Kate’s 2¢: “Harlot’s moon” by Edward Gorman

“Harlot’s moon” by Edward Gorman

NOTE: 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¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Jack Fox did a good job of narrating this book. It shows up the seemier side of the priesthood, that’s for sure.

Local mystery, crime author Ed Gorman dies at 74 | The Gazette

Edward “Ed” Gorman was an American author known for his crime, mystery, western, and horror fiction. He was also a prolific anthologist and editor. He wrote under various pseudonyms, including Daniel Ransom and E.J. Gorman. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edward Joseph Gorman Jr. (November 2, 1941 – October 14, 2016) was an American writer and short fiction anthologist. He published in almost every genre, but is best known for his work in the crime, mystery, western, and horror fields. His non-fiction work has been published in such publications as The New York Times and Redbook.

He contributed to many magazines and other publications, including Xero, Black Lizard, Mystery Scene, Cemetery Dance, and the anthology Tales of Zorro.

Personal life[edit]

Gorman was born and grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he spent much of his adult life as well. He lived for extended periods in Des Moines, Iowa; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Chicago, Illinois. He was married twice, first to Catherine Anne Stevens for seven years. He next married Carol Gorman (née Maxwell), an award-winning children’s and young adult author. They were married thirty-four years until his death in 2016.

Writing career[edit]

After twenty-three years in advertising, public relations, writing political speeches and producing industrial films, Gorman published his first novel Rough Cut (1984). Soon after he quit his day job and dedicated himself to writing full-time (thanks to his wife Carol’s full-time teaching job).

Gorman considered himself a genre writer. In the 1970s Gorman won a short story contest sponsored by Charles Scribner & Sons. An editor there suggested he expand his winning story into a mainstream novel, but Gorman gave up after six months, saying, “I was bored out of my mind. I am a genre writer.”[1]

Gorman’s novels and stories are often set in small Midwestern towns, such as the fictional Black River Falls, Iowa (the Sam McCain series), or Cedar Rapids, Iowa (The Night Remembers). For his Dev Conrad series, Gorman drew upon his years as a political operative.

Gorman was one of the founders of Mystery Scene magazine, and served as editor and publisher until 2002. His column, “Gormania,” continues to appear regularly in its pages.

In comics, he has written for DC, Dark Horse, and most recently Short, Scary Tales, which will be publishing adaptations of his novel Cage of Night (as Cage of Night) and the short story “Stalker” (as Gut-Shot).

Kirkus Reviews has called him “One of the most original crime writers around.” The Bloomsbury Review noted: “He is the poet of dark suspense.” The Oxford Book of American Crime Stories said: “His novels and stories provide fresh ideas, characters and approaches.” Jon Breen at Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine once noted, “Ed Gorman has the same infallible readability as writers like Lawrence Block, Max Allan Collins, Donald E. Westlake, Ed McBain, and John D. MacDonald.”

Though Gorman was long considered to be a “prolific” writer, his pace of production slowed markedly after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2002; it was incurable but he fought it for 14 years.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Harlot’s moon DB48362

Gorman, Edward. Reading time: 5 hours, 48 minutes.

Read by Jack Fox.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Psychological Fiction

Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Former FBI psychological profiler Robert Payne is asked by a childhood friend, Father Gray, to investigate the murder and mutilation of a fellow priest in a seedy motel. Payne discovers additional grisly murders among the parishioners and narrows his search. Strong language and violence.

Downloaded: April 27, 2025

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Kate’s 2¢: “The Giver” by Lois Lowry

“The Giver” by Lois Lowry

NOTE: 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¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   I downloaded this book from BookShare. It was digitally recorded.

   I thought the story was well done and would appeal to the target age range, as well as adults that might be reading this to a child, who might have a lot of questions Some of the answers can be found in the other books in the series.

   I appreciate the inclusion of the study suggestions for students.

A few take-aways:

–Our people made that choice. The choice to go to sameness.

–There aren’t any choices. I want to ake up in the morning  and decide.

