Saturday, February 08, 2025
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Two Reviews: Japanese Literature Challenge
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Two Reviews: Japanese Literature Challenge: In this post I am reviewing two books for the Japanese Literature Challenge 18 , hosted at Dolce Bellezza . It started in January and cont...
Scott's Take: FANTASTIC FOUR BY RYAN NORTH VOL. 4: FORTUNE FAVORS THE FANTASTIC by Ryan North (Author), Carlos Gomez (Illustrator), Ivan Fiorelli (Illustrator), and Alex Ross (Cover Art)
FANTASTIC FOUR BY RYAN NORTH VOL. 4: FORTUNE FAVORS THE FANTASTIC by Ryan North (Author), Carlos Gomez (Illustrator), Ivan Fiorelli (Illustrator), and Alex Ross (Cover Art) is the fourth volume in the Ryan North Fantastic Four run, but could be read as the first. Most of the tales in this run are pretty stand alone. In this book, Franklin Richards’ secret is uncovered, the heroes are put in a noir style Elseworld, The Thing and the Human Torch compete against each other to be the best grocery store employee, and then in the last two issues, the Fantastic Four faces vampires in a Blood Hunt tie in. This volume collects issues 18-22. Each tale is very different except for the last two vampire ones.
The art is great and very fitting for each tale. I read each issue in Marvel Unlimitied. Franklin Richards’ issue is a disaster movie. Franklin Richards (is the reality warping son of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman) and, allegedly, has no powers now. The noir episode is fun if you like that stuff. The grocery issue is a comedy. The Fantastic Four vampire issues are action packed and full of bloody violence. Each issue for the most part has its own feel except for the last two. Ryan North still maintains a great understanding of each character and so far I think his run is the best for beginners new to the Fantastic Four.
Blood Hunt for those who have read it know that the ending has major implications for the future of this series. FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 5: ALIENS, GHOSTS AND ALTERNATE EARTHS by Ryan North (Author), Carlos Gomez (Illustrator), Ivan Fiorelli (Illustrator), Marvel Various (Illustrator), and Alex Ross (Cover Art), is the next volume and will come out on April 15th and collects issues 23-27. I am currently on issue 26 through Marvel Unlimited. So far, each issue is very scifi heavy as the team deals with some of the aftermath of Blood Hunt.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/40mgrLp
This material was read by way of the Marvel Unlimited App.
Scott A. Tipple ©2025
Friday, February 07, 2025
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister: Reviewed by Jeanne Wenna left home nearly a decade ago, running away from her family’s legacy and the stifling home life ruled ove...
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: DIRTY MONEY
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Thursday, February 06, 2025
Review: Random in Death: An Eve Dallas Novel by J.D. Robb
Growing up, my
parents always cautioned against us kids about going to clubs or concerts. They
were convinced they were places where bad things happened. Probably why I have
never been to a rock concert and did not club much. If they were alive to read Random
in Death: An Eve Dallas Novel by J.D. Robb, they would say it proves
their point.
Jenna Harbough
and her friends were having a blast hearing the rock band, Avenue A. at their
concert at Club Rock It. Jenna is 16, a budding musician and singer, and she is
having the greatest night of her life. Jake Kincade, leader of the band, saw
her and smiled directly at her. She has a demo disc in her purse and hopes to
get it to him that night. She knows she is good and the band started at her age
too.
She’s talking
to her friends, LeeLee and Chelsea, when something stings her arm. In pain and
holding her arm, she turns and sees some guy grin at her as he flips her off.
Before she can say anything, he disappears into the crowd. Within seconds, she
feels off. She feels like she is overheated and will throw up. She soon is dead
in the alley as Jake Kincade holds her in her last moments. The same Jake
Kincade that is dating Nadine Hurst, a huge television news star in New York
City.
The same Nadine
Hurst who is friends with the Lieutenant Eve Dallas, Homicide, of the New York
Police and Security Division. Nadine sees the mark on the girl’s arm and is
sure that this dead girl is not a junkie. She knows they need help and they
need the best. She contacts. of Dallas.
It was Saturday
evening and that mean a vid, popcorn, and sex with her husband Roarke. It may
or may not have been in that order. The fact that on this summer 2061 Saturday
night that Summerset, Roarke’s major-domo and serious annoyance, is out of the
house, the possibilities were huge. It is almost 11 and Roarke and Dallas were
starting a bout of intimacy when Nadine calls.
