Category: Authors Page 28 of 116

Tender is the Bite by Spencer Quinn: Will Chet Share Bernie with a Ferret?

Tender is the Bite

Tender is the Bite

by Spencer Quinn
Series: Chet and Bernie, #11

eARC, 272 pg.
Forge Books, 2021

Read: June 25-28, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Tender is the Bite About?

A young woman—a frightened young woman—approaches Bernie, she needs help. But before she explains herself, something spooks her and she leaves.

Curious, Bernie starts looking for her—and stumbles into the middle of a situation involving stalking, murder, dog-napping, and all sorts of other things. There’s an international aspect of this—but it’s a very local story. There’s a lot to chew on, a lot to talk about—but all of it is in spoiler territory, so I’m going to leave it at that.

Approaching the Political

This is the second time in a week that I’ve said something along those lines, and it’s a bit strange. Chet and Bernie keep finding themselves in the neighborhood of a senate election. The case brings the two of them across the path of both candidates (one of them repeatedly). But it’s closer to home than that—Bernie’s neighbors on either side are very invested in this campaign and their enthusiasm spills over onto the a-political P. I. (or so he tries to be)—at least at one point, one neighbor’s has a considerable blow-back on Bernie’s investigation. This is a new thing for Quinn to dabble in and he does it well.

If you don’t catch the parallel between this campaign and the way people are behaving during it and…well, all of American politics right now. Quinn gives us some pretty good commentary to chew on.

Non-Chet Animal Characters

Sure, we’ve got Chet’s friend, Iggy doing his thing. But we have more animal guest stars. There’s a dog—who could be Chet’s sister (or niece), and I really hope we get to see more of her.

But the big guest star is a ferret. A ferret named Griffie—without Griffie it’s hard to say if Bernie’d been able to very far with things. Chet can’t stand ferrets, or so he repeatedly says…I’m not sure about Griffie, though.

Chet talking about adults, criminals or otherwise, is a lot of fun. Chet talking about kids is simply fantastic. But Chet talking about other animals is a different kind of fun.

A Little Light Gets Shed on Certain Events

For ages now—possibly since the first book, definitely since the second or third—Chet’s been alluding to a case that didn’t end well. He’s given us a little more information here and there about it, but never much. That ends now. Chet tells us some about it. Bernie tells someone else about it. We even get some hints from other characters about it.

I don’t know why Quinn’s decided now is the time to start clueing us in, but I’m so glad he did. We didn’t get the whole story—I don’t know if we will (and I’m not sure I care)—but we got a lot of it, and that’s enough for now.

The Trick to These Books

This is tied to the above point. The trickiest part about reading Chet as a narrator is that he doesn’t understand what he’s telling you, and because of that he leaves a lot out. He’s the best kind of unreliable narrator—he’s well-intentioned and honest, he believes what he’s telling us and he thinks he’s giving us all the information.

What that means for the reader is that we have to think a little more about what he’s saying, we have to do almost as much detective work as Bernie to understand what’s really going on. Which is just so much fun, really. Sure, you might spend a couple of chapters with the wrong idea, but Quinn doesn’t let you keep the wrong idea for long.

I need to spend time writing about this every time I talk about a Chet and Bernie book—I need to do better at this, but it’s hard. If I could describe it better, I’d probably get paid to do this stuff.

So, what did I think about Tender is the Bite?

Yes, Quinn gave us a great pair of characters that we love in Chet and Bernie. He gives us a good story. He plays with the unreliable narrator to reveal what he really wants to say. Put it all together and he gives us another great read in one of the most reliably satisfying series in print.

Read this one. If this is your first time with Chet and Bernie, go back and read the rest after it. You’ll be glad you did.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

20 Books of Summer 2021: June Check-in

20 Books of Summer
One summer.

Three months.

93 Days.

20 books.

Are you in?


