2025 #42 The Fifth Woman - Wallander #6 (Mankell)

 

The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having been a fan of the series with Kenneth Branagh (we didn't have the opportunity to watch more than one episode of the original Swedish series), I was eager to compare the experience of reading one of the books. This did not disappoint. There's a lot happening. Lots of character development for Wallander, who is going through his own stages of grief. My only real complaint is that I wanted more of the catalyst to be involved in the plot. Instead, we get the trigger, and we know who the culprit is, but I was left feeling like the plot took a huge left turn, and used insanity as the defense. Still, there are truly interesting characters and it was a rich experience for a book that I'd normally designate as a "beach read" (nothing wrong with that, but this book was more intense and deep than anticipated!).

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2025 #35 Cocaine Blues -- Phryne Fisher #1 (Greenwood)

 

Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a big time fan of the TV series, I was excited to finally start the book series!
Phryne Fisher is delightful, although her character is even more "scandalous" in the book than portrayed on the series (well, at least it is, unsurprisingly, more graphic). I'm impatient to see how Detective Robinson develops, and that is what I get for breaking my own rule about not watching a TV/movie adaptation before reading the book.

This installment is good, if a bit uneven. Firsts are hard -- the author has to hook you on the characters AND tell a good story. Greenwood deftly uses the dancer Sasha and the impressionable Dot to help show us Phryne's character, but also as pivotal plot pushers. Phryne is hedonistic, yes, but not just that, and it is ultimately a pleasure to get some insights beyond her roaring 20s persona. It does bite off a lot, however: poisoning, illegal abortion, drug smuggling, thugs, Turkish Baths. The whirlwind sometimes overwhelmed, but overall I'm happy to continue with the series!

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2025 #22 St. Peter's Fair (Peters) - Brother Cadfael #4

 

Saint Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Perhaps fairs just aren't my thing, but this particular installment in the series felt like a real slog. It did not hold my interest, but I'm too stubborn to DNF, so thank goodness my library does automatic renewals. I'd be tempted to give it two stars, but I want to honor the writing here, which is, as always, excellent. Only the last 30 pages or so sparked my interest (no pun intended and that is a very weak spoiler). Emma made for an interesting character at the end -- a good balance to the angelic Aline.

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2025 #21: Her Last Moment (James) - Jake Cashen #5

 

Her Last Moment: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 5 by Declan James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I seem to be invested in Worthington County, although I think Alexander Cendese's readings are half of it. Poor Jake still doesn't have a longer story arc to save his soul, but we get a clearer sense that he is a ticking time bomb in terms of his pent-up trauma and anger regarding his father. As I listened to the preview when I finished Red Sky Hill: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 4, I was prepared for who the victim was. It felt a bit of a shame -- it isn't like a TV series where they have to write someone off the show. We hardly knew ye...But truly, it made me care less about her secrets since we had to get her entire backstory posthumously.

Things felt a bit formulaic without the interesting characters of the previous installment -- deadbeat ex clichés abound. This one brings back wrestling, albeit in small doses, so I found it tolerable. While I'm glad Birdie and Jake haven't gotten together (I was worried after Kill Season), the former also hasn't had much of a storyline either. In fact, everyone in Blackhand Hills is pretty much where we left them -- Jemma is about the only one with something new and interesting in her life. Grandpa Max gets to be a bit more than grouchy, semi-senile, and obsessed with dinnertime in this one. Meg Landry doesn't shine as much. Zender is starting to bore me.

Still-- a fun read, enough of the usual suspects to feel a comfortable familiarity, and a few new ones that I would hope would return but probably won't (go Grandma!!).



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2025 #19 The Burning Island (Young) - Charlie Cates #3

 

The Burning Island by Hester Young
My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars


As with some other readers, I was surprised to find out that this was no.3 in a series of books that feature Charlie Cates, a journalist with gently paranormal abilities. Set primarily on the Big Island of Hawai'i (and a bit in Arizona), the story leads us to vulcanologist Victor Nakagawa and his family, as Charlie and her BFF Rae travel to Hawaii allegedly for some R&R and a bit of a workcation for Charlie, who is writing an article on Victor. Hester Young has a degree from University of Hawai'i at Mãnoa, so her descriptions are as lush and vibrant as the island itself.

There are a few red herrings, and the characters are generally fairly complex and multi-dimensional, which helps things stay interesting and not obvious. Charlie's inner dialogue occasionally felt tedious, but some of it helped provide backstory so the reader/listener doesn't feel the "series gap". Charlie can be a bit preachy, even just inside her own mind, but is generally strong-willed and a good protagonist. Rae, as the effervescent bestie, provides a good counterpoint without resorting to too much caricature. January LaVoy offers a solid reading, with a particular gift for voicing the surf-loving pothead bro.

