Friends moved from Vancouver to Vernon in the sunny Okanagan.
What do you think of their new vista?
We were working on a Gymnastics project, taking breaks with good food.
One highlight was visiting gorgeous Ellison Provincial Park.
Friends are improving the rock climbing routes nearby.
Who are my friends, you ask?
From Vernon, I started my ride back to Calgary.
Thomas Perry (1947-2025) is one of my favourite writers.
I’m working backwards, reading more of his older books.
Pursuit (2021)is a standalone suspense novel that follows a high-stakes “cat-and-mouse” hunt across the United States between a relentless investigator and a professional hitman.
That aspect of the book was fantastic. Good guy and bad guy at the top of their games.
It got slow and dull when each had a problematic romantic relationship.
The story begins with a brutal mass murder at a restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, where thirteen people are found dead. When local police are unable to find a suspect or motive, forensics expert Daniel Milliken determines the crime was the work of a highly skilled professional.
Milliken connects the father of one victim with Roy Prescott, an enigmatic specialist known for finding people who don’t want to be found.
Prescott identifies his target as James Varney, a sociopathic hired gun who is as methodical and deadly as Prescott himself. To catch him, Prescott must goad Varney into believing he has to kill Prescott, turning the pursuit into a deadly game where only one can survive.
No fixed line by by Dana Stabenow is the 22nd book in the acclaimed Kate Shugak Investigation mystery series.
I really enjoyed the previous book, and might just have to continue with this series. This one is good, as well.
The Setting: It is New Year’s Eve, and an intense, weeks-long blizzard has entirely cut Alaska off from the rest of the world.
The Crash: A small plane crashes deep within the remote Quilak mountains.
The Discovery: Because official aviation investigators cannot reach the site, ex-State Trooper Jim Chopin handles the initial search. He uncovers the wreckage, a large stash of fentanyl pills, and a dead pilot who has a criminal past.
The Survivors: Two young, traumatized Spanish-speaking children are found alive at the scene, revealing a dark human trafficking plot.
The Subplot: Meanwhile, Aleut private investigator Kate Shugak faces an unwelcome shock when a deceased enemy names her the trustee of his multi-million dollar estate.
One of the most expensive TV shows ever made.
I enjoyed the brainless escapism of season 1, so made sure to click through for season 2.
Season 2 is not as good. But worth watching for the ACTION, not the plot.
Ignore the plot.
The unlikely team must stop Joana Malvern (Merle Dandridge) from assassinating the Russian President at the G8 Summit.
Priyanka Chopra as Nadia Sinh is not the most believable super spy.
Richard Madden as Mason Kane is a very believable action star, however.
Jack Reynor as Hutch is probably my favourite.
Stanley Tucci as Stanley Tucci 😀 is always great.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Original. Smart. Funny dialogue. I really liked this book.
Go Gentle is the 2026 novel by bestselling author Maria Semple.
The story follows Adora Hazzard, a 50-something divorced Stoic philosopher living a carefully curated, highly content life in Manhattan’s historic Ansonia building.
Her days are filled with raising her teenage daughter, tutoring the children of a billionaire family, and building a “coven” of close female friends.
Adora lives by the strict Stoic principle of wanting only what she already has—until a chance encounter with a handsome stranger at the ballet changes everything. Her orderly world is quickly upended and thrown into a chaotic, madcap international caper involving:
💡 Themes
Several critics, including Ron Charles, described the book as a “kitchen junk-drawer of a novel,” arguing that blending a Stoic philosophy lesson, a romantic comedy, and a high-stakes art heist can feel incredibly jarring.
Fair criticism. It’s not a neat and tidy storyline. But I still recommend it.
I don’t love all the popular Freida McFadden books, but this one is very entertaining.
The Devil You Know (2017) is a medical comedy and women’s fiction novel as the second and final book in her Dr. Jane McGillduology.
Unlike her famous dark psychological thrillers (like The Housemaid), this earlier series leans heavily into medical humour, workplace drama, and romance.
The story follows Dr. Jane McGill, who finally feels like she has the perfect life.
She has a stable job at a VA Hospital, a loving husband, and an adorable daughter. However, her ideal world is upended when the hospital hires a new vascular surgeon: Dr. Ryan Reilly—the “Sexy Surgeon” who also happens to be the biggest jerk she ever loved.
Forced to work alongside her infuriating ex-boyfriend from a decade ago, Jane begins to question her past choices and her current marriage as old sparks fly and workplace comedy ensues
I cycled the last sections of the traditional Camino de Santiago in 2022.
To my thinking, cycling is even better than walking.
I rented a touring bike. VERY convenient.
If interested, check out the best guidebook:
Cicerone – Cycling the Camino de Santiago: a complete planning guide
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Another great book from one of my favourite authors.
Hang On St. Christopher (2025) is the 8th novel in Adrian McKinty’s critically acclaimed Sean Duffy mystery series, released on March 4, 2025.
Despite the previous book, The Detective Up Late, being heavily promoted as Duffy’s final case, this instalment welcomes the street-worn detective back for another dangerous assignment.
I watched Eleventh Hour — not to be confused with the 2008 American remake — because it starred Patrick Stewart.
He’s great.
The concept is great.
The execution terrible. Cinematography worse, even by 2006 production standards.
Patrick Stewart is a Special Science Advisor, who troubleshoots threats stemming from or targeting “scientific endeavour.”
He is joined by Rachel Young, played by Ashley Jensen, a Special Branch operative who acts primarily as his bodyguard, as Hood has made powerful enemies through his work.
Dana Stabenow is an award winning author who sets books in her home state of Alaska.
Less Than a Treason (2017) is just one of many in her Kate Shugak series.
I enjoyed it.
The book opens four months after the dramatic cliffhanger of the previous novel, Bad Blood, where Aleut private investigator Kate Shugak was shot in the chest and nearly died,
Kate’s self-imposed isolation is shattered when a group of wilderness hikers stumbles near her territory. One hiker tumbles down a ridge and lands on a scattered heap of human bones. Realizing it is time to return to society, Kate packs up the remains, escorts the hikers back, and re-enters the town of Niniltna—shocking locals who assumed she was dead.
Once back, Kate is drawn into a complex web of corporate crime involving a lucrative secret gold mine: [1]
Rick McCharles 