A Minute to Midnight (Atlee Pine #2)

A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci is the second book in his mystery thriller series featuring FBI agent Atlee Pine.

After intercepting a kidnapper in the process of stealing a teenage girl, and beating him silly, Atlee has been offered some time off. Since Pine is not much for being idle, she decides to work on her sister's cold case.

Pine and her assistant, Carol Blum, head to Andersonville, Georgia. Atlee has not been there for nearly 30 years. As a child, a man came into her room and kidnapped her twin sister Mercy, while leaving Atlee in the hospital with a massive head injury. There has been no sight of Mercy since that night.

Atlee plans to interview her parents friends and anyone else who is still around and may remember something. But her visit seems to have set someone off - as she practically trips over a dead body in town.

Baldacci writes great mysteries and thrillers. Atlee Pine is a determined, focused FBI agent who will never stop looking for her sister.

Baldacci, David. (2019). A Minute to Midnight. NY: Grand Central Publishing.

Treecat Wars (Stephanie Harrington #3)

Treecat Wars by David Weber and Jane Lindskold is the third book in the Stephanie Harrington science fiction series set in the Star Kingdom of Manticore.

Stephanie is the youngest member of the Sphynx Forestry Service, in a position created for her. Now she has been given the opportunity to visit the capital planet of Manticore to attend a training. She has to decide if she should go, and if Lionheart her treecat, can survive a trip off the planet - leaving everything he knows.

Due to a rough fire season, many treecats have lost their habitats. Those left, many ranged bands of destroyed clans, are trying to find a place to settle before the winter sets in. But some other clans, who are afraid of having enough for their own, are wary of the strangers.

David Weber and Jane Linskold seem to have abandoned this series. Only tree books on the early years of human - treecat relations. This makes me sad.

Weber, David and Jane Lindskold. (2013). Treecat Wars. NY: Baen.

Fire Season (Stephanie Harrington #2)

Fire Season by David Weber and Jane Lindskold is the second book in the Stephanie Harrington science fiction series.

Stephanie Harrington was one of the first humans to encounter a treecat - a six legged feline native to the planet Sphynx. Treecats communicate telepathically and bond for life. Now that Stephanie and Lionheart are inseparable their adventure continues.

The Crown of Manticore, the planet that governs the system that includes Sphynx, has approved a study to learn about treecats. To determine if they are a sentient race, and as such, entitled to the rights of people.

A team of six arrives, some with spouses/partners/teenage children, to work with the Sphynx Forestry Service to study treecats without disturbing them. Stephanie will be keeping an eye on them to help protect Lionheart and his clan.

Then the team goes off on its own to study a list of approved sites that treecats have abandoned. And becomes lost in the forest after their aircar becomes mired in sinking mud.

The missing study combined with the higher than average fires in the late Fall season, will keep Stephanie and her friends in high demand, and in high danger.

Weber's young adult series to introduce the history of treecat - human relationships is a great read for fans of the Honor Harrington series as well as fans of science fiction and animals.

Weber, David and Jane Lindskold. (2012). Fire Season. NY: Bean.

The Starless Sea

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is an amazing book! Go buy a copy today, it is that good. :-)

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a grad student in Vermont. He is studying stories, in the form of video games. Since the semester has not officially begun, he has been roaming the fiction section of the university library.

He stumbles across an old book, the spine warn to the point of being blank. Once he starts reading it, he is shocked to find himself, as a child, in one of the stories.

He starts a quest to find more information. Where did the book come from, are there others? He researches some of the symbols used in the other stories and finds a photo of a masquerade ball from the previous year. More searching reveals that this year's masquerade is next weekend.

I cannot say more without spoilers. Fans of The Night Circus, will not be disappointed. There are stories within stories in a magical way that will lead readers to long for a visit. While my favorite books at any given moment depends upon so much, I feel it is safe to say that whatever Erin Morgenstern writes will be at the top of the list!

Morgenstern, Erin. (2019). The Starless Sea. New York: Doubleday.