Once again I’m taking part in the 20 Books of Summer Challenge fro 746 Books. Annnnnd my June was pretty, um, dead. Between book tours, review copies and catching up on NetGalley ARCs, I’ve read absolutely nothing from my Summer Roster. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I’m posting this update mostly to push myself to get on it—a little public shaming. Because my lack of progress in June means it’s going to be a little more of a challenge to finish this than I’d anticipated. Absolutely do-able, but it’ll take a bit of effort.

I did actually read about 30% (so far) of the first book today…so, you know, it’s practically in the the bag.

And here’s the fairly untouched list (subject to change, but I’m going to resist the impulse to tweak as much as I can).

1. A Beginner’s Guide to Free Fall by Andy Abramowitz
2. The Dead House by Harry Bingham
3. The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel
4. Love by Roddy Doyle
5. The Ninja’s Blade by Tori Eldridge
6. Small Bytes by Robert Germaux
7. A Reason to Live by Matthew Iden
8. Twiced Cursed by J. C. Jackson
9. The Dime by Kathleen Kent
10. Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster
11. The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove
12. The Mermaid’s Pool by David Nolan
13. All Together Now by Matthew Norman
14. The Good Byline by Jill Orr
15. Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin
16. Fools Gold by Ian Patrick
17. Know Your Rites by Andy Redsmith
18. The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott
19. August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones
20. In Plain Sight by Dan Willis

20 Books of Summer '21 Chart

Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt: Man Defends Dog, Andy Carpenter Defends Man

Dog Eat Dog

Dog Eat Dog

by David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter, #23

eARC, 304 pg.
Minotaur Books, 2021

Read: June 24, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Dog Eat Dog About?

Coming home from a walk, Andy and Laurie see a man abusing his dog across the street. Before they can intervene someone else jumps in to defend the dog (and it’s probably good for the abuser that it happens before Laurie can get her hands on him). Both the man who protected the dog and the man who attacked it are arrested—but the way the defender reacts, Andy’s sure it’s about more than just the assault.

It turns out that this man, Matthew Jantzen, had used one of those online genetic tracing sites to try to find out if his father had left other kids when he died (Jantzen is pretty sure he did). This allows him to track down a half-sister and to put his DNA in a place where law enforcement can see it and compare that DNA to what was found at the scene of a murder. Jantzen knew it was coming (the police had visited his sister about the time of the murder a few years ago), but had hoped to avoid having to deal with it.

Andy just can’t figure out why someone who was wanted by the police would expose himself the way Jantzen did when he protected the pug. So he has to learn more about Jantzen. Then he finds himself going to the town in Maine where the killing took place to help secure legal counsel on Jantzen’s behalf. One thing leads to another, and Andy ends up in court defending Jantzen.

Little by little, Andy’s team comes to join him in Maine, investigating the things the police were supposed to take care of. They find themselves looking into a mess of drugs, racist militias, and hard-to-explain DNA evidence.

How Did Rosenfelt Make It This Long?

Given the number of Dog-themed and Dog-Pun-Filled titles in this series, how has he not used Dog Eat Dog until book 23? Even if you subtract the holiday-themed titles, it’s still nineteen novels without using it. You have to admire the restraint he’s shown up to now.

Stranger in a Strange Land

Unless I’m forgetting something, this is the second time that Andy’s taken on an out-of-state client (the last time was in 2007’s Dead Center, the fifth book in the series). When he arrives in Maine he learns three things quickly: the people are friends and welcoming, the lobster rolls in Maine are a wonderful thing; just about everyone is convinced Jantzen did it, no matter what the big-shot New York lawyer says (he seems incapable of convincing anyone he’s from New Jersey).

Andy has to employ a local lawyer for the purposes of the trial and hires a criminal defense attorney Charlie Tilton. Tilton has no desire whatsoever to take on Jantzen’s case himself—but is perfectly content to take Andy’s money to help out. He ends up taking on the role of Eddie Dowd, Kevin Randall, or Hike Lynch—he does the paperwork, legal research, and so on while Andy investigates, annoys the judge, and needles the prosecution. Charlie’s pretty normal compared to the rest, maybe a little more mercenary than the others, but that’s about it. It was a refreshing change (but I’m ready to see Eddie Dowd again).

