One of the better books in the long, long series. An unusually strong premise.
Below the Belt (2017) is #40 in a series of guilty pleasure reads. We enjoy the life of the rich and powerful vicariously.
An impressive gentleman, Nelson Knott, launches a 3rd political party in the USA.
But he’s hiding some secrets. Backed by dirty scoundrels.
Somehow Stone Barrington finds himself in the middle of it.
Former Russian CIA mole Ed Rawls, a hilarious old curmudgeon, happens to live near Stone. He entrusts Stone to hang on to the locked case that has dirt on Knott.
… mavericks who go “against the grain” in their work …
People who chose to ignore conventional wisdom, found or invented a better way, questioned the status quo at great sacrifice and pushed for change against all odds.
Some were drummed out of their careers for it but in the end were proven right (Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis).
Some were celebrated but had to fight every inch of the way (Norman Lear).
Some re-invented their industry but preferred to stay an outsider (Tom Laughlin—aka Billy Jack).
Some confounded their competitors with ingenious strategies (NHL coach Roger Neilson).
One even saved millions of people around the world, but was humiliated, demoted, and dismissed for her entire career (Dr. Katalin Karikó—co-creator of the COVID vaccine).
I haven’t cancelled J.K. Rowling as she’s not ALL bad. She’s donated much to charity. And may even be a good person who somehow stumbled into this issue, getting it way wrong.
Themes explored in the plot involve Freemasonry, human trafficking, the silver antiques trade, corruption in the media, secrecy surrounding the military and intelligence services, mental health issues …
That said, the book is too long, as are most of her books in this series.
The relationship between Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott is agonizing and stupid. I can’t believe so little has progressed over 8 books.
I used to be sympathetic for Robin, as Strike is such an asshole. But she’s just as bad.
The only person to cheer for is Office Manager Pat. 😀
Worse — perhaps — is the plot. WHY did they take on a case to identify a mutilated corpse? WHY spend so much time and manpower on this case?
Who cares?
Story line convoluted and hard to follow. At the end, I read some explainers ➙ and still can’t be bothered to understand the plot.
IF you can get past those flaws, I actually enjoyed this book.
I don’t normally enjoy fantasy — but there was something about this book that kept me going.
The pace at the beginning was encouragingly quick.
It’s set currently with mobile phones and apps. Less world building than typical for the genre.
Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain.
Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild.
Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests’ shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. …
Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone…and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.
Welcome, Chaos (1983) is the second of her books I’ve read.
Though it’s a bit dated, I found the story intriguing.
Disillusioned and sorrowful history professor Lyle Taney retreats to the Oregon mountains to study eagles but becomes entangled with her neighbors, kindly polymath Saul Werther and his assistant Carmen, and a manipulative CIA agent, Lasater.
She discovers Werther and Carmen are part of a secret organization guarding a dangerous immortality serumfrom Nazi Germany. A serum that grants immortality but can also kill half its recipients and cause infertility.
When Russia independently obtains the serum and unleashes it as a flu epidemic, Lyle must choose sides in a struggle that could lead to global destruction or the start of a new civilization
AI summary
Sure you can argue the writing is not great.
BUT the 4 main characters are really well developed.
In a cat-and-mouse game that trails from sun-drenched Bel-Air to a peaceful European estate and gorgeous Santa Fe, Stone and his friend remain just one step ahead of their opponent.
But their pursuer is not a man who can stand to be thwarted, and tensions are mounting…and may soon reach the boiling point.
Not a great dystopian novel as it didn’t have enough to say about our current pre-dystopian present.
But still worth reading.
All the Water in the World is told in the voice of a girl gifted with a deep feeling for water.
In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister and her parents and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History.
The rule: Take from the exhibits only in dire need.
They hunt and grow their food in Central Park as they work to save the collections of human history and science.
When a superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape north on the Hudson.
They carry with them a book that holds their records of the lost collections.
Racing on the swollen river towards what may be safety, they encounter communities that have adapted in very different and sometimes frightening ways to the new reality. But they are determined to find a way to make a new world that honors all they’ve saved.
Sixteen-year-old Frankie Budge—aspiring writer, indifferent student, offbeat loner—is determined to make it through yet another sad summer in Coalfield, Tennessee, when she meets Zeke, a talented artist who has just moved into his grandmother’s unhappy house and who is as lonely and awkward as Frankie.
… when the two jointly make an unsigned poster, shot through with an enigmatic phrase, it becomes unforgettable to anyone who sees it.
The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.
The Intruder (2025) by Freida McFadden is another of her stand alone psychological thrillers.
The twists and surprises in this one are pretty good.
Casey’s cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she’s a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.
She’s young. She’s alone. And she’s covered in blood.
The girl won’t explain where she came from, or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse.
The girl has a dark secret. One she’ll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.
Rick McCharles 