Tag Archive: thriller


Review: The Samurai’s Octopus by Jonelle Patrick

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May 15, 2026

The Samurai's OctopusThe Samurai’s Octopus by Jonelle Patrick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For a fan of Shogun (Richard Chamberlain) and the newer version, I felt I fell into the female side of the story.

Jonelle Patrick tells stories like no one else. She gets deep into history or other sciences to solve mysteries, and leads the reader to feel into Japanese worlds past and present. That is why she is one of my favorite authors.

The Kindle version was best for me because I could use text-to-speech. I plan to read this again.

Give it a try, see what you think!

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Review: Divine Sanctuary by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

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May 14, 2026

Divine Sanctuary (Divine Trilogy, #3)Divine Sanctuary by Cheryl Kaye Tardif
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found this near the bottom of my currently reading shelf. As I started reading book two, I realized I had read book one ages ago. So I decided to quickly get into the third book.

These were mysteries like bodies, and searching for answers. But the main characters have psychic abilities.

This last book tied up all the loose ends, making the end soothing. I did enjoy that bit.

These are worth a read, even if the abilities probably wouldn’t be admissible in court.

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Review: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

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April 27, 2026

The Night Swim (Rachel Krall, #1)The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A podcast gets too real. Megan Goldin has written quite the thriller. With Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, and Samantha Desz reading, it kept me in the story awake.

I was fortunate to find this on Libby. As you can see on Amazon, the audio version is $500! Apparently, there is a second book, but I couldn’t find it in my Libby. It was only that I finished another book before I was ready to sleep that sent me looking for whatever interesting book was available at the moment. This one showed up on the list.

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Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

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April 26, 2026

Project Hail MaryProject Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG! This one was so good that I had to start the reread immediately after I finished. I had checked out the book from Libby, but had to buy the Audible version, as I know I will want to relive this adventure often.

It didn’t hurt that the Artemis was flying as I read.

I can’t wait to watch the movie!

If you haven’t tried this yet, you have so much fun awaiting you. Get it and enjoy!

By the way, the narration by Ray Porter was such a pleasure!

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Review: The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

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April 2, 2026

The Queens of CrimeThe Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun diversion. Favorite mystery writers come together to solve a crime. Bessie Carter narrated, changing accents and characters as needed to keep the story moving and the reader engaged.

I was lucky to pick this audiobook up on Libby. Those more into mysteries will love it.

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Review: Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

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October 27, 2025

Bad MonkeyBad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’m at 77% into this book. I have sped up the audio because I am bored with this book. I have read other Carl Hiaasen books, and I always feel like I want to quit. I wonder why I tried. This isn’t up my alley. The humor is not funny. Maybe my gender? My age? I just find it a bit vulgar and misogynistic. And I am sad to hear bad things about the Johnny Depp monkey from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. All of it may be true, but still… it is a monkey, ya know?

I’ll finish the book before I sleep tonight. If the last bit changes my opinion, I’ll come back and change the review. Obviously, others love this book —try it and see what you think. A plus was that Arte Johnson was the narrator.

Thankfully, I picked this up on Libby.

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Review: The President’s Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

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August 12, 2025

The President's DaughterThe President’s Daughter by Bill Clinton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Don’t read this if you expect to ease into sleep at night. At 4:30 in the morning, I had to force the audiobook off so I could sleep. And yet I couldn’t. This book was very suspenseful.

With a cast of narrators that includes Tony Goldwyn, Fajer Al-Kaisi, James Chen, Jeremy Davidson, Amanda Dolan, Peter Ganim, Dion Graham, January LaVoy, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Soneela Nankani, the story is lively. The characters are full, flawed, and human.

About halfway through, I thought it was just an epilogue from the end. Then I looked at the progress line and saw that there was still a lot more to read. I needed to sleep!

This book is the second installment in the series, and I find that the collaborative writing of James Patterson and Bill Clinton creates a believable story that is also somewhat scary. Let this serve as a warning to be read in the light of day. Maybe a car ride audio rather than bed.

I am grateful to have borrowed this Libby audiobook.

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Review: Conclave by Robert Harris

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July 10, 2025

ConclaveConclave by Robert Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Pope died. It’s time for a new one. We’ve lived through a few of these. It is an interesting concept.

I’m not Catholic, but I have friends and family who are or have been. So I’ve always been curious. How does this work? How do they choose, especially since the church has a range of awesome and sinful? So when I saw the author on a talk show, I put the book on hold with Libby.

It was okay. For me, it was falling into a past of reading about men by men. Quite boring. But I’m glad I read it. Tiny bits of progress of thought seem to thread through this story. But I wonder if women are anything less than barefoot, pregnant witches to these self-important men. Sorry. Not sorry.

Still, these are my opinions that are changeable like the wind. Read it yourself and enjoy.

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Review: Every Moment Since by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

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July 8, 2025

Every Moment SinceEvery Moment Since by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I ran out of something to read too early in the night. Libby had this story available to borrow. I wasn’t sure about it. Murder mysteries are not my favorite. Especially in cases where a child is missing. But with the multiple narrators and character development, I was drawn in. Although it was a whodunit, it was more about family relationships, watching the characters grow up without their loved one.

It is undoubtedly sad at times, but one has to find equilibrium after loss. I think that was the main point of the story.

I loved Marybeth Mayhew Whalen’s writing and the acting chops of Cassandra Campbell, George Newbern, Kirby Heyborne, Jane Oppenheimer, Macleod Andrews, and Renata Friedman.

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Review: The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear

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July 1, 2025

The White LadyThe White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was no Maisie Dobbs. However, it did seem like a lot of plot ideas wanted to be included in the series, but these were leftovers. So, by thinking of the story bits in ziplock bags, I had fun reading (listening) to this non-Maisie.

This probably stands on its own, but I almost wish I had read it before the series rather than after. Still, once again, we inhabit an England during wartime. As only Jacqueline Winspear can, you are transported to layers of the populace amid crimes and courageous efforts by ordinary people. And women get their due in history, even if this is fiction, I’m sure situations like this existed.

Orlagh Cassidy’s great narrating talent makes the reader feel a part of the story.

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