Portrait of an Unknown Woman (Gabriel Allon #22)

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva is the 22nd book in his Gabriel Allon espionage series.

Gabriel Allon has finally retired from Mossad. His days of traveling the world on secret missions, or even his days of sending others on secret missions, is over. He and Chiara and the twins are moving to Venice where he can concentrate on art.

A few paintings by Old Master have recently been discovered in a private collection - code for likely forged with a small chance of being an authentic lost treasure. 

When an art dealer friend asks for help, Gabriel so be hunting the world's best forger. 

Silva is a great writer and storyteller. Read him!

Silva, Daniel. (2022). Portrait of an Unknown Woman. New York: Harper.

The Guide (Sequel to The River)

The Guide by Peter Heller is a fishing murder mystery where the guide might be in deep water. Heller fans will recognize Jack from The River. 

Kingfisher Lodge, located on the a mile and a half of the best fly fishing in the world, plays host to the wealthiest of clients. And now, during the latest of a series of world-wide pandemics, it is one of the last places to get away.

Jack has been hired to finish out the season when a river guide quits with no notice. He will be in charge of one to two clients at a time. And he is about to be thrown in as his first client is arriving in the morning.

Alison K is a well-known singer, taking a break from touring to recover. She is a seasoned fisherperson, having grown up in the Carolinas in a fishing family. She arrives with a security guard who assesses the lodge before he signs off on her week of rest.

But something strange is going on here. Each edge of the property is very clearly marked - one with a Don't Get Shot sign, and the other with a Beware Dogs will eat you vibe. 

What follow is Peter Heller at his best (which he is at in each of his books!). A suspenseful ride that will keep readers up until the last page. If you have not yet read Peter Heller, start today with any of his novels. You will quickly consume them all!

Heller, Peter.(2021). The Guide. New York: Alfred A Knopf.

The Cellist (Gabriel Allon #21)

The Cellist by Daniel Silva is the twenty-first book in his Gabriel Allon series. Allon is an Israeli spy who is now the head of Mossad.

Victor Orlov, a Russia oligarch fled to UK years ago. Not that the Kremlin ever forgot about him. Case in point, he was just poisoned, apparently by an envelope dropped off by the journalist Nina Antonova.

Filled with all of the characters you have loved in previous books, Allon heads to London to help solve this mystery whose path will lead all over Russia and North America. 

Silva is a beautiful writer. His words are always well chosen and his plot twists impeccable. His is one of the best writers around. If you don't know about him and like political intrigue, espionage and a fast pace, get started today.

Silva, Daniel. (2021). The Cellist. New York: Harper.

The Rose Code

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is about the women who broke codes for England during World War II and the person who betrayed them.

Bletchley Park recruited from anyone who might be able to help break codes - mathematicians, puzzle aficionados, men and women.

Three code breakers who were inseparable during the war are brought back together in 1947 when one of them receives a coded message in the mail - using a cypher they used to pass notes during the war. 

Osla, a German speaker is a debutante who dated Prince Phillip. Mab is from Shoreditch and took a secretarial course to get out and help her family. Beth is a master at crosswords and seeing patterns.

They are called to crack one more code - one that will save the lives of two of them. 

Quinn is a storytelling mage. Her historical fiction puts the reader right in the thick of it. Choose any of her books and you will be up well past your bedtime thoroughly engrossed.

Quinn, Kate. (2021). The Rose Code. New York: William Morrow.  

Dear Edward

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano is the story of a plane crash with one survivor - a twelve-year-old boy.

Eddie is moving from New York City to California with his mom, dad, and older brother. They are all packed and about to take off on Flight 2977.  Jane Adler is a writer who is moving to Los Angeles to write for a television show. Bruce Adler is a mathematician and homeschool teacher to his two sons.

Told in snippets alternating between the flight and after, Napolitano introduces a cast of characters who are all on the flight for different reasons. After the crash, Eddie goes to live with his aunt and uncle in New Jersey, trying to make sense of his new life.

This is great book. It is both suspenseful because readers know something bad is about to happen and the coming of age story of a boy growing into a man.

Napolitano, Ann. (2020). Dear Edward. New York: The Dial Press.

Breaking Wild

Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets is a story of wilderness, search and rescue, and not giving up.

Amy Raye Latour is hunting elk. She is with two friends in the Colorado wilderness. In late November, rifle season is open, but she prefers to hunt with a bow. First thing in the morning, she leaves with the truck for a day of solitude and stalking.