Dallas starts
the process of having cops and others respond to the scene. Soon, Roarke and
Dallas are also there. He probably would have gone with her anyway, but he owns
the building, and has some knowledge of the club and the folks that run it. He can
also drive while she starts running things from the car.
While designed
to look like am overdose, Dallas is not so sure. Besides, she has a personal
interest as Nadine and Jake are involved. It also does not take long to
conclude it was murder.
It also is not
the first.
As the hours
tick by Dallas, Roarke, Peabody, and the whole gang are in a race to stop a
killer or killers who are targeting young people in crowded musical venues. It
is summer and concerts galore. That means plenty of targets that are going to be
potential victims in Random in Death: An Eve Dallas Novel by J.D.
Robb.
While all the
usual writing quirks still happen in this installment of the long running
series, they also soon fall away in the rush of the story. A story that twists
and turns and is not as predictable as one might have thought in the beginning.
A solidly good read to escape the constant stings of a real world that has
seemingly gone mad in so many ways.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Ynb3Ib
My reading copy came by way of the OverDrive/Libby App and the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
Wednesday, February 05, 2025
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: January News from the Short Mystery Fiction Society
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: January News from the Short Mystery Fiction Society: The weather's been cold, but the members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society got 2025 off to a red-hot start with a plethora of powerfu...
SleuthSayers: Stay Out of my Head
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Beneath the Stains of Time: The Riddle of the Ravens (2024) by J.S. Savage
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Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: THE HAUNTED ORGANIST OF HURLY BURLY
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: THE HAUNTED ORGANIST OF HU...: "The Haunted Organist of Hurley Burley" by Rosa Mulholland (Lady Gregory) (first published [uncredited] in All the Year Round , e...
Patricia Abbott: Short Story Wednesday: From THE NEW YORKER, "My Friend, Pinnochio" David Rabe
Patricia Abbott: Short Story Wednesday: From THE NEW YORKER, "My Friend, Pinnochio" David Rabe
Short Story Wednesday Review: The Builders by Daniel Polansky
From the massive archive….
The Builders
by Daniel Polansky is a novella about a group of mercenary animals on a mission
of revenge. Led by a mouse, they are going after the ones who betrayed them
years ago, which led them to lose the country they were fighting for and
defending.
This rather dark and violent fantasy tale is very
good. My biggest problem with it is that I wished there was more. One gets a
good sense of the characters, but I wanted a longer read to really flesh out
the characters. Each character is very diverse and reflective of the type of
animal they are. Their fighting styles and personality are heavily based on
what animal they are.
The Captain, depicted on the cover as a scarred
mouse, uses his ability to predict behavior of others to keep the group alive.
As he is naturally prey for some predators, he is very good at anticipating the
actions of the predators in this novella. The rest of the group includes a
stoat, a mole, an owl, a lizard, and more, are very different from each other
and each has his or her own unique and helpful skill. This grim tale was very
enjoyable for this reader despite the short length, but the ending is incredibly
depressing.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/40LdUdA
My copy came from the Central or Downtown Branch of
the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2021, 2025
Tuesday, February 04, 2025
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New Books in February!
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New Books in February!: Armstrong, Kelley Cold as Hell (Haven’s Rock) Bailey, Tessa Dream Girl Drama Beaton, M.C. Death of a Smuggler (Hamish) Benedic...
SleuthSayers: Good news!
SleuthSayers: Good news!: I've had some good news recently that I am happy to share with you. Derringer Award nomination First up is news that applies to all of ...
Publication Day Review: Robert B. Parker’s Buried Secrets: A Jesse Stone Novel by Christopher Farnsworth
Robert B. Parker’s Buried Secrets: A
Jesse Stone Novel by Christopher Farnsworth is a breath of
fresh air. This book in the long running Jesse Stone series reads like a Jesse
Stone novel. One forgets that this is not done by Robert B. Parker and
that is a very good thing.
The Paradise Police Department is very short handed.
The normal situation has been made worse by the fact that three officers are
out with Covid. Things are so bad that Molly Crane is working dispatch and
Chief Jesse Stone has been doing patrols. After a long day, Jesse is looking
forward to going home. Instead, after some back and forth with Molly, Jesse
heads to an address for a welfare check.
On arrival, he finds a young man by the name of
Matthew Peebles. He is a bit agitated and explains that the man inside the
aging house is a friend of his parents. His mane is Phil Burton. Mr. Peebles
says he and Phil Burton talk by phone on a semi regular basis and that he comes
out from the city (New York City) now and then to visit and check on him as he
is elderly. He says that he has not heard from him in awhile and is worried.
