In this 8th book in the 'Rizzoli and Isles' series, medical examiner Maura Isles finds a body while she's in Wyoming for a medical conference. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
After a Wyoming medical conference is finished, Maura Isles and her friends take off on an icy road to go skiing. Their car stalls, and they hike to some nearby buildings where they make as startling discovery.
Maura and her companions find a burnt body, which is an interesting development, but the story quickly goes off the rails.
The detective work is beyond incompetent and the plot strays into too many pathways - one more unbelievable than the next. I think the other Rizzoli & Isles books (which I haven't read) must be better than this.
Rating: 2 stars
Before a tragic accident changed his life in 1998, when he was 54 years old, Dr. Vijay Malur was doing extremely well. He had a successful Sports Medicine practice in Boston, a fine family, a penthouse apartment, a boat, a Rolls Royce, and money in the bank. Then, while walking down the stairs with his laundry on the evening of October 6, Malur stumbled and fell down a flight of steps....and everything changed.
Malur's broken bones and injured body were the least of his problems. A severe concussion resulted in loss of vision in his right eye and extensive memory loss that made it impossible for him to continue his work as a doctor. To make matters worse, physicians found four blockages in Malur's coronary arteries, necessitating quadruple heart bypass surgery.
"Heart bypass surgery redirects blood around a section of a blocked artery in your heart to improve blood flow to your heart muscle. The procedure involves taking a healthy blood vessel from your leg, arm or chest and connecting it beyond the blocked arteries in your heart."
*****
Coronary bypass surgery
*****
A quadruple coronary bypass procedure uses four grafts
*****
Malur slowly healed from the fall, regained his vision, and recovered from the surgery, but - unable to work - he went bankrupt. The bank foreclosed on his practice and confiscated his equipment, and he lost most of the accouterments of wealth. Malur's religious and spiritual beliefs carried him through these difficult times and helped him accept his fate. Moreover, after two years of recovery Malur was determined to give back to others.
In 2000 Malur started to volunteer for 'Meals on Wheels' and became a 'Big Brother' to less fortunate children. He also traveled with friends, and was captivated by the beauty of the Alps and the Rocky Mountains. Finally, hearing that the Himalayas dwarfed the great Rockies, Malur decided to visit Mt. Everest.
Mt. Everest
Hoping to reach Mount Everest Base Camp (MEBC) Malur booked a trip with 'Parikrama Trekking & Expeditions' in Nepal. To pay for the trip, Malur refinanced a house he still owned. To prepare himself physically, Malur walked 10 miles a day, climbed steps on his Stairmaster, took cold showers, and meditated. Lastly, just before his trek Malur visited family and friends in America and India....one of whom asked him to meet the Abominable Snowman and get a lock of hair. (I wouldn't mind a lock of that hair myself. 😊)
When he was almost 60 years old Malur was ready for his great adventure, and he left for Kathmandu, Nepal on May 7, 2003. Malur describes Kathmandu as a busy, crowded, polluted city where people, cows, sheep, and chickens stroll down the middle of the streets....and intrepid drivers navigate with barely a ding!
Kathmandu, Nepal
Malur kept a diary of his travels, and describes what he saw and did in detail. It's interesting to read about Kathmandu's religious sites, historical areas, and large nature preserve housing exotic animals.....as well as the people, restaurants, food, and shops. After a couple of days touring Kathmandu, Malur flew to Lukla, Nepal where - with his guide and Sherpa - he started the 21 day hike to MEBC (elevation 17,598 feet) and back.
Lukla, Nepal
About half the book is devoted to the momentous hike, and Malur faithfully describes the scenery, weather conditions, mountain villages, overnight accommodations, people met along the way, and so on. Malur carefully monitored his physical condition, which was especially important because of his age and quadruple bypass surgery. As expected Malur experienced fatigue and breathing problems as altitude increased and oxygen decreased but - with frequent rest and meditation - he was able to complete the spiritually fulfilling journey.
Mt. Everest Base Camp
Photographs taken in Nepal accompany and enhance the narrative.
This is an inspirational book about a man who suffered a great loss and fought his way back to a rewarding life. People who have experienced a disabling trauma might gain hope from reading Malur's story.....and everyone can enjoy it as an uplifting adventure tale.
Note: The website of this book's publisher, LifeRich Publishing, notes that Malur celebrated his 70th birthday on the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. So good going Vijay Malur!
