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High (and sometimes deep) adventure
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson NIGHTHAWK. By Clive Cussler and Graham Brown. Penguin Audio. Read by Scott Brick. 11 ½ hours; 9 CDs. $45. Also available in hardcover from G.P. Putnam’s Sons. The United States’ most advanced aircraft/spacecraft has gone missing, and the Air Force and the National Security Agency have called on NUMA, the…
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War, independence and family ties
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE LOYAL SON: The War in Ben Franklin’s House. By Daniel Mark Epstein. Random House Audio. Read by Scott Brick. 16 ½ hours; 13 CDs. $60. Also available in hardback from Ballantine Books. Most of us probably think we know the story of Benjamin Franklin, and certainly the story of…
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A comfortable ride
Bob Moyer, traveling gourmet, has found time to sample a new book and write a review. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer Robert B. Parker’s LITTLE WHITE LIES. By Ace Atkinson. Putnam. 304 pages. $27. After dozens of Spenser adventures by Robert B. Parker, and now seven by his chosen successor, Ace Atkinson, the formula is pretty clear. There’s never…
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Too many motives
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson WALKING ON MY GRAVE. By Carolyn Hart. Books on Tape. Read by Kate Reading. 8 ½ hours; 7 CDs. Also available in hardcover from Berkley. Carolyn Hart is one of the grande dames of American writers of traditional, often called cozy, mysteries. She’s written a lot of books and, deservingly,…
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The mean streets of L.I.
The Briar Patch has a little catching up to do. Our excuse is that the Briar Patch’s physical location has moved. More about that later. But for now, fortunately, faithful correspondent Bob Moyer has taken time from his own travels to write a review. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer WHAT YOU BREAK. By Reed Farrel…
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The chase is on
This new book by one of Bob Moyer’s (many) favorite authors came out late last year, but we’ll forgive him for not getting around to reviewing it until now. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer THE OLD MAN. By Thomas Perry. Mysterious Press. 337 pages. $26. The Old Man looks like a harmless retiree, having lived…
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Still waters
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson INTO THE WATER. By Paula Hawkins. Penguin Audio. Read by Laura Aikman, Sophie Aldred, Rachel Bavidge, Imogen Church and Daniel Weyman. 11 ½ hours; 9 CDs. $40. Also available in hardcover from Riverhead Books. While I liked and was impressed by Paula Hawkins’ runaway bestseller The Girl on the…
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Disaster, resilience and Grace
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE STARS ARE FIRE. By Anita Shreve. Random House Audio. Read by Suzanne Elise Freeman. 8 ½ hours; 7 CDs. $35. Also available in print from Knopf. In the long, hot summer of 1947, a drought took hold in Maine with a vengeance. By October, conditions were dire, and when…
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At the intersection of nature and imagination
It’s always a pleasure to have a review from Tom Dillon, who draws attention to books I might otherwise miss. Reviewed by Tom Dillon THE INVENTION OF NATURE: ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT’S NEW WORLD. By Andrea Wulf. Alfred A. Knopf. 473 pages. $30, hardback Be honest, now. Who was Alexander von Humboldt? Do you know? The chances…
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What did the president know …
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson RICHARD NIXON: The Life. By John A. Farrell. Random House Audio. Read by Dan Woren. 29 hours; 23 CDs. $60. Also available in hardcover from Doubleday. There have been other biographies of Richard Nixon, the only American president to resign from office. From what I’ve read, this new one by…