Jesse manages to eventually get inside the house through
the back as a sliding glass door is partially open. It is very clear as he
steps inside that Mr. Burton is a very serious hoarder. At least, he was. He clearly
been dead on his couch for quite some time.
Jesse makes his way back out of the house with the
intention of breaking the news to Mr. Peebles and alerting the coroner, having
the house cleared out, and more. Once he gets to the front of the house, he
realizes that Mr. Peebles is long gone.
Soon Luther “Suitcase” Simpson arrives and he and
Jesse go back into the house. Everything in the massive piles of stuff in the
house is very unstable. Simpson accidentally brushes a tower of carboard boxes
and the tower collapses and falls spilling some of the boxes open. Other stuff
slides around them making walking very difficult. When Simpson regains his
footing, Jesse spots a polaroid picture on the floor.
It, and many more that can now be seen, showcase
what appears to be dead people at various locations and conditions. Whatever
Phil Burton was involved with, it was bad.
As that investigation gets underway, Jesse also
welcomes the newest officer, Derek Tate, to the force. This was a hire forced
on him by the Mayor, Gary Armistead, and Jesse isn’t totally comfortable with him.
Due to the workload in recent days, Jesse has not been able to do a deep dive
into him as much as he would with any new officer. On paper he looks good. But,
there was an incident when he worked in Philadelphia.
Tate owned up to it, expressed some remorse, and
claims to want a fresh start in Paradise, Massachusetts. Paradise certainly was
a fresh start for Jesse many years ago and it could be for Tate as well. So, he
brings him onboard and puts him out on patrol unsupervised as Tate has experience.
It does not take a rocket scientist to know that things are not going to go
well.
What follows is a fast moving read as Jesse deals
with the Burton investigation, Tate and his version of police work, and other
personal and professional issues. The author does a masterful job of pulling
the reader along at a fast clip in the Jesse Stone world. It has been some time
since an author could make the characters in the series come alive in the right
voice and Mr. Farnsworth definitely pulls that off in Robert B. Parker’s
Buried Secrets: A Jesse Stone Novel.
Strongly Recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/42WtvtV
My reading copy came from the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons, by way of NetGalley with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
Monday, February 03, 2025
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: An Excellent Thing in a Woman by Allison Montclair
Alan Gordon
is turning out one fine book after another in his historical mystery series
about two women at loose ends after the end of World War II. Gordon is a retired
lawyer, author, lyricist, and librettist, who is no stranger to the demands of
writing a convincing historical mystery series. Between 1999 and 2010 he wrote
eight well-reviewed books in the Fool’s Guild mysteries, set in early 13th century Europe.
Under the
name Allison Montclair, Gordon chose a completely different time and place for his current
series. He created two compelling characters: Miss Iris Sparks, formerly of Cambridge
and an intelligence unit, and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, widow of an Air Force
pilot from an aristocrat family. Both of them are looking for a fresh start
when they meet and decide to form an agency to facilitate marriage among the
lonely and unattached members of the London populace, a group to which they
belong. The series earns consistent acclaim from critics and readers alike.
In the seventh title An Excellent
Thing in a Woman (Severn House, 2025) Sally (Salvatore) Danielli, Iris’s
long-time friend, has found work with the BBC and the new medium of television.
He sends one of his new coworkers to Iris and Gwen for matrimonial assistance. Unfortunately
both of them come under suspicion when a dancer from Paris is found strangled
in a BBC props storage room.
The plot reaches deep into the past
of several characters, including Iris, and their wartime service, reminding the
reader that the war for many was not far away. As usual, Iris and Gwen swing
into action to rescue their friends and clients. Their growing confidence in
each other’s support is one of the deeply attractive aspects of the running
story line, as is their amusing chatter. I found the details about the budding television
industry of the late 1940s of especial interest. Gwen purchased a
state-of-the-art model for her home with an impressive 12-inch screen. The
installation of the rooftop antenna fascinated the neighborhood.
With this title, publication of this
series transfers to Severn House. I am sorry that Minotaur did not see the
value of retaining this popular and historically accurate series. I hope that
Gordon and his agent find a way to keep it in print for years to come.
