The Tin Men by Alex Demille

 Title: The Tin Men

Author: Alex DeMille - Nelson DeMille passed away in 2024

Did I listen or read?: library book

When did I finish?: Dec 30, 2025

When was the book published: 2025

Main Characters: Scott Brodie, Maggie Taylor

What happens? Scott and Maggie get sent to investigate a murder at a top secret facility where Lethal Autonomous Weapons are being tested against a squad of rangers. One of the robots has killed a soldier.

How long was this? 368 pages

Did I like this? It was a really good science fiction but could be real story.  Engaging and creepy/scary realistic.

Overall grade: B+

Caught by Harl;an Coben

 Title: Caught

Author: Harlan Coben
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook xmas car trip to SB 2025
When did I finish?: 12-29-2025
When was the book published: 2011
Main Characters: Wendy Tynes, reporter, Hailey McWaid, missing girl.  Dan Mercer, caught in the act of soliciting a minor - or was he?, Ed the father of one of the kids supposedly abused by Dan
What happens? Wendy latches on to the story as she isn't sure that Dan is guilty, and she wants to help find Hailey.  She gets fired and then gets her job back, and stumbles onto the plot attacking a bunch of Princeton roommates
How long was this?  12 hours
Did I like this? It was a good story, with good twists and turns.  Lots of "You don't really know, do you, Wendy" requiring patience.  but basically a good story
Overall grade: B

Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben

 Title: Gone Before Goodbye

Author: Reese Witherspoon and  Harlan Coben
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: Dec 22, 2025
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Maggie McCabe, world class cosmetic surgeon who did wartime work around the world
What happens? Maggie's life is in ruins as her husband was killed and she started doing drugs and screwed up a surgery.  An old friend offers her services to do cosmetic surgery on a russian oligarch and his girlfriend's breasts and things get weird.
How long was this? 340 pages
Did I like this? The beginning was a little tough with the noble, tough, world-class characters, but once the plot got going, it was good.  Twists and turns
Overall grade: B+

Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shamyalan

 Title: Remain

Author: Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shamyalan
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 12/5/2025
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: The architect missing his dead wife.  The dead woman in the house.  The two caretakers.  The architect's best friend from college
What happens? Dude moves into a house, renting it while working on the project for his best friend's house.  The woman comes to hang out with him.  Is the a ghose?  They fall in love.
How long was this? 
Did I like this? A really good story with great characters and some twists and turns.  Easy to see where it was going, but well done, a pleasure to read.
Overall grade: B+

Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

 Title: Don't Let Him In

Author: Lisa Jewell
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 12/12/2025
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Nina, Ash, Martha, Nick or Alistair or whatever
What happens? Dude is a major con artist, swindler, with a skill for seducing woman and an evil side.
How long was this? 330 pages
Did I like this? Not much.  Predictable, hard to root for the characters.  Ash was the main character on to him and tracking him down.  Everyone else in his path is miserable, generally because of him.
Overall grade: C+

The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith

 Title: The Hallmarked Man

Author: Robert Galbraith
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 12/1/2025
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Strike, Robin Ellacott, Decima Mullins, Johny Rokeby, a ton of others from the Charlotte story
What happens? Strike and Robin are hired because a man is mutilated in a silver store vault (to make him unidentifiable) by Decima, who wants them to prove that it is her husband, Rupert Fleetwood, because otherwise he just abandoned her and their baby.  There are 5 different possible people who are the actual victim who posed as William White to work in the silver store.  
How long was this? 897 pages
Did I like this? It was nearly impossible to follow the different stories being investigated, combined with the other cases, the investigators and their problems.  JK Rowling is a good writer, so it's fun to read, but no way I understood what happened.
Overall grade: B

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

 Title: The Case for Christ

Author: Lee Strobel
Did I listen or read?: gift on my 70th from Jenny, paperback
When did I finish?: 11/25/2205
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: He interviews about 12 experts (all true believers) about different elements that have been pointed out as doubtful or contradictory in the story of Jesus.
What happens? Each expert expertly contradicts the arguments presented
How long was this? 306 pages
Did I like this? I learned a lot about Jesus's life that I did not know.  I did not appreciate the bias of every person who is interviewed.
Overall grade: B