The Maid by Nita Prose

     A delightful mystery told by the protagonist, who is at once clueless and endlessly clever. When her instincts fail and mislead, timeless aphorisms save the day. Except for a moment of euthanasia and an epilogue that seems an appendage, the story is suspenseful and satisfying.

The Last Train to Paradise by Lew Standiford

    Paradise is Key West, and Henry Flagler is spending millions in 1900s dollars to build a railroad down the Keys after opening Florida to "civilization." Despite hurricanes of awesome force and even worse, the mosquitoes, the work was completed. Flagler died, and the storms won. The railroad failed, now replaced by a highway. Good descriptions of Flagler, storms, and the engineering of bridge spans.

The Patriarch by Martin Walker

 (read aloud)

    Bruno is seduced, a murder unsolved and a surprise ending. Saved once by his dog Balzac and then by a mechanical bull. Lots of good food. Hunting clubs featured.

101 Things I Learned in Engineering School by John Kuprenas and Matthew Frederick

     Clever little book. One idea per page with examples facing. Insightful and concise. Marks of an engineer through and through.

The Night Fire by Michael Connelly

     Bosch has a new "partner," he is PI she has a badge but lives in a tent on the beach. Good plot that morphs unexpectedly, ends suddenly, leaves us waiting for more.

The Boys of Biloxi by John Grisham

(read aloud)

    Long, somewhat convoluted tale with vivid characters. Plot is predictable. A kind of morality play. Grisham is again opining on the death penalty. Thought-provoking in that area. Some interesting views of prosecution as opposed to usual emphasis on the defense. Not his best book but good enough.

Formula One by Bob Judd

     Good novel about racing and fame and ambition. Plot a little weak. Too racy in parts. A girlfriend in every town. Technology and economics of racing interesting.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

     Earthy, raw. A PI who actually has an ethic under a hard, worn exterior. The prototype of crime writing and noir plots. Women used, abused, and unprotected.

The Spy's Son by Bryan Denson

     The story of a CIA traitor who from prison continues his crime by using his son. Many Oregon connections. Son lives in Eugene, prison is near Portland. A tale of greed and deception by a supposedly evangelical Christian. True story meticulously documented and told in a straightforward tone.

Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly

     Early work, not as good, main character is clueless at beginning, becomes astute later in book. Fairly good story. How tech has changed in a few years. Later books are better.

The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho

 (read aloud)

    A thoroughly enjoyable, very different tale of a shepherd boy learning the language of the soul of the world. An amalgam of Iberian, Christian, Muslim motifs with desert palm trees, sheep, and merchants. Seeking your treasure, listening to your heart, reading omens, lots to think about and ponder.

Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce

     The beginning is laugh-out-loud funny. Good characters with a delightful "voice," book becomes more and more serious, reflecting wartime London and the determination and "pluck" of its people. Humorous at times and also profoundly sad but hopeful. Enjoyed this book.

The Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz

 (read aloud)

    Another delightful Hawthorne mystery where Tony is the murder suspect and suffers the ignominy of Hawthorne's assistance. As usual, the fiction and the true are mingled together enjoyably, causing internet searches as we read.

Depression and the Soul by John R. Peteet

     A book on depression and spiritually-integrated treatment by an old college friend and fellow cross-country runner who has become a very prominent psychiatrist in Boston for many years. Though not a long book, it is in my opinion a definitive work. It is well-written and makes a convincing case for including the spiritual aspect in all medical intervention, especially psychiatry. It is erudite, philosophically sound, and wide in its scope and appeal.

Sparring Partners by John Grisham

     Three short novellas, vintage Grisham, about crime, justice, and greed, and tropical resorts, and Swiss bank accounts.

The Glass Giant of Palomar by David O. Woodbury

     Very interesting account of the 1939 design and building of the 200-inch telescope. Includes a lot of background of astronomy, telescope design, and technical difficulties. Interesting '30s writing style. Also of note at the end of the book, the telescope has not yet actually been completed!

The Agent by George V. Higgins

     Murder mystery about a high-end sports agent. Good writing, mostly dialogue, mostly solved by simple logic. When everyone hates the guy...

Suspect by Scott Turow

 (read aloud)

    Good writing, good plot, narrator is a tattooed, pierced, lesbian PI who is a likable, interesting character. Too much sex and profanity for my comfort. Sandy Stern still alive but very much in the background.

The Kill List by Frederick Forsyth

     Good plot, well-written, but the kind of terrorist hunt book you feel like you've already read.

12 Seconds of Silence by Jamie Holmes

     About the invention and production of the Proximity Fuse for artillery shells that saved London from the V-1. Though the war was being won after D-Day, the V-1 (for vengeance) was a horrible weapon. Hundreds were launched on London. The American-sourced fuses dramatically improved the success of anti-aircraft efforts, saving thousands of lives. Interesting though highly technical, well-written, copious notes.

Recessional by David Mamet

     A very brave, honest appraisal of modern life and thought in the light of the holocaust, Israel, God, and the Bible with a reverence for the Constitution. Deeply conservative views from a combat-hardened playwright. Polemic but entertaining.

Devil in a Blue Dress by Winston Starr

     Written as a screen play, gritty racial, violent, gripping plot. Classic.

On the Road with St Augustine by James A. K. Smith

     Very interesting survey of Augustine as a journey from Africa to Milan and back, to Christ, to return to his mother. A lot about the Confessions. Interesting excursions to fellow north Africans Camus and Derrida. Very interesting and more narrative than didactic.