56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

Smart. Well written. A psychological thriller where everyone has secrets.

And it’s a modern book with a plot shaped by pandemic. The police using social media to track suspects.

Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores.

56 days later detectives arrive at Oliver’s apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.

… What happened?

The Escape by David Baldacci

3rd in the enjoyable John Puller series.

Baldacci’s best series for me, so far.

John Puller’s older brother, Robert, was convicted of treason.

His inexplicable escape from prison makes him the most wanted criminal in the country. Some in the government believe that John Puller represents their best chance at capturing Robert alive, and so Puller must bring in his brother to face justice.

But Puller quickly discovers that his brother is pursued by others who don’t want him to survive. Puller is in turn pushed into an uneasy, fraught partnership with another agent, who may have an agenda of her own. …

davidbaldacci.com

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

HERE AND GONE by Haylen Beck

Wow.

This is intense.

Audra just wants to reach California. She’s finally found the strength to flee her abusive husband and make a fresh start for her two children.

With little Sean and Louise in tow, she has carefully made her way across the country, taking back roads and avoiding attention. 

So when an unsettling local sheriff pulls her over in the middle of the Arizona desert, Audra works to hide her nerves and keep calm. She has to. But then he pulls a bag of drugs she’s never seen before out of her trunk, and nervousness turns into panic. She thinks the worst has happened. …

haylenbeck.com

It gets worse. Much worse.

To Cut a Long Story Short by Jeffrey Archer

To Cut a Long Story Short is a 2000 short story collection.

… 14 riveting tales of elaborate confidence tricks, political chicanery, immoral behavior, and dangerously illicit affairs …

I don’t read many short stories. BUT Archer is so good at making an entertaining story easy to follow, that I enjoyed this one very much.

The Forgotten by David Baldacci

The Forgotten (2012) by David Baldacci is the second instalment to feature John Puller, a former Army Ranger who served at Iraq and Afghanistan and now works for the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigations Division.

I like the character John Puller.

The plot is over-the-top excessive, as usual for Baldacci, but I do recommend the series.

A picture-perfect town on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Paradise thrives on the wealthy tourists and retirees drawn to its gorgeous weather and beaches.

The local police have ruled his aunt’s death an unfortunate, tragic accident. But just before she died, she mailed a letter to Puller’s father, telling him that beneath its beautiful veneer, Paradise is not all it seems to be.

davidbaldacci.com

The Expanse – season 6

Well. It’s over. For now.

The final battle with Marco Inaros and his Free Navy.

Season 6 was good overall. And I’m actually not unhappy with the ending.

James Holden reminds me of John Snow in Game of Thrones.

Other terrific characters I won’t forget: Bobbie Draper, Camina Drummer, Chrisjen Avasarala, and especially Amos Burton.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Station Eleven – TV miniseries

I really LIKED Station Eleven, the 2014 novel by Emily St. John Mandel.

But I’m not sure I can recommend Station Eleven (miniseries), the HBO adaptation.

Twenty years after a flu pandemic resulted in the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors who make their living as traveling performers ….

Mackenzie Davis is excellent as Kirsten, the main character. The entire cast is excellent.

BEST is David Wilmot.

It’s original. Brave.

But for me the story is too confused. Jumping back and forward in time worked in the book, but was too confusing on screen for me.

On the other hand, it’s 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. You can’t help but admire the attempt.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Dalgliesh – season 1

Excellent. Like many of the best British TV shows, the cast is very believable. Plots fascinating. And the actors look like real people, crooked teeth and all.

Dalgliesh is a crime drama TV series based on Adam Dalgliesh novels by PD James

Bertie Carvel stars as the titular character, an enigmatic detective–poet. …

It’s set in mid-1970s England. Thatcher times.

Dalgliesh in the books is dour, cerebral and private. A poet.

In this TV adaptation, to keep the pace lively he’s partnered with LIVELY colleagues.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Zero Day by David Baldacci

Zero Day (2011) is the first of the John Puller series.

An Army detective, Puller has been compared to Jack Reacher (sometimes unfavourably). A large, tough man, whose peak physical fitness is matched only by his intellectual superiority.

Puller is now working for the US Army’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID).

He partners in this tale with police sergeant Samantha Cole. An appealing couple.

I’ve often criticized Baldacci for his dumb over-the-top plots — and this one is dumb. BUT I do recommend this book. It’s entertaining. And I really got to like Puller and Cole.

First half of the book is far better than the rest.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Witcher – season 2

FIRE THE WRITERS.

So much potential. An excellent cast. Tons of money for special effects.

But what is the STORY?

61% on Rotten Tomatoes is far too generous.

It’s a mess. I’ll try not to watch season 3.