Kate’s 2¢: “Don’t Eat Me” by Colin Cotterill

“Don’t Eat Me” by Colin Cotterill

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Just as “The Wolf and The Watchman” by Niklas Natt och Dag opens with the Watchman pulling a torso out of the polluted water  and the hunt is on, “Don’t Eat Me” begins with the discovery of a skeleton, who we just heard whimper, “Don’t Eat Me”.

How’s that for a good hook!?

The story takes place in Laos, a country whose culture, values, and ethos are not well known. It took me a little bit to distinguish who the various characters were, as the names and pronunciation  of them  were similar.

A very engaging story with suggestions on how to assist in several of our world’s major issues, such as the decimation of tigers, the illegal sale of other exotic animals, children into the sex trade, and discrimination against people who are different.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Colin Cotterill (born 2 October 1952) is a British-Australian novelist of crime fiction, as well as being a cartoonist. He writes the Dr. Siri Paiboun and the Jimm Juree series. Colin was born in London, but has worked as a P.E. instructor in Israel, as a teacher in Australia, a counselor…He spent several years in Laos, initially with UNESCO and wrote and produced a forty-programme language teaching series; English By Accident, for Thai national television.

Cotterill became involved in child protection in the region and set up an NGO in Phuket which he ran for the first two years. After two more years of study in child abuse issues, and one more stint in Phuket, he moved on to ECPAT, an international organisation combating child prostitution and pornography.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Don’t eat me DB96084

Cotterill, Colin. Reading time: 7 hours, 58 minutes.

Read by Clive Chafer.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Between getting into a tangle with a corrupt local judge and discovering a disturbing black-market business, Dr. Siri and his friend Inspector Phosy already have their hands full. Then the skeleton of a woman appears under the Anusawari Arch in the middle of the night. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

Kate’s 2¢: “Many A Twist” by Sheila Connolly

“Many A Twist” by Sheila Connolly

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

A gentle read with interesting characters.

From the Web:

Connolly was born in Rochester, New York, and since then has lived in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, California, and Massachusetts. In 1972 she graduated with honors from Wellesley College, then earned a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Harvard University. When art history jobs proved elusive, she obtained an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked as an art historian, a municipal financial advisor for U.S. cities and states, a non-profit fundraiser for institutions and two statewide political campaigns, and a professional genealogist. She has included elements of all of these in her mysteries.

Connolly is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.

The Glassblowing Mystery series was written under the pen name Sarah Atwell.

Currently she lives in southeastern Massachusetts.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Many a twist: County Cork mystery series DB96033

Connolly, Sheila. Reading time: 8 hours, 25 minutes.

Read by Amy Rubinate.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Pub owner Maura Donovan hasn’t seen her mother for more than twenty years, until she returns with a job at the Crann Mor hotel. But when the hotel’s owner is found dead–dumped down the hillside behind the hotel–Maura must investigate to clear her mother’s name. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2018.

Kate’s 2¢: “The Wedding Gift” by Marlen Suyapa Bodden

“The Wedding Gift” by Marlen Suyapa Bodden

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

   Initially, this story seems to be a trope of man’s inhumanity to man, where the mean white plantation owner misuses and abuses his Black slaves, the spoiled rich, white girl gets everything she wants, the mulatto childhood playmate is given to her half-sister as a wedding gift to be her maid, and eventually, the plot twist includes vengeance.

   It is amazing to hear how many voices Jenna Lamia brought to reading “The Wedding Gift”. She portrayed the very Black dialogues to the Brown patois, to the White’s careless southern drawl.

I enjoyed this book as a fictional record of the American culture that shouldn’t be repeated. Will we ever learn that all humans bleed red blood?

from www.marlenbodden.com

Marlen Suyapa Bodden is a lawyer at The Legal Aid Society in New York City – the nation’s oldest law firm for the poor – and an anti-war activist. She drew on her knowledge of modern and historical human rights abuses to write ARROWS OF FIRE, her second novel, and THE WEDDING GIFT, an international Wall Street Journal bestseller. Marlen is a graduate of New York University School of Law and Tufts University. She enjoys hiking and climbed to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Marlen was born in Honduras and immigrated with her family to the U.S.A. She was raised in the Bronx and resides in Connecticut with her husband, Timothy Rogers.

From NLS/BARD/LOC”

The wedding gift DB98159

Bodden, Marlen Suyapa. Reading time: 10 hours, 38 minutes.

Read by Jenna Lamia.

Historical Fiction

Sarah Campbell is an enslaved woman who has been given as a wedding present to her half-sister Clarissa Allen and Clarissa’s new husband. But Clarissa’s husband sends them back home to avoid scandal, upending the family’s standing. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2013.