–It doesn’t matter what you wear…It’s the choosing that’s important.

–The Giver wasn’t allowed to share the books with his spouse.

–When I am called before the council, I give them advise.

–Without the memories, it is all meaningless.

–The worst paart of holding the memories, is not the pain. It is loneliness of it.

–The community is dependent, back and back and back, to hold the memories.

He saw the wide river must have come from elsewhere and will go to elsewhere.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

loislowry.com

Lois Ann Lowry (/ˈlaʊəri/;[2] née Hammersberg; born March 20, 1937) is an American writer. She is the author of many books for children and young adults, including The Giver Quartet, Number the Stars, the Anastasia series, and Rabble Starkey. She is known for writing about difficult subject matters, dystopias, and complex themes in works for young audiences.

Lowry has won two Newbery Medals: for Number the Stars in 1990 and The Giver in 1994. Her book Gooney Bird Greene won the 2002 Rhode Island Children’s Book Award.

Many of her books have been challenged or even banned in some schools and libraries. The Giver, which is common in the curricula in some schools, has been prohibited in others.

Life[edit]

Lowry was born on March 20, 1937, in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, to Katherine Gordon Landis and Robert E. Hammersberg.[3][4]: xi  Her maternal grandfather, Merkel Landis, a banker, created the Christmas Club savings program in 1910.[5]: 24  Initially, Lowry’s parents named her “Cena” for her Norwegian grandmother, but upon hearing the news, her grandmother telegraphed and instructed Lowry’s parents that the child should have an American name.[5]: 12 

Lowry was the middle child. She had an older sister named Helen, and a younger brother named Jon.[6] Helen died of cancer in 1962,[3] but Lowry and her brother still share a close relationship.[6]

Lowry’s father was an army dentist, whose work moved the family all over the United States and to many parts of the world.[3] Lowry and her family moved from Hawaii to Brooklyn, New York, in 1940, when Lowry was three years old.[3] They relocated in 1942 to her mother’s home town in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, when Lowry’s father was deployed to the Pacific during World War II.[3] Lowry began reading at three years old, and after first grade, she skipped second at the Franklin School in Carlisle.[3] As a child, she dreamed of becoming a writer.[7]

After World War II ended, Lowry moved with her family to Tokyo, Japan, where her father was stationed from 1948 to 1952.[3] Lowry attended seventh and eighth grades at the American School in Japan, a school for dependents of those involved in the military. She returned to the United States when the Korean War began in 1950.[3] Lowry and her family lived in Carlisle again in 1950, where she attended her freshman year in high school before moving to Governors Island, New York, when her father was assigned to First Army Headquarters there. Lowry briefly attended Curtis High School, on Staten Island,[3] then graduated from high school at Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights, New York, attending from 1952 to 1954. She then attended Pembroke College, which became fully merged with Brown University in 1971.[3][4]: xi  There she met her future husband, Donald Grey Lowry.

Lowry left the university in 1956 after her marriage to Donald Grey Lowry, a U.S. Navy officer.[3] The couple moved several times from San Diego to New London, Connecticut, to Key West, Florida, to Charleston, South Carolina, to Cambridge, Massachusetts and finally to Portland, Maine.[4] They had two daughters, Alix and Kristin, and two sons, Grey and Benjamin.[3] While raising her children, Lowry completed her degree in English literature at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine, in 1972.[3] After earning her bachelor of arts, she continued at the university to pursue graduate studies.[3] In the mid-1970s, Lowry worked as a freelance writer and photographer.[7]

In 1977, at 40 years old, Lowry’s first book, A Summer to Die, was published.[3] In the same year, she and Donald Lowry were divorced.[3] Two years later she met Martin Small in Boston and was in a relationship with him for over 30 years, until his death in 2011.[8][9][10] From 2014 she has been in a relationship with Howard Corwin, a retired physician.[3]

