Mission Critical: A Grey Man Novel (Series #8) by Mark Greaney

Mission Critical: A Grey Man Novel. (Grey Man Series #8). Mark Greaney. Penguin Publishing Group.  February 2019. 528 pp. hb.; ISBN: 9780451488947.

Courtland Gentry, the Grey Man, is back in action but not the way he planned.  Returning to Washington by orders of his CIA boss, Suzanne Brewer, he’s relaxing in his seat on a plane landing in Luxembourg when some obvious-looking goons drag a man onto the plane, a man whose head is covered by a black bag.  It turns out the plane heads to England but not with the prisoner. Upon landing in the U.K., a heavy gun battle ensues, shooting up the plane and killing several of the prisoner’s guards.  Court of course gets involved and attempts to follow the van holding the escaped prisoner. There the business begins.  It turns out the prisoner knows pivotal information about a mole in Langley.

Meanwhile a Soviet woman, Zoya Zakharvoa, who has turned to become an American spy is being held in a safe house while she is being prepped to be an agent in a top-secret program run by the CIA.  One night the safe house is attacked by assassins, with many deaths occurring; but Zoya manages to escape.  She’s definitely a force to be reckoned with and no one in possession of sanity would attempt to capture or mess with her in any conceivable way. 

On another note, another plot is moving forward, directed by Zoya’s father, the former head of the Soviet GRU but now operating under an anonymous name.  His plan is motivated by personal reasons and has nothing to do with Russian affairs or Russian authority. The plan involves a North Korean scientist with her own fanatical agenda which she plans to carry out with a biological event. 

The plot about the “mole” at CIA gets quite complex and riveting.  It turns out several characters are being obviously followed.  But the real question is “Who is the mole?”  Too bad these characters are innocent or have personal matters they fear exposing. 

The violence of this novel is ongoing and intense beyond words.  Court or Gentry is very good at his job but unfortunately gets physically hammered by a Godzilla-sized character – several times.  Add to the fact that there are many surprises in these pages that aren’t mentioned in this review.

Eventually, Court and Zoya meet, with some interesting chemistry developing between them.  Court is a highly skilled and objective guy who has more heart in this novel in the series.  He’s a good guy in a very bad world!

It doesn’t take too much imagination to see this story scripted into a thriller/espionage movie.  Mark Greaney is a talented writer who knows how delineate a multi-layered plot with interesting characters that keeps readers glued to the page and at the end wanting more!

Nicely crafted, Mark Greaney – a novel to satisfy crime thriller and international spy fans galore!

The Secret of Clouds: A Novel by Alyson Richman

The Secret of Clouds: A Novel. Alyson Richman. Penguin Publishing Group.  February 2019. $16.99; pb, 384 pp.; ISBN: 9780451490773.

Katya is an aspiring ballerina and Sasha a student scientist when they first meet.  They marry after living a tumultuous life in Kiev and emigrate to the United States.  Sasha suffered a major injury which curtailed her ballet career, but the birth of Yuri transformed their lives in so many ways. Years before their meeting, there was a nuclear disaster at Chernobyl which authorities claimed was no big deal.  However, it turned out that the winds carried that radiation throughout all of Europe.  Many Russians enjoyed the outdoor air at that time which was abnormally warm for mid-April.  Katya was one of them and years later was distraught that that air she had absorbed was responsible for Yuri’s birth defect, a leaky tricuspid valve and abnormally-sized heart.  Yuri was both a timid and sickly child for years and had to be monitored constantly.  Katya incessantly worried over Yuri but Sasha had a more scientific and positive viewpoint about his son’s health issues.

This then is the story of Maggie, a young teacher who is very connected to her students and loves to be creative about language arts writing.  She agrees to tutor Yuri at his home since he is too ill to come to school.  At first the chemistry is zero but gradually sharing his passion for baseball becomes the centerfold of their growing relationship. The creation of a journal/storybook provides pages and pages of Yuri’s expression of what is important to him.  No spoilers here but suffice to say that Yuri’s reflections on Maggie’s assignments become the highlight of his life, with no room left for false games or lies.

Yuri’s openness and honesty changes Maggie’s personal life as well as she finally chooses to move from one stagnant relationship to a life-giving and creative connection.  Yuri then finds a peer who also loves baseball and becomes a best friend. Katya and Sasha also learn to relax and cherish their son’s growth and happiness.

The finale to this heartwarming story is tender, heart-wrenching and full of life-giving hope.  This is a novel with innumerably endearing scenes that will remain in your thoughts and heart forever!

Winter Sisters: A Novel by Robin Oliveira

Winter Sisters: A Novel. Robin Oliveira. Penguin Publishing Group.  February 2018; hb, 432 pp.; ISBN: 9780399564260.

