Past Tense (Jack Reacher #23)

Past Tense by Lee Child is the twenty-third book in his Jack Reacher series. Reacher is a retire Army MP who now wanders the country aimlessly while stumbling onto mysteries.

As the summer ends, Reacher plans to leave New Hampshire and head toward the Southwest. But he does not get far. The man giving him a ride gets an emergency call and drops Jack off on the side of the road.

The next sign points, in one direction, to the town where Reacher's father was born. Why not check it out? He has never been there. His father joined the Marines at 17 and never went back.

Sally and Shorty are driving from Canada to NYC to sell something they have in a large, heavy suitcase. They are hoping to make it all the way without stopping, but their car has other ideas. A motel sign in the middle of nowhere has them turning off the tiny road they are on and hoping for the best.

Child has put Reacher into another situation where he both helps and causes trouble - mostly to those who deserve it. His adventures are always fun reads.

Child, Lee. (2018). Past Tense. New York: Delacorte Press.

Spinning Silver

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is the best fantasy book of 2018!

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of money lenders. But her father has stopped trying to collect debts. The towns people are not nice to him - both because of their debts and because he is Jewish.

When Miryem's mother gets ill, she decides to start collecting the money owed. She will not let people off the hook, adding interest for any missed payments. And as her family can afford food and fire wood again, her mother starts to recover.

Wanda has been hired by Miryem to help out at her house to help pay off her father's debt. For each day, Wanda lowers her fathers debt and earns money for herself. Money she plans to use to run away with her brothers once they have enough.

Once Miryem starts to do well, the Staryk - fey creatures of ice who live in the forest, come looking for her. A Staryk man gives her a bag of silver and tells her to turn it into gold. If she fails, she is sure she will be killed. If she succeeds, she is trapped into a bargain with a dangerous, magical being.

Novik has written an amazing book that centers around 3 women - all in a web caused by Miryem's desire to save her family. Buy this book today! You will reread it like a great fairy tale. And it is exciting to see a Jewish character in a great fantasy book.

Novik, Naomi. (2018). Spinning Silver. New York: DelRey.

The Alice Network

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn is an amazing historical novel about a missing cousin and a female spy network.

1947 - Charlie St. Clair in traveling from the United States to Switzerland with her mother. They are going because Charlie is unwed and pregnant. But Charlie has other ideas - she is searching for her cousin, Rose, who has missing since the middle of the war. Everyone else has stopped looking.

Charlie has the name of someone in London who might know what happened. So when their ship stops in the UK, Charlie ditches her mother and heads to London - based on a name scribbled on a scrap of paper.

Eve Gardiner is in no mood for visitors. In fact, she really only speaks to one person - her driver, Finn. What they don't know is the reason Eve is angry and usually drinking.

Eve Gardiner was recruited to join a female spy network in 1915. She was sent to infiltrate a restaurant in France - a restaurant owned by a man who gladly served German officers.

Charlie convinces Eve and Finn to go with her to find her cousin - who worked for a restaurant and an evil man during the war. A story that will bring up all of the demons of Eve's past.

Quinn has written an incredible book. Go buy a copy right now if you have not already done so!

Quinn, Kate, (2017). The Allice Network. New York: William Morrison.