Lowry’s son Grey, a USAF major and flight instructor, was killed in the crash of his fighter plane in 1995.[11] Lowry acknowledged that it was the most difficult day of her life, and she said, “His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world, but it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.”[12]

As of 2023, Lowry divides her time between Maine and Naples, Florida, and she still remains an active writer and speaker.[3]

Writing career[edit]

Lowry first began her career as a freelance journalist. In the 1970s, she submitted a short story to Redbook magazine, which was intended for adult audiences, but was written from a child’s perspective.[3] An editor working at Houghton Mifflin who read the Redbook story suggested to Lowry that she should write a children’s book.[3] Lowry agreed and wrote her first book A Summer to Die, which was later published by Houghton Mifflin in 1977 when she was 40 years old.[3] The book featured the theme of terminal illness, which is based on Lowry’s own experiences with her sister Helen.[3]

Lowry continued to write about difficult topics in her next publication, Autumn Street (1979), which explores themes of coping with racism, grief, and fear at a young age.[3] The novel is told from the perspective of a young girl who is sent to live with her grandfather during World War II, which is also based on her own experiences of having her father deployed during World War II. Of all the books she has published, Autumn Street is considered to be her most autobiographical.[3][1]

In the same year of publishing Autumn Street, Lowry also published her novel Anastasia Krupnik, the first installment in the Anastasia series.[1] The series, which touches on serious themes with a humorous approach,[3] continued through to 1995.

Lowry published Number the Stars in 1989, which received multiple awards, including the 1990 Newbery Medal.[13] Lowry received another Newbery in 1994, for The Giver (1993).[13] The story focuses on the experiences of a twelve year old boy, Jonas, who becomes the apprentice of the Giver. The Giver is the protector of memories that have been suppressed by the community.[7] As of 2021, The Giver has sold over 12 million copies,[14] and it was one of the most frequently challenged books of the 1990s.[14][15] On the impact of The Giver, Lowry said in an interview with School Library Journal, “That’s why teachers love using the book. They can find many books with as compelling a plot as The Giver. But they can’t find many books that provoke adolescents—who are tough nuts, anyway—to see issues that confront their world and to be passionately interested in them.”[7]

After publishing The Giver, she went on to publish another three companion novels that take place in the same universe: Gathering Blue (2000), Messenger (2004), and finally Son (2012), which tied all three of the previous books together. Collectively, they are referred to as The Giver Quartet.[1] The New York Times described the quartet as “less a speculative fiction than a kind of guide for teaching children (and their parents, if they’re listening carefully) how to be a good person.”[11]

In early 2020, she released a book of poetry, called On the Horizon, charting her childhood memories of life in Hawaii and Tokyo, and the lives lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the bombing of Hiroshima.[16]

During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, American publishing company Scholastic Corporation asked Lowry to write a new introduction to Like the Willow Tree, a story of a young girl living in Portland, Maine, who was orphaned during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. The book was first published in 2011,[17] before being reissued by Scholastic in September 2020.[18]

Critical reception and banning[edit]

Throughout her works, Lowry has explored several complex issues, including racism, terminal illness, murder, the Holocaust, and the questioning of authority, among other challenging topics. Her writing on such matters has accumulated both praise and criticism.[19] The Chicago Tribune has said a theme running through all of her work is “the importance of human connections.”[20]

By 2000, eight of her books had been challenged in schools and libraries in the United States.[19] In particular, The Giver received a diversity of reactions from schools in America after its release in 1993. While some schools adopted it as a part of the mandatory curriculum, others prohibited the book’s inclusion in their classroom studies.[11][21] According to the New York Times in 2012, The Giver had been perennially near the top of the America Library Association’s list of banned and challenged books since its publication.[11] In a 2012 review of Son, the New York Times said the 1993 publication of The Giver had “shocked adult and child sensibilities alike”.[22] In 2020, Time magazine described The Giver as “a staple of both middle school curricular and banned book lists.”[23]

According to biographer Joel Chaston, Lowry’s most critically acclaimed works are Rabble Starkey, Number the Stars, and The Giver.[4]: x 

