols is Nicholas Meyer’s third Sherlock Holmes novel and in this highly entertaining murder mystery we are whimsically transported back in time. Harkening back to the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, Meyer’s capably takes the reader on a gripping journey where Holmes and Watson exposes a secret so massive it shakes the duo to their core. An Academy Award nominated film writer, producer, and director. Meyer’s is also the author of three additional Sherlock Holmes novels that include The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1974), The West End Horror (1976), and The Canary Trainer (1995).

In this newest adaption we find Sherlock Holmes contemplating his future in the new century. The year is 1905 and there are fewer and fewer mysteries to solve. The aging detective finds himself at a crossroads with technological advances. Just before he and his distinguished partner John H. Watson, M.D. are set to retire, they find renewed propose as they are drawn into another exhilarating murder mystery.

At first the detectives are skeptical of the facts but as they wade deeper and deeper into the case it becomes crystal clear that the stakes are dire. Will Holmes and Watson be able to solve the mystery in time to prevent the secret organization from succeeding in their bid for global supremacy? It is set on the fabled Orient Express, which was made famous in the writing of Agatha Christie. Along the way, Holmes and Watson find themselves intertwined with several eccentric characters. As they contemplate the mystery that is currently unfolding they also ponder the changing world.

“A revolution was taking place half a world away. Events were unfolding that, if the nearsighted chemist enjoying Holmes’s sherry was correct, could conceivably drag the rest of Europe into a conflagration in which massive quantities of British gunpowder might well be required.”

Meyer’s expertise with Sherlock Holmes’ exploits are undeniably evident in this newest adaption. He effortlessly combines his screenwriting and storytelling skills into a fresh take on an old-fashioned murder mystery. While the exchanges between Holmes and Watson feel natural, Holmes’ side narrative of sibling rivalry with his older brother is undeniably entertaining.

“How is your French, Sherlock?” Holmes endeavored to conceal his surprise. “Schoolboy at best, as you are aware,” he confessed. Mycroft, I knew, spoke at least six languages, claiming it took but eight weeks to master a new tongue, which Holmes sneeringly once asserted in my presence was a sure sign of idiocy.” “It will have to do for now,” his brother replied, handing him the envelope.”

Invigoratingly engaging from start to finish, Nicholas Meyer has yet again created a fresh take on an old genre. The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols is a sure bestseller in which 21st century readers are gloriously transported back to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.  

This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on October 16, 2019 – https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/adventure-peculiar-protocols