It’s nice seeing Andy in a new setting, unable to rely on his media and police contacts, etc.

So, what did I think about Dog Eat Dog?

This is the second David Rosenfelt book I’ve read in 2021—there’s one more to go (The holiday-themed novel). How he’s able to write three solidly entertaining, frequently humourous, complex mystery novels in a year is mind-boggling. Once again, I thought I knew where Rosenfelt was going with the case and was ready for it—and then Rosenfelt pulled a rabbit out of his hat and I was caught unprepared a couple of times to see where he went.

I loved some of the recurring jokes in this-both those exclusive to this novel and some that are ongoing over the years.

There are series out there that ebb and flow in terms of quality—I don’t think these books have done that—truly impressive at the 23rd book. You know what you’re going to get when you crack open a David Rosenfelt book—and I’m so glad he continues to deliver.

Solid courtroom action, some good out-of-court detection, plenty of fun with characters old and new—particularly with Andy’s narration. These can be read as stand-alones or as part of a series. Either way you go—you’ll be happy you tried this.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The Bounty by Janet Evanovich with Steve Hamilton: Fox and O’Hare are on the Hunt for Nazi Gold

The Bounty

The Bounty

by Janet Evanovich with Steve Hamilton
Fox and O’Hare, #7

Hardcover, 305 pg.
Atria Books, 2021

Read: May 26-28, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“Yeah, it’s a pickle, all right,” Jake said. “We used to call missions like this one-percenters.”

“Meaning one percent chance of success?” Quentin asked. “I’ve been on a few of those myself.”

Jake smiled. “I’m not being trying to be pessimistic. As a matter of fact, one-percenters are usually the most fun. There’s no pressure when you’re trying to do the impossible.”

What’s The Bounty About?

The day has gotten away from me, so I’m not going to come up with my own synopsis for this one, but I’ll borrow the description from Evanovich’s site so I can get a little shut-eye:

Straight as an arrow special agent Kate O’Hare and international con man Nick Fox have brought down some of the biggest criminals out there. But now they face their most dangerous foe yet—a vast, shadowy international organization known only as the Brotherhood.
Directly descended from the Vatican Bank priests who served Hitler during World War II, the Brotherhood is on a frantic search for a lost train loaded with $30 billion in Nazi gold, untouched for over seventy-five years somewhere in the mountains of Eastern Europe.
Kate and Nick know that there is only one man who can find the fortune and bring down the Brotherhood—the same man who taught Nick everything he knows—his father, Quentin. As the stakes get higher, they must also rely on Kate’s own father, Jake, who shares his daughter’s grit and stubbornness. Too bad they can never agree on anything.
From a remote monastery in the Swiss Alps to the lawless desert of the Western Sahara, Kate, Nick, and the two men who made them who they are today must crisscross the world in a desperate scramble to stop their deadliest foe in the biggest adventure of their lives.

The State of the Series

Books 1-5 (co-written by Lee Goldberg) were comedic heist/con adventures, with a goofy (slightly over-the-top) supporting cast—that were just so fun to read. The sixth book (co-written by Peter Evanovich) tried to match that and just failed.

Now, Steve Hamilton has stepped into the co-writer spot and the series has shifted a bit. The Bounty is more of a straightforward thriller—sure, it’s lighter than most thrillers, but it’s not a comedy. Almost all of the supporting cast is absent, we only get Kate’s father, Jake (frequently the best part of the early books) with Nick’s father, Quentin, being introduced. Quentin isn’t goofy at all, he’s not over-the-top, but he’s a fun character. Nick’s sleight-of-hand antics and thievery are on display—but we don’t get any hint of a con job. I missed that.

I don’t know if Book 8 will get back to the early roots (my preference) or if it’ll keep going in this path. But at the very least, I can look forward to the next book again, something I feared wouldn’t happen again.

There’s a parallel to this and my mini-rant about the cover designs from a couple of weeks ago. Which you might want to give a read if you didn’t see that.

So, what did I think about The Bounty?