Impact[edit]

Biographer Joel Chaston described her as “clearly one of the most important twentieth-century American writers for children”.[4]: ix 

Robin Wasserman, a writer for The New York Times, said “In many ways, Lowry invented the contemporary young adult dystopian novel”, pointing out that in 1993 it was “unusual and unsettling” for children’s literature to address topics of political oppression, euthanasia, suicide, or murder.[22]

From BookShare:

The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1)

Lois Lowry

9780006748281

1993

The Giver: Curriculum Unit (The Giver Quartet #1)

Gathering Blue: A Play (The Giver Quartet #2)

Messenger (The Giver Quartet #3)

Son (The Giver Quartet #4)

Synopsis

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

Copyright:

1993

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

208 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780547946962

Publisher:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Date of Addition:

11/04/21

Copyrighted By:

Lois Lowry

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Children’s Books, Literature and Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy

Grade Levels:

Seventh grade

Reading Age:

12 and up

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.

Kate’s 2¢: “Guilty: a gripping psychological thriller that will have you hooked” by

“Guilty: a gripping psychological thriller that will have you hooked” by

NOTE: 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¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Terry Donnelly did a good job of narrating this book for NLS. I enjoy the suspense and the “come uppence” that was well deserved.

A few take-aways:

–The longer the delay, theharder it became to confide in her.

–Excusing is losing.

–An atmosphere of stressed, argumentative and high octane creativity.

–I should have fought to the death to keep what was precious to me.

–Is it possible to go forward without looking back?

–Beginning again when you’ve lost everything, is painful.

From the web:

Laura Elliot has written eight novels which have been widely translated. Also known as June Considine, she has written twelve books for children and young adults. She has also worked as a journalist and magazine editor. She is a full-time writer from Dublin, Ireland, where she lives with her husband, Sean.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born June Bolger, Considine grew up in Finglas, Dublin. She has written for adults and children. She writes under her own name and using the pen name Laura Elliot. She has written solo novels, series and short stories. She has been published in anthologies and her work has appeared on the radio. She also worked as an editor and journalist as well as a ghost writer.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Her work was shortlisted for the Hennessy Literary Award and for the Bisto awards. Considine lives in Malahide, County Dublin.[1][2][5][6][7]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Guilty: a gripping psychological thriller that will have you hooked DB126887

Elliot, Laura. Reading time: 14 hours, 36 minutes.

Read by Donnelly, Terry.

Suspense Fiction

Psychological Fiction

“It begins with a phone call. It ends with a missing child. On a warm summer’s morning, thirteen-year-old school girl Constance Lawson is reported missing. A few days later, Constance’s uncle, Karl Lawson suddenly finds himself swept up in a media frenzy created by journalist Amanda Bowe implying that he is the prime suspect. Six years later… Karl’s life is in ruins. His marriage is over, his family destroyed. But the woman who took everything away from him is thriving. With a successful career, husband and a gorgeous baby boy, Amanda’s world is complete. Until the day she receives a phone call and in a heartbeat, she is plunged into every mother’s worst nightmare.” — Amazon.com Violence, strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Tapped” by Brynne Asher

“Tapped” by Brynne Asher

NOTE: 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¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Kristin Allison DID A GOOD JOB OF NARRATING THIS SENSUAL NOVEL. I would prefer to not have so much potty mouth language, though.

A few take-aways:

–She was exceptional in every way, except marriage.

–That man is in another world and all he sees is you.

–I’ll stop here with the take-aways so I don’t spoil the story for you

AI Overview:

Brynne Asher is a USA Today bestselling author known for writing romance novels. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, three children, and a dog. When not writing, she manages her family’s busy schedule and enjoys activities like online shopping, skincare, and decorating. She also appreciates a good cocktail. 