When she does not return to camp, her friends report her missing. She is off any marked trail, possibly lost or hurt.

Ranger Pru Hathaway of the BLM is an archaeological law enforcement officer, tasked with protecting sites from looting and vandalism. She and her dog spend a lot of time hiking the back country and are both trained in search and rescue.

Alternating chapters between Amy and Pru, this tale of the wilds tells of both women's love for the outdoors, the backgrounds that lead them there and the strength it takes to be alone in the wilderness. This is both a thriller and the story of two lives. A great read. If you are an Anna Pigeon by Nevada Barr fan, this is for you.

Les Becquets, Diane. (2016). Breaking Wild. New York: Berkley.

The Painter

The Painter by Peter Heller is a book of pain, loss and art.

Jim Stegner is an artist who lives in the desert in rural Colorado. Though he paints what he wants, sometimes without conscious thought, he is a popular painter in the Santa Fe scene and his agent loves him. His art is how he processes emotions and the pain in which he lives.

Jim's other passion is fishing. He is an avid fly-fisher on all of the rivers of the Southwest. 

One day while leaving the river, he stops a man from beating his horse. Now Jim has the horse and the man and his friends are on a mission to make Jim's life miserable. 

The Painter is the story of a man who is trying to live a quite life in the middle of nowhere, a man whom violence seems to follow. This is a compelling and haunting tale that will stick with you far after you return it to the shelf. Heller has a way with words that will make you a loyal fan after the first chapter in any of his novels.

Heller, Peter. (2014). The Painter. New York: Knopf.

Paradise Valley (Cassie Dewell #3)

Paradise Valley by C.J. Box is the third book in his series featuring Cassie Dewell, a police investigator working (currently) in Bakken County, North Dakota. In this case, two of Cassie’s previous cases will collide, endangering a boy she cares about and involving a man she has been hunting for years.

Dewell, with the aid of an FBI task force and a district attorney from the East Coast, has set a trap for a serial killer who uses the highways as his hiding place. The Lizard King has been at large for years. He has been questioned twice but has not been arrested for the suspected murder of dozens of women across the country. He is a long-haul trucker working on his own and traceable by no one.

Over the years, Dewell has posted jobs on a board for truckers looking to fill empty space as they drive. The only way the independent drivers make money is by hauling a full load. Now, finally, the man for whom she has been searching has agreed to pick up a load. Better yet, they have surveillance of him picking up a woman as a truck stop – a woman who did not leave the truck before the truck drove away. If they time it right, they can catch him and save the woman.

On the same day as the setup, Kyle Westergaard, age 15, disappears along with his best friend. Did they run away like a note says or did something else happen.

Dewell is a character who follows her instincts, even when logic dictates otherwise. Read this series for an enjoyable mystery / suspense series.

Box, C.J. (2017). Paradise Valley. NY: Minotaur.

Badlands (Cassie Dewell #2)

Badlands by C.J. Box is the second book in her Cassie Dewell series. Cassie is a police investigator in Helena, Montana. Though she just applied for a job in the booming oil community of Grimstad, North Dakota. The town of Grimstad is expanding due to oil fracking. The Sherriff’s department has added a couple dozen deputies. Dewell is interested in their head investigator, the highest detective position.

Kyle Westergaard, age 12, has a newspaper route. His mom says she will drive him, but she is too tired in the mornings from her own job. Kyle uses his bike. He rides miles every morning even in the now freezing weather. One morning, while taking a short cut through a new housing development, Kyle watches a car chase that ends with a crash. When a police car’s lights can be seen in the distance, the two men in the second car stop searching the wreck and flee. Kyle picks up a bundle he saw fly away from the car.

Dewell’s first case in Grimstad will come down to a witness no one thinks to speak to because no one knows he was there.

Box writes crime suspense that is fun to read. Cassie Dewell is a bit of a mess but trying her best. She learned from someone who cause almost as many problems as he solved.

Box, C. J. (2015). Badlands. NY: Minotaur.

The Highway (Cody Hody #1 / Cassie Dewell #1)

The Highway by C.J. Box is a novel of suspense that will haunt you. It is both the second book in the Cody Hoyt series and the first in the Cassie Dewell series – two police detectives in Helena, Montana. An experienced investigator who has been known to break the rules and a new investigator just starting out.

