Kickback by Ace Atkins

 Title: Kickback 

Author: Ace Atkins
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 1/25/2024
When was the book published: 2015
Main Characters: Spenser, a bit of Hawk and Susan.  Dillon Yates, 17 yr old.  Judge Scalli. Hood DeMarco.
What happens?  Judge is taking kickbacks and putting kids in a youth facility, no lawyers allowed. People die.  Spenser goes to Florida.
How long was this? 304 pages
Did I like this? very predictable story.  tortured by including a blow-by-blow at the youth facility.
Overall grade: B-

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

 Title: Lessons in Chemistry

Author: Bonnie Garmus
Did I listen or read?: Kindle library book
When did I finish?: January 20, 2024
When was the book published: 2022
Main Characters: Elizabeth Zott, Calvin Evans, daughter Mad, neighbor Harriet
What happens? Elizabeth is frustrated by being a woman chemist, meets Calvin, winds up with a hit cooking show.
How long was this? 360 pages
Did I like this? Pretty good fantasy
Overall grade: B

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

 Title: The Last Devil to Die

Author: Richard Osman
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 1/15/2024
When was the book published: 2023
Main Characters: usual 4, Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim
What happens? Their friend Kuldesh runs an antique store and decides to resell the heroin drop that is sold/reappropriated from his store.  He gets killed.  Elizabeth's husband Stephen wrestles with dementia.  They help a new neighbor, Mervyn, who is being conned in a on-line love scam.
How long was this? 349 pages
Did I like this? Very good story.  Very touching depiction of dementia.  This is book 4.  need to get 2 and 3.
Overall grade: A-

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

 Title: The Lincoln Highway

Author: Amor Towles
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 1/10/2024
When was the book published: 2021 
Main Characters: Emmett Watson, brother Billy, Duchess and Woolly, Ulysses, Prof. Abernathe
What happens? Emmett is driven home from his time in juvenile prison because his father has passed away.  He is there for hitting a guy at the fair who died.  Woolly and Duchess sneak out in the trunk of the warden's car.  Emmett's plan to take Billy and drive to California on the Lincoln Highway to find their mother runs into many obstacles and detours.
How long was this? 576 pages
Did I like this? It was a nice read, and I would definitely read the next chapter if he writes one.
Overall grade: B+

Missing Joseph by Elizabeth George

 Title: Missing Joseph

Author: Elizabeth George
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: Jan 3, 2024
When was the book published: 1993
Main Characters: Lynley and Helen, St. James and Deborah.  Polly Yarkin who loves constable Colin Shepherd who loves Juliet Spence mother of Maggie who loves Nick Ware.
What happens?  Pastor Sage doesn't show for the Townley-Young wedding.  He's dead.  Did Juliet (caretaker for the TY "hall") intentionally poison him w hemlock?
How long was this? 496 pages
Did I like this? good story, not great.  Interesting theme of adoption
Overall grade: B

What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman

 Title: What the Dead Know

Author: Laura Lippman
Did I listen or read?: Libby audio during Xmas SB trip 2023
When did I finish?: 12/29/2023
When was the book published: 2007
Main Characters: Heather Bethany,   Kevin Infante, horny copy, Chet Willoughby, horny retired copy, Kay Sullivan, social worker, Gloria Bustamante, lawyer
What happens?  Heather reappears after a car accident on an icy Baltimore bridge, one of the missing Bethany sisters.  She doesn't want to tell her story, and regrets admitting that she was a Bethany sister.  The car belonged to Penelope Jackson.  Who dat?
How long was this?  384 pages, about 12 hours
Did I like this? It was pretty good, yeah.  Kept our attention.
Overall grade: B+