When she isn’t creating pretend people and relationships in her head, she’s running her kids around and doing laundry. She enjoys decorating and shopping, and is always seeking the best deal. A perfect day in “Brynne World” ends in front of an outdoor fire with family, friends, s’mores, and a delicious cocktail.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Tapped DB125993

Asher, Brynne. Reading time: 9 hours, 28 minutes.

Read by Allison, Kristin.

Romance

Romantic Suspense

Suspense Fiction

Women

“My son and I are in danger. The life and death kind. The kind that forces me to make choices no mother should have to. I’ll do anything to keep my son safe and not sacrifice my responsibility to my patients. I’m desperate. Desperate enough to beg broody Special Agent Micah Emmett for help. But he has a job, and it doesn’t include protecting me. Why should he? He doesn’t know me. Or so I thought. Because you can learn a lot about another person when they’re being tapped. And Micah has been watching me for a long time. Now the special agent is glued to my side. And I’ve been tapped in more ways than one.”– Goodreads. Strong language, some violence and some explicit descriptions of sex.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Up to no gouda: a grilled cheese mystery” by Linda Reilly

“Up to no gouda: a grilled cheese mystery” by Linda Reilly

NOTE: 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¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Mia Gaskin did a good job of narrating this cozy mystery for us. It was a good read with many characters who might have ‘dunnit’. It had an interesting ending, kind of like poetic justice. I would have liked to sample all of the different grilled cheese sandwiches.

A few take-aways:

–At one time or another, we all face hardships.

–What other people think, doesn’t matter. Only the truth does.

from www.goodreads.com

A member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Cat Writers’ Association, Linda lives in southern New Hampshire with her two feline assistants.

Linda Reilly has a degree in Criminal Justice, and has had a career as a real estate agent. She was born in the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and now lives in southern New Hampshire.

 Armed with a degree in Criminal Justice, Linda Reilly once contemplated a career in law enforcement. But life took a twist, and instead she found her niche in real estate closings and title examinations, where the dusty tomes in the Registry of Deeds enticed her into solving mysteries of a different…

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Up to no gouda: a grilled cheese mystery DB128277

Reilly, Linda S.. Reading time: 8 hours, 32 minutes.

Read by Gaskin, Mia.

Cozy Mysteries

“Back in Balsam Dell to heal after the death of her husband, Carly Hale is finally pursuing her lifelong dream–opening Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. After only five months, business is booming as Vermont vacationers and townspeople alike flock to lunch on her Party Havartis and other grilled-cheese concoctions. That is, everyone is but Lyle Bagley, her one-time high-school boyfriend who’s now the town bully–and he just bought the building that houses her eatery and wants her out. After a muenster of a fight, she’s forced to put her nose to the rind and find a solution to keep her business afloat. But then Lyle is discovered dead behind the dumpster of Carly’s shop, and one of her employees becomes the prime suspect. In order to save her eatery and prove her friend’s innocence, she must sleuth out the killer before she’s the one who gets grilled.”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Downloaded: May 11, 2025

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Kate’s 2¢: Our Little Secret” by Lisa Jackson “

“Our Little Secret” by Lisa Jackson “

NOTE: 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¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Gabriella Cavallero did a fantastic job of narrating this very suspenseful story for us.

   II kept thinking: no, no, don’t do that!, but of course, if she hadn’t done it, there wouldn’t have been any story.

   I had to groan at the ending, but I like the ending all the same.

A few take-aways:

–A small beam pointed directly at her. A dark figure barely silhouetted behind it…she cut the light on her phone…grabbed for her gun…pointed it into darkness. The light no longer there…and realized she was pointing her phone…

–The question was: What have you done?…No, the question is: What are you going to do?

–They had to tamp down their egosfrustrations, and fears and try to work things out.

–A high school crush should be locked away in the pages of the school yearbook.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• This biography of a living person relies too much on references to primary sources. (April 2007)

www.lisajackson.com

Susan Lisa Jackson (known as Lisa Jackson; born 1952) is an American author of over 75 romance novels and romantic suspense novels.