Teens Danielle and Gracie Sullivan are driving to their father’s house for Thanksgiving. But when Gracie (the younger and more responsible sister) falls asleep, Danielle turns north toward Helena to see Justin Hoyt. They met the previous summer when they were all on an adventure in Yellowstone that was a bit too interesting. Justin’s dad, Cody, ultimately saved the girls from a serial killer. Danielle and Justin have been dating, long-distance, since then. Danielle knows Justin wants to break up but is sure in person she can convince him not to.

 When the young women stop texting Justin, he gets worried and calls his dad to look for them. The main highway was blocked after an accident and he told them to go through the corner of Yellowstone. He knows there is no cell service for part of it, but too much time has passed. Hoyt is in no condition to help out, but will do anything for his son, or for Gracie. With the help of his new partner, Cassie Dewell, he starts making phone calls.

In the course of her research, Dewell finds a patter of young women disappearing in the area. The FBI has put together a task for on a possible long-haul trucker / serial killer who operates in the area.

Box has written a story that will keep readers on edge until the last page. If you like suspense with a bit of creepy this is the book for you.

Box, C.J. (2013). The Highway. NY: Minotaur Books.

Back of Beyond (Cody Hoyt #1)

Back of Beyond by C.J. Box is the first book in his mystery / suspense series featuring Police Inspector Cody Hoyt. Hoyt is likely in his last chance job as a police officer. He is brilliant at solving crimes when he puts his mind to it, but his mind is often more focused on drinking, or not drinking.

When the Helena dispatcher sends Cody to a remove mountain cabin where hikers found a half-burned building with what looks like a person, Cody is afraid he knows who lives there. It is his AA sponsor and friend. While the scene looks like an accidental fire, he is convinced it was murder.

Once he tries to convince his fellow detective it is a crime scene, the forensic team goes to work. One clue, the website last up on the man’s computer, leads Cody to decide that the killer is using an outdoor, five-day horseback through Yellowstone to evade the investigation. Unfortunately, if he is right, it may be the same trip Hoyt’s son is on with his potential new stepfather.

Box has created a terribly flawed cop for whom readers will still root. And a secondary character who readers will be glad to see again in the next book, fourteen-year-old Gracie Sullivan who is on the adventure with her sister and father. The details can be a bit gruesome, but this is a great mystery for anyone who likes the outdoors. Readers of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series will enjoy the scenery. 

Box, C.J. (2011). Back of Beyond. NY: Minotaur Books.

The River

The River by Peter Heller is a peaceful boat ride through a series of lakes...until it is not.

Wynn and Jack have one month to traverse a series of lakes and a river ending in Hudson Bay in northern Canada. They both love to fish, canoe, and be in nature. They have allotted themselves more time than it should take so they can enjoy the peace and solitude.

During a foggy evening, they hear a man and woman arguing from the shore. They give the couple a wide berth so not to intrude.

The next day, in the next lake, the wind shifts and Wynn and Jack smell smoke. Jack climbs a tree and sees a huge forest fire racing toward them. No more taking their time.

They agree to warn the couple they passed, but when they go back to the previous lake they cannot find anyone. The make up the lost miles and camp at the top of the first set of falls on the river.

Before they carry their boat and supplies down the trail to the bottom of the large waterfall, they see a man in a canoe. He is alone and looks lost. When they call him over - saving him from going over the falls - he is disoriented and confused. Is he the same man from the couple? If so, where is his wife?

Heller writes beautifully. His story flows like a river. He makes readers want to paddle this set of lakes even in spite of the second half of the book where there may be a killer and there is definitely a huge forest fire coming for the characters. This is a great read that will fly by but and stick with you for a while. A perfect summer read.

Heller, Peter. (2019). The River. New York: Alfred A Knopf.

Rebecca

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is a classic for a very good reason – you will keep thinking of this story far after you finish the book.

The main character, never named in print, is working as a lady’s companion. She is not from the noble class and has few options outside of a good marriage. She is in Monte Carlo as companion to an American woman she does not really care for when she meets Maximilian de Winter, the owner of he famous house on the cliffs – Manderley.

When her lady becomes ill and she finds herself with free time, she is surprise to find the she and Maxim get along quite well despite a large age difference. He is easy to talk to and they enjoy spending time exploring Monte Carlo.

