Starter Villain by John Scalzi

I love John Scalzi's sci fi books, and "Starter Villain" is no exception. Expect Scalzi's on-brand humour, adventure, fast-moving twisty action, and characters you can't help but root for. In addition, you will find cats, dolphins, trillions of dollars, and an island of secrets. This book ticks all the boxes.

Blurb:

Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.

Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.

Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.

But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.

It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyperintelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.

In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

I love the premise of retired CIA operatives getting involved in solving crimes again. A bit like the movie RED, The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen is a rollercoaster - both fun and thrilling. There are two timelines (with the events in the past shedding light on what's happening in the present).

Immensely readable, with quirky lovable characters. This is the first book in the Martini Club series, and I hope there will be many more.

Blurb:

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends―all retirees from the CIA―to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

"The Secret" by Lee Child (kind of)

"The Secret" is the latest Jack Reacher instalment by the brotherly Child duo. I must say, I'm really grateful to Andrew (real surname Grant) for continuing the series. I'm a true Reacher fan, and I love spending time in his company. The books are extremely well written and well plotted, and I can't help thinking that hey, I'm sure there are other brothers in that brood, maybe each and every one of them should write a Reacher book a year? Just an idea - feel free to steal it, @Lee.

"The Secret" is fantastic. It goes back in time to when Jack Reacher was still in Uncle Sam's service. This is the official blurb:

1992. All across the United States respectable, upstanding citizens are showing up dead. These deaths could be accidents, and they don’t appear to be connected—until a fatal fall from a high-floor window attracts some unexpected attention.

That attention comes from the secretary of defense. All of a sudden he wants an interagency task force to investigate. And he wants Jack Reacher as the army’s representative. If Reacher gets a result, great. If not, he’s a convenient fall guy.

But office politics isn’t Reacher’s thing. Three questions quickly emerge: Who’s with him, who’s against him, and will the justice he dispenses be the official kind . . . or his own kind?

Small Great Things

Okay, this post is about Jodi Picoult's books. It's also about "Small Great Things" in particular - which is fantastic, so please read it - but in context of all her books.

Jodi Picoult's books are all topical and thought-provoking... and before you yawn and browse on, they are also immensely readable. You get invested in the characters, you get curious about the story, and when you turn the last page, you sigh with satisfaction at the resolution. 

Reading Jodi's books is time well spent, whether you want to open your mind or just have an enjoyable afternoon.

Blurb for "Small Great Things":

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than 20 years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? 

Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family - especially her teenage son - as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others - and themselves - might be wrong. 

What Remains by Wendy Walker

I truly enjoy this author's books. "What Remains" is no exception - you get a solid twisty plot, relatable characters, and prose that keeps you seamlessly engaged. This is my second Wendy Walker, and I'm diving deeper into the backlist.

Blurb:

Detective Elise Sutton is drawn to cold cases. Each crime is a puzzle to solve, pulled from the past. Elise looks for cracks in the surface and has become an expert on how murderers slip up and give themselves away. She has dedicated her life to creating a sense of order, at work with her ex-marine partner; at home with her husband and two young daughters; and within, battling her own demons. Elise has everything under control, until one afternoon, when she walks into a department store and is forced to make a terrible choice: to save one life, she will have to take another.

Elise is hailed as a hero, but she doesn’t feel like one. Steeped in guilt, and on a leave of absence from work, she’s numb, even to her husband and daughters, until she connects with Wade Austin, the tall man whose life she saved. But Elise soon realizes that he isn’t who he says he is. In fact, Wade Austin isn’t even his real name. The tall man is a ghost, one who will set off a terrifying game of cat and mouse, threatening Elise and the people she loves most.

A Game of Lies

"A Game of Lies" by Clare Mackintosh is the second in her Walsh Detective Ffion Morgan series. I love Clare's writing style, I love the setting, I love her characters, and - most of all - I love this twisty plot.

Blurb:

Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they've signed up for.

Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won't just be eliminated - they'll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they'd ever imagined, and they're trapped.

The disappearance of a contestant wasn't supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she's watched on screen, and find out who these people really are - knowing she can't trust any of them.

And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.

Titanium Noir

So, "Titanium Noir". Reading it I kept forgetting it's by Nick Harkaway, because the SF whodunnit flavour made me think of John Scalzi's "Locked In" series. This is what you need to know:

• It's really good.
• It's smaller than the author's "Gone away world" - also easier to figure out what's going on.
• It's a fun book.
• It'll make you think.

