All Friends Are Necessary by Tomas Moniz

 Title:All Friends Are Necessary

Author: Tomas Moniz
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 11/10/2026
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters: Efren "Chino" Flores, Metal Matt, Suzi has Matt's baby, Mike and Kay
What happens? Years of Chino's life in NorCal with ferns, covid, friends.  Bisexual stuff.  A dog named Brucebruce, one called Sabbath (like Black Sabbath) and cats name Balls and something else.
How long was this? 266 pages
Did I like this? Enjoyable.  A story. Lives.  Not action packed, but not without action.
Overall grade: B+

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

 Title: First Lie Wins

Author: Ashley Elston
Did I listen or read?: libby audiobook
When did I finish?: 11/10/2026
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters: Evie Porter AKA Lucca, her mother, Mr. Smith.  George the delivery guy. Devin, who she hires to help her.  Ryan, the mark.
What happens? Evie is entangled with Mr. Smith's criminal fraud capers, and is sent to befriend Ryan, and we get flashbacks of her past cons.
How long was this? 340 pages about 10 hours
Did I like this? Really different and entertaining
Overall grade: B+

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

 Title: The Frozen People

Author: Elly Griffiths
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 11/4/2026
When was the book published: 2025
Main Characters: Ali Dawson, Cain Templeton (1850), Isaac Templeton, team from Cold Cases, Geoff, John, "Smith", Ali's son Finn and ex-husband Declan
What happens? Ali's team time travels to work on old cases, and Isaac Templeton asks her (specifically) to go back to 1850 to see if Cain is really a murderer.
How long was this? 289 pages
Did I like this? Yeah, really good and fast paced. Good time travel adventure and theory.
Overall grade: A-

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

 Title: The Perfect Marriage

Author: Jeneva Rose 

Did I listen or read?: Libby audiobook

When did I finish?: 10/22/2026

When was the book published: 2020 

Main Characters: Sarah and Adam Morgan, Kelly the waitress, Ann the assistant, Bob the annoying co-worker

What happens? Sarah is hyper-successful at law, Adam a flailing writer, has an affair with Kelly.  She winds up dead in his bed, all the evidence points to him, and Sarah will defend him.

How long was this? 352 pages 9 hours

Did I like this? It was overall pretty good.  A little mystifying  at times but interesting twists

Overall grade: B+

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

 Title: Kristin Hannah 

Author: Kristin Hannah

Did I listen or read?: Oakmont library book

When did I finish?: 10/28/2026

When was the book published: 2018

Main Characters: Leni (daughter), Cora (mom), Ernt Albright (viet vet father), Large Marge, Tom and Matthew Walker

What happens?  Leni and Cora agree to move to Alaska to help Ernt sane.  It doesn’t work, but they love Alaska

How long was this? 440 pages 

Did I like this? Good writing, great story, hard to read

Overall grade:  B+

The Other Americans by Laila Lalami

 Title: The Other Americans

Author:  Laila Lalami

Did I listen or read?: book present from Hope

When did I finish?:  10/18/2026

When was the book published: 2019

 Main Characters: Nora, daughter of Driss who is killed, her mother, Jeremy old friend who is a vet and now a cop, Coleman, black lady detective

What happens? Driss is killed in a hit and run, and they suspect the guy who owns the bowling alley next to his cafe, as they have been arguing.

How long was this? 301 pages 

Did I like this?  A good story, well told and paced.  It’s a story about immigrants, but mostly they are “just like us”

Overall grade:  B+

The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

 Title: The Code Breaker

Author: Walter Isaacson

Did I listen or read?: bought the book at the Copeland warehouse sale

When did I finish?:  10/9/2026 

When was the book published: 2021

Main Characters: Jennifer Doran’s, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Feng Zhang, George Church

What happens? The process of figuring out how to use CRISPR on humans.  The process of how to use CRISPR to quickly develop mRNA vaccines for COVID.  Clustered Regulrarly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats.