Soon they are married. After some more travel in Europe, it is back to Manderley in England where the new Mrs. de Winters finds herself well out of her element. Maxim is busy with estate affairs and there is no one to guide her in the new role she is thrust into. She begins to wonder if Maxim is regretting their decision to marry.

The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, keeps comparing her to the late Mrs. de Winters, or Rebecca. Rebecca’s shadow seems to hang over the house and the new, young wife feels that she is not living up to the standard Rebecca set.

In Rebecca, Du Maurier has created a thrilling novel of suspense where all is not as it seems.

Du Maurier, Daphne. (1938). Rebecca. New York: HarperCollins.

Archetype (Archetype #1)

Archetype by M.D. Waters is a dystopian tale on the order of the Handmaid's Tale.

Emma wakes up with no memory. Her husband, Declan, is a patient and powerful man who helps nurse her back to health. She is staying in a clinic which seems more like a lab where she has tests everyday.

There is a voice in her head that warns her not to talk about the dreams and memories that begin to surface. Memories of a camp / school where girls are trained to be mothers. And dreams of a beach with a man who is not her husband.

Waters has created a creepy futuristic novel about a woman with no memory who has to rely on instincts about who to trust. The feel of reading this book invokes a confusion and tension - and a need to find out the truth!

Waters, M.D. (2013). Archetype. New York: Plume.

Night School (Jack Reacher #21)

Night School by Lee Child is the 21st book in his Jack Reacher series - a retired Army MP who wanders the US stumbling onto situations that need to be resolved. This novel is a jump back to his time in the Army.

In 1996, Jack Reacher is a major in the US Army military police. He is an investigator who sees things that others often miss.

Coming off of a successful mission, Reacher is given a medal and told he is going back to school. The vague title of the class sounds like improving agency cooperation with other US alphabet groups. But really it is a black hole - an assignment so boring that no one will look for him while he works with two agents (FBI and CIA).

The CIA has an asset in Germany who is part of a new group out of the Middle East. The asset overheard a messenger say that the American wants one hundred million. Of course, this set the NSA in motion. They don't know what is going on, but it must be big.

With so little information the team, supplemented by helper of their choice, can try to figure out what would be worth that much, or try to find the messenger for the next part of the negotiation - without burning the asset. Reacher calls his favorite sergeant, Francis Neagley. One of my favorite supporting characters in any series, I was thrilled to get another book with Neagley!

Child's series is filled with great reads. Fans of mystery, suspense, and characters with their own, unbending sense of right and wrong, will love this series.

Child, Lee. (2016). Night School. New York: Delacourte Press.

Burn (Anna Pigeon #16)

Burn by Nevada Barr is the sixteenth book in her Anna Pigeon series - a park ranger with the National Park Service.

Anna is on leave following a couple of intense situations and injuries. In order to get away from just sitting at home - she has never been great at being idle - Anna decides to visit a colleague in New Orleans.

Geneva works at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. She is a ranger, but spends her days singing - most of the rangers assigned to New Orleans are singers and musician who educate about the history of the area and its music. 

Anna runs into a group of what she thinks of as gutter punks. When one of their dogs gets away, she automatically follows the dog. When she catches him, the man who lost him is not grateful - he lashes out at her. And when she returns to one of the apartments behind Geneva's house, he is there. Jordan rents one of the other apartments. 

Geneva, who is blind, has a different image of Jordan that Anna sees. Geneva pictured a woman, and Jordan always pays rent on time. Anna is convinced that Jordan is up to something and decides to follow him to find out what.

Barr has created a great character in Anna Pigeon. She has seen a lot through the series of books - each set in a different national park. Mystery readers will devour this series. Adventure and outdoor enthusiasts will love the setting and harrowing situations in which Ranger Pigeon finds herself. If you don't know the series, you can start at book one - Track the Cat - or book 17 which is a look back at Anna's first park assignment: The Rope.

Barr, Nevada. (2010). Burn. New York: St. Martin's Press.

The Guilty (Will Robie #4)

The Guilty by David Baldacci is the fourth book in his Will Robie series about a CIA assassin.

Will Robie is one of the best snipers the CIA has in its secret black book. He has been on numerous assignments and has pulled them off professionally. But on his latest mission something goes wrong and an innocent is killed along with his target.

When Robie gets word that his father is on trial for murder, his first response is to try to re-bury the past. But after a fail attempt at work, he decides to head to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to the town of Cantrell - a town he left 22 years ago with no intention of ever returning.

