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A frightening, enlightening look at the world of El Chapo
Paul O’Connor, my esteemed colleague from our years with the Winston-Salem Journal’s editorial pages, occasionally still writes a book review for this blog. I’m always happy and enlightened when that happens. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor EL CHAPO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST INFAMOUS DRUG LORD. By Noah Hurowitz. Atria Books. 333 pages.…
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Pieces of a life
Bob Moyer takes a look at a biography that gives new life to a 15-year-old Jewish girl in Norway who was killed in the Holocaust. Reviewed By Robert P. Moyer KATHE — Always Been in Norway. By Espen Sobye. Krakiel Publishing. 208 pages. $24.95. Early in his career, writer Espen Sobye was a statistician. He…
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Madness in paradise
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE MADNESS OF CROWDS. By Louise Penny. Minotaur Books. 436 pages. $28.99. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is back in Three Pines, the Quebec village faithful readers know and love, for the 17th novel in Louise Penny’s wonderful series. But that does not mean that all is well. The previous novel,…
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Mastodon, big snakes and lots of laughs in Florida
*This is a review of the hardback novel, published last year. The photo is of the cover of the paperback edition, which has a new epilogue written after last year’s election and some of the events that followed. Every now and then, Tom Dillon, a friend from long-ago newspaper days, is moved to send…
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Hollywood noir gets a new star
Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer A MAN NAMED DOLL. By Jonathan Ames. Mulholland Books. 208 pages. $26. For some time, the niche of mystery novel called Hollywood noir has been depleted. Not L.A., but Hollywood. The territory was once inhabited by the likes of Stuart Kaminsky’s Toby Peters, who helped Hollywood stars out of trouble,…
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A rip-roaring read
When it’s August and too hot to do much outside, Bob Moyer puts his time to good use reading and reviewing books for Briar Patch Books. Let’s all be like Bob. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer AGAINST THE LAW: A Joe the Bouncer Novel. By David Gordon. Mysterious Press. 323 pages. $25.95. This is a…
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A powerful look at how “we” got here
Bob Moyer reviews a book about black performers in America – and a great deal more. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer A LITTLE DEVIL IN AMERICA: Notes in Praise of Black Performance. By Hanif Abdurraqib. Random House. 300 pages. $27. This book is much greater than the sum of its pages. Hanif Abdurraqib has created…
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Honoring the traditions
Bob Moyer reviews the latest in a venerable series that’s long been one of my favorites. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer STARGAZER. By Anne Hillerman. Harper. 312 pages. $27.99 Any writer tackling the takeover of a series started by another writer usually has two challenges—keep the qualities that made it popular, and keep the series…
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When murder and fiction collide
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS. By David Bell. Berkley. 416 pages. $27 hardcover. David Bell’s latest thriller has all the ingredients for a great summer read. The fast-moving plot is gripping, with plenty of twists and turns, and more than a few surprises. It’s set in academia, at a fictitious Kentucky…
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Flag waving, patriotism and spies
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE HOLLYWOOD SPY: A Maggie Hope Mystery. By Susan Elia MacNeal. Bantam. 352 pages. $27. If you believe the inspiring old stories about how patriotism united America during World War II, Susan Elia MacNeal’s latest Maggie Hope suspense novel will be an eye-opener. When we last spent time with Maggie,…