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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

"Back of Beyond" by C.J. Boxer

Back Of BeyondBack Of Beyond by C.J. Box

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


With a wonderful flavor for the settings in Montana and Yellowstone National Park, this mystery/thriller capitalizes on the great outdoors to unravel an edge of your seat tale. As raw and uncompromising as nature, the action is brutal, the consequences final.

Every character has a back story.  My favorite was Gracie, a smart pre-teen and observer of human nature.  Confined with her sister, father and tour group to the trails of the Park, they are dependent upon Jed, their guide, to lead, feed, house and protect them.  Through Gracie's eyes the reader sees the strengths and weaknesses of her companions and gets the first clues that things are not as they seem.

Cody Hoyt, a troubled cop, discovers that his son Justin is on the wilderness adventure in the company of a killer.  His race to get his son and identify the killer in the group provides the action.

A great story....




Saturday, September 1, 2012

"Calico Joe" by John Grisham

Calico JoeCalico Joe by John Grisham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Grisham writes good short fiction. I enjoyed "Bleachers" a while back and this one was just as good.

This time the sport is baseball. The protagonist is Paul Tracey, son of hard-drinking and self-absorbed Warren Tracey a pitcher for the Mets. Joe, of the title, is a home-run hitting rookie phenomenon from Calico Rock, Arkansas playing with the Cubs.  The story revolves around the game during which the two players meet. Reading it is like peeling an onion.  Every layer reveals more about each character, the impending conflict and its satisfying resolution.  Saying more would spoil the story for future readers. 

A good read.



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