This was a make-or-break entry in the series for me, if I didn’t enjoy this one, I was going to walk away from these. But Evanovich and Hamilton have reassured me. This is just so much better than the disaster that was The Big Kahuna that I’m willing to embrace (at least temporarily) this new style. I hope it continues.

If you like light thrillers with a semi-Indiana Jones feel, with a dash of flirtation between the leads thrown in, you should give this a try. The first five books in the series are better, but this is a good entry point.


3.5 Stars
2021 Library Love Challenge

Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald: Adam and Colin Look into an Activist’s Death

Meat is Murder Tour Banner

Meat is Murder

Meat is Murder

by Chris McDonald
Series: The Stonebridge Mysteries, #3

eBook, 142 pg.
Red Dog Press, 2021

Read: June 10, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Meat is Murder About?

Really, as with most of the investigation, he didn’t know what he was doing here. He was hoping that something would appear at his feet, or become luminous like in a video game, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen, so he got busy.

The amateurest of amateur detectives are back for another investigation. This time, it appears that a man died in setting fire to an abattoir in an act of protest. Hours earlier, he’d been part of a group that had chained itself to the front gates, interfering with a tour that a prospective buyer had intended to make. After that had been broken up by the police, the story goes, Tyler Love had come back to make a bigger and hotter statement and things had gotten away from him.

The police are done with the matter and have moved on. Tyler’s mom, on the other hand, wants some reassurance. So she convinces Adam to look into his death for her.

Speaking Ill…

‘Like I say, I don’t want to speak ill of the dead. All I’ll say is that he wasn’t well liked.’

‘By who?’

‘By most of the group…’

Tyler was not a good guy. In fact, outside of his mother, it’s difficult to find anyone who has a good thing to say about him. I’m enjoying the way that McDonald finds victims that the reader can have almost no sympathy for. None of these are hardened criminals, they aren’t the dregs of society, but they’re just…jerks. People that no reader is going to want to spend time with, generally fresh off of doing something no reader wants to associate themselves with.

So why do we care who killed them? Why do we care why they died? Because of these two yutzes who until recently were only good for playing FIFA and binging Netflix. They’re who make this series work, who make these stories interesting—the stories are good enough, but it’s McDonald’s work with these characters that brings readers back.

Incremental Growth

The feeling of pride he’d had at solving those cases had spurred him on to do something with his life. That something had turned out to be a garden maintenance business. It had started small; just him, his car, a lawnmower and a rickety trailer he’d managed to salvage from the dump.

Now, here he was, unloading tools from a van with his name and company logo on the side.

That point about “until recently” is the key—yeah, they still binge Sherlock, etc. They probably spend too much time playing FIFA even in this novella. But they’re stumbling into maturity.

Adam’s business is growing, and his relationship with his mother is much better than it was in the first novella. Colin’s still doing well at his job—and is even able to use his position to their advantage in this investigation—he’s again the one putting his health and well-being on the line while Adam’s off trying to learn something through questioning.

So, what did I think about Meat is Murder?

‘I don’t think I could handle any more excitement,’ Adam said.

‘I don’t think Stonebridge has any more to throw at us.’

‘You say that, but…

I continue to really enjoy this series—it’s a highlight of 2021 for me. And Meat is Murder is a great example of it.

Despite what Colin predicts—Stonebridge has more to throw at them. This is the most dangerous case these two have yet taken on, but that doesn’t stop it from being a little silly, a little fun, and very enjoyable.

It’s a quick, clever, and fun read that’ll keep you turning pages and make you regret that it’s over quite so soon. You should grab this one—and the other two if you haven’t yet—and join me in eagerly awaiting the next.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Red Dog Press
My thanks to Red Dog Press for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including a copy of the novella) provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Meat is Murder (Stonebridge #3) by Chris McDonald

I’m excited to welcome the Book Tour for the third installment in The Stonebridge Mysteries, Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald this morning. Check back next hour for my take on the novella, but for now, let’s start by learning a little about this book, okay?

