Category: Stu’s Reviews

Genre: Book

Grade: B+

Notable People: Paul Doiron

Title: Knife Creek

Review: Another in along lone of Doiron’s fine series about Maine Game Warden, Mike Bowditch. A compelling, and at times, spellbinding read…this book, like all in the series, is exceedingly well written. The characters are always intriguing and the remote Maine setting is well presented. That said, it is getting a bit farfetched that one Fish and Wildlife guy remote areas of Maine can see this much death, carnage and destruction. Makes it seem like the most dangerous place on earth. Still…..highly enjoyable…I’ll read the next one.

Genre: Book

Grade: A

Notable People: Kristin Hannah

Title: Nightingale

Review: Two French sisters trying to live ordinary lives in France in 1939, become major players in the French Resistance. This book is a bombshell…..brilliantly written and conceived…and absolutely illuminating account of the war from inside the destruction and torment of small village France. The characters are marvelous, the Nazi brutality staggering, the French resolve far beyond belief. Could only read in small segments, as I wept throughout. Hannah is known for her catalog of “romantic novels”, but she apparently really broke the mold on this one. This book is not easy to read….but I would not have missed it for the world.

Genre: Book

Grade: B+/B

Notable People: Steve Hamilton

Title: Exit Strategy

Review: this is Hamilton’s second effort in his new Nick Mason series- after his ten plus year run with his Alex McKnight books. I thought the first in the series (The Second Coming of Nick Mason) was an absolutely extraordinary kickoff novel…..but this one faltered a bit for me. In the first book, Mason scraped his way through some very dangerous situations; in this one the scenarios just seemed way too unbelievable…so crossed the reality line for me. That said, the book is extremely well written, as always with Hamilton, and Nick Mason is an utterly compelling character. You want to know Irish culture in Chicago…this is quite the education. The story of a small time criminal taking the rap for his friends , and getting a 25 year stretch – only to be handpicked by an imprisoned gangland kingpin to get his freedom back in trade for enslavement to his outside immoral bidding…is hard hitting and at times, riveting. I’d just prefer some shackles of reality be aped. Hoping for a better third installment.

Genre: Book
Grade: A
Notable People: Martin Walker

Title: The Body in the Castle Well
Review: The most recent is another absolutely splendid addition to in the fantastic Bruno: Chief of Police series. Like France? Like culinary extravaganzas? Like good wine? Like history? Like humdinger of a mystery? These books are can’t miss. Bruno is a magnificently complex character-surrounded by the rich people, place and history of the Perigord Region of southwestern France. Each of these books is finer than the one before….and, oh the recipes you can transcribe. Mon dieu! Start at the beginning and read them all- you won’t be disappointed.

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Tony Dunbar

Title: The Crime Czar

Review: Hard to put these books down. Like jaded lawyers? Like young woman in distress? Like plots to take down big, big, bad guys. Like self-depreciation? Like getting into the underbelly and the inside wonders of N’Awlins? Then, these books are for you. Dunbar is actually a Big Easy lawyer and he clearly knows the city’s grift and graft….and all the best places to eat, drink and be merry. this is the fifth in the series-each one has been better than the last. Hope it goes on forever. Gotta love Tubby Dubonnet.

Genre: Book

Grade: A

Notable People: Steve Hamilton

Title: The Second Life of Nick Mason

Review: The new series from Steve Hamilton-the acclaimed noir author of the Alex McKnight series. What a start!!!!! This book is fabulously written, dark and mean in the underbelly of Chicago. Prison lifer gets his sentence dismissed after five years through the influence of incarcerated mob boss, but has to spend 20 years at the boss’ whim as his outside hit man. Mason is a complicated and troubled character surrounded by goons and evil. this book is made for a movie treatment. I’m all in on this series which currently has two more volumes available.

Genre: Book

Grade: B+

Notable People: Linda Castillo

Title: Down a Dark Road

Review: The ninth in the Kate Burkholder Amish mystery series is quite the tale. As usual, set in the fictional town of Painters Mill in Holmes County (very real) in Ohio Amish territory, this one went a bit too far on the drama side for me. Lord, how much bad shit can happen in one Amish community…and to one very small town Chief of Police? That said, it is exceedingly well written, the characters are rich and Castillo (who lives in Texas) knows the Amish country and culture really well. It does appear that the Amish have a lot more dirty secrets than one might imagine????? Not the best of this series…but I must admit I read 300 pages in four days…so can’t pan it either.