Our Woman in Moscow

Our Woman in Moscow

Our Woman in Moscow: A Novel Beatrice Williams Occasionally I come across a book that reminds me of the sheer joy of reading, opens a new world, and warms the heart. Beatrice Williams has done just that in Our Woman in Moscow (Morrow $28. 437pp). I could not wait to...
Guest List

Guest List

Have you ever watched an old movie or a soap opera whereafter any dramatic element of dialog the background music ramps up a deep ta dum or similar effect? Multiple times? To the point it gets annoying? Well, that’s what Lucy Foley does in The Guest List (Morrow...
Every Vow

Every Vow

Peter Swanson’s Every Vow You Break (Morrow $28) has a great premise and has gotten nice reviews (NY Times). But it may be the worst book I’ve ever reviewed. A great writer can take a well-worn premise or an old story like A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (based on...
The Gate Keeper

The Gate Keeper

I’ve read several Inspector Rutledge novels written by the team of Charles Todd (son and other) but have not reviewed one. I just finished The Gate Keeper (William Morrow, $26.99). Inspector Fleming has just come back from World War I and rejoined Scotland Yard, as a...
Paris by the Book

Paris by the Book

Paris by the Book (Dutton, $26.00), by Liam Callanan, begins with a riveting premise: Leah’s husband goes missing from his home in Milwaukee. Despite all the efforts of the police there is no trace of him, but the narrator rejects any suggestion that he’s dead. The...
The Flight Attendant

The Flight Attendant

Chris Bohjalian’s The Flight Attendant (Double Day) features perhaps the most screwed-up heroine in recent crime literature. Cassandra Bowden is a flight attendant who has just completed the run from Paris to Dubai and either picks up or gets picked up by a charming...