I found myself a bit relieved to be wrong about how I interpreted one of Charlie's main visions--the one at the core of why she "takes the case"--although that relief was short-lived in that a related subplot covered the territory I was hoping to avoid. Still, it made for a dynamic story. I wasn't a fan of the ending, although I have to give Young major props for not tying everything up with a neat little bow. And while the ending does seem to hint at perhaps more to come in the series, it is not with a cliffhanger for the major plot points (thank goodness).

3.75 stars for me.

Serious About Series challenge 2025 (May)


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2025 #18 Red Sky Hill (James) - Jake Cashen #4

 

Red Sky Hill: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 4 by Declan James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars
Well, I guess I'm fairly invested in the citizens of Worthington County by now. Red Sky Hill gives us a better look at the Knoxes and the Bardos, the latter familiar from the previous book. The book opens with the grisliest murder yet in the series, and we soon learn that relativism looms large as we see a whole lot of "wrong place, wrong time" and "in over his head" sorts of explanations for bad behavior. There is a definite red herring, but it turns out to be a bit more interesting than usual, because it calls up some moral questions for our detective Cashen, as well as others. This one does not wallow in wrestling or hunting, so I'm impressed that James has managed to keep these things contained to their respective books (for the most part). There is some sloppy editing--for example, Jake says "We'll burn that bridge when we get there" instead of "We'll cross that bridge when we get there" -- which made me laugh, but I don't think it was meant to. As far as the audiobook goes, Cendese is still great, although I noticed an unevenness and some obvious retakes in the recording.
His voicing of Meg Landry is still my favorite part of the entire series (as is her character) and I'd welcome a Meg-centric installment (or spin-off series). Disappointing here is that we get a Meg-centric subplot that fizzles out, although we hope it will be continued in the next book (Her Last Moment). If you haven't read the synopsis of Her Last Moment yet, do yourself a favor and do NOT, until you've finished this book. That's all I'll say.

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2025 #17 The Last Town (Crouch) - Wayward Pines #3

 

The Last Town by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This really swings back and forth between 3.75 and 4 stars for me.
No real spoilers here unless you haven't read the other two books in the trilogy, in which case you really shouldn't be reading reviews (any reviews) of this one.

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Surprisingly, I liked the ending. I even liked the epilogue---I never like epilogues. But, I have questions.

What happened to the solitaire-playing lady and the abbie? Maybe I missed it. I really thought we were going to go somewhere with that--maybe connect it back to Margaret. That was a welcome respite to the relentless violence. I would have rather than have been developed than the saccharine conversation between Ethan and Ben about an idealized future where they'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.

The first quarter of the book was rough --- much like the endless fugitive scene in the first book (or was it the second?) this one spent way too long with the gory details--and they are truly that, gory.

Teresa gets to join Mae Holland (Dave Eggers's The Circle) in my winner's circle of obnoxious protagonists. The only time I liked her in this book was when she found the chutzpah to tell Ethan the truth and then told him to shut it when he started going all entitled macho man on her. But absolutely cringeworthy was the discussion with Hassler in the jail cell with Ben sitting right there. Have some self-respect, people. I guess maybe some people find that language romantic (Teresa's note, that we learned of in the previous book), but I don't (it isn't that I find it offensive...just doesn't make me feel a strong bond of love between two people...not sure what I was supposed to feel). Also, big UGH on her reasons for staying with Ethan.

I rather loved Kate and Hassler meeting up on the cliff, even if it did feel a bit cliché. David Pilcher's god-complex wore me down a bit, but I have to say that Max Meyers created such a picture in my mind--fantastic voicing.

This was a fun series -- it doesn't have the depth and sophistication of Dark Matter, Recursion, or Upgrade (admittedly, I didn't love the latter)--but it has a pretty good sense of beginning, middle, and end and enough moving parts to hold interest when the story gets too wrapped up in being an action movie.

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2025 #10 Council of the Cursed (Tremayne) - Sister Fidelma #19

 

The Council of the Cursed by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The historical backdrop for this installment is the Council of Autun (in present-day France)-- c. 670-- that was convened under Bishop Leodegarius (Leodegar) to regulate the implementation of Benedictine Rule. The Bishop is a character in the story. Most significantly, a central area of focus was banning the compatres (special companions/spouses) for monks, a practice we know from Fidelma was still accepted in Ireland (Hibernia), although not without challenge. In the historical note, Tremayne defends his interpolation of wives of clerics being sold into slavery, albeit citing much later actions by Popes Leo IX and Urban II.