Biography[edit]

Jackson was a struggling mother who wrote novels with the hope that someone would pay her for them. Her books have appeared on The New York Times, the USA Today, and the Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.[citation needed] Jackson is the author of more than 85 novels, including Afraid to Die, Tell Me, You Don’t Want to Know, Running Scared, Without Mercy, Malice, and Shiver. She is also the co-author of the Colony Series, co-written with her sister, Nancy Bush. She also writes under the pen name, “Susan Lynn Crose”.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Our little secret DB126128

Jackson, Lisa. Reading time: 15 hours, 4 minutes.

Read by Cavallero, Gabriella.

Suspense Fiction

Psychological Fiction

“Brooke Harmon is ready to end her brief affair. Gideon Ross is charming and sexy, but he’s not worth throwing away everything she holds dear. So she breaks it off, hoping Gideon will understand. He doesn’t. Gideon insists that he and Brooke are meant to be together. Finally, he backs off, but not before issuing a promise: he’ll never let her go. Little more than a year later, Brooke wants to believe it’s all behind her. Her family has survived intact. Gideon has vanished. But the fear hasn’t disappeared. Brooke can’t tell how much of it is paranoia, and how much is justified, but she’s worried. And maybe she’s right to be. Because Gideon is a man who keeps his promises…” — Amazon.com Violence, strong language and some descriptions of sex.

Downloaded: June 23, 2025

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Kate’s 2¢: “No Memory Lost” by Valerie Keogh

“No Memory Lost” by Valerie Keogh

NOTE: 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¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Stephen Daly’s soft voice almost made it sound like he was whispering a secret to you.

   It was rather distressing to think someone would try to smuggle a young child into the country stuffed in a suitcase. As is usual with a successful story, there are two plot threads that the author twists and knots in order to keep the narrative arc exciting.  I liked the ending of this tale.

A few take-aways:

–Fool me once; shame on you: fool me twice; shame on me.—Were there degrees of badness?

–It doesn’t matter if there’s truth in the story or not. It just matters how forceabley it’s told.

From the web:

Valerie Keogh is the internationally bestselling author of several psychological thrillers and crime series, most recently published by Bloodhound. She originally comes from Dublin but now livesin Wiltshire and worked as a nurse for many years. Her first thriller for Boldwood will be published in August 2022.

Valerie Keogh. Born in Dublin to a large family, her mother was a keen Agatha Christie fan so these were the first adult novels she read.

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

No memory lost DB128275

Keogh, Valerie. Reading time: 8 hours, 21 minutes.

Read by Daly, Stephen.

Mystery and Detective Stories

Suspense Fiction

“Revenge can take a lifetime … When Detective Garda Sergeant Mike West and his partner, Garda Andrews, are called to a suspicious death they are shocked to find the small body of a child abandoned in a suitcase. Who is she? No child has been reported missing. Their search reaches outside Ireland but without success and soon another dead body takes their attention. There is a surfeit of suspects this time, but as the case evolves, the two detectives are stunned where it leads. Meanwhile, someone is making trouble for Edel Johnson, and she is forced, eventually, to ask West for help. Can West sort personal problems, solve professional cases and restore peace to Foxrock?”– From publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

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Kate’s 2¢: “Strangers In Time: A World War II” by David Baldacci

“Strangers In Time: A World War II” by David Baldacci

NOTE: 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¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   The multiple readers voicing the various characters made this sound like a radio program.  The only things missing were the environmental sounds of lorries on the streets, bombs exploding in buildings, people screaming, and the tea kettle whistling.

  One one hand, this story highlighted the horror of the London bombing and the lose/lose reality of wat. On the other hand, it showed how strangers would bond together to help each other through the worst of it.

   Well done, Mr. Baldacci. Well done.

A few take-aways:

–A book a day keeps the bomb away.

–Reading books is far better than burning them.

–Everyone knew that terrible things happen in the dark.

–You never know what you are capable of, until the moment came to be capable of it.

–My dream will be realized, but so what?

