Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1)

Still Life by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was at a loss as to who the killer was until close to the end. I think I figured it out about the same time Clare did. Really enjoyable characters that I am looking forward to getting to know better.

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No Plan B (Jack Reacher, #27)

No Plan B by Lee Child
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For the first time in a long time, I didn't have a clue what was going on until the end. When Reacher witnesses a woman's murder in Gerrardsville, Colorado, he is asked to help investigate by the only detective who believed his account of her being pushed in front of the bus and her bag stolen. His boss is content to rule the "accident" a suicide and move on. While looking into it he discovers the guy she was supposed to meet died suspiciously of a heart attack. Convinced he was murdered too Reacher joins forces with the man's ex-wife (thank God Reacher had someone to drive him) and they travel to Winston, Mississippi to uncover the truth. But the men behind the murders are on the lookout for Reacher and are determined to prevent him from reaching Winston.

Jed Starmer after learning the identity of his Father from his dying Mother and learning he is fixing to be released from prison is also on his way to Winston, Mississippi. The young boy has his possessions stolen on the bus and is almost kidnapped but never gives up.

Maurice the journalist is determined to uncover the truth and win a Pulitzer.

And Lev Emerson is determined to get revenge for his son's death.

Their paths will collide in a shocking and brutal way when the truth is revealed and Reacher has to fight to stay alive and rescue his companions.

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Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brilliantly written born to an unwed Mother whose Father died before he was born Demon grows up dealing with her addiction until she Od's, with no family to speak of he enters the horrors of the foster care system until he works up his nerve to confront his Grandmother.

For a while Demon's future looks bright living with the Coach of the General's and a rising star on the football field until an injury derails his dreams and leads to an addiction that threatens his life, watching his friends die from the drugs that rule their life he finds salvation in his art and the woman he loves.

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Racing the Light (Elvis Cole #19; Joe Pike #8)

Racing the Light by Robert Crais
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adele hires Cole to find her missing son, but this Mom comes with a lot of baggage, an overprotective ex-husband as well as several bodyguards.

Josh has stumbled upon corrupt government officials whom he intends to expose in his podcast, but his ambition has the body count rising and it's all Elvis can do, with the help of Joe Pike and Jon Stone to keep up.

Lucy and Ben are back and Lucy has decided to try again with Elvis Cole.

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The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club, #1) by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Part One
A charming book. The Thursday Murder Club comprises seniors residing in a retirement village (Coopers Chase). Ron Ritchie (prominent in the Union in his day) and his son, a famous boxer, have a connection to the deceased victim. Joyce a former nurse, (has a thing for Bernard. Sadly Bernard appears to be devoted to his dead wife's memory. Joyce also has a daughter who does accounting.) Elizabeth seems to have been M16 in another life and has friends she can call on for favors when she can't scheme her way to the desired result. Unfortunately her husband Stephen suffers from dementia. Ibrahim a former therapist seems to take a back seat to the other three but does seem to be very precise when he has information to deliver. And former member Penny (a former inspector in the Kent police) who Joyce visits and gives updates to even though she is in a coma. Penny's husband John is glued to Penny's bedside.

The book begins when PC Donna De Freitas delivers a speech to the Thursday Murder Club and winds up being quizzed by them. Ian Ventham the developer of Coopers Chase wants to move a graveyard in order to build more units he also wants to replace his contractor Tony Curran with Bogdan in order to save money. Ian is worried about Tony's reaction so he confronts him at Coopers Chase where the members of the Thursday Murder Club witness the row. Shortly afterward Tony is bludgeoned to death in his kitchen and Ian is the prime suspect. Determined to move ahead with the project Ian tries to have the graves dug up at the crack of dawn but the seniors thwart him by blocking the path. While the seniors are confronting Ian, Bogdan goes to the graveyard and starts to dig up the newer graves where he stumbles upon something odd a skeleton outside the casket, as well as the one inside the casket. Fearing the project will be delayed he reburies both skeletons until he can talk to Ian. Before Bogdan has a chance to tell Ian what he discovered, Ian gets into a confrontation with Father Mackie and a slight scuffle ensues shortly afterward Ian dies of an apparent stroke or heart attack. So now we have two dead men Tony Curran and his partner Ian Ventham.