Rating: 3 stars
In 1952, 38-year-old Vivian Dalton is a telephone operator in Wooster, Ohio. Vivian connects and disconnects phone calls and - though it's strictly against the rules - often listens in.
Thus Vivian is privy to the town's latest news and gossip. Vivian is especially interested in Wooster's 'Queen Bee', Betty Miller, whose father is Wooster's mayor and bank manager.
Betty Miller had a privileged childhood, married well, and is now inordinately proud of her beautiful house, fashionable clothes, well-groomed children, and flair for entertaining.
Betty is always throwing parties, which is a convenient way for her to show off, spread gossip, and badmouth people she doesn't like.
Vivian and Betty don't run in the same circles, so Betty is horrified when Vivian, proudly wearing a new hat, happens to catch her eye and wave hello. The effrontery!!
Soon afterward Betty gets a phone call that relates embarrassing news about Vivian's family, which Vivian overhears. Vivian is shocked and horrified about the scuttlebutt and decides to investigate the matter herself.
As Vivian looks into the rumor there are flashbacks to the past, and we learn about Vivian growing up with her parents and two sisters; young Vivian eavesdropping at family gatherings;
Vivian getting a job at the phone company; Vivian getting married; Vivian giving birth to a daughter; and so on.
While Vivian is investigating the matter Betty is insidiously - and happily - spreading the scandalous news about Vivian's family.
Betty is a self-centered, nasty piece of work and I hoped she'd get her comeuppance. In fact Betty does have SOME worries because two employees at her father's bank embezzled money and ran away, putting her dad in a financial bind.
Vivian is a flawed character as well, with her obsessive eavesdropping. However, Vivian has wiles and courage, and strives to better herself. Even though she didn't graduate from high school, Vivian likes to read women's magazines, learn new words and write poems.
The story is warm and funny in places but moves slowly and lacks sufficient drama (in my opinion). Still, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans of literary fiction.
Rating: 3 stars
This book was recommended to me by my Goodreads friend Banny Kirsten Marie, who knows I like books about dogs. Though the story is written for kids from 9 to 12, it can be enjoyed by dog lovers of any age. 😊
*****
As the story opens, it's summer break for Chicago schools, and 12-year-old Kevin Pugh is looking forward to lazy days in his basement - playing video games, watching television, munching cheesy snacks.....
…..and hanging out with his beagle-mix Cromwell, a dog so lazy he could be mistaken for a dog-shaped throw pillow.
Kevin's getting started on his torpid summer.....channel surfing.....when he comes across The Animal Channel's broadcast of 'The Purina Incredible Dog Challenge' - a canine agility competition.
Amazingly, Cromwell is galvanized by the program. He sits up, stares at the television, and starts blinking, shaking, and panting with excitement.
Kevin is shocked that Cromwell moved, then flabbergasted when the chubby beagle-mix leaps off the couch and dashes around the room, knocking things down and leaving chaos in his wake. After Kevin cleans up, Cromwell presents his leash for a walk - an unheard of occurrence.
Cromwell proceeds to run, jump, and bounce through the backyard, ending with a jump into the tire swing....where he gets stuck. Impressed with Cromwell's newfound energy, Kevin decides to email a canine training school he saw advertised on TV - 'Paw Patch, Inc. - Obedience Training and Dog Agility' - on Cromwell's behalf.
The facility's owner, Elka Brandt - who looks like a pirate on her TV commercials - emails back immediately.....addressing Cromwell. Elka congratulates Cromwell for leading Kevin to Paw Patch and informs the dog that sessions cost $200.
Kevin asks his parents if they'll fund Cromwell's agility classes, but this presents a problem. Kevin's dad is Howie Pugh, a former Chicago Bears linebacker who's now a football analyst, local sports hero, and the most competitive creature on Earth. Howie's a good father, but he wants his kids to be athletes.
Kevin's 10-year-old sister Izzy fits the bill, being a soccer superstar.
Kevin, however - who's chunky and uncoordinated - doesn't want to do sports. Howie doesn't seem to get this, though, and makes a deal with his son: if Kevin goes to summer football camp Howie will CONSIDER paying for Cromwell's agility lessons.
Football camp doesn't go too well and it looks like Cromwell won't be going to Paw Patch. Then Kevin's best friend Zach - who's very impressed with the beagle-mix - makes an offer.
