Posted on by Jacquie Biggar

#BookReview- End of October #Reads Douglas Preston and Lee Child @MaeClair1 @Loreth


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Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem abounds in this week’s reading recommendations!

I have three five star reads to share this week. One is a new-to-me author and the other two are go-to writers- all are amazing.

Click the covers to learn more about each title.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling authors: Racing to uncover the mystery of several severed feet found floating in the Gulf of Mexico, Agent Pendergast is faced with the most inexplicable challenge of his career.

Douglas Preston

Douglas Preston is the author of thirty-six books, both fiction and nonfiction, twenty-nine of which have been New York Times bestsellers, with several reaching the number 1 position. He has worked as an editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University. His first novel, RELIC, co-authored with Lincoln Child, was made into a movie by Paramount Pictures, which launched the famed Pendergast series of novels. His recent nonfiction book, THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE, is also in production as a film. His latest book, THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD, tells the true story of the discovery of a prehistoric city in an unexplored valley deep in the Honduran jungle. In addition to books, Preston writes about archaeology and paleontology for the New Yorker, National Geographic, and Smithsonian. He is the recipient of numerous writing awards in the US and Europe, including an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Pomona College. He currently serves as president of the Authors Guild, the nation’s oldest and largest association of authors and journalists.

My Review

The horrifying discovery of dozens of severed feet found inside identical shoes turns quiet Sanibel Island into a mecca for law enforcement. With each administration jockeying for control, FBI Special Agent Pendergast is forced to wade through bureaucracy while following his own investigation.

An investigation that quickly spirals out of control, endangering Pendergast and his hand-picked team.

Ward, Constance Green is on a hunt of her own. The beautiful beachfront colonial she rents for Pendergast on Sanibel Island comes with a spine-chilling story of murder and is now haunted. Constance is sure there’s more to the mystery and goes to extreme lengths in her search for the truth.

When Pendergast shows up at his recovery shack on the water, ex-partner Coldmoon is drawn into the disturbing case of the missing feet, even though he’s still mending from their last exploit.

Plenty of scientific hypothesis goes into determining where the feet hit the water, but it’s the how that will blow your mind.

Pendergast is such a contradiction with his old school manners, eccentric taste in clothes, and thoughtful way of unearthing the evidence. His ward, Constance Green, seems prim and proper, yet she has this dark undertone that is fascinating. I want to know her story! And then there’s Agent Coldmoon, maybe my favorite character (at least in this book). I love his sarcastic exchanges with Pendergast, yet when it comes down to it, he risks his life to save his partner. Mysterious and loyal- my kind of hero 🙂

This was my first Pendergast book (recommended by Mae Clair) but it won’t be the last!

A man keeping King Arthur’s dream of Camelot alive.
A Robin Hood battling in a drastically different Sherwood.
A young man facing eternity in the desert.
A genteel southern lady besting a powerful order of genies.
A woman meeting her father decades after his death.

These are but a few of the intriguing tales waiting to be discovered in Things Old and Forgotten.

Mae Clair

A member of the Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers, Mae Clair is also a founding member and contributor to the award-winning writing blog, Story Empire. She has achieved bestseller status on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with several of her novels chosen as book club selections.

Mae writes primarily in the mystery/suspense genre, flavoring her plots with elements of urban legend and folklore. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail, and cats.

Discover more about Mae on her website and blog at MaeClair.com

Photo by Rafael Cerqueira on Pexels.com

My Review

Fantasy blends with timeless tales for an entertaining read!

This anthology of short stories has a varied collection of speculative and paranormal fiction. The author’s creativity shines with descriptions that, in some cases, literally gave me goosebumps!

From the sweet and sad Remembering Sadie to Yesteryear Treasures, familial love plays an integral part of the storylines.

Favorite Line from Yesteryear Treasures

“But I’ve never seen a clock like that.”  “And you won’t again. Forget this one while you can.” Charlene drew a breath, a bird beating in her chest. The floor felt spongy, like she might slip through into a realm where matter weighed little, and thought was tangible.

Things Old and Forgotten- Mae Clair

Then there’s Kin-Slayer, a sweeping fantasy with vivid imagery that leaps off the page.

Favorite Line from Kin-Slayer

I remember the ocean, glittering with a thousand faceted eyes, sunlight bright as diamonds on the surface. The scent of salt heavy in the air as it twined with the black smoke of cooking fires and the reek of fish left to dry beneath the sun. My home was nestled in a simple village. Small and secluded, Ceadon squatted on a bluff overlooking the water, her nexus a ragged sphere of thatch-roofed hovels.