Meat is Murder Tour Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald
Series: The Stonebridge Mysteries
Publisher: Red Dog Press
Release date: June 8, 2021
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook
Length: 142 pages
Meat is Murder

Book Blurb:

McNulty’s Meats, one of Stonebridge’s oldest businesses, is about to be taken over in a lucrative deal that would make brothers Ron and Kevin very rich men indeed. Unfortunately for them, local activist Tyler Love has other ideas. Convinced that the deal would be bad for the town, he burns the place to the ground and inadvertently kills himself in the process.

At least, that’s what the police think.

Tyler’s mum disagrees and pleads with amateur sleuths Adam and Colin to investigate. Although, going up against the psychopathic McNulty brothers, a rival businessman, a group of hippies, and a girlfriend with secrets of her own might not be such a good idea… Someone has something to hide, and will go to great lengths to keep that secret buried.

Meat is Murder is the third book in The Stonebridge Mysteries series of Cosy Crime novellas.

About the Series:

Stonebridge is a small town on the north coast of Northern Ireland. Most of its inhabitants are friendly, happy people. Most of them… Because bad things happen even in the happiest of places. It’s a good thing, then, that Adam Whyte and Colin McLaughlin call Stonebridge home.

Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of detective shows, a misplaced sense of confidence, and a keen desire to see justice done, these two are the closest thing the town has to saviors. Which isn’t that reassuring…

About Chris McDonald:

Chris McDonaldOriginally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark is the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, published by Red Dog Press in 2021.

Purchase Links:

Amazon ~ Kobo ~ Google ~ Red Dog Press

Red Dog Press
My thanks to Red Dog Press for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison: Cincy’s New Boss Vampire has Rachel on the Ropes

Million Dollar Demon

Million Dollar Demon

by Kim Harrison
Series: The Hollows, #15

eARC, 464 pg.
Ace, 2021

Read: June 3-7, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Million Dollar Demon About?

It hasn’t been all that long for Rachel Morgan, but for her readers, it’s been ten books (and 14 years) since Cincinnati’s Master Vampire was killed. When this book opens, Constance, the new Master Vampire is days away from arriving to take over.

But she’s already exerting her influence to make things difficult for non-Vampire Interlanders in the city. From bogus evictions, trumped-up charges, intimidation, and just about everything else you can think of. There’s a certain common denominator among many of these targets—they’re tied in some way to Rachel. In more than a few cases, Rachel herself is clearly the target.

The message delivered is very clear—it’s time for Rachel to get out of town. Otherwise, Constance is going to make Rachel’s life miserable—and she’ll also target Rachel’s friends and families, their friends and families, and anyone that looks like might be sympathetic.

One of Rachel’s demon friends mentions an idea—it hasn’t been used recently but there is an old demon office called the subrosa—essentially the demon equivalent of the Master Vampire (there are nuances that I need to let you read for yourselves). Rachel initially blows off the suggestion to take up that mantle and from that position she can take on Constance, save some innocents and perhaps the city. But she keeps circling back to that idea, and her allies keep trying to talk her into it.

As a quick aside—Jane Yellowrock has a tendency to do things like this, too (I just finished revisiting Raven Cursed and the two reminded me of each other). It might not be a bad idea when someone mentions you taking up a title/position that you’ve never heard of to ask a few questions before you think about assuming the title.

Add in the ongoing drama with Trent and the Elves, the Elves fluctuating power structure, the changing relations between Elves and Demons, the Demons internal problems, Rachel’s problems with the Demons (and Al in particular), and…well, all the stuff that we all thought were pretty well settled until last year’s American Demon showed us we were wrong. Basically, there’s a lot going on.

Constance

The idea that the ruling Vampires named Constance as the City’s Master is pretty troubling. She is, to put it simply, bat guano crazy. I don’t remember a lot about her predecessor, Piscary, but I remember he was nasty and cruel. But Constance is a monster. She’s the kind of character that UF heroes are supposed to be focused on taking down, I wish Rachel had been quicker to step up (although I do understand her reasoning). I’ve been reading Urban Fantasy for about sixteen years, and I’ve seen a lot of nasty vampires (and other creatures), and Constance has got to be in the running for the worst.

