The Rider of Lost Creek by Louis L'amour

 Title: The Rider of Lost Creek

Author: Louis L'Amour
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook, home from SB on 5/18/2025
When did I finish?: 5/18/2025
When was the book published: 1976
Main Characters: Lance Kilkenny, the 3 feuding families, including Lance's friend Mort (?) - Dusty Graves is his sidekick
What happens? Lance's friend needs help.  He has settled in Lost Creek and there is a range war brewing as the west is being bound by barbed wire.  Lance has to figure out who's behind it all.
How long was this? 224 pages
Did I like this? Action parts were OK, but calling the characters "the man" or the "stranger" just gets old
Overall grade: B-

The Big Empty by Robert Crais

 Title: The Big Empty

Author: Robert Crais
Did I listen or read?: kindle libby 
When did I finish?: 5/19/2025
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Elvis Cole, Joe Pike, Traci Beller, missing father Tommy, Sadie (mother) and Anya (daughter) Givens
What happens? Elvis agrees to help successful internet baker Traci find out what happened to her father 10 years ago.  He works the case countering two forces - Anya and protectors, and mystery criminals who want to keep it secret
How long was this? 373 pages
Did I like this? Crais is a great writer, love Elvis and Joe.
Overall grade: A-

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

 Title: The Princess of Las Vegas

Author: Chris Bohjalian
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 5/16/2025
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters: Crissy Morley (Diana), sister Betsy Morley
What happens? Crissy is playing Lady Di at the Buckingham Palace casino.  Betsy is moving to LV with her boyfriend who is a former banker and now crypto exec.  The crypto people happen to be buying the BP after the supposed-suicide deathes of the two owners within a week of each other.
How long was this? 400 pages
Did I like this? A pretty good story - entertaining
Overall grade: B+

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

 Title: The Longest Ride

Author: Nicholas Sparks
Did I listen or read?: libby audio book to SB 5/13/2025
When did I finish?: 5/16/2025
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: Ira Levinson, Ruth - late wife, Luke the cowboy. Sophia Danko

What happens? 2 love stories that come together at the end.  Ira is dying and remembering his life with Ruth who passed 8 years ago.  Sophia is at Wake Forest and meets cowboy Luke and they fall in love.
How long was this? 398 pages about 8 hours
Did I like this? It was OK.  
Overall grade: B

No Fixed Line by Dana Stabenow

 Title: No Fixed Line

Author: Dana Stabenow
Did I listen or read?: Libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 5/9/2025
When was the book published: 2020
Main Characters: Kate Shugak, PI, Jim Chopin, a whole lotta other people
What happens? Kate is named executor for a guy who tried to kill her, and Jim investigates the airplane crash that leaves a couple of sex-abused kids alive while the bad man is killed
How long was this? 400 pages
Did I like this? not too much, have to try something earlier in the series
Overall grade: B-

Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George

 Title: Mary Called Magdalene

Author: Margaret George
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 5/7/2025
When was the book published: 2002
Main Characters: Mary, Joel (husband), Elisheba (daughter), Jesus, Mother Mary, John, Paul, Peter, Simon, Joanna, Judas, Pontius Pilate, Jesus
What happens? Mary is born a middle class Jew.  Has demons.  Marries Joel.  Demons take over.  Jesus cures her.  Jesus starts preaching, taking over for John the Baptist. etc.
How long was this? 632 pages
Did I like this? Really boring and painfully detailed about the whole demon thing.  But what a story
Overall grade: B

A Place to Bury Strangers by Mark Dawson

 Title: A Place to Bury Strangers

Author: Mark Dawson
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 5/2/2025
When was the book published:  2021
Main Characters: Atticus Finch - on the spectrum PI, Mackenzie Jones still a copy
What happens? Atticus is now a PI after being tossed off the force.  Mac is his former partner who he had an affair with and is getting a divorce because of it.  He has a private client who wants to find his runaway daughter, and she works a case where a human bone is found from a cemetery that hasn't been active since the 1940s.
How long was this? 432 pages
Did I like this? Decent, worth trying an earlier one.
Overall grade: B