Things Old and Forgotten- Mae Clair

Probably the standout story for me was Desert White, the story of a young man on a journey to forgiveness.

Favorite Line from Desert White.

But in the desert—with life ebbing from his veins, the bloated moon a silent observer overhead—he’d been seized by a violent desire to live. He could still hear the murmur of shifting sand and dry wind, a sound that would haunt him forever. With death so close, it had become the chorus of a thousand chortling demons.

Clair, Mae. Things Old and Forgotten

Mae shared that these stories were gathered over a period of years and then stored away until now. I for one, am glad these Things didn’t stay Old and Forgotten!

Secrets worth dying—and killing—for, in a novel of suspense inspired by a horrific true crime by Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author Loreth Anne White.

When the battered body of a female jogger is found beneath the cliffs of an idyllic coastal community, these perfect neighbors suddenly don’t seem so perfect…

Loreth Anne White

Loreth Anne White is an Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense. With well over 2 million books sold around the world, she is a three-time RITA finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Arthur Ellis finalist, and winner of multiple industry awards.

A recovering journalist who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now calls Canada home. She resides in the Pacific Northwest, dividing time between Victoria on Vancouver Island, the ski resort of Whistler in the Coast Mountains, and a rustic lakeside cabin in the Cariboo. When she’s not writing or dreaming up plots, you will find her on the lakes, in the ocean, or on the trails with her dog where she tries—unsuccessfully—to avoid bears. For more information on her books please visit her website at lorethannewhite.com

Connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Loreth.Anne.White

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/Loreth

Or via Instagram: lorethannewhite

Or Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/150272.Loreth_Anne_White

Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels.com

My Review

A spine-chilling thriller with a labyrinth of twists and turns!

Tom and Lily Bradley lead a perfect life. He’s an esteemed professor and she’s a successful psychotherapist. Both hide secrets that can destroy their family.

Arwen Harper glides into Story Cove in a vintage VW bus with her teenage son, Joe, and all the carefully woven strings of lies begin to unravel.

Arwen is sexy, beautiful-vicious. She has a dangerous plan in play, one that she will pay for with her life.

Now a high-profile detective is digging into Tom and Lily’s lives, dragging their friends through the mud and covering secrets of her own.

This is a twisted story based on a horrendous true crime in Canadian history. The author tells the tale by weaving past and present together without revealing the culprit until the very end.

I could NOT put this down! It has a lot of the noire feel of her In the Barren Ground (check my review here), one of the freakiest books I’ve ever read.

The Patient’s Secret is a must read!

Have you read anything from these talented writers? Let’s talk…

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51 Replies to “#BookReview- End of October #Reads Douglas Preston and Lee Child @MaeClair1 @Loreth”

  8. Jacquie, thank you for that wonderful review of Things Old and Forgotten. Wow! You made my day. And to share space with a review for a Pendergast novel is extra special. You know how crazy I am about that series. I’m so glad you’ll be reading more Pendergast. He’s amazing, as are most all of the characters in the series. I’m especially fond of Constance and Coldmoon.

    The Patient’s Secret sounds fabulous, and you have me really curious about In the Barren Ground, given it’s one of the “freakiest” books you ever read. I’m headed to Amazon to check out both!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m glad I caved in and bought a Pendergast now- I’m hooked! lol.
      I love the richly descriptive settings you create, Mae. It complements the characters perfectly.
      Loreth Anne White writes smart police procedural mysteries with an element of eerie that’s hard to forget. I think you’d really enjoy her books.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Thank you, Jacquie, for sharing these great reviews. Mae’s Things Old and Forgotten is masterful. Kudos to each of the writers! 😊

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Great reviews, Jacquie 🙂 I have Crooked River on my Kindle, I loved and highly recommend Old Things, and pre-ordered The Patient.

    Liked by 2 people

  20. A nice cozy selection Jacquie and so seasonal perfect. Big Hugs and Cheers for a loving, festive weekend.💞❤️💞📚🍮🍮

    Liked by 1 person

  23. I haven’t read and Lee Child in a long time, but always enjoyed the writing, Jacquie, and I loved Mae’s short stories. She’s a wonderful writer as demonstrated by the excerpts you chose. White and her book is new to me. It sounds awesome. Thanks for the recommendation!
    (Sorry to have missed so many posts! Yikes. I’m been nose deep in NaNo and light on blogging. It’s nice to catch up a little). Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Diana. I think you might like Loreth’s books. She writes with vivid imagery and bases her books on true crime cold cases.
      Yes, blogging has dropped for me, as well. I’m on a tight deadline (needs finished this weekend, yikes!) and have been staying away from the net.
      Good luck with NaNo!

      Liked by 1 person

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