But I’ve got to tell you, by the end of this book, I was convinced that her #2, Pike, is likely the vampire that’s the real threat. I’m wondering what you think.

So, what did I think about Million Dollar Demon?

I liked it. I had a lot of fun in these pages. And for a series as long-in-the-tooth as this one is, that’s saying something.

I didn’t get as thorough in this post as usually do and/or intended to. I had a few more notes that I wanted to cover, and I actually deleted 5 paragraphs from this because it just ended up being too vague to be of use—or all that interesting. Almost everything that I really wanted to chew on falls under what I’d call a spoiler.

Because there is a lot going on here—after shaking up the status quo in American Demon Harrison establishes—or at least starts to—a new status quo. She’s ignored Vampires for quite a while, and that’s over (and we shouldn’t expect that werewolves won’t stay out of the spotlight, either). I’m not convinced she’s pushing Elves or Demons to the back burner any time soon, but they’re going to have company on the front. How she’s going to keep all these balls in the air at the same time? I have no idea, but it’s going to be fun to watch.

Million Dollar Demon was exciting, there was plenty of drama, a lot of good action, and some important character growth—and as I said, it was fun. At the end of the day, that’s all I ask for.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Not Awkward by Matthew Hanover: Moving On by Looking Back

This is a little (pun unintended but embraced) awkward to write—I served as a beta reader for this and had intended to wait until the final version was published to say anything. But Hanover asked, so here we go. Many things may (and have) changed from the draft that I read and what will be published in a couple of months, so I’m not going to get into some of the particulars that I want to until then, and I know what the final version will be like. Hopefully, this isn’t too vague as a result:


Not Awkward

Not Awkward

by Matthew Hanover
Series: Wallflowers, #3

Beta Version
2021

Read: May 9-18, 2021

What’s Not Awkward About?

I’m assuming I’m not the only one who finds themselves in a situation like this—I halfway expected to find a Jeff Murdock monologue about this, but alas… You go to an event of some kind because of family obligation, an acquaintance, your Significant Other’s employer—not because you really want to, but you feel you should. Once there, you stay an adequate amount of time and try to make your excuses and leave. But the host or someone talks you into staying for a little longer, and a little longer after that. While you may not be actively hating the experience, you’re certainly not enjoying yourself much and are looking for an opportunity to make a tactful exit.

This is pretty much the situation that Scott finds himself in. But rather than a birthday party for your second cousin you haven’t seen in a decade, Scott finds himself as a guest at his ex-girlfriend’s house while they sit shiva for her father. Recently fired and about to get married, Scott felt like he should go to the funeral for the man who always treated him so well. One thing led to another and Leila’s mother compelled him to stay for a night, which turns into another, and another…

Scott’s fiance, Charlotte, is off for a bachelorette’s week with his sister and Charlotte’s closest friend, Quinn. So there’s nothing for him to go home to, and he can search for jobs from Leila’s as well as anywhere. So he sticks around as emotional support (and/or emotional punching bag, depending on Leila’s understandably shifting moods require), and finds himself with an opportunity to get the closure he didn’t realize he needed and maybe even an explanation for why she dumped him out of the blue six years ago. Or maybe, something else will end up happening between the two.

Speedcubing

A few months ago, one of the local newscasts had a feature about an area resident who used to take part in Rubik’s Cube competitions on a pretty high level, it looked back on his competitions and “does he still have it?” No, he doesn’t. But he’s still faster than at least 96% of anyone who’s ever solved one.

So when we learn that Charlotte is a speedcuber, going to competitions, posting videos to social media, my mind immediately went back to that and I was in. Most readers aren’t going to have that particular background, but Charlotte’s hobby (for lack of a better word, but it’s not quite right) is going to make her stand out in readers’ minds—how often have you come across a character who does that? What I appreciated most about the Rubik’s cube thing is that was it starts out as a character quirk, but by the end, Hanover finds some thoughtful things to do with it—revealing something about the character (and a little more).