–We dream so much about another sort of life, that we forget to live the one that we already possess.

–Young people are capable of a great deal if the need is there.

–The serendipty of life is quite odd.

–This is their story: three people standing together against all the world could hurl at them again and again.

–Dave Baldacci: No matter how destructive the weapons of war, they are helpless before that one crowning attribute of humanity…the power of love.

 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Baldacci (born August 5, 1960) is an American novelist. An attorney by education, Baldacci writes mainly suspense novels and legal thrillers.[1] His novels are published in over 45 languages and published in over 80 countries.[2] Baldacci Has sold over 150 million copies worldwide.

Early life and education[edit]

David Baldacci was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He is of Italian descent. He graduated from Henrico High School and earned a B.A. in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, after which he practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C.

Career[edit]

File:City_of_Richmond_Business…

Richmond, Virginia, hometown of Baldacci

Baldacci began writing stories as a child, when his mother gave him a notebook in which to record them.[3] He wrote for more than two decades, penning short stories and later screenplays without much success.[4]

While practicing law, he turned to novel writing, taking three years to write Absolute Power.[5] Published in 1996, it was an international best-seller. To date, Baldacci has published 50 novels for adults as well as seven novels for younger readers.

Personal life and philanthropy[edit]

Baldacci lives in Fairfax County, Virginia, with his family. He has a daughter and a son.[6]

Baldacci and his wife, Michelle, founded the Wish You Well Foundation,[7] which works to combat illiteracy in the United States by funding adult literacy programs.[8] Baldacci became involved with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society after his sister, author Sharon Baldacci, was diagnosed with MS.[9] In 2008 the Foundation partnered with Feeding America to launch Feeding Body & Mind.

Baldacci has served for more than a decade on the board of trustees of the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut. In 2019, he donated $1 million to the home.[10]

Works[edit]

Baldacci’s first novel, Absolute Power, tells the story of a fictional American president and his Secret Service agents who are willing to commit murder in order to cover up the accidental death of a woman with whom the President was having an affair. It was adapted as a film, Absolute Power (1997), starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman.

Baldacci wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of his novel Wish You Well; the movie was shot on location in southwest Virginia with Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn, Josh Lucas, and Mackenzie Foy in the lead roles.

Baldacci was a consulting producer on King & Maxwell, a TNT television series based on his characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn starred.

The Christmas Train, Baldacci’s eighth novel, was adapted in 2017 by Hallmark Channel as a Hallmark Hall of Fame feature presentation. The TV movie starred Dermot Mulroney, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Danny Glover and Joan Cusack and was directed by Ron Oliver.

Baldacci’s novel One Summer was adapted in 2021 for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and starred Sam Page, Sarah Drew and Amanda Schull.

Baldacci’s novels have been published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales as of 2018.[11]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Strangers in time: a World War II novel DB128900

Baldacci, David. Reading time: 13 hours, 49 minutes.

Read by Crank, Stewart; Boulton, Alexandra; Lee, John; Delgado, Nicola F.; Davies, Matthew Lloyd; Pitts, Joe.

Historical Fiction

Suspense Fiction

War Stories

“Fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters is up to no good, but for a very good reason. Without parents, peerage, or merit, ducking school but barred from actual work, he steals what he needs, living day-to-day until he’s old enough to enlist to fight the Germans. After barely surviving the Blitz, Charlie knows there’s no telling when a falling bomb might end his life. Fifteen-year-old Molly Wakefield has just returned to a nearly unrecognizable London. One of millions of people to have been evacuated to the countryside via “Operation Pied Piper,” Molly has been away from her parents–from her home–for nearly five years. Her return, however, is not the homecoming she’d hoped for as she’s confronted by a devastating reality: neither of her parents are there, only her old nanny, Mrs. Pride. Without guardians and stability, Charlie and Molly find an unexpected ally and protector in Ignatius Oliver, and solace at his book shop, The Book Keep, where A book a day keeps the bombs away. Mourning the

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