After some information hunting - like pulling teeth to get the locals to talk to someone who left - he puts together that his dad is accused of killing a man who was acquitted of murder himself. Robie will get to the bottom of what happened, but unlike his day job, the target is undefined.

Baldacci is a great writer of suspense and mystery novels. Will Robie is a great character who can take care of himself even within the twists and turns of this plot. Great series for fans of good books!

Baldacci, David. (2015). The Guilty. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Borderline (Nevada Barr #15)

Borderline by Nevada Barr is the fifteenth book in her Anna Pigeon mystery / suspense / adventure series which follows a National Parks ranger on her assignments in some of the most beautiful places in the United States.

After a harrowing experience, Anna is taking a little time off to recover. She and her new husband, Paul, are going on a rafting trip on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. It will be a few days on the river with strangers where Anna will not be in any type of leadership role.

Joining four college students and a river guide, Anna is getting used to people again. She is working through PTSD after an attack and is finding it refreshing to be around young people.

Due to some rain upriver, the water levels rise and the rapid around a previous rock slide become more intense - leading to the raft wrapping around a rock and dumping everyone out.

Once on the shore, looking for their gear and each other, one of the college student screams. The body of a woman is tangled in some branches. She appears to be dead. Forming a human chain, Anna reaches her and tries to free her, only to discover that the woman is alive and very pregnant.

Barr's books about Anna Pigeon make up one of my favorite series. Each setting plays a role in the story. The recurring characters - Anna and now Paul - are great people I would love to befriend. If you like mystery, suspense or the great outdoors read these books!

Barr, Nevada. (2009). Borderline. New York: G.P.Putnam's Sons.

Winter Study (Anna Pigeon #14)

Winter Study by Nevada Barr is the fourteenth book in her Anna Pigeon series, a ranger in the US National Parks. Each mystery takes place in a different park.

On loan from her current posting, Anna Pigeon is going back to Isle Royale National Park located on an island in Lake Superior between Minnesota and Ontario. Isle Royale is closed to the public for the winter when a fifty-year plus study is being conducted on wolves and moose on the island. Anna is going to learn more about wolves, as a pack has been reintroduced to her park, Rocky Mountain NP.

With the new government focus on terrorism, a representative from Homeland Security is also joining the team - to evaluate whether the remote park could be used by people trying to sneak across the border. Depending on his report, the wolf study could end and the park opened up to winter visitors.

Anna arrives to a winter wonderland on an island you can only be flown into - when weather permits. The scientists there can be trapped for weeks without a supply run if the cloud cover does not cooperate. Due to the Homeland Security man and his research assistant, the team has a strange dynamic.

A few days later, the research assistant goes missing. Alone on the island with no electricity in a frozen land, the team must find her. And when they do, Anna's background in investigation will compel her to find out what happened.

Barr's series featuring Anna Pigeon is wonderful for both mystery fans and those who love the outdoors. The setting always plays a part in the story. Anna Pigeon is someone you would want on your side in the great outdoors.

Barr, Nevada. (2008). Winter Study. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Destroyer Angel (Anna Pigeon #18)

Destroyer Angel by Nevada Barr is the eighteenth book in the Anna Pigeon series. Anna is a park ranger in the US national parks. She has been assigned all over the place during her career (each book takes place in a different park).

Anna is joining friends camping in the North Woods of the Iron Range in Minnesota. Heath is a paraplegic and former rock climber who is testing equipment that will help make her time outdoors more enjoyable and give her more freedom of movement. Heath's daughter, Elizabeth is with her. Leah, the designer of an outdoor wheelchair and a canoe for paras is joined by her daughter Katie.

On their second night in the woods, Anna goes for a solo canoe float down the river. While she is away four men surround the camp. They are there to kidnap Leah and Katie. Some fast thinking prevents them from killing Heath and Elizabeth. Soon the four women are tied up and being marched out.

Anna hears them before she stumbles upon them and then uses her knowledge of the outdoors to track them, waiting for an opportunity to help.

Barr is a master storyteller. Her character, Anna Pigeon, is the person you want on your side in any situation - she could rival Jack Reacher in her usefulness. These books are awesome. If you have not yet started the Anna Pigeon books, you can start at book one: Track the Cat or at The Rope, a flashback to her first case as a ranger. Either way - read this series!

Barr, Nevada. (2014). Destroyer Angel. New York: St. Martin's Press.