·
Publisher: Severn House; Main edition
(February 4, 2025)
·
Language: English
·
Hardcover: 224 pages
·
ISBN-10: 144831237X
·
ISBN-13: 978-1448312375
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3CJtqyG
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, February 02, 2025
Little Big Crimes: Shadow of the Badger, by Steve Hockensmith
Little Big Crimes: Shadow of the Badger, by Steve Hockensmith: "Shadow of the Badger," by Steve Hockensmith, Black Cat Weekly, #178, 2025. This is my first review of a story published in 2025...
Don Crouch Reviews: Karma Doll by Jonathan Ames
Please welcome back Don Crouch to the blog…
The Happy Doll series
by Jonathan Ames is the best PI series that you aren’t reading.
Trust me on this.
Karma Doll
finds poor Happy Doll in Mexico, attempting to recover from the explosive
events of the previous book, The
Wheel of Doll.
In short order, he is required to once again violate
the Buddhist principles he amusingly tries to live by, within his own
semi-addictive limits…he’s trying to not kill people, see…let’s just say he
fails miserably.
Ames, who also created the classic HBO series, BORED
TO DEATH, is in solid form, as Happy careens through the steps necessary to
keep breathing and maybe re-establish his life in LA.
The book is, by turns, thrilling, funny and
contemplative.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4jDGG8G
Don Crouch ©2025
Saturday, February 01, 2025
Review News: 1/27 to 2/1/2025
Today, Scott reviewed Vengeance
of the Moon Knight Vol. 1: New Moon by Jed Mackay (Author), David Finch
(Cover Art), Alessandro Cappuccio (Artist).
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/02/scotts-take-vengeance-of-moon-knight.html
Yesterday, I reviewed the
debut mystery, The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin.
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/01/review-killing-plains-by-sherry-rankin.html
Thursday, prolific author
Joan Leotta reviewed The Medici Return by Steve Berry.
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/01/joan-leotta-reviews-medici-return-by.html
Wednesday, I reminded you
of the anthology, We’ve Been Trumped Editor
Andrew MacRae.
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/01/short-story-wednesday-review-weve-been.html
Tuesday, I reviewed the
first book of a new series by one of my favorite authors, Head Cases: A
Novel by John McMahon.
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/01/publication-day-review-head-cases-novel.html
Monday brought the latest
review by Aubrey Nye Hamilton as she reviewed, Chain Reaction by James Byrne.
https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/2025/01/aubrey-nye-hamilton-reviews-chain.html
Stay up to date by following the blog and get reviews, news, and other posts as they live, by subscribing by way of the Follow-It app over on the left side of this blog.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
Mystery Fanfare: DEATH IN PARADISE: Season 14 news!
Mystery Fanfare: DEATH IN PARADISE: Season 14 news!: If you caught the Christmas episode of Death in Paradise last December, you know there's a new detective on Ste. Marie. Don Gilet pla...
KRL Update 2/1/2025
Up on KRL this week we have reviews and giveaways of "Haunting and Homicide" A Ghost Tour Mystery by Ava Burke, "The Matter of the Secret Bride" by Darcie Wilde, "Gathering Mist" by Margaret Mizushima https://kingsriverlife.com/02/01/beginning-of-february-mystery-catch-up/
And a review and giveaway of "A Death in Diamonds" by S J Bennett, along with an interesting interview with SJ https://kingsriverlife.com/02/01/a-death-in-diamonds-by-s-j-bennett/
And the latest Mystery Coming Attractions from Victoria Fair, along with her latest reading challenge https://kingsriverlife.com/02/01/mystery-coming-attractions-february-2025/
We also have a review of Season 2 of "Darby and Joan" and Season 3 of "Dalgliesh" both on Acorn TV https://kingsriverlife.com/02/01/acorntv-darby-and-joan-season-2-dalgliesh-season-3/
Up during the week we posted another special midweek guest post, this one by Nancy Cole Silverman with a look at the new Sisters in Crime Los Angeles anthology and info on the launch event https://kingsriverlife.com/01/29/angel-city-beat-an-inside-look/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we had another special midweek guest post, this one an interview with author Joe Cosentino about his book "The First Noel" and its audiobook release https://www.krlnews.com/2025/01/interview-with-joe-cosentino-author-of.html
And a review and giveaway of "The Mailman" by Andrew Welsh-Huggins https://www.krlnews.com/2025/01/the-mailman-by-andrew-welsh-huggins.html
And a review and ebook giveaway of "Bless Our Sleep" by Neil S. Plakcy https://www.krlnews.com/2025/01/bless-our-sleep-by-neil-s-plakcy.html
And a review and giveaway (signed copy) of "Happy Homicide" by Jen Pitts https://www.krlnews.com/2025/01/happy-homicide-by-jen-pitts.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
SleuthSayers: Five Favorite Markets
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Beneath the Stains of Time: From This Dark Stairway (1931) by Mignon G. Eberhart
Beneath the Stains of Time: From This Dark Stairway (1931) by Mignon G. Eberhart: Mignon G. Eberhart was an American mystery writer whose life and career covered the better part of the previous century, publishing her fir...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Six Degrees of Separation: From Dangerous Liaisons...
