Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben

 Title: Nobody's Fool

Author: Harlan Coben
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 6/27/2025
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Sami Kierce, former partner Marty, girl from 22 yrs ago Anna, wife Molly, son Henry.  Missing girl Victoria Belmond, Archie Belmond
What happens? Sami is an ex-cop who lost his cool, runs a criminology adult class, Anna died in his hotel room 22 yrs ago, reappears in his classroom. He follows her to the Belmond estate.  Is she the missing (and now returned) Victoria Belmond? 
How long was this? 340 pages
Did I like this? Good story, complex plot if a bit unbelievable.  Certainly a good read and a page turner.
Overall grade: B+

Tahoe Death Fall by Todd Borg

Title: Tahoe Death Fall
Author: Todd Borg
Did I listen or read?: library paperback
When did I finish?: 6/24/2025
When was the book published: 2001
Main Characters: Owen McKenna, Spot the Great Dane,  gf Street, Jennifer the 14 year old, Gramma, Melissa, Jennifer's twin. Helga the housekeeper
What happens?  Melissa dies in a fall when she and Jennifer and Gramma are hiking, age 6.  Jennifer hires Owen to find out what happened, was it an accident? Tons of family 
How long was this? 254 pages
Did I like this? Very overblown.  He kidnaps the Allison the mother from a mental institution in LV and takes her through a raging stream and loses her, then steals a plane and flies it in a snowstorm following the highways back to Tahoe.  Decent story and characters, but laughably unbelievable.  Since it's Tahoe, will keep trying

Overall grade: B-

Bark of Night by David Rosenfelt

 Title: Bark of Night

Author: David Rosenfelt
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 6/21/2025
When was the book published: 2019 next is Dachshund Through the Snow
Main Characters: Usual, Andy, Laurie, Sam, Marcus, Edna, Hike plus french bulldog Truman
What happens? Truman is dropped off by a thug with signed orders to kill.  Truman was the dog of Jason who was a documentarian who was killed.  There are people sponge diving for tourists and the boat workers are being killed, and some homeless people who have a drug chemical in their system.
How long was this? 7 hours 304 pages
Did I like this? decent
Overall grade: B

Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George

 Title: Believing the Lie

Author: Elizabeth George
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 6/17/2025
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: Lynley, Havers, boss / drunk Isabelle, Fairclough family
What happens? Ian dies in a boating accident and drowns.  The father, a rich Duke-like dude, asks Lynley to see if it was really an accident.  The whole family is a mess as Lynley tries to find the truth.  He asks Tommy and Deborah St. James to help research "undercover" and Deborah goes conception - crazy.
How long was this? 610 pages
Did I like this? decent, always good characters.
Overall grade: B

Wild Horses by Dick Francis

Title: Wild Horses
Author: Dick Francis
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 6/8/2025
When was the book published: 1994
Main Characters: Thomas Lyon, film director, O'Hara, producer, Montcreef, camera man, Howard Deely, writer, Nash Rourke, tom hanks, doctor Robbie Gill, Valentine, ex-blacksmith, sister Dorothea. The Visborough family.
What happens? Thomas is filming Howard's book about the mysterious death of Jackson Well's wife 26 years ago, and wants to jazz it up.  He is with Valentine as he is dying and confesses to killing someone. And giving a knife to someone. Someone wants to stop the movie from happening.
How long was this? 319 pages
Did I like this? Very good - great example of a Francis classic with an interesting young male lead and the horse biz.

Overall grade: A-

Dead Mountain by Douglas Preston and LIncoln Child

 Title: Dead Mountain

Author: Douglas Preston and LIncoln Child
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 6/5/2025
When was the book published: 2023
Main Characters: Corrie Swanson, FBI, Nora Kelly, univ prof and archaelogy expert.  Rotten sheriff. Nora's brother Skip.
What happens? In 2008, 9 mountaineer scientists disappear.  Two bodies are found in a cave with some ancient remains. The mystery was never solved - why did these people go out of their mind and cut their way out of a tent (not using the door) and go off into a deadly winter storm in their underwear.
How long was this?  388 pages.  12 hours
Did I like this? Decent story.  At first, why should I care?  But a compelling story is told with a big reveal.
Overall grade: B+

Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow

 Title: Presumed Guilty

Author: Scott Turow
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 5/25/2025
When was the book published: 2025 
Main Characters: Rusty Sabich, Bea, Bea's son Aaron, Aaron's gf Mae.  Bea's estranged father Joe. 
What happens? Aaron is on probation but is off drugs, goes away with Mae (bad influence), comes back without her.  She turns up dead.  Rusty has to defend Aaron.  
How long was this? 544 pages
Did I like this? This was an excellent book.  Great plot.  Believable.  Realistic characters.
Overall grade: A

A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison

 Title: A Very Bad Thing

Author: J.T. Ellison
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 6/1/2025
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters: Columbia Jones, author, daughter Darian, journalist Riley
What happens? Columbia is on tour promoting her wildly popular book, hires Riley to write about her,  secretly asks her to do her biography, invites Luke's wife Kira to meet her at a signing.  She gets killed and all the truth slowly comes out.
How long was this? 470 pages
Did I like this? It was an enjoyable read but I still don't know what happened or why she was killed.
Overall grade: B