Sea of Greed by Clive Cussler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

just enough science and fact to make it seem plausible, just enough current events to make it interesting. Tons of impossible action and saved by the bell excitement. NUMA files are just fun to read and as the characters mature they become more and more interesting. James Bond under water. Non-stop action and clever plots. I just love these books.

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Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Renee Ballard is a wonderful character. Teamed with Harry Bosch she shines through as a force of her own. I look forward to more in this series and might go back and pick up the Bosch series too. Connelly is a genius at both plot and character. You get so much from so few words. Loved it.

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The Post-Office Girl by Stefan Zweig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fantastic slice of history. Well written with incredible character development and plot. I loved it. This book won a well deserved award for translation. It is a beautiful book about the effects of war on individual people and their moral sense. I could not put it down. The story is compelling and the effect on the reader could be profound. Loved it.

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Past Tense by Lee Child
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lee Child is as good as an author can be. His characters, story and writing is so smooth and effortless to read. I can't put his book down once I start because his stories just grab me and pull me in. This one was no exception. Read it right now, don't ask what its about, it is a complicated and intricate story that unfolds beautifully and reaches a beautiful conclusion.
Even if you've never read any of the Reacher series, this book will stand alone very well. If you have read them all it fits neatly into the story line.

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Holy Ghost by John Sandford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Virgil Flowers stories never dissappoint. The clever plot, unlikely characters and interesting twists make for a great read. I can't say John Sandford breaks new ground but this is what reading is about. Fun, insteresting and taking your mind off the real world for a few hours. I love Sandford.

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The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a real masterpiece. I loved it. The characters come alive on the pages and you can almost feel their emotions. Often raw and unpleasant, I think this might give us a taste, or just a glimmer, of the horrors of slavery. The total submission of one human to another. The nightmare of being subject to the whims and fancies of an overseer who is sick with power and impaired by drink.
The book is filled with emotions that most of us can only imagine and with fears that we might not even imagine.
Not to be "enjoyed but to be understood and to help us develop an understanding of slavery on a personal level.

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Desperate Measures by Stuart Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stuart Woods always pleases me. I love the stories, the characters, everything about these books. They are just fun to read and I find them oddly immersive. I can't put any of his books down. This one has a convoluted and a bit more plot than most. The characters are also quite interesting. Can't wait for the next.

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The Moscow Sleepers: A Liz Carlyle Novel by Stella Rimington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great book, superb find for me. I usually read a series from the beginning but this book sounded so good that I thought I'd give it a read. I was not dissappointed. There was great action and I think, insight into the real world. Liz is sharp and interesting. I'll bet I'll like her even better when I restart the series from book one. Stella Rimington is the real deal. A great story, interesting characters and an all around good read. This book is hard to put down.

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The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Actually found this book entertaining until the end. Of course, like any reader, I had speculated on what the final surprise would be but alas, I was not surprised at all.
It was interesting to get a view of the tsar from a different perspective but I'm not sure it was any more real than any of the other books I've read on the subject. Still, might be worth the read for a real Russia buff. Not for me.

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Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A book club selection.
Holocaust novels usually seem trite to me. This one is a bit better than some. It might even start to get at the horror and tragedy. Either way, this is an engagiing story with interesting characters. Having it set in Chicago was an additional plus for me because I love my new home town.

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Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is so beautifully written that I could hardly put it down. The problem is that the story didn't ring any of my bells. It should have because it is just what I like but.... I guess it never made it for me.
The book is too good to miss but at times I felt bogged down in it.

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Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked it. A perspective look at the blitz that was somewhat new. How the Brits managed to keep their spirit up is beyond my understanding. Night after night of disaster beyond imagination and then a quick cup of tea and off to work in the morning. As if the Germans wouldn't be back again that night.
The story unfolds with the characters developing in my mind and their situatuation getting more and more complicated with bombs and emotions.
This is not the definitive work on the blitz but I feel that I might have some new insights into how they managed and made it through.

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