He'll pony up the $200 for dog school and become Cromwell's 'manager' - recouping his money when Cromwell becomes famous. Zach even has 'Team Cromwell' shirts made - for himself, Kevin, and the dog.
So.....Cromwell goes to agility classes, with Elka Brandt as his dog whisperer (literally) and Kevin as his trainer/handler. Kevin and Cromwell spend a lot of time running, exercising, and practicing on the doggie obstacle course, which includes: running up and down an A-frame ramp; jumping over three hurdles; racing through a fabric cylinder; leaping over three more hurdles; dashing up an incline, across a plank, then down an incline; racing through a U-shaped tunnel; jumping onto a table; weaving through a series of poles; running up and down a seesaw; then.....for the final obstacle.....jumping through a hoop.
All this - and a proper diet - shapes up both Cromwell and Kevin, and the beagle-mix is entered in the 'Paw Patch Invitational' agility competition.....whose winner goes on to the 'Midwest Kennel Club Championship.' To find out what happens, you'll have to read the book.
This is a charming story filled with engaging characters, lots of humor, and a heartwarming finale. It's a great book for kids.....and adults who want a light frothy read. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4 stars
Beth Crow and her family, 16-year-old Max, 12-year-old Violet, and dog Boomer, are relocating from New Mexico to Wisconsin when their car breaks down in Pitch, Iowa.
Beth decides to stay put, so she gets a job in a convenience store; rents a two-bedroom house with peeling paint, no air conditioning, and a temperamental furnace; and enrolls Max and Violet in school. This turns out to be a fateful decision, especially for Violet.
As Violet settles into her new middle school, she makes two 'best friends', Cora Landry and Jordyn Petit. The girls arrange to have a sleepover at Cora's house, with the usual movie and pizza.
Later that night Cora is found - stabbed, bashed, and barely alive - at the town's defunct train depot; Violet wanders out of the nearby grass, severely shocked and covered with blood; and Jordyn is found back at her home, uninjured.
The victims claim the assailant was Joseph Wither, a teenage boy who lived in Pitch 70 years ago. At that time Wither killed a girl out of frustrated love, and he's since become an urban legend - a perpetual teenager who sometimes murders girls and sometimes convinces girls to run away with him.
Cora, Violet, and Jordyn learned about the killer when they teamed up for an urban legend project at school and chose Joseph Wither as their topic.
As the story unfolds, we learn about the girls and their families; the events leading up to the attack; and the repercussions afterward. We find out that Cora is a timid girl with few friends; Jordyn is a perpetual bully and mischief-maker; and Violet is a nice girl who wants to fit in. Add the fact that Cora and Jordyn both like the same boy, and it's a troublesome mix.
Following the attack, the police are pressed to find the 'real perpetrator', but are stymied by overprotective parents/grandparents and lies and evasions by the girls.
The story is told from the alternating points of view of Dr. Madeline Gideon - a psychiatrist; Beth Crow - Violet's mother; entries from Cora's diary; emails; texts; and police interviews. The suspense builds slowly as people do what they shouldn't.....or don't do what they should. It's maddening when a character says 'I know better than to do this'.....and promptly does it anyway.
The story brings to mind the real-life 2014 'Slender Man' incident in which two schoolgirls stabbed their classmate 19 times to please an urban myth called Slender Man.
I enjoyed this well-crafted novel which kept me guessing until the end. Recommended to fans of mystery thrillers.
Rating: 3.5 stars
In this addition to the Joe Pike - Elvis Cole series, the private detectives investigate a tragedy that hits close to home. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Frank Meyer and his family are killed during a home invasion and Frank's friend Joe Pike, an ex-mercenary and one of the toughest men alive, is out for revenge.
Joe is an expert in extracting information, covert actions, and combat and he soon learns that Frank's family and their nanny were killed by a gang of ex-cons working with the Serbian mafia.
Joe enlists the help of his partner Elvis Cole and other mercenaries and gets to work.
Joe expertly evades police surveillance to covertly enter premises, question people, gather information, and so on. Before long the story includes a prostitute, a baby, gangsters, the ATF, and illegal guns for sale.
There's plenty of rough stuff in the book and numerous bodies pile up before the climax. An exciting action thriller.
Rating: 3 stars