Albany, New York, 1879.  David and Bonnie O’Donnell walk to work after their children, Emma and Claire, leave for school.  It’s an ordinary February morning with light snow in the air, and Bonnie reminds David they have a dinner to attend at the Sutter-Still home.  As the morning progresses, a fierce wind and heavy snow becomes a catastrophic blizzard to the point where no one can see a foot in front of their direction.  Tragedy follows!

David and Bonnie die in the blizzard, but Emma and Claire literally disappear.  A massive search conducted by Dr. Mary (Sutter) and Dr. William Still, whose endeavor fails to produce even the slightest inkling of where the girls could be.   Meanwhile, the story briefly switches to a highly skilled musician, Elizabeth Fall, whose passion for music very quickly becomes intense dislike in Paris, France where she has been under the mentorship of a supposed Master violinist.  When she learns of the blizzard disaster, she immediately leaves for America.

The missing girls are eventually found but their story becomes a source of division, suspicion and a trial in which prosecutors seem out to destroy their account and attempt to destroy Dr. Mary Sutter, who takes care of prostitutes, an unseemly use of her medical skills in the late 1800s that immediately mandates social stigma.

The beauty of this book involves the integrity of caring people who pursue justice for all in the face of formidable opposition.  Those who are rich or possess political power are trusted for all the wrong reasons which will eventually be exposed.

Emma and Claire begin the process of PTSD from their phenomenal experience.  Bonnie O’Donnell’s last words to Emma were to take care of her sister, and the only positive outcome for her is she can clearly say that she honored this promise to her mother.

Winter Sisters: A Novel is a fine mystery and carefully crafted story which keeps the reader fully engaged.  It’s also a satire of injustice and cruelty which can make or break a person and at the least leaves shades of vulnerability that can be overcome.  Highly recommended historical fiction!

Illusion of Death: A Belinda Lawrence Mystery by Brian Kavanagh

Illusion of Death: A Belinda Lawrence Mystery. Brian Kavanagh. Fontaine Press.  November 2018; pb, 196 pp.; ISBN: 9781925846430.

Yes, Belinda Lawrence is back in business!  This indomitable, no-nonsense, sharp observer and investigator is quickly drawn into a case involving film fans from the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.  They’re completely involved with viewing and evaluating films from bygone errors, from the 1920s forward, more than contemporary movies, that is those usually only found on reels or tapes and early digital formats.  Some of these films apparently are extremely valuable and several characters are searching for one series of films, in particular a negative of specific film, “Soldiers of the Cross.”  One member, Max, is found beaten and dead.

The group who gather to watch and discuss all films are possible suspects in the ensuing investigation.  Each has a motive and most of them have rather vague or questionable alibis for where they were the night of Max’s death.  Complicating Belinda and her friend Bridie’s analysis and investigation, even those under suspicion continue to search for the valuable film and will be followed by a second death.  It remains unclear whether Jake’s death was a murder or suicide, with only a needle and cocaine bottle found as evidence.

While the investigations follow and a somewhat solution will be found for everyone’s questions, the dialogue between Belinda, Bridie, and the other members of the film society are fascinating to follow.  There are also some interesting conversations in which some of the characters are what this reviewer would call “benignly interested;” that is they love the films and love to talk about them; but when they are asked about the films, they appear to have a blasé attitude that makes the discovery of the murderers or murderer more difficult to deduce.  It’s also quite amusing! 

The Belinda Lawrence Mystery is crafted more in the style of “who done it” mysteries that turn over every possible clue, introduce some regular and dynamic characters and allow the reader to feel involved right up to the very last page!  Some lovely descriptions of homes, gardens and architecture are included that enable the reader to envision in the Australian setting.

Illusion of Death… is a delightful, brief and more than satisfactory read!  Nicely presented, Brian Kavanagh - Keep writing!

I Owe You One: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella

I Owe You One: A Novel. Sophie Kinsella. Random House Publishing Group. February 2019. 448 pp. ISBN #: 9781524799014.

In Fixie Farr’s world, everything must be just so.  She and her family run a housewares shop that sells low-priced, practical goods.  The reality is that her mother makes all the decisions about the store, since Fixie’s father had recently passed away.  A brother, Jake, and a sister, Nicole occasionally help but that’s not really too much as Nicole is “into herself” through yoga and affirmations and Jake lives like a millionaire without the millions to go with it.

One afternoon while having a drink at a nearby café, Fixie rescues a laptop from a nearby table when the ceiling collapses and a flood ensues.  It’s owner, Sebastian, insists he owes her one and he really means that as he hands her his card with that message written on it, “I owe you one.”

Soon thereafter Fixie’s Mom has a heart attack and Fixie’s old romance, Ryan, shows up and pours out his pitiful story.  Fixie is always trying to make things better, doomed to trying so hard that she misses the forest for the trees.  So now that Mom is moving away to get some mandatory “rest,” Fixie’s problems increase between her siblings’ ineptness or obstructive ways and the control of her Uncle who hasn’t got a clue as to what’s going on.  Uncle Ned just reminds everyone of how much he’s done for them.

