Mike's Books

Firewatching (Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler #1) by   Russ Thomas 4 Stars Firewatching is a terrific debut novel from Russ Thomas.   The writing is excellent, the plot is tight and well crafted, the characters are terrific, and the double mystery (two murders and an arson case that may or may not be related) kept me guessing until the end (as usual, I didn’t see the end coming).   I’m waiting expectantly for Thomas’ next book!

The Vanishing Season (Ellery Hathaway #1) by   Joanna Schaffhausen 4 Stars A tremendous debut novel, and a who-dun-it of the first order!   The Vanishing Season kept me engrossed until the very end, and I never guessed who the killer was.   It’s well written, the characters are people it’s easy to root for, and Ellery Hathaway is a heroine whose next story I am very anxious to read.

You Are What You Read by   Jodie Jackson 3 Stars I’m torn between 3 and 4 stars on this book: 4 stars because I think it’s an important topic and I believe the author’s position on it is spot-on, but 3 stars because (as other reviewers have pointed out) it just feels like there’s too much filler in the book.   The topic could have been covered well in a long essay.   Even a short book (as this is) feels like the author was trying to meet a teacher’s requirement for a minimum number of pages; much of it seems forced and unnecessary. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45869086-you-are-what-you-read

Nancy Wake: World War Two's Most Rebellious Spy by   Russell Braddon 4 Stars Nancy Wake is a biography/war memoir that reads like a thriller.   Highly recommended!