Novel

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: Lee Child

Genre: Thriller, Detective Fiction

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:

Jack Reacher is a former military policeman who lost his job to military downsizing.  He is living off his severance package and drifting from place to place without much of a plan.  On a whim, he gets of a Greyhound bus and walks into the small town of Margrave, Georgia, where he is falsely arrested for murder.

Reacher is interrogated by the town’s only detective, a man named Finlay who formerly worked in Boston.  Reacher convinces Finlay of his innocence, and because of his military police background, ends up helping the police department with the case.  He learns, to his horror, that the murdered man is his own brother, Joe, who was working for the Treasury Department investigating and prosecuting counterfeiters.

Related posts

• Paranoia (0)
• The Talisman (0)
• Thinner (0)
• The Ambler Warning (0)
• Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

---

Author: Michael Connelly

Genre: Detective Fiction

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

Summary:

Terry McCaleb is a former FBI agent, forced to retire by heart disease. While recovering from his heart transplant he is restoring and living on his deceased father’s boat in Long Beach, California.

One day, Terry is visited by a woman who introduces herself as the sister of the woman whose heart now beats in Terry’s chest. Her sister was shot in a convenience store robbery that was never solved, and the surviving sister asks Terry to look into it. Although he is ill, retired, and has no official standing, Terry agrees over his doctor’s objections.

Related posts

• Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future (0)
• The Black Ice (0)
• The Talisman (0)
• Trunk Music (0)
• Flesh and Blood (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Science Fiction/ Horror

Rating: *** (3 Stars)

Summary:

Dreamcatcher reads very much like King’s earlier novel, It, published in 1986.  Both books use flashbacks to simultaneously tell two stories involving the same characters.  The story begins as a hunting party of four men, friends since childhood, meet a man lost in the Maine woods and suffering from exposure.  They take him back to their cabin, where, instead of recovering, the man dies painfully, and gives birth to a large and vicious parasite that has been growing inside him.

At the same time, the Army is responding to reports of UFO sightings, missing hunters, and strange animal behavior.  They attack and destroy a crashed alien spacecraft, and quarantine everyone who comes out of the woods.

Related posts

• The Two Minute Rule (0)
• Trunk Music (0)
• Airframe (0)
• The Simple Truth (0)
• Killing Floor (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

Author: Lawrence Block

Genre: Mystery

Rating: *** (3 Stars)

Summary:

About the Series

In the Midst of Death is one of Lawrence Block’s many Matthew Scudder novels. They tell the story of an ex-police officer turned private investigator, who retired from the police force after the accidental death of a little girl during a shoot-out with two armed robbers. He is also a heavy drinker, although he doesn’t admit that to himself until much later in the series. Although the novels follow a rough chronological progression, they don’t have to be read in order. Each story stands alone, and backstories are briefly described for the benefit of readers who may not be familiar with them.

Related posts

• Killing Floor (0)
• It (0)
• The Talisman (0)
• The Simple Truth (0)
• The Broker (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Action/Adventure

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:

The Talisman is a collaborative effort between Stephen King and Peter Straub. It and its sequel, Black House, tell the story of Jack Sawyer, a very special boy who has many magical adventures while saving his mother’s life.

Jack is in his early teens. His father has been killed in a hunting “accident” which later turns out to be murder, and his mother, Lily, a retired actress, is terminally ill with cancer. Morgan Sloat, a business partner of Jack’s father is harassing Lily as part of a scheme to take over the Sawyer family’s share of the business.

Related posts

• The Ambler Warning (0)
• Flesh and Blood (0)
• Special Feature: Harry Bosch in Chronological Order! (0)
• Lisey’s Story (0)
• The Burglar in the Rye (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Horror

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:

It consists of two stories involving the same group of characters. The first story happens when they are children in Derry, Maine, in 1958. The second occurs in 1984, when most of them have moved away, and are highly successful in their careers. Both stories revolve around a monster known simply as “It.” It takes various forms, and can only be seen by children. To some of them, It looks like a clown, others see a werewolf or a giant bird. In almost all cases, the children who meet It are brutally killed.

Related posts

• Airframe (0)
• Lisey’s Story (0)
• The Ambler Warning (0)
• Eleven Reasons Why I Want A Kindle (0)
• The Four Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (1)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

Author: Lawrence Block

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Humor

Subject: Murder

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:

The Burglar in the Rye is one of Lawrence Block’s many “Bernie Rhodenbarr” novels, which are set in Manhattan. Bernie is a burglar. Not just any burglar, he is a highly skilled burglar, who prides himself on never leaving any sign of his presence in a home, except for the absence of valuable items of course. In fact, he has nothing but contempt for smash and grab artists who clumsily force their way in, and leave messes in their wake.