Blurb

Cal Sounder is a detective working for the police on certain very sensitive cases. So when he’s called in to investigate a homicide at a local apartment, he’s surprised by the routineness of it all. But when he arrives on scene, Cal soon learns that the victim—Roddy Tebbit, an otherwise milquetoast techie—is well over seven feet tall. And although he doesn’t look a day over thirty, he is ninety-one years old. Tebbit is a Titan—one of this dystopian, near-future society’s genetically altered elites. And this case is definitely Cal’s thing.

There are only a few thousand Titans worldwide, thanks to Stefan Tonfamecasca’s discovery of the controversial T7 genetic therapy, which elevated his family to godlike status. T7 turns average humans into near-immortal distortions of themselves—with immense physical proportions to match their ostentatious, unreachable lifestyles. A dead Titan is big news . . . a murdered Titan is unimaginable. But these modified magnates are Cal’s specialty. In fact, his own ex-girlfriend, Athena, is a Titan. And not just any—she is Stefan’s daughter, heir to the massive Tonfamecasca empire.  

As the murder investigation intensifies, Cal begins to unravel the complicated threads of what should have been a straightforward case, and it becomes clear he’s on the trail of a crime whose roots run deep into the dark heart of the world.

Ripper by Shelley Burr

Ripper by Shelley Burr is a worthy sequel to WAKE. Well written, twisty, a page turner almost impossible to put down. Lane Holland is fast becoming my favourite book person, I hope to continue getting to know him in future instalments. 

Blurb:

Gemma Guillory knows her once-charming town is now remembered for one reason, and one reason only.

That three innocent people died. That the last stop on the Rainier Ripper's trail of death seventeen years ago was her innocuous little teashop.

She knows that the consequences of catching the Ripper still haunt her police officer husband and their marriage to this day and that some of her neighbours are desperate - desperate enough to welcome a dark tourism company keen to cash in on Rainier's reputation as the murder town.

When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat on Gemma's doorstep, the unease that has lurked quietly in the original killer's wake turns to foreboding, and she's drawn into the investigation. Unbeknownst to her, so is a prisoner named Lane Holland.

Gemma knows her town. She knows her people. Doesn't she?

"Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro

"Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro is speculative fiction book that delves into the nuances of what near future could bring. Set in a future both familiar and fantastical, the story centers around Klara, an Artificial Friend designed with exceptional observational skills. Through her eyes we discover a world where technology meets human emotion in unexpected ways.

Ishiguro's novel is a timely exploration of the heart's capacity for affection, the enigma of artificial intelligence, and the eternal question: What makes a life worth living and remembering? 

The reviewers seem to love or hate this book. What do you think?

 

Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner

I was captivated by the narrative created by Susan Meissner in "Only the Beautiful". The novel weaves together the lives of two women, separated by time and circumstance, yet bound by an unbreakable thread of courage and determination.

Set against the backdrop of California in 1938 and Austria in 1947, the story introduces us to Rosanne, a young woman whose life takes a heart-wrenching turn. Her journey becomes a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the resilience of the heart. Rosanne's ability to see colors when she hears sound adds a unique layer to her as a story character.

In Austria, we meet Helen Calvert, whose experiences during World War II have left an indelible mark on her. Her determination to uncover the truth about Rosanne's fate reveals the depth of her compassion and the lengths she's willing to go to seek justice. 

Susan Meissner writes beautiful prose capable of evoking emotions in the reader. This is a story of love, loss, and the unyielding spirit of those who dare to defy the odds.

Heartfelt.

Uplifiting.

Read it.

With My Little Eye

 I! Love! Joshilyn! Jackson! And! I! Love! Her! Books! More!

That's all you really need to know. But okay, some of the things I valued about "With my little eye" were:

• the beautiful prose
• the quirky, super-interesting characters
• the heart-tugging plot
• did I mention the prose?

Read it already :-)

For those who need a blurb:

It started with the letters…

For actress Meribel Mills, disturbing fan mail is part of the price of fame. So when she starts getting creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker she is mostly unphased and diligently files them along with her other messages from unhinged fans. After all, she’s a single mom approaching forty, not the kind of hot young celeb who sparks dangerous obsessions. But there’s something different about Marker Man…

He’s been in her home…

Meribel’s sheets smell of unfamiliar cologne, and objects have gone missing around the house. Plus, the letters have become more perverse, with drawings of a naked Meribel tied up or chopped into pieces. While the police insist that stalkers hardly ever escalate to violence, Meribel has played the dead girl one too many times on TV to risk becoming her in real life. She and her daughter move from Los Angeles to Atlanta for a fresh start—but no distance is great enough.