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Scott's Take: Vengeance of the Moon Knight Vol. 1: New Moon by Jed Mackay (Author), David Finch (Cover Art), Alessandro Cappuccio (Artist)
Vengeance of the Moon
Knight Vol. 1: New Moon by Jed Mackay (Author), David Finch (Cover
Art), Alessandro Cappuccio (Artist), is a relaunch of the Moon
Knight series after the events of the first series. Spoilers follow so
if you have not read the previous series, you may wish to do that first before
reading this review.
Still here? Okay, I did warn you.
This volume deals with the
aftermath of the death of Marc Spector, who died in the bombing at the end of
the previous run. This issue starts with an honoring of life led by the Thing
where he is doing a traditional Jewish ceremony. Marc was one of the few
prominent Jewish heroes in the Marvel Universe. Each of the four issues
collected here is framed with a team member discussing Marc’s death with a psychologist.
Each member is devastated and having a hard time, in their own way, with what
happened and moving on.
As they grapple with their grief,
there is someone impersonating Marc as Moon Knight and terrorizing people. The
surviving team members must uncover the imposter and put a stop to him quickly
as the city is being torn apart by supervillains responding to this psycho with
their own violence.
The art remains excellent and the
writing remains on point. This is action packed grief filled 4 issue saga with
plenty of references to the previous run and the history of various characters.
The next volume is called Vengeance of the Moon Knight Vol. 2: It's Alive
which I have read, but won’t be reviewing since there is no way to talk about
it without heavy spoilers. I can say that the read is a good one. I can also
say that one should read Blood Hunt which I previously reviewed
first or while reading it. They tie in heavily. After the events of that volume
Moon Knight is being relaunched again with a new title.
Moon Knight: Fist of Knoshu
is the latest relaunch and is done by the same creative team. The first issues are out now on Amazon though
they have yet to appear, at the time of this writing, at Marvel Unlimited. There is also a spin off title Phases of the Moon Knight by
Benjamin Percy and more which goes back to previous Moon Knights. Marc is the
latest in a long line of heroes so this tells the tale of other Moon Knights.
I read this in The Marvel Unlimited App.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/40cvxEa
Scott A. Tipple ©2025
Friday, January 31, 2025
Black Beacon Books: Anthology Announcement: Samhain Screams!
Black Beacon Books: Anthology Announcement: Samhain Screams!: SAMHAIN SCREAMS Edited by Greg Chapman and Cameron Trost Halloween. So much more than costumes and candy, it’s the time when the veil betw...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander
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Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: PARNASSUS ON WHEELS
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Review: The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin
The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin takes
readers to West Texas and the town of Crescent Bluff. Colly Newland does not
want to be back there as the place brings up bad memories. Her late husband,
Randy, came from there and his wealthy family controls everything for miles
around. While he was physically living with her and their children in Houston,
he never escaped the family and their dark secrets.
Now retired and a widow, former Houston Detective Colly
Newland and her grandson, Satchel, are back on a temporary basis. They are back
for two weeks or so and that means Satchel will be in the local school while Colly
is working. Once a cop—always a cop.
Police Chief Russ Newland, brother of her dead husband
Randy, asked her to come home and investigate a cold case of sorts. Many years
ago, another brother, Willis, who had special needs, confessed to killing a
local boy. Eventually, the governor commuted his sentence because of the family
wealth and powerful connections.
Willis returned home, and shortly afterwards, another local
child died. There were very close links to the first case so suspicion quickly
fell on Willis. He soon committed suicide before authorities could clear him or
build an actual case based on facts of his guilt. The Texas Rangers, the lead investigating
agency, believed Willis was responsible for the killings both times, decades
apart, and closed the case.
Iris Newland, family matriarch and no pushover, believes
Willis never did any of it. She pushed Russ hard to call Colly and convince her
to come back and review everything. Iris did not accept it in 98 when Willis
went to prison. In here and now of the book set in 2018, she does not believe it
now either. E of it. She knows that Willis did none of it. She has pushed Russ
hard enough that Russ now has questions about it all based on what the closed
investigation turned up.