Bernie also owns a used bookstore, which he runs during the day. He rarely makes much of a profit, but that’s all right with him. It provides good cover for his real source of income.

Related posts

• The Broker (0)
• Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (0)
• Special Feature: Harry Bosch in Chronological Order! (0)
• Airframe (0)
• The Two Minute Rule (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

Author: Jeffrey Archer

Genre: Crime, Humor

Subject: Conning the Con Man

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:

Harvey Metcalfe is the son of Polish immigrants to the U.S. Through hard work, ingenuity, and a lack of scruples, he has become quite wealthy, mostly through shady deals and con jobs. The story begins when Harvey pulls off a stock scam that nets him one million dollars from four previously well-off British professionals: James Brigsley, an earl; Stephen Bradley, a mathematics professor at Oxford; Robin Oakley, a private physician; Jean-Pierre Lamanns, an art dealer.

After learning of his financial ruin, Bradley, the professor, contacts the other three victims and persuades them to dine with him. Over dinner, they agree that they are going to take back their money. Each of them is to generate a plan to con Metcalfe out of a portion of the million dollars, with the understanding that they will take only what they have lost, plus expenses.

Related posts

• The Talisman (0)
• Airframe (0)
• Thinner (0)
• Dreamcatcher (0)
• The Ambler Warning (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

I noticed recently that I’ve been getting search engine referrals with the search terms “Harry Bosch chronological.” I assume that means people are looking for a chronological list of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels so they can read them in order. I don’t think that’s necessary, but who am I to deny my readers the information they want? I did a little research and put together a list. I haven’t read all of these yet, but I’ve commented on the ones I’m familiar with.

1. The Black Echo
2. The Black Ice (Click here for my review)
3. The Concrete Blond (4 stars)
4. The Last Coyote (5 stars)
5. The Poet
6. Trunk Music (Click here for my review)
7. Angels Flight
8. A Darkness More Than Night
9. City of Bones (5 stars)
10. Lost Light
11. The Narrows
12. The Closers

Related posts

• The Two Minute Rule (0)
• Deception Point (0)
• In the Midst of Death (0)
• Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future (0)
• Thinner (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: John Grisham

Genre: Suspense

Subject: Espionage and Intrigue

Rating: **** (4 Stars)

Summary:

Joel Backman is a notorious former lobbyist, now in prison for crimes that are not fully revealed until much later in the book. Whatever he did has caused Russia, China, Israel, and Saudi Arabia to want him dead. Backman is unexpectedly pardoned after the CIA director visits an outgoing president and exerts tremendous pressure (and a few million dollars). The CIA’s plan is to hide Backman in another country, get him comfortable, then leak his location to the Russians, Chinese, Saudis, and Israelis. The idea is to find out which of the four will kill Backman, which will answer a host of questions Backman did not answer before going to prison.

Related posts

• The Simple Truth (0)
• In the Midst of Death (0)
• It (0)
• Lisey’s Story (0)
• Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: Robert Ludlum

Genre: Thriller

Subject: Espionage

Rating: *****(5 Stars)

Summary:

Hal Ambler is a patient in a mental hospital for former spies run by the US government. He is not insane, but believes he has been put there as part of a conspiracy. With the help of Laurel Holland, a sympathetic nurse, he escapes and begins trying to find out who locked him up and why. He discovers that his friends do not remember him, and that any record of his government employment has been erased.

As Ambler visits places where he used to live and work, he finds himself dodging “recovery teams” sent to retrieve him. At the same time, he begins to remember long-forgotten bits of his past, including the assassinations he participated in.

Related posts

• Blood Work (0)
• Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (0)
• It (0)
• Dreamcatcher (0)
• Paranoia (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: David Baldacci

Genre: Thriller

Subject: Politics, Law, Military Justice

Rating: **** (4 Stars)

Summary:

Like John Grisham, David Baldacci writes thrillers that prominently feature lawyers and legal proceedings. The Simple Truth is set in and around the U.S. Supreme Court, where Michael Fiske is a clerk. His brother, John is a former police officer turned defense attorney. Rufus Harms is an inmate at a military prison, sentenced to life for the brutal killing of a little girl years before. The story begins when Harms obtains new information that could lead to his exoneration. He writes an appeal and asks his lawyer, Sam Rider, to file it with the Supreme Court.