How long was this?  481 pages

Did I like this? Good story, real science 

Overall grade:  B+

You deserve to know By Aggie Blum Thompson

 Title: You Deserve to Know 

Author: Aggie Blum Thompson

Did I listen or read?: Libby audio book, trip to Paso Robles 

When did I finish?: 9/28/2026

When was the book published: 2025

Main Characters: Three couples in the suburbs.  Marcus and Lisa.  Gwen and Anton.  Amy and Scott

What happens? Amy is first.  Gwen befriends her when she moves in.  Lisa moves in and disrupts the setup.  Lots of jealousy. Anton gets killed.  Scott disappears.

How long was this? 323 pages

Did I like this? It was OK.  Lots of twists and turns, but it held OK over multiple listening. 

Overall grade:  B

Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt

 Title: Best in Snow

Author: David Rosenfelt
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 9/29/2026
When was the book published: 2021
Main Characters: Andy Carpenter, Laurie, Tara, Sebastian, Hunter, Ricky, Sam, Marcus, Eddie (replacing the negative guy), Corey, Simon Garfunkel.   Bobby (former journalist for Vince.). Pete Stanton.  Dylan is the DA.  
What happens?  Bobby lost his job as he was setup by Teresa Minardo to falsely present that the mayor received 1 million in checks, which prove to be fake.  When the mayor turns up dead, Bobby is charged with murder as evidence is planted.
How long was this? 310 pages
Did I like this? The usual, always enjoyable.
Overall grade: B

Longshot by Dick Francis

 Title: Longshot

Author: Dick Francis
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 9/15/2026
When was the book published: 1990
Main Characters: John Kendall, survival travel book writer, Tremayne Vickers, trainer and former jockey, Ronnie, agent, Mackie TV daughter in law, Perkin, furniture maker and son of TV.  Gareth, Teenage son.  Harry and Fiona.  Erica Upton successful author and aunt.  Sam, successful jockey and boat shop owner.  Nolan, son of TV and amateur jockey.  
What happens? John’s freezing in his aunt’s house trying to write, Ronnie gets him a gig writing a biography of Tremayne.  He goes to TV’s house and things start going wrong, car crash in the freezing cold.
How long was this? 320 pages
Did I like this? Really good Francis.  Great characters complex plot
Overall grade: A-

Lightning Strikes the Silence by Iona Whishaw

 Title: Lightning Strikes the Silence

Author: Iona Whishaw
Did I listen or read?: kindle libby (iceland)
When did I finish?: 9/10/2026
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters: Lane Winslow, husband Darling the cop, Ames and Terrell, cops.  Sasaki family, Sara, uncle Aoki.  Ron Harold the jeweler, Humphries the locksmith
What happens? Unexploded Japanese balloon bomb goes off in 1948 in Canada and kills Sara's mother, as they were living in a cabin hiding in the woords
How long was this? 494 pages
Did I like this? I like the characters, pretty good story teller but waaaaaay too long, it was obvious who the likely killer was and dragged out.
Overall grade: B

The Danger

 Title: The Danger

Author: Dick Francis
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: 8/18/2026
When was the book published: 1984
Main Characters: Andrew Douglas, Alessia the kidnapped jockey
What happens? Andrew works for Liberty Market, a firm who helps when someone is kidnapped.  There are three stories of kidnappings, first Alessia, then a 3 year old, then the pres of the Jockey Club.
How long was this? 320 pages
Did I like this? His early writing is my favorite.  Great characters, lots of action, well researched.  Probably my 2nd time reading and I loved it.
Overall grade: A-

Think Twice by Harlen Coben

 Title: Think Twice

Author: Harlan Coben
Did I listen or read?: paperback from Powell's
When did I finish?: 8/16/2026
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters: Myron Bolitar and Win, Greg Downing (had a funeral for him), ex-college girlfriend .Emily, son Jeremy, gay sex worker Bo
What happens? Weird killer goes around perfectly framing person B after killing person A.  Greg seems to be the killer or connected somehow.  Lots of stuff from Myron's past.
How long was this? 356 pages
Did I like this? Breezy entertaining style. Challenging plot
Overall grade: B+

Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner

 Title: Say Goodbye

Author: Lisa Gardner
Did I listen or read?: library book paperback
When did I finish?: 8/10/2026
When was the book published: 2008
Main Characters: Kimberly Quincy, husband Mac (GBI), Delilah Rose, temp partner Sal
What happens? Delilah reaches out to Kimberly about missing prostitutes.  Is it a serial killer?  The work of the burgerman? or arachnid backwards dinchara spider guy?  Little boys?  Hookers/
How long was this? 452 pages
Did I like this? Very confusing, still don't know who was who or who the bad guy was.
Overall grade: C+

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

 Title: The Postscript Murders

Author: Elly Griffiths
Did I listen or read?: Oakmont library
When did I finish?: 8/6/2026
When was the book published: 2020
Main Characters: Harbinder Kaur, partner Neil, Benedict, Edwin, Natalya, a bunch of authors, Patricia and Maria are carers.
What happens? Peggy is a Murder Consultant and dies in her apartment (at age 90.)  Is it murder?  Edwin, Benedict and Natalya convince Harbinder to suss it out.
How long was this? 344 pages
Did I like this? I really like the writer and the characters.  The plot was convoluted but really fun and well done.  Need to find more of these.
Overall grade: A-

James by Percival Everett

 Title: James

Author: Percival Elliott
Did I listen or read?: oakmont library book
When did I finish?: 8/1/2026
When was the book published: 2024
Main Characters: James, Huck
What happens? A retelling of Huck Finn from the viewpoint of James the slave.  James is about to be separated from his family (at the beginning of the civil war) and runs away with James.  They have a series of harrowing adventures.  With the surprise at the end...
How long was this? 304 pages
Did I like this? The main premise is that slaves speak the King's English except around white people.  It felt like a stretch and kind of weird, but the story itself was compelling and exciting.
Overall grade: B

The Ghost Fields by Elly Griiffiths

 Title: The Ghost Fields

Author: Elly Griffiths
Did I listen or read?: oakmont library book
When did I finish?: 7/22/2026
When was the book published: 2015
Main Characters: Ruth Galloway the forensic archaelogist, Nelson father of Kate who is married to Michelle who is seeing Tim who works for Nelson.  The Blackstock family, old George, young George, Sally, Nell and Blake from the US.  Cathbad and Hazel are druids.
What happens? A plane is found buried near the old air force base (ghost field) and Fred Blackstock is in it, except he was supposed to have died in a crash in the ocean, and he is well preserved like he was buried someplace different
How long was this? 370 pages
Did I like this? Really good story, twists, characters.
Overall grade: A-

Second Wind by Dick Francis

 Title: Second Wind

Author: Dick Francis
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: not sure.  I know I read it, but it's not in the list
When was the book published: 1999
Main Characters: Perry Stuart, meteorologist, his grandmother
What happens? Perry's friend arranges for him to fly through a hurricane.  They are supposed to go to some island and some bad stuff is going on there.
How long was this? 272 pages
Did I like this? Always good D Francis
Overall grade: B+

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Title: Whistler

Author: Ann Patchett
Did I listen or read?: audible on trip to Tahoe to visit Stu and De
When did I finish?: June 15, 2026
When was the book published: 2026
Main Characters: Daphne Fuller, husband Jonathan, Eddie Triplett (stepfather), 
What happens? Daphne and Jonathan are at the museum and Eddie is following them.  He turns out to be the stepfather that Daphne was trapped in an auto with in a snowstorm 40 years ago.  Her mother remarried the guy who wrote a bunch of positivity books, and wrote Eddie out of her life.
How long was this?  304 pages
Did I like this? It was a bit slow - an interesting story, but dragged a bit.
Overall grade: B

Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt

 Title: Dog Eat Dog

Author: David Rosenfelt
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: July 14, 2026
When was the book published: 2021
Main Characters: The usual, but in Maine, with a new lawyer, Charlie Tilton.  Matthew Jantzen meets Andy when he steps in to save a dog.  Matthew is on the run for a murder where his DNA (blood) is found on the hand of the victim, but he has Zero connection to the person killed
What happens? see above
How long was this? 298 pages
Did I like this? Despite the repetitive plot, characters, inside jokes, steps, mystery, tricks, etc., I love these books and wish there were another 50.  As long as Tara doesn't have to die....
Overall grade: B+