Being back is emotionally hard on Colly, Satchel, Russ,
Iris, and pretty much everybody. Beyond Willis, there is plenty of pain and
guilt to go around for everybody. For Colly, who needs some sort of healing
most of all, it is a chance to deal with the ghosts and the legacy of the past,
as well as stop a murderer as things get more and more complicated.
Iris just might have been right. If she was right about
this, what else was she right about?
A complicated atmospheric read, The Killing Plains
by Sherry Rankin makes much of its West Texas setting based on the author’s
long experience in the area teaching creative writing and literature. That
means that the obligatory rattlesnake roundup, a feature of nearly every mystery
and crime fiction novel set in West Texas, rears its head here and serves, as
expected, to be a pivotal moment. So too does the weather in a variety of
forms.
The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin is a solidly mystery read that is well worth your time. This reader hopes that there is a sequel so that we get to see more of Colly, her grandson Satchel, and others in a book to come.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3PKy3eN
My digital ARC came from the publisher, Thomas & Mercer,
through NetGalley with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Joan Leotta Reviews: The Medici Return by Steve Berry
Please welcome back author Joan Leotta
to the blog today….
Review of Steve Berry’s The Medici Return by Joan Leotta
The Medici
Return (Cotton Malone)
Book 19 of 19: Cotton Malone | by Steve Berry | Release Date Feb 11, 2025
This one I received in advance of its
pub date from the publisher through NetGalley.
This is the 19th in Berry’s
series featuring Cotton Malone, an intrepid detective now working for a secret
US agency. Through them Malone becomes involved with helping the Catholic
church with a sticky problem calling for confidentiality and break in skills.
Malone, armed with those skills , his eidetic memory, and flair for languages
(helped by same) ships off to Italy to find evidence of wrongdoing by a
cardinal of the church. Who hired him? Vatican. Who is the villain? Another arm
of the Vatican—so many secrets here! And oh yes, the Medici! (A 500 year old
mystery enters in)
When it comes to popes, the Medici were
no slouches. When it comes to dirty dealing, the same. Plot issues here span centuries
and connect to modern day crimes. One of
the things I absolutely love about this book is the setting in Italy—Sienna,
which I only got to know in 2023, Florence where I spent a lot of time while a
student in Bologna, and oh yes, the Vatican museum and my beloved Rome.
Each of these carries a wonderful
weight of historical interest and intrigue. Enough for ten books. In this case,
Sienna and its annual Palio, a free for
all of an historic horse race becomes a central element to the plot. Berry is ingenious
as to how he works this into his tale about finding = an ancient document. I applaud
his creativity and oh yes, I must applaud the horsemanship of Cotton Malone as
well. Heroes such as cotton Malone are often invested with far-beyond-normal abilities
to deal with things like taking over the jockey role in a bareback race, the
Palio. I was happy to suspend disbelief and bear down with Malone as he leaned
over the neck of his steed and pushed forward to the goal while other jockeys
tried to trip them up and a gunman had a rifle trained on Malone.
Wait, do you think all of this
distracted me from the main mystery? Who killed the Swiss guard in the book’s
early pages? The mysterious missing Medici era document that would cost the
church billions of dollars if found? The two or three other subsequent murders
and attempts on Malone’s life that follow? Nope.
Never fear—Berry is a master juggler of
plot elements. These balls are never out of sight. To draw on another metaphor,
he weaves all of the threads cleverly, carefully and at just the right moment,
inserts one than then another element together to keep readers on track even as
the plot twists and turns with more gyrations than that round, stone track in Sienna’s
main piazza.
I’m only a so-so Malone fan in general,
in spite of good dialogue and plotting, but this book brought out Berry’s writing
skills and took me back to a city (Sienna) I enjoy, and had me traipsing
through Rome and Florence, two cities I love, while still captivating me with
the plot, so I must give this book a five star recommendation.
Both for fans of Malone, occasional readers
of the series such as myself and dare I say—even if if you have never read
Berry’s Malone series before, I think you will enjoy this fast-paced well and
deviously plotted book.
Five stars
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4aDY6hu
Joan
Leotta ©2025
Joan Leotta plays with words on page and stage. Her poetry, essays, cnf, short stories, and articles are widely published. Mysteries are favorite things to read.. short and long.. and to write.
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
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