read: James by Percival Everett ★★★★★

James by Percival Everett
My rating: ★★★★★

This book retells the story of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Huck's slave friend Jim. It's an easy read with difficult content, worthy of your time and the attention and awards it's been receiving. It's been quite a while since I read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Now I have to go read it again with Percival Everett's James parked inside my head. I didn't know quite what to expect from this book. But it probably wasn't what it delivered.
It's fast-paced, but unhurried. The author doesn't waste time with extraneous descriptions and narrative. The unimportant stuff is omitted. Words are invested in action, dialog and introspection, instead. Even here, the reader is spared from unnecessary repetition, rehash and brooding. This doesn't mean the narrative is spare. It's just full of the important stuff about relationships and what happens next.
Surprises abound. That's why I need to revisit Mark Twain's original story. I need to see how the puzzle pieces introduced in James and his view of the world fit into the larger picture that includes the pieces from Huckleberry Finn.

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read: Karla's Choice: A John le Carré Novel by Nick Harkaway ★★★★

Karla's Choice: A John le Carré Novel by Nick Harkaway
My rating: ★★★★

This has the familiar look of a cold-war Smiley story by le Carre, yet it feels a bit off, like an overly complicated intelligence operation. You can't quite tell where the frayed edges are. But you know they're there. Smiley is perhaps a bit too involved. Maybe the viewpoints shift around a bit too much with too much analysis. Perhaps the innocent bystander is a bit too willing and adept and lucky. In spite of that, it's a worthy and thoroughly engrossing addition to the Smiley oeuvre.

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read: Cinderwich by Cherie Priest ★★★★

Cinderwich by Cherie Priest
My rating: ★★★★

A moody, creepy, Southern gothic road-trip mystery story. At less than 200 pages, it's right-sized reading for an autumn evening to get into the Halloween spirit.

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read: Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni ★★★★

Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni
My rating: ★★★★

Keera Duggan deserves a break after the tough case she just cracked and won (read 'Her Deadly Game'). But her staycation will have to wait because she's called back into the office to hear about a new situation involving long-time clients and family friends and their daughter, Jenna, Keera's childhood nemesis. There's been a murder, the second one involving Jenna's tech company, and what little circumstantial evidence there is points to Jenna as the murder, again. Can Keera cut through Jenna's crap and get to the truth? Is she actually guilty this time? Was she last time? If not, can they uncover the real killer? Or will Keera have to rely on reasonable doubt, again, to keep Jenna out of prison?

When it comes to courtrooms and legal drama, Dugoni knows his stuff. I didn't feel as much tension in this story as I do in most of his other books. But events and discoveries and interpersonal issues keep things moving along to a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to Keera's next case.

Disclosure: Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to preview this book.

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read: A Cold, Cold World by Elena Taylor ★★★★★

A Cold, Cold World by Elena Taylor
My rating: ★★★★★

I really liked the first book in this series, from the new sheriff to the setting to twisty plot to the writing itself. This new story is quite different from that one, except in the ways it is the same. There is still the feisty sheriff who's good at her job, but full of self-doubt. Still the small town where everyone knows everyone. Yet another dead body that's discovered in a remote area under mysterious circumstances. And still the relentless police work to get to the truth.

The big change is that this time everything is happening in the middle of winter and in the middle of one of the largest, most dangerous snow storms ever. The small town of Collier hunkers down and pulls together to ride out the storm. But there's a murderer in their midst. Add a missing person or two and another possible murder and the reader feels the walls closing in on a classic locked room mystery. Who can Sheriff Bet Rivers trust? And where are her suspects?

It all builds slowly as the characters all step onto the stage and questions are raised. For every answer there are two or three more mysteries. The reader is kept guessing right until the end.

Disclosure: Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for providing a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.

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read: Rumor Has It by Cat Rambo ★★★★

Rumor Has It by Cat Rambo
My rating: ★★★★

I thought of the previous story in this series as "The Continuing Adventures of the Crew of 'You Sexy Thing'". That would make this book "The Still Ongoing Adventures of the Crew of 'You Sexy Thing'". It picks up immediately following the 'To Be Continued' ending of the other book with Captain Niko and crew putting in at Coralind station to regroup, recoup, and plan their next move. There is much pairing off for adventures on the station, many opportunities for self-discovery and growth, some tension about how to keep paying for the crew to stay together, and encounters with new and old antagonists that may help or hinder. And then a few subplots are resolved before we again fade to 'To Be Continued."

As usual, the characters and situations are fun and easy to read about. The story continues to play fast and loose with science fiction and fantasy tropes, untroubled by actual physics or comprehendible magic. It's all lighthearted nonsense with likable characters to root for. I liked the first book of the series more. The plot had more drive. But I'm still on board and enjoying the ride on this sentient spaceship and look forward to the next volume.

Disclosure: Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for allowing me to preview this book.

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read: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie ★★★★

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
My rating: ★★★★

A very classic whodunit story almost worthy of 5 stars. But knock off a star for a somewhat convoluted setup and undeniably outdated and clunky style (lots of head-hopping). Knock off another star for the overly long and talky appendices. But add another star because this is a classic story and she kept this reader guessing until the very last page.

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