Kate’s 2¢: “The life and adventures of Frank Grouard chief of scouts USA” by Joseph De Barthe

“The life and adventures of Frank Grouard chief of scouts USA” by Joseph De Barthe

(Not to be confused with Bendell, Don “Chief of scouts Books 1-3”)

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

I’m glad to be living in this day and age.

From the web:

Well, I found a lot of books by Joseph De Barthe, but nothing about his life.

NLS/BARD/LOC:

The life and adventures of Frank Grouard, chief of scouts, U.S.A. DB20061

De Barthe, Joseph. Reading time: 13 hours, 33 minutes.

Read by Ken Kliban.

Biography

U.S. History

First published in 1894, an account of the courageous life of Scout Grouard. Captured by the Indians for a long period, he recorded the long history of the Sioux nation. Classics of the Old West.

Kate’s 2¢: “The Playground” by Jane Shemilt

“The Playground” by Jane Shemilt

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Right from the beginning comments, you knew this would be a heavy, dark story. As an elementary teacher, I knew one of the children wasn’t dyselic. The double toil and trouble of the parents, though, were harder to fathom

When the author used the date and name of the character’s pov, it was easy for the reader to know who was doing what. I appreciate that she didn’t repeat what went before, but, moved the story along as seen by this or that character.

I’d recommend the story. I couldn’t put it down.

From her web site:

Jane’s stories are inspired by her background in psychology and medicine. She studied Psychology at London University before qualifying with honours from the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine. She began writing while working as a GP, undertaking a diploma in Creative Writing then an M.A. also in Creative Writing, at Bath Spa University, gaining both with distinction.

Jane lives in Bristol with her husband Steve Gill – a Professor of Neurosurgery – where they brought up their five children. She is currently working on her fifth novel.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The playground DB98335

Shemilt, Jane. Reading time: 9 hours, 41 minutes.

Read by Elizabeth Knowelden.

Suspense Fiction

Over the course of a long, hot summer in London, the lives of three very different married couples collide when their children join the same tutoring circle, resulting in illicit relationships, shocking violence, and unimaginable fallout. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “A Bridge Across the Ocean” by Susan Meissner

“A Bridge Across the Ocean” by Susan Meissner

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Even though each chapter is dated, it took me a while to jump about in time and understand how the pieces were going to fit together. Once I did, I enjoyed this story.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever experienced the para-normal, however, I don’t doubt it exists for some people. The ending surprised me, yet, I was very comfortable with it.

From:susanlmeissner.com/

Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include A Fall of Marigolds, named by BookList’s Top Ten women’s fiction titles for 2014, and The Shape of Mercy,

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

A bridge across the ocean DB97340

Meissner, Susan. Reading time: 10 hours, 34 minutes.

Read by Kim Bubbs.

Historical Fiction

Brette Caslake encounters a ghost while attending a friend’s baby shower on the famously haunted Queen Mary. The incident leads her to investigate a seventy-year-old tragedy. In 1946, German ballerina Annaliese Lange and Frenchwoman Simone Deveraux travel to America on the RMS Queen Mary. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2017.

Kate’s 2¢: Castle, Richard “Crashing heat”

Castle, Richard “Crashing heat”

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

My first impression is that this story is a knock-off from J. D. Robb’s  in death series with the strong female protagonist Lt. Eve Dallas, but, I’ll keep reading to find out how Cpt. Nikki Heat  stacks up to Eve.

So far, I prefer Dallas’s handsome, mature, rich husband, Roarke, instead of Heat’s wise-cracking, sex driven immature husband, Rook,  but, I’ll keep reading to maybe learn more.  My prejudice might be because Martha Harmon Pardee isn’the narrator.

Okay, I decided I had to put Dallas out of my mind, if I was going to enjoy the Heat story and try to solve the murder as the clues unfolded. The narrator is actually doing a good job.

Nikki Heat and Jamison Rook are more like two halves of a whole, by the way they are too in sync, finishing each other’s thoughts and actions. Neither one, especially, Rook, seems to take in the seriousness of the murder.

Except for suspecting the Editor-in-Chief as being involved, I didn’t figure out the perps until Nikki and Rook got it.

Now, the real mystery is who is Richard Castle?

From the WEB:

“Crashing Heat” is the tenth book in the Nikki Heat series by the New York Times best-selling author of “Heat Storm”.

…An author with a twist, Richard Castle, played by Nathan Fillion, is a fictional character and also a star of the ABC series, Castle. In this series, Richard is a novelist who helps the New York Police Department solve murder crimes. The real mystery is who the actual writer or writers are.

….Richard Castle is a fictional character who is portrayed by Nathan Fillion on the ABC television series Castle. Despite being a fictional character, Castle is an author of real-life mystery novels as well as several short stories.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Crashing heat DB96186

Castle, Richard. Reading time: 8 hours, 59 minutes.