The Sister Factor

A mistake that readers like me can make is to think they’ve figured out all a writer’s moves, I really thought I had a handle on the role of “protagonist’s sister” in Hanover’s books. So when Quinn shows up pretty early, I sat up and paid attention to her. Which is when I noticed that Quinn is going to serve another role in this novel. She’s not an antagonist, but she’s certainly an obstacle for both Charlotte and Scott to overcome.

She’s been best friends with Charlotte since childhood—and try as she might, she’s still having trouble shifting from being Charlotte’s best friend to her best friend and brother’s significant other/future sister-in-law. I wasn’t entirely sold on this particular arc, but it helped us get a different look at Scott and his love life, and in the final third or so of the novel, it really paid off.

Along the same lines, Hanover hasn’t given us a protagonist’s brother before. I really didn’t care for this one—but I wasn’t supposed to*, he was written in such a way that it’d be hard to like him at all. But Scott and Quinn having an older brother is a new dynamic for Hanover and it works pretty well.

* And I won’t even get started about his wife.

The Interconnectedness of It All

In Not Dressed, Hanover alludes to a couple of characters and events from Not Famous, but here in Not Awkward he goes a lot further—the characters and events actually show up in the text. Sure, it’s done in such a way that people who haven’t read the other books won’t be short-changed when it comes to understanding this novel. But if you have read them, you’ll appreciate the way that Hanover has woven them into these pages.

It’s a great way to make a reader smile when they recognize something. But better, it’s a fantastic way to touch base with characters from one of those books. “Oh, look X got engaged.” Or “hey, Y and Z will be working together.” We also get to see characters like that in a different setting and from a different perspective. Rather than having to go through the bother with writing a whole new novel about one of Not Dressed‘s characters, with a few scenes in this (that move the plot along and help us understand Scott better), we see that character in a whole new light and it may change what you think of some parts of that other book.

Again, I stress—if you haven’t read his other novels, or if you don’t remember the details, it won’t matter at all.

Eep! A Conservative!

There is a character in this book who is a political conservative who works in politics (in more of the pre-2015 mold, I should stress), but this is a non-political book. The fact that they are conservative is mentioned a few times, and two (I think—no more than three) positions are mentioned. There are no debates, explanations, or arguments for the positions.

I mention this only because in our current climate, a lot of readers (from all over the political spectrum) run for the hills when politics come up. There is no need for that here—it’s brought up occasionally, but not in any kind of detail. No political position is ever endorsed or supported, or discussed in any kind of depth.

So, what did I think about Not Awkward?

While this is a lighter read, as is the norm for a “lad lit” novel—it’s not as funny as Hanover’s earlier works. That said, there are a couple of moments that are comedic gold. Slap-stick humor is difficult to pull off in print, but Hanover makes it look fairly effortless.

At at least three points in this novel, I assumed I knew how the rest would play out, “Oh, it’s going to be ____ kind of a story.” And I was wrong each time—thankfully. Instead, Hanover has given us a different kind of story than he has in the past, a subtler one, a more mature one.* One still infused with his trademark warmth, heart, and appeal. But there’s more going on, there’s a little ambiguity about some things. Experience is making a better author out of Hanover.

* Although I would have been satisfactorily charmed and entertained by the kind of story he’s given us before.

There were aspects of the story or characters that I wasn’t crazy about—but I’m not going to get into that at this point, because I don’t know what will happen to those things between the beta stage and the final version (although I was told about some directions he was going and that made me feel better). Maybe I’ll update this when the final version is out—maybe I won’t, we’ll see how much I care once it hits. But whatever quibbles I might have had, that’s all they were, quibbles. And they paled in comparison to the novel as a whole.

Because I wanted to think carefully about this novel, I wouldn’t let myself read more than 10-15 percent of it a night. That was hard. I wanted to read the whole thing in one sitting—and easily could have. I literally had to force myself to stop reading each time I picked it up so I could send my feedback and do other things. But I wanted to keep going, I had such a great time with these characters, this story, and Hanover’s writing.

