Better off Dead (Jack Reacher, #26)

Better off Dead by Lee Child
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reacher agrees to help Michaela Fenton rescue her brother, Michael and discovers a plot to blow up a U.S. TEDAC stronghold.

Fast paced and as usual Reacher saves the day.

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The Judge's List by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)

The Judge's List by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the beginning and middle but the ending was very rushed and unsatisfactory.

Jeri suspects a sitting judge murdered her Father years ago and has continued to kill people on his list throughout the years she goes to Lacy and the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct with the info and they are forced to investigate.

Not content to let the investigation take it's course Jeri informs the Judge of the investigation anonymously, but he easily discovers who is behind the letters and starts stalking Jeri. She is kidnapped and only escapes because some teenagers break into the house where she is being kept after the Judge leaves.

And just when the Judge should be apprehended he committees suicide. Or does he? The instructions he left in his will make me think he was up to something as well as the fact the FBI never found his secret hide-out.

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What's Blooming Now

 

Floral Fantasy

Pineapple Sage

 Mexican Tarragon

Fall Flowers

 

An Unwilling Accomplice (Bess Crawford, #6)

An Unwilling Accomplice by Charles Todd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At least this time Bess' involvement makes sense. Bess is asked to escort Jason Wilkins to a ceremony at Buckingham Palace and then care for him afterwards until he is fetched by an orderly. All goes well until the next morning when it is discovered that Jason is missing and Bess is accused of helping him desert.

Bess and Simon set out to find Jason and prove Bess' innocence. But before they can track him down he is accused of murdering Lessup. (Lessup was responsible for his brother Jeremy's death). But when they finally do come face to face with Jason they discover that things are more complicated then they thought, Jeremy isn't dead but he is trying to kill Jason.

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The Butler by Danielle Steel

The Butler by Danielle Steel
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Honestly it seemed rushed. Abandoned by their Father Javier turns to a life of crime in Argentina while Joachim accompanies his Mother and Step-Father to France. After his Step-Father's death he uses his inheritance to attend Butler school in England and only returns to France when his employers die and he is out of work. Wanting to be near his Mother he takes a job in France with Olivia. Then Javier shows up and is killed by the police. Fearing that Javier's associates will mistake him for Javier (they are mirror twins) Joachim abandons his Mother and Olivia and returns to England.

Then his Mother dies and he hooks up with Olivia. Like I said rushed. I think the story would have been more interesting if it had been about his Mother Liese.

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Relentless: A Drizzt Novel by R.A. Salvatore

Relentless: A Drizzt Novel by R.A. Salvatore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Drizzt does make an appearance at the end of the book.

This book is told from Jarlaxle and Zaknafein's POV and for most of the book Drizzt is assumed to be dead or at least transcended (Kane, Grandmaster of Flowers transcended in a previous book but was accomplished enough to reconstitute himself). The book starts off with Afafrenfere contemplating trying to transcend and Grandmaster Kane telling him he isn't ready (Foreshadowing anyone).

Then we revisit Zaknafein's early days in Menzoberranzan, his joy in Drizzt's birth and the lengths he went to, to protect Drizzt. He ultimately gave his life so that Drizzt would be spared (Then Yvonnel brought him back to life Timeless, now Zaknafein is coming to terms with the loss of his son and the impending birth of his grandchild. Zaknafein is determined to protect those Drizzt loved and is trying to make peace with them and accept Drizzt's beliefs.

Artemis Entreri is trying to be a better man, which puts him at odds with Dahlia. She leaves when he refuses to betray Yvonnel, Wulfgar, Pwent and Kimmuriel.

Grandmaster Kane felt someone transcend and sends Afafrenfere to Gauntlegrym. Boundless where he is told where Drizzt was last seen Afafrenfere goes to Thornhold to see if any of Drizzt remains. When Afafrenfere is attacked by Clan Stoneshaft (dwarfs) he transcends before they can kill him.

The drows are at war with one another and have turned on House Baenre. But Yvonnel comes up with a daring plan to save House Baenre as well as King Bruenor and his followers. She and Matron Mother Quenthel join together to create a magical web and Yvonnel talks Cattie-brie into using Creation (Birth) Magic to make it possible. The web turns the Driders back into drow, and Quenthel makes the offer to them that they can join House Baenre. The Creation magic also reaches Afafrenfere and he finds Drizzt and helps him reconstitute his body. Kimmuriel uses it to reach Gromph and convince him to open the gates and deliver the (Water Primordial) magic needed to keep the Primordial (fire) caged. Pwent used the web to undo the vampire curse and Artemis carried him back to Gauntlegrym in time to save his life.

Cattie-brie reveals her daughters name Briennelle Zaharina Brie-Zara (named for Bruenor and Zaknafein) nicknamed Breezy by Pwent before...

"They all cheered, or started to, but then the other door to the room burst open and a man rushed in.
All in the room recognized the robes of a master of St. Sollars and the Monastery of the Yellow Rose, and recognized even more the man wearing them.
The lavender-eyed, white-haired drow ranger wearing them."

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