Some of the characters felt a bit overwritten -- the imperious Abbess Audofleda and Lady Beretrude, especially. Valretrade, on the other hand, often faded into the scenery, which was unfortunate given her role in the story.

However, this particular volume excelled in parsing regional differences not just in beliefs, but also customs, not just between Celtic regions and France, but even Franks vs. Burgunds. King Clotaire (aka King Clothar III) is another historical figure, who Tremayne only gives voice to toward the end, but it is effective.

Returning characters include Abbot Segdae, and from the previous book, Verbas of Peqini, who some may recall did not part company with Fidelma on good terms.

The mystery itself follows a fairly common formula (used several times in the series) wherein Fidelma is called to investigate a murder that seems obvious, but is not in the least (hence, a story). The reveal at the end was blissfully short relative to Fidelma's usual dramatic and drawn out conclusions, and Tremayne seems to be getting more comfortable in allowing the main protagonists (we can include Eadulf, sometimes) to be in harm's way as the series progresses.

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2025 #9 Bones of Echo Lake (James) - Jake Cashen #3

 

Bones of Echo Lake by Declan James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This had moments that are riveting, and another great performance by Alexander Cendese. By now, in the third installment of the series, James has settled in to some of the recurring characters, so they are less contrived and more dimensional --this particularly applies to Gemma, Jakes's older sister, who still occasionally becomes a caricature, but is definitely more likeable. Anya, on the other hand, is less sympathetic than I would have expected, especially given her role in this particular story.

Unlike the other two that have a niche area of interest at their core (wrestling for no. 1, and hunting for no. 2), this one feels a bit more like an old-fashioned mystery (in a good way) -- human remains are unearthed and we have a town with lots of secrets to hide. This one involved introducing considerable backstory and James does it fairly well, although it did get a bit tiresome trying to keep track of the victim's various "involvements." But throw in some juicy scandal and there's a great story.

As for the culprit? I was sure I had it figured out from the get-go, but let's just say I was very, very close. And that's good -- I don't like to be right in this case (and the actual murderer was plausible, as opposed to bringing in a bunch of material right at the end to justify it). I'm looking forward to Red Sky Hill up next.

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2025 #6: Dancing with Demons - Sister Fidelma #18 (Tremayne)

 

Dancing with Demons by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This particular installment of the Sister Fidelma series digs into the tensions between the "old ways" and the "New Faith" with much more detail than the previous books. While occasionally tedious to hear it explained via audiobook, the additional context adds a complexity and richness to the world of Fidelma that is more than just Druids vs. Christians. The plot, however, is very slow, and the reveal (in typical Fidelma fashion) takes almost 40 minutes in the audiobook. The motive itself does provide some twists and turns, but the answer to "whodunnit" was so complex and full of weird afterthoughts that I wasn't that interested in the end. This is often the case when there's an "obvious" murderer at the outset -- in this case Dubh Duin, chieftain of the clan Cinél Cairpre, who cannot unfortunately provide any defense or otherwise since he seems to have taken his own life after seemingly killing the High King Suchnussach in his bedroom. All is, as you might guess, not what it seems. This is the situation in which Fidelma finds herself.

Happily, in terms of character development, we start to see an increase in Fidelma's self-awareness, particularly of her treatment of Eadulf, who also seems to be coming more into his own.

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Series About Series Challenge 2025 no. 2 February

2025 #4 Wayward (Crouch) - Wayward Pines #2

 

Wayward by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really a 3.5 - 3.75 for me.
The second installment of the Wayward Pines trilogy is better than the first, as it is has more dimensions and sub-plots. While it is possible to read the second without the first, I don't advise it. The story is terrific, full stop. What isn't terrific is the weird amount of kink whenever it comes to most of the female characters (and their interaction with Ethan). The big "reveal" scene between Ethan and Teresa almost made me stop listening. Teresa's characterization is inconsistent, and Pam is WAY overwritten (the audiobook probably exacerbates this, but to no fault of Max Meyers, who does a great job).

The insertion of Adam Hassler as a character provides a lot of intrigue and tension, and Crouch deftly interwove that element into the book. I do have to say that I approach the third installment with some trepidation as I enjoyed the not-knowing when it came to Hassler, and I'm hoping that the third book does not rely on tired tropes.

The ending is an excellent cliffhanger and has the intended impact -- I will absolutely finish the series.

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Serious About Series Challenge 2025 - January