Related posts

• The Two Minute Rule (0)
• The Ambler Warning (0)
• The Four Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (1)
• The Burglar in the Rye (0)
• The Talisman (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: Michael Crichton

Genre: Thriller

Rating: **** (4 Stars)

Summary:

Airframe is about a fictional passenger jet accident, and the investigation and media frenzy that follow. It begins when Chinese operated Trans Pacific Airways Flight 545 suddenly and without warning goes from steady, level cruise flight to “porpoising,” making a series of steep climbs and dives. The passengers are hurled around the cabin like toys, sustaining serious injuries, some of which are fatal. Upon regaining control, the aircraft makes an emergency landing in Los Angeles, and the crew members are quietly spirited out of the country by the airline.

Related posts

• It (0)
• Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (0)
• The Talisman (0)
• The Simple Truth (0)
• Thinner (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: Stephen King (Writing as Richard Bachman)

Genre: Horror

Rating: *** (3 Stars)

Summary:

Billy Halleck is a successful lawyer, husband, and father. He is also dangerously overweight. One day, driving with and distracted by his wife, he runs over and kills a jaywalking gypsy woman. He is tried and acquitted of any wrongdoing, but as he leaves the courthouse, the woman’s father approaches, lightly strokes Billy’s cheek, and whispers, “Thinner.”

Although Billy’s eating habits don’t change, he begins to lose weight, passing his ideal weight and continuing downward. Concerned, he visits his doctor, who, after a series of tests, assures him that nothing is wrong. The weight loss continues, and Billy, who by this time has become desperate, sends a private investigator to find out where the band of gypsies has moved on to. At the same time, he learns that the police officer who responded to his accident, as well as the judge in the case, have each developed mysterious afflictions of their own.

Related posts

• The Simple Truth (0)
• Blood Work (0)
• It (0)
• Dreamcatcher (0)
• Special Feature: Harry Bosch in Chronological Order! (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: Dan Brown

Genre: Action/Adventure

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:

Rachel Sexton works for the National Reconnaissance Office as a “gister.” Her job is to take complex information from multiple sources and reduce it to one-page briefings for the White House. One day, Rachel is called away from her job by the President, Zach Herney, who sends her to the Milne Ice Shelf in the Arctic Circle, where NASA has found a meteorite containing fossil evidence of extraterrestrial life. There, she meets Michael Tolland, an oceanographer and documentary host, who has been hired as part of a team of civilian scientists to verify the discovery.

Related posts

• Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (0)
• The Burglar in the Rye (0)
• It (0)
• The Talisman (0)
• In the Midst of Death (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Horror, Mystery

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:

Lisey Landon is the widow of Scott Landon, a popular and prolific fiction writer. The story begins two years after Scott’s death, as Lisey begins the painful process of cleaning out Scott’s home office, and confronts memories that are both poignant and frightening. She also faces family challenges, including a sister who suffers from mental illness and is taking a turn for the worse, and harassment from memorabilia collectors who want access to Scott’s notes and personal effects.

Early on, we are introduced to Scott and Lisey’s “interior language of marriage,” which includes unique new words such as “bool.” A bool is a gift, a prize, or a prank. As boys, Scott and his older brother, Paul, had a game called “Hunting the Bool,” or simply “Bool Hunt.” Paul would hide a candy bar or soda, and place a series of clues which Scott was to follow to the bool.

Related posts

• The Broker (0)
• Deception Point (0)
• It (0)
• Thinner (0)
• Blood Work (0)

Subscribe to Jon’s Book Reviews by Email

---

Author: Robert Crais

Genre: Mystery

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:

Max Holman has just completed a ten year prison sentence for bank robbery. Upon being released, he learns that his son, Richie, a Los Angeles police officer, was one of four officers killed in a shooting. The police close the case as a revenge killing, but Holman, feeling that the facts don’t add up, starts looking for more information.

While seeking the truth about his son, Holman attempts to re-establish contact with Richie’s mother, Donna Banik, only to learn that she has died. His only remaining connection to Richie is Liz Holman, Richie’s widow. From Liz, he learns that Richie and the other three murdered officers were investigating a pair of serial bank robbers named Marchenko and Parsons, who were killed in a shootout with police. Curious as to why uniformed officers were conducting an investigation that was officially closed, and that would normally be assigned to detectives, Holman enlists the help of Katherine Pollard, a retired FBI agent. Together, they learn that over $16 million from the Marchenko and Parsons robberies was never recovered, and that the four murdered officers were looking for it.

Related posts

• The Simple Truth (0)
• The Talisman (0)
• His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S. (0)
• Deception Point (0)
• Dreamcatcher (0)