44 Cranberry Point

I love living in Cedar Cove, but things haven't been the same since a man died in our B and B. Turns out his name was Max Russell, and Bob had known him briefly in Vietnam. We still don't have any idea why he came here and --- most important of all --- who killed him. Because it now appears that he was poisoned. I sure hope somebody figures it out soon!

Not that we're providing the only news in Cedar Cove these days. I heard that Jon Bowman and Maryellen Sherman are getting married. And Maryellen's mom, Grace, has more than her share of interested men! The question is: Which one is she going to choose? Olivia --- I guess it's Olivia Griffin now --- is back from her honeymoon, and her mother, Charlotte (who's in her mid-seventies at least), seems to have a man in her life, too. I'm not sure Olivia's too pleased....
(back cover of book)

Yep, I'm back to reading another in the Cedar Cove series! Guilty as charged! Debbie Macomber's 44 Cranberry Point was a quick and enjoyable read, but it was also more predictable than the past books. A common theme of forgiveness was threaded throughout several of the stories in this book. And once again, there were weddings and babies, old loves and new, and continuing dramas for the residents in this quaint little town.

Yes, yes, yes.  I am ready for the next book in this series! Again, guilty as charged! 

Agent 6

I enjoyed the first half of the audio book Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith, but for some reason it did not hold my interest like the first two books of this series. I hope to resume listening to this book at a later time.

Lone Survivor

And it occurred to me that any one of them (a group of immaculately turned-out new SEALs), on any given day, would have done all the same things I'd done in my last combat mission in the Hindu Kush. I wasn't any different. I was just, I hoped, the same Texas country boy who'd come through the greatest training system on earth, with the greatest bunch of guys anyone could ever meet. The SEALs, the warriors, the front line of United States military muscle. I still get a lump in my throat when I think of who we all are. (p.379)

But I did live my dream, and then some, and I guess I'll be asked many times whether it had all been worth it in the end. And my answer will always be the same one I gave so often on my first day.

"Affirmative, sir." Because I came through it, and I have my memories, and I wouldn't have traded any of it, not for the whole world. I'm a United States Navy SEAL. " (p.380)

Wow... a powerful and informational memoir from one of our Navy SEALs. Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and The Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson is a memorable read about a mission in the summer of 2005 to capture a notorious al Qaeda leader in the mountainous areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Luttrell writes this book to commemorate his colleagues who lost their lives during this operation of which he was the only survivor. I very much enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to others.

The Cinderella Deal

The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie was a very fun audio book that made my rides to work very enjoyable. I'm sure the cars that passed me wanted to know why I was laughing out loud during my daily commute! What started out as a deal between a stiff young college professor and his free spirited, artistic neighbor for a few hours of acting out a "story" soon turns out to be a story come true. Linc and Daisy discover as much about themselves as they do about each other while they live out their make-believe lives. Eventually they are faced with a situation which allows them to discover their true feelings for one another. A great Crusie book, I loved this audio book and recommend it to others.

The Lucky One

Yes, I read the book before seeing the movie! The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks was a great read even though I personally did not care for the ending. The story of a Marine who finds a picture of a young woman and then sets out to find her, it includes all the usual Sparks' detail to love, conflict, and family. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and now look forward to heading to the movie theater!

The Secret Speech

Soviet Union, 1956. Stalin is dead, and a violent regime is beginning to fracture --- leaving behind a society where the police are the criminals, and the criminals are innocent. A secret speech composed by Stalin's successor Khrushchev is distributed to the entire nation. Its message: Stalin was a tyrant. Its promise: The Soviet Union will change.

Facing his own personal turmoil, former state security officer Leo Demidov is also struggling to change. The two young girls he and his wife Raisa adopted have yet to forgive him for his part in the death of their parents. They are not alone. Now that the truth is out, Leo, Raisa, and their family are in grave danger from someone consumed by the dark legacy of Leo's past career. Someone transformed beyond recognition into the perfect model of vengeance.

From the streets of Moscow in the throes of political upheaval, to the Siberian gulags, and to the center of the Hungarian uprisings in Budapest, The Secret Speech is a breathtaking, epic novel ... (back cover of the audio book)

Tom Rob Smith's second book in a trilogy, The Secret Speech is just as good if not better than the first book Child 44. Leo declares that he is a changed man, but many people from his past and present think otherwise including his oldest adopted daughter. And someone from his past is out for revenge, with an anger so consuming that it has completely changed this person's life. Leo will now see both sides of his past when he must concede to this person's wishes in order to save his daughter's life. The narration is great, the story suspenseful, and the details a bit unsettling. All packaged together, The Secret Speech is a great book and a must read. I can't wait to read the final installment in this exciting Russian thriller.

10th Anniversary

Susie's Caribbean Cafe is a mood changer in the best possible way. The walls are yellow, the calypso music is live, the food is hot, and the beer is cold. Susie's is also the unofficial clubhouse of our gang of four, branded the Women's Murder Club by our friend, girl reporter Cindy Thompson.

I desperately needed an hour at Susie's. Conklin and I had spent the day looking for a newborn baby. We'd walked with cadaver dogs, checked in with divers at the edge of Lake Merced, and made an all-day, fruitless canvass of houses in the area, with Avis Richardson's photo in hand, asking, "Have you seen this girl?" (p.62)

The continuation of a great series, at least in my opinion, this book's stories include: a teenage girl who seems to be quite a storyteller; a missing baby; a murder trial that on the surface appears to be an easy guilty verdict except that the wife continues to claim she's innocent while others may not have told the whole truth during the year-long investigation; young women who have been raped are left by their homes yet they have no memory of what happened to them; and Lindsay, now married, begins to consider starting a family with Joe. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro has all this and still more for its readers.

The only bad part of finishing this book is that now I have to wait until May 7th to read 11th Hour!