Read by Robert Petkoff.

Suspense Fiction

Mystery and Detective Stories

Shortly after Nikki’s husband Rook becomes a writer-in-residence at his alma mater, a female reporter for the college paper is found dead in his bed. Nikki agrees to dig into Rook’s theory involving secret societies. What she finds puts her investigative skills–and her marriage–to the test. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “The obsession” by Nora Roberts

“The obsession” by Nora Roberts

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Roberts’s many, many novels are of the ilk: Romantic suspense fiction, Suspense Fiction, Romance, Mystery and Detective Stories, as well as Best seller. I think I like them all, at least the ones I’ve read. I like her style and plot twists within the narrative arc.

As you may know, Nora Roberts pseudonym is J. D. Robb, especially known for the “…In Death” series.

“The Obsession” held my interest, although, I did identify the perp well before Roberts let us in on the secret murderer.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The obsession DB84522

Roberts, Nora. Reading time: 15 hours, 17 minutes.

Read by Catherine Byers. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Suspense Fiction

Bestsellers

Romance

When Naomi was a child, her father was arrested for raping and killing dozens of women. Years later, Naomi changed her name and settled in a small town in Washington state. She’s attracted to local Xander Keaton, but her past still haunts her. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2016.

Kate’s 2¢: ”The Eighth Sister” by Robert Dugoni

”The Eighth Sister” by Robert Dugoni

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

The first two-thirds of the story is action packed, fast moving, and a classic spy thriller. The last third is a trial and, knowing Dugoni used to practice law, it is understandable. It is difficult to re-hash events over and over, however, it is interesting to hear the different spins on “the facts” and how they get interpreted. The secondary ending, after the trial, was a great comeuppance.

Doug Tisdale Jr. did a great job of reading the story. I’ve been a long-time fan of Tisdale’s voice(s).

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (This article has multiple issues. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. February 2017)

Growing up the middle child in a family of ten siblings, Dugoni jokes that he did not get much of a chance to talk, so he wrote. By the seventh grade he knew he wanted to be a writer.

Dugoni wrote his way to Stanford University, receiving writing awards along the way, and majored in communications/journalism and creative writing while working as a reporter for the Stanford Daily. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and worked briefly as a reporter in the Metro Office and the San Gabriel Valley Office of the Los Angeles Times.

Dugoni attended the UCLA School of Law and practiced as a trial attorney in San Francisco for 13 years at Gordon & Rees. His longing to return to writing never wavered, however, and in 1998 he awoke one morning and made the decision to write novels. On his 4th wedding anniversary, he drove a U-Haul trailer across the Oregon-Washington border and settled in Seattle to pursue his dreams.

For the next three years, Dugoni worked in an 8 foot by 8 foot windowless office in Pioneer Square to complete his first novels.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The eighth sister: Charles Jenkins, book 1 DB95075

Dugoni, Robert. Reading time: 11 hours, 45 minutes.

Read by Doug Tisdale Jr.. A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Suspense Fiction

Spy Stories

Former CIA case officer Charles Jenkins must locate a Russian agent believed to be killing a group of US spies known as the seven sisters. When he finds the orchestrator of the assassinations, she is not who or what he expected. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2019.

Kate’s 2¢: “Nothing To Hide” by Allison Brennan

“Nothing To Hide” by Allison Brennan

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

This author answered the call for a story with a strong, female protagonist. Lucy is not only a successful FBI agent, but she is newly-wedded to a successful, supportive man with a teenage son.

There are several threads that weave in and out of each other that lay a blanket of confusion, until Lucy ties the knots and solves the case of the multiple murders..

I found it a bit difficult to follow the narrative arc when there were so many jumps back and forth from Lucy’s job, her husband’s job, and the teenager’s involvement.

I liked the book.  It kept me thinking and I didn’t solve the case before Lucy solved it.

From her website:

Allison Brennan believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year. A former consultant in the California State Legislature, Allison is now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than three dozen thrillers and numerous short stories. Reviewers have called her “a master of suspense” and RT Book Reviews said her books are “mesmerizing” and “complex.” She’s been nominated for multiple awards, including the Thriller, RWA’s Best Romantic Suspense (five times), and twice won the Daphne du Maurier award. She currently writes two series—the Lucy Kincaid/Sean Rogan thrillers and the Maxine Revere cold case mysteries

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Nothing to hide DB94567

Brennan, Allison. Reading time: 12 hours, 50 minutes.

Read by Ann Marie Lee.

Mystery and Detective Stories

FBI agent Lucy Kincaid investigates the deaths of three men in San Antonio–all married men who led honest lives alongside their adoring wives, with nothing else in common. Then Lucy catches each widow in a lie and realizes things are not at all as they seem. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.