One Two Three by Laurie Frankel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fascinating book. much deeper and more relevant than at first glance. Its got it all mystery, love, hate and most of the stuff in between. Mostly I was fascinated by the author's style and the way she presented the story. Three young girls, so different yet so in tune with each other. I don't want to spoil it so no more details.
I would add that it is a severely sad book, like a bunch of days without sun sad.

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Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Daniel Silva never fails to satisfy. This is a departure from previous books in the series and it was a delight. Complex, interesting with a lot of technical art stuff to make it feel like a true story. The same old and not yet worn out characters. Gabriel now seems to have a new career away from the terror of politics and international intrigue and into more family centered life. I can live with that. He is getting older too.

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Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite time travel book. Clever idea, interesting characters but I found myself lost in time and wondering why I was reading it.
The timeline, which is the story, seemed to get fuzzy the more I read it. I was less than sure where in time the characters were and this was so critical to the story. I'd skip this one.

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Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lisa Jewell is a master storyteller. This was a book club selection but it has made me a Jewell fan. The story has a detailed yet easy to follow plot which she lays out a piece at a time. This keeps me reading. Its been a while since I read a book that grabbed my interest from page one. The characters are so well developed that you don't sense that are from Lisa's rich imagination. She puts flesh on the pain of loss and creates a story that seems not far fetched, but reasonable.
I hate coincidence in story telling. In this story coincidence plays no part. Each character's actions are well thought out and deliberate. Makes the story more chilling.

Loved it.

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West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a book club selection. I liked it. I'm just not too sure it was more than a pretty story. Its about a time period I find interesting and the writer is a master story teller. Much of the story is based on real events and it does give a good look at that period of history.

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The Wick and The Flame by Hilari T. Cohen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have visited the bullet factory. The book brought that visit back to mind. The story is delicious. That is, it has everything. Adventure, joy, sorrow and a giant smattering of history. The history is probably pretty good based on my travels and other readings on the subject. How many American kids went off to fight for Israel in those early days? Each one must be a story in itself. Each one displaying a desire to build a safe, secure homeland for the Jewish people. This story brings the old settlers and the new together in the struggle.
The draw is still there. Young people still flock to Israel from all over the world to make it there home.

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The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hill by Robert Dugoni
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first half of the book was kind of interesting. A memoir of sorts with interesting characters. It degenerated quickly into a pretty routine, I"I found faith story.
Some of the relationships seemed a bit odd and the final reveal was sort of anti-climactic.
I was disappointed with the ending, it was all to expected.

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A Safe House by Stuart Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just another Barrington novel. If you read the other 60, you pretty much know what will happen in this one. Just fantasy enough to be fun and funny. I still love reading these books.

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A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I l0ve these books. The characters have grown and matured and the stories still tell me so much about what it was like in England during this time. The story is a little more convoluted than usual but it became an old fashioned page turner. Just good reading. I hope another is in the works.

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The Lightning Rod by Brad Meltzer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Its fun to get into a series at the beginning. This is the second of the Zig and Nola stories and it was a great one. complicated plot twists, really evil villains and our two main characters whose personalities and lives get fleshed out much more than in the first book.
I'm ready for the next. Brad Meltzer is a master storyteller and feed the reader just enough to keep him going but not quite enough to figure it out.
I enjoy the characters and the plot seems quite real. No heroics that are beyond human possibilities. They get hurt and heal.

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The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent story with great character development. I only read this because I saw Meltzer interviewed and he talked about his next book. When I went to read it this one came first. Strange characters and a story that was a bit complex but certainly worth the time. I love a good mystery and this was one.

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The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I always enjoy Kanon's books but this one seemed more like a short story. The plot was a little thin. Still, all in all he sets a beautiful table, showing us life in east Germany after the war. A lot of action and intrigue for a character that just got out of years in prison.

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