He’s watching her…

Years of being in front of a camera have given Meribel a superpower—she can feel eyes on her, a creeping sensation like bees inside her skin. And someone definitely has her in their sights. Could Marker Man have followed her all the way across the country?

Who else might be watching—her ex-husband? The lover she left behind in LA? Her new neighbor? Suddenly, every man in her life is a suspect, but she can’t keep herself and her daughter safe from a monster she can’t identify. When the paths of all of these men collide, Meribel will find herself alone in the fight of her life, desperate to protect those she loves as danger closes in from all sides.

I asked Chat GPT to review one of my books...

So I've been binging Chat GPT. No, not to write books (thanks to a super-informative workshop organised by International Thriller Writers I know what legal mess that would end up being), but to compose a corporate-speaky email that needs to be tactful when I need to be ranting, or to find a fresh new way of saying "thank you for inviting me to be bitten my mosquitos for three days while speed-walking in dense vegetaion, but I'd really rather just read a book on the sofa with a G&T in hand".

Anyway, I grew curious what AI would make of fiction, so I asked it to review my book "Serial Wives", a thriller featuring Zero Zimmerman (look out for the sequel coming in 2024). Now, of course I know AI can't think or feel, and its power lies in distilling online information really fast, but hey, the book has online reviews and plot summaries, so go do your thing, right?

Ha! Here's the first paragraph of Chat GPT's attempt:

Yvonne Walus delivers an enthralling narrative in her novel "Serial Wives," where the fine line between love and obsession is masterfully explored. This captivating thriller takes readers on a suspenseful journey through the lives of complex characters, intertwining their pasts, presents, and their desperate attempts to hide dark secrets.

I mean, almost true? Especially the bits about an enthralling narrative and suspenseful journey. Not so sure about intertwining their pasts and presents, but I'll go with it.

Here's the second paragraph:

The story revolves around the enigmatic and charismatic protagonist, Suzanne. Beautiful and intelligent, Suzanne seems to have it all—a successful career, an adoring husband, and a picture-perfect life. However, beneath the surface lies a web of intrigue as she harbors a shocking secret: a trail of past husbands who mysteriously disappeared. As the novel progresses, the reader is kept guessing about Suzanne's true nature, her motivations, and her capacity for love or malevolence.

Wait, what? Who's Suzanne? The three protagonists are Joy, Caro, and the aformentioned Zero Zimmerman. Successful career, adoring husband? What is the robot smoking? But let us continue:

The pacing of "Serial Wives" is superb, with Walus deftly balancing moments of intense action with introspective moments that allow readers to delve into the characters' emotional turmoil. The intricate plot twists and turns keep the pages turning, as unexpected revelations shock and surprise at every corner. Walus has a knack for planting breadcrumbs throughout the narrative, leading readers to form their theories, only to be pleasantly surprised by the final revelations.

You know what? I'm happy with the last paragraph. Like, 100% happy. I'll take the win. Except... except that I didn't. "You got the plot wrong, try again," I told it like an idiot.

Apologies for the confusion. Here's an updated review:  The story follows the life of Claire, an enigmatic woman whose past is shrouded in mystery. Married multiple times, each of Claire's husbands meets an untimely and tragic end, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions. As the narrative unfolds, the reader is gripped by the relentless pursuit of truth, driven by a determined detective who begins to unravel the dark secrets hidden within Claire's past.

Yeah, nah. We tried again and again, until the AI admitted defeat. So, on the plus side, I beat Chat GPT. On the minus side... there is no minus side. I'm a masterful writer with a knack for planting breadcrumbs.

(And in case you're wondering, Amazon.com will tell you - accurately - that "Serial Wives" is about a serial killer who murders women and displays their bodies dressed in a white sheet with a fencing mask covering the face.)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I thought long and hard whether to read "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes", the prequel to the Hunger Games Trilogy. Prequels are tricky. You have to maintain the voice and the mood, you have to offer something original but the same, you can't introduce inconsistencies or create paradoxes. 

So, I've just finished reading it, and really, really liked it. The voice. The mood. The originality as well as the sameness.

As far as I noticed, no inconsistencies or paradoxes (but do let me know in the comments if I'm wrong).

Things I valued: bearing witness to how the actual Hunger Games evolved. 

Things I valued but was saddened by: the character journey of Coriolanus Snow.

My only criticism: the book was not long enough. I wanted more. More game evolution. More history. More words. Suzanne Collins, please write another prequel.

The maid

"The Maid" by Nita Prose is a delight. The protagonist is an even more endearing version of Eleanor Oliphant, the plot is a cosy murder mystery, and the prose elegant. What will keep you glued to the book till the very end is the compelling character journey. Her vulnerability and determination make the reader root for her as she navigates the treacherous waters of the neurotypical world.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

"Mad Honey" by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is the best thing I read in the first quarter of 2023. It's the type of book that you read fast but reflect on slowly. It's the type of book you want to start again as soon as you turn the last page.

