Dead man’s grip

From  Eileen Effrat

Author:  Peter James

Title:   Dead man’s grip

The seventh and latest in the series of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace  mystery series by James is a stand alone that can be  read without a  prior reading of the previous books.  This is a police procedural that  you can’t put down. I could not.  Grace investigates a traffic accident in Brighton, Sussex where an American student dies from his injuries.  This is no ordinary kid.  He happens to be the grandson of  one of New York’s most prominent “godfathers”.  Not satisfied  with letting the law  take its course, the family of the deceased lets loose a brutal, innovative, and imaginative hit man  to unleash revenge on the motorists involved.  For a fast paced read with a smart plot this will keep you engaged from the beginning.

Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel

From Elaine Pasquali

Title:  Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel

Author:  Anya Ulinich

Ever since reading Maus, I have appreciated graphic novels.  This graphic novel  tells the story of Lena Finkle’s life following the end of her fifteen year marriage.  Caught between two cultures, Russian and American, Lena enters the world of online dating and experiences love, sex and loss.  Her present day dating is juxtaposed against previous romantic/sexual experiences.  At the same time she is raising two teenage daughters and juggling a writing career.  While this novel has the sincerity and angst of Maus,  it doesn’t have Maus’ symbolic quality.  An interesting, engrossing, and engaging social commentary about women and divorce.

 

Loverboy

From Terry DelBalso

Title:  Loverboy

Author:  R.G. Belsky

A real thriller featuring a female reporter with a mess of a life trying to survive after numerous failed marriages, an alcohol addiction and the main character of all of her front-page stories trying to kill her. She faces ups and downs, twists and turns, a number of near-death experiences and more, all while trying to find peace within herself and a better life without the pain she’s felt for more than a decade from guilt and regrets.