Somewhere in there is Hanover’s secret—no matter what dumb, reckless, obnoxious, or (have to say it) awkward thing his characters do, you like them. You can’t help but do so. Scott said a couple of things in the first chapter that really made me wonder if I wanted to go through an entire book with him. By the third, I was pulling for the guy. This goes for Leila, too—not only did she break Scott’s heart six years ago, but she didn’t even tell him why. But in no time flat, you’re hoping she’s doing okay after her father’s death and you feel bad for the situation she finds herself in. If it’s bad enough that she talks Scott into sticking around…

And I’ve gone on far too long here. I need to wrap things up.

Not Awkward is a warm and heart-filled story about revisiting the past, finding healing (whether or not you thought you needed it), and embracing a future that doesn’t look like you expected it would (and is probably better). It’s the kind of book that’ll make you feel a little better about life for a while—and who doesn’t want to read something like that?


4 1/2 Stars

20 Books of Summer 2021

20 Books of Summer
One summer.

Three months.

93 Days.

20 books.

Are you in?


Here’s the kickoff post on 746 Books in case you want more details. I had a lot of fun with this last year (the time pressure helped a lot), so let’s give it another shot. Last year, my list was a mix of summer releases, NetGalley things I’d been procrastinating on, and some things I’d meant to read for a while. But here’s the thing–I don’t need something prompting me to read the next Ace Atkins or Kevin Hearne, ditto for my NetGalley stack–that’s going to get read. So in keeping with my push to trim my TBR List (both aspirational and stuff I already own) this year, 19 of these 20 books are those (I did put one upcoming release on the list, it was a moment of weakness). It’s going to be an actual challenge to get all of these read, but I think I’m up for it.

Anyway, here’s my list (subject to change, but I’m going to resist the impulse to tweak as much as I can).

1. A Beginner’s Guide to Free Fall by Andy Abramowitz
2. The Dead House by Harry Bingham
3. The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel
4. Love by Roddy Doyle
5. The Ninja’s Blade by Tori Eldridge
6. Small Bytes by Robert Germaux
7. A Reason to Live by Matthew Iden
8. Twiced Cursed by J. C. Jackson
9. The Dime by Kathleen Kent
10. Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster
11. The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove
12. The Mermaid’s Pool by David Nolan
13. All Together Now by Matthew Norman
14. The Good Byline by Jill Orr
15. Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin
16. Fools Gold by Ian Patrick
17. Know Your Rites by Andy Redsmith
18. The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott
19. August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones
20. In Plain Sight by Dan Willis

20 Books of Summer '21 Chart

Cover Reveal: The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

I’m excited to take part in the UK Cover Reveal for the new Harry Bosch/Rene Ballard thriller, The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly this morning. Before we get to the cover, let’s talk a bit about the book, okay?

Book Blurb

Has a killer lain dormant for years only to strike again on New Year’s Eve? LAPD Detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch team up to find justice for an innocent victim in the new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly.

There’s chaos in Hollywood on New Year’s Eve. Working her graveyard shift, LAPD Detective Renée Ballard seeks shelter at the end of the countdown to wait out the traditional rain of lead as hundreds of revelers shoot their guns into the air. As reports start to roll in of shattered windshields and other damage, Ballard is called to a scene where a hardworking auto shop owner has been fatally hit by a bullet in the middle of a crowded street party.

It doesn’t take long for Ballard to determine that the deadly bullet could not have fallen from the sky. Ballard’s investigation leads her to look into another unsolved murder-a case at one time worked by Detective Harry Bosch.

Ballard and Bosch team up once again to find out where the old and new cases intersect. All the while they must look over their shoulders. The killer who has stayed undetected for so long knows they are coming after him.

Book Details:

Book Title: The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly
Publisher: Orion (UK)/Little, Brown and Company (US)
Release date: November 9, 2021
Format: Hardcover/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 416 pages


And now…

The Cover

The Dark Hours UK
If that doesn’t grab your eyes, call your optometrist/ophthalmologist, there’s something wrong with them.


My thanks to The Orion Publishing Group for the invitation to participate in this reveal.

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