Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

 (read aloud)

    Estranged husband found dead in a canal. Chief inspector has feet of clay. Many suspects with surprise relationships. Good writing and quite good plot.

The Radical Disciple by John Stott

     His last book. It is a gem; rare, valuable, beautiful in simplicity. It is superbly organized and crafted. Clear and profound, it is a valedictory address to the church people.

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly

     Lincoln Lawyer and Bosch, half-brothers, work together and win an innocence case. Both characters are changing in a way that is plausible and true to their experiences. Exciting and enjoyable, though definitely more of the same big city law and crime.

A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao

 (read aloud)

    A delightful murder mystery set in Fiji. Very deftly dealing with race and colonialism and language and culture. With excellent characters, good and evil.

The Spy Coast by Tess Geritsen

     What do CIA agents do in retirement? Avoid death and destruction while sipping wine in a Maine village. A bit far-fetched and written in a complex, confusing flashback of alternating chapters.

All Shall be Well by Deborah Crombie

 (read aloud)

    English mystery with Scotland Yard duo and some attraction between the detectives. Very good writing and interesting asides. Plan to read more of these, this being our second one.

The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks

     An eye into the making of a movie written in an unusual and engaging way. The story takes the tale of each person involved till they combine to make the picture. A seemingly unrelated beginning is tied at the end in a delightful way. Some language but not gratuitous.

Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett

 (read aloud)

    Very good writing. Lots of adjectives, long descriptions of appearance of characters. Gritty, dark, and violent. Codes of conduct broken but operative. Misogynist attitudes widespread but unpraised. The protagonist cleans up a corrupt town but has no illusions.

All the Knowledge in the World

     A delightfully disorganized history of the encyclopedia, snatching interesting facts like one would while perusing an encyclopedia. Engaging and fun; one rightly feels like you've missed things and need to come back later, just like when you consult an encyclopedia.

The First Patient by Michael Palmer

     The president's doctor, old friends, comes to D.C. to find the president either mentally unstable or being poisoned or having a tumor or stroke. Things get more sinister, then more sinister, and with a twist near the end, more sinister. Not a great story but you definitely don't trust anyone.

Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

     Very transparent, honest portrayal with insights into a complex man. Avoids simplistic psychology but makes a case for effects of troubled childhood. Isaacson is not on board with Twitter free speech, I think as a sop to his liberal buddies.

Reframe Your Brain by Scott Adams

     Presents reframing. Very thought-provoking. Shows the complexity of belief and the evanescence of truth.

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters

 (read aloud)

    Very good Cadfael. Many twists and turns, clever and satisfying. Holiness without pretense or ambition.

Rich Waters by Robert Bailey

     A lot like Connelly. Good story, too much drinking and addiction.

Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn (Chet)

(read aloud)

     Lots of fun, smells, and wandering thoughts.

Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers

     Didn't enjoy this as much as years ago. Bunter is great, but at least in this first mystery, Wimsey is quite bonkers, it seems.

Fatal Pursuit by Martin Walker

(read aloud)

    About rally racing and a missing Bugatti. Many threads, romances, some fading, some warming. Troubled young men, some finding a way, some lost. Good food, Hector and Balzac present as always, but this story less satisfying than usual.

Red Team Blues by Cory Doctorow

     Good tale, good writing, a lot of "inside baseball" tech. Deals with crypto, forensic finance, and sudden wealth.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

(read aloud)

    A long, wonderful story about purpose and dealing with misfortune. Has political undertones, dealt with in a measured, wise tone. Full of friendship and love in an era of distrust and falsehood. Mother Russia is in the background throughout.