Fixie will finally have enough and get to truly getting rid of the losers, even after she trusts Ryan to Sebastian’s care.  That almost turns disastrous!

I Owe You One… is a light-hearted chic lit book that makes for some pleasant reading, even if the characters are seriously lacking in responsibility.  That includes Fixie who has too much of the opposite.  All in all, though a lovely romance builds with an airy, pleasant end that Sophie Kinsella fans will love. Enjoy!

Thank you to Penguin/Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing this novel for a review!

We Shall See the Sky Sparkling by Susana Aikin

We Shall See the Sky Sparkling. Susana Aikin. Kensington. January 2019. 416 pp. ISBN#:  9781496717658.

Lily Throop, despite her father’s vehement disapproval, has a dream to become a famous actress and leaves home to accomplish that plan.  Although she has no recommendations or supporting patron, she manages to obtain an apprenticeship or low-paid position as an actress at London’s Imperial Theatre.  She meets an actor/mentor, Wade, who truly helps to hone her already special skills but unfortunately she becomes a prisoner to him by way of a contract which she cannot break.  That relationship also ruins a budding romance with a poor stagehand, Chet, who loves Lily but cannot get past Wade’s hold on her.

Lily does become famous and meets numerous wealthy men and women when she is not working very hard.  Finally, she meets a Russian count, Sergei, who is also a true revolutionary supporter.  Lily by that point has heard about the playwright and teacher, Stanislavsky, who is teaching a new method of acting.  During one of Lily’s crisis scenes with Wade, Lily elopes to Russia with Sergei.  The descriptions of her journey and of Russian cities and the country are stunning and make one want to visit there.  After Lily becomes pregnant, her opportunities to return to England are stymied by the arrest of Sergei.  Because of his noble background, he is exiled to the cold Siberian countryside, one which Lily shares.  There they learn to endure and to support each other.  However, their relationship begins to dim when Sergei refuses to give up his political visionary dreams and disaster occurs.

Lily will eventually find her true love but not until a lifetime of work, travel and dedication have welded her to both her career and her child. 

This is a beautiful novel, written with great attention to setting, history and the arts.  Lily is a dynamic character who although not deeply depicted moves readers profoundly because of the depth she expresses in her art.  The Russian pre-Revolutionary period is also depicted with stark accuracy.  Lily is the one who sees they skies sparkling but also becomes the same for her devoted fans.

Nicely crafted historical fiction, Susana Aikin!

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

The Paragon Hotel. Lyndsay Faye. Penguin Publishing Group. Copyright January 2019. pb, 432 pp.; ISBN: 9780735210752.

Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride into the times of Prohibition – from the jazz-filled clubs of Harlem to Portland, Oregon’s Paragon Hotel.  The streets of Harlem are a mix of Negro music and hoodlums vying for supremacy of territory.  When “Nobody” Alice James arrives at the Paragon Hotel, it’s with the help of the black Pullman porter, Max.  He’s practically carrying her as she’s got a very bad bullet wound in her gut.  This hotel is unique as Oregon has laws and visceral hatred for all people of color.  The KKK rules supreme although they make it sound like a genial social club. 

Slowly but surely Alice meets the residents of this African-American hotel. There’s Blossom, a dramatic young lady with a sweet, sultry voice that charms everyone in her path.  There’s a secret relationship she has with a man known as Dr. Perkins who treats Blossom for a secret condition.  Then we meet several other quirky characters who are ultra-dramatic but as endearing as the main characters.  They all are living in the Paragon Hotel in fear.  Alice James as “Nobody” spares everyone initially from the hoodlum atmosphere in Harlem and doesn’t share her total story until well into the novel.  That’s okay as there are plenty of disputes, dancing, drinking, costuming, etc. to totally rivet the reader to rapidly flipping pages while frantically reading.

Each of these characters may be said to have hearts of gold, with cords of compassion and grit that protects, defends, exalts and empathizes with each other when things get tough.  No spoilers here!

The huge question concerning everyone is “Where is Davy?”  Davy is a young African-American boy, somehow associated with Blossom DuBois, who has disappeared.  Some are frantic about finding him but if one carefully observes the passing days, one notices that not everyone is searching as if it were a matter of life and death.  The answer to these questions will provide an altogether unexpected solution to many problems – one that will move readers to tears!!!

The Paragon Hotel is a stunning historical novel that is also a mystery, romance, and thriller that involves every color, class, religion of Prohibition era.  You will revel in all of the saints and sinners herein!  This is one very talented writer that will make you want to read her former novels and hope that she will continue to create new stories that thrill the mind, heart and soul!  Highly recommended – stunning in fact!