It turns out that Ian was injected with fentanyl, which caused his death. Bernard commits suicide due to his guilt over burying his late wife's ashes under the park bench he is always sitting on instead of allowing their daughters to spread her ashes in the Ganges River as she wanted. The police are led to believe that Turkish Gianni killed Tony Curran, but later Bogdan confesses to Stephen and explains that Tony Curran ordered Turkish Gianni to kill the taxi driver (Bogdan's friend) that drove Gianni and the dead drug dealer Tony shot out of town to bury. Enraged over his friend's death Bogdan killed Turkish Gianni and made it look like he fled town before the police could arrest him. Then years later when he had the opportunity he killed Tony. For some reason even though The Thursday Murder Club suspect Bogdan of the murders they choose not to pursue his guilt.

On the other hand, The Thursday Murder Club confronts John but allows him to assist in Penny's death before taking his own life. He killed Ian to keep the cemetery from being dug up as Penny had hidden the body of the young man she killed there. The man had killed his girlfriend and gotten away with it.

Father Mackie had impregnated one of the nuns at the convent and she hung herself when her pregnancy was discovered. In order for her to be buried in the hollowed ground of the cemetery he agreed to leave the priesthood quietly.

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A World of Curiosities (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #18) by Louise Penny (Goodreads Author)

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I would have probably enjoyed it more if I had been familiar with the series and was familiar with the characters. I found the first part of the book slow going as they kept referencing the past, once we got to the actual plot and things progressed in a straight line I enjoyed it much more, but without the flashbacks, to the past, it wouldn't have made sense.

When Armand and Jean-Guy first met they were trying to solve the murder of a mother whose two children had been sexually abused to feed her drug habit. It was also revealed that the local police were corrupt and that some of the officers had actually been customers. Armand saw the young boy Sam, as evil and thought he bore more of a responsibility for his Mother's death than Jean-Guy did. Jean-Guy actually took Sam an interest in Sam and taught him how to tie knots after he was thrown out of his boy scout troop. Fiona spent time in prison for her Mother's murder, even though Armand championed her and when she was released welcomed her into his home. Armand is also haunted by a serial killer named Fleming and his only comfort is that Fleming is behind bars.

After a painting is found in a walled-up room clues that Fleming has escaped abound, when Armand visits the prison he realizes right away that the prisoner everyone believes to be Fleming isn't him, proving it is a different matter. So he is pretty much on his own to hunt Fleming down. In the end, it's almost too late when Armand realizes Fleming's identity and discovers that Fiona is his daughter.

Amelia Choquet whose father killed Armand's parents in a drunk driving accident saves his life and the life of his wife and son-in-law. Ironically when she first applied for a job Armand denied her request in revenge for what her Father did but later changed his mind and gave her a chance[When Armand and Jean-Guy first met they were trying to solve the murder of a mother whose two children had been sexually abused to feed her drug habit. It was also revealed that the local police were corrupt and that some of the officers had actually been customers. Armand saw the young boy Sam, as evil and thought he bore more of a responsibility for his Mother's death than Jean-Guy did. Jean-Guy actually took Sam an interest in Sam and taught him how to tie knots after he was thrown out of his boy scout troop. Fiona spent time in prison for her Mother's murder, even though Armand championed her and when she was released welcomed her into his home. Armand is also haunted by a serial killer named Fleming and his only comfort is that Fleming is behind bars.

After a painting is found in a walled-up room clues that Fleming has escaped abound, when Armand visits the prison he realizes right away that the prisoner everyone believes to be Fleming isn't him, proving it is a different matter. So he is pretty much on his own to hunt Fleming down. In the end, it's almost too late when Armand realizes Fleming's identity and discovers that Fiona is his daughter.

Amelia Choquet whose father killed Armand's parents in a drunk driving accident saves his life and the life of his wife and son-in-law. Ironically when she first applied for a job Armand denied her request in revenge for what her Father did but later changed his mind and gave her a chance. (hide spoiler)]

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Born of Blood (The League: Nemesis Rising, #14)

Born of Blood by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Short and to the point, thankfully she didn't feel the need to rehash past books.

Jayne takes a contract to bring Hadrian in but after she signs it, the contract is changed to a kill and other assassins  also arrive to kill him. Jayne and Hadrian flee for their lives and with the help of their families manage to survive. Jinx manages to make it look like Hadrian is dead so that he and Jayne can eventually marry and have a life together. 

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