In equal measures a domestic suspense novel and high concept women's fiction, it's a winner in every category.

Blurb:

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising their beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined that she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in and taking over her father’s beekeeping business.

Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.

And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can trust him completely. . . .

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in Ash, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

I will find you by Harlan Coben

"I will find you", a domestic thriller by Harlan Coben, has it all: the characters, the plot, the pace, the heart. If it's your first Coben, it won't be the last. If you're a fan, you'll love the familiar author's voice spinning a totally brand-new story.

@Harlan, you've delivered again. Thank you for the amazing read.

Blurb:

David Burroughs was once a devoted father to his three-year-old son Matthew, living a dream life just a short drive away from the working-class suburb where he and his wife, Cheryl, first fell in love—until one fateful night when David woke suddenly to discover Matthew had been murdered while David was asleep just down the hall.

Half a decade later, David’s been wrongly accused and convicted of the murder, left to serve out his time in a maximum-security prison—a fate which, grieving and wracked with guilt, David didn’t have the will to fight. The world has moved on without him. Then Cheryl’s younger sister, Rachel, makes a surprise appearance during visiting hours bearing a strange photograph. It’s a vacation shot of a bustling amusement park a friend shared with her, and in the background, just barely in frame, is a boy bearing an eerie resemblance to David’s son. Even though it can’t be, David just knows: Matthew is still alive.

David plans a harrowing escape, determined to achieve the impossible–save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened. But with his life on the line and the FBI following his every move, can David evade capture long enough to reveal the shocking truth?

This is how I lied

"This is how I lied" by Heather Gudenkauf is a page-turner. Beautiful prose, complex characters, twisty plot. Or is it complext plot and twisty characters? You be the judge. 

Definitely a must-read.

Blurb:

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.

For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than they’re letting on, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.

Exiles by Jane Harper

Exiles is the third in the Aaron Falk series, and the fifth Jane Harper thriller. In a word: brilliant.

If you need a few more words, glad to oblige. Jane's writing voice is both lyrically poetic (what I call "beautiful words") and able to carry the narrative forward. The plot is fricking AWESOME, and I loved the twists and turns of the story. Rich in characterisation and imagery, Exiles (just like all the others) is the kind of book that transports you to a different reality. As you read the book, you want to visit Australia's wine country, take part in the festival, experience the slower way of life in a small town. That very slower way of life is fittingly mirrored in the book's slower pace, more murder mystery than thriller - and it's a good thing.

Blurb:

At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her pram, her mother vanishing into the crowds.

A year on, Kim Gillespie’s absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family.

Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems.

Between Falk’s closest friend, a missing mother, and a woman he’s drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge.

Travel by Bullet (The Dispatcher, #3) by John Scalzi

For various reasons, I started the Dispatcher series with book number 3, but "Travel by Bullet" works well as a stand-alone SF thriller. It's a typical Scalzi, with a fast-moving plot, brilliant dialogue and likeable characters. For fans and newbies alike.

Blurb

The world has changed. Now, when someone is murdered, they almost always come back to life—and there are professionals, called "dispatchers," who kill in order to save lives, to give those near the end a second chance. Tony Valdez is a dispatcher, and he has never been busier.

But for as much as the world has changed, some things have stayed the same. Greed, corruption and avarice are still in full swing. When Tony is called to a Chicago emergency room by an old friend and fellow dispatcher, he is suddenly and unwillingly thrown into a whirlpool of schemes and plots involving billions of dollars, with vast caches of wealth ranging from real estate to cryptocurrency up for grabs.

All Tony wants to do is keep his friend safe. But it’s hard to do when friends keep secrets, enemies offer seductive deals, and nothing is ever what it seems. The world has changed... but the stakes are still life and death.

My Darling Daughter by J.P. Delaney

 Great author. Great read.

Blurb:

The child you never knew knows all your secrets . . .

Out of the blue, Susie Jones is contacted on social media by Anna, the girl she gave up for adoption fifteen years ago.

But when they meet, Anna's home life sounds distinctly strange to Susie and her husband Gabe. And when Anna's adoptive parents seem to overreact to the fact she contacted them at all, Susie becomes convinced that Anna needs her help.

But is Anna's own behaviour simply what you'd expect from someone recovering from a traumatic childhood? Or are there other secrets at play here - secrets Susie has also been hiding for the last fifteen years?