Massacre Pond by Paul Dioran (Mike Bowditch #5)

Massacre Pond by Paul Doiron

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: On an unseasonably hot October morning, Bowditch is called to the scene of a bizarre crime: the corpses of seven moose have been found senselessly butchered on the estate of Elizabeth Morse, a wealthy animal rights activist who is buying up huge parcels of timber land to create a new national park.

What at first seems like mindless slaughter—retribution by locals for the job losses Morse's plan is already causing in the region—becomes far more sinister when a shocking murder is discovered and Mike's investigation becomes a hunt to find a ruthless killer. In order to solve the controversial case, Bowditch risks losing everything he holds dear: his best friends, his career as a law enforcement officer, and the love of his life.

The beauty and magnificence of the Maine woods is the setting for a story of suspense and violence when one powerful woman’s missionary zeal comes face to face with ruthless cruelty.

Read as an audio book.

I enjoyed this one a great deal more than the first four.

Premise of the book is eight moose are found slaughtered on "Queen Elizabeth's" extensive property in Northern Maine which sets off an investigation the likes of which nobody has seen before. Mike, still under a cloud from his previous actions (earlier books) is shunted to the side and given "make-work" jobs, like picking bullets from gravel pits and acting as a liason between the investigation and Elizabeth. Mike, feeling the sting of rebuttal but understanding why, does his duties as assigned. Yet, it's through talking to people and his persistence in being a part of the case that leads him to a startling conclusion.

As I noted, I enjoyed this installment much more than the previous books. Mike matured..to a degree. I did become increasingly annoyed with his infatuation with Stacy, when there was nothing more than looks to fuel his interest. She has not been a nice person to Mike. Brier Morse, Elizabeth's daughter, flirts shamelessly with Mike, and he doesn't look away. He doesn't do anything about it, other than try and protect Brier when she feels threatened. But he's admitted he has "a thing" about protecting women.

I will also confess to figuring out the "who done it" very early on in the book. I distinctly remember turning to The Husband while we were driving around and saying "X did it". I was right. Still, it didn't detract from my enjoying the plot - it was well executed, it was interesting watching certain individuals bumble about and it was

So other than a constant pining for a woman who detests the ground he walks on, and an internal monologue whining about the lack of Stacy's interest in him, this was probably the best book yet in the series. Solid and engaging mystery, interesting cast of characters and dynamics, and good emotional rapport between characters.

Recommended if you've read the first four.



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Recipe Review from 10/16/2017

I took a bit of a hiatus from cooking new recipes the last couple of weeks.  It's just been crazy busy between work, yoga, and obedience classes and I just needed to simplify a bit.  Okay...a lot.   I'll confess to doing take-n-bake pizza and Indian take-out and enjoying every bite!

I did make the new recipe below, and will say I now have a new favorite tomato soup!   And it's NOT from a can!

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup (Ckng Lght, Sept 2017)  gluten free, vegetarian
Good soup is a must for chilly Fall afternoons and evenings.  This is a great soup, perfect for anytime the hankering for tomato soup and grilled cheese hits.  The onion and garlic are the only thing that needs chopping, everything else is plop and saute.   It comes together in about 30 minutes, and while the soup is simmering on the stove, clean-up is a cinch and you can start to assemble the grilled cheese.   If you have an immersion blender - prep is even faster.   Highly recommended! 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

photo from cookinglight.com

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon unsalted tomato paste
2 cups unsalted chicken stock
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
2 (14.5-oz.) cans unsalted fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1) Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, crushed red pepper, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Add stock, torn basil leaves, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, sugar, and freshly ground black pepper.

2) Place tomato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece from blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening (to avoid splatters); blend until smooth.   My notes - use an immersion blender and blend to desired thickness.   Place 1/4 cup soup and yogurt in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Stir yogurt mixture into remaining soup. Divide soup among 4 bowls; top evenly with chopped basil.

The Stark Divide by J. Scott Coatsworth

The Stark Divide by J. Scott Coatsworth

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Jacket Blurb:  Some stories are epic.

The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.

Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.

From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.

Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.

Book One of Liminal Sky

Review rounded up to 3.5 stars.

The book is divided into three parts. Part One is the discovery of sentient AI’s and the birth of the generation ship. Part Two is the growth and development of the generation ship and the Cities therin, and Part Three is end/beginning of a new era. Each part advances the time line by decades, which kept the entire plot moving forward without getting bogged down in minutia.

Overall premise is Earth is on the brink of disaster – climate change has irrevocably altered the landscape, the political climate has fractured states and nations, the threat of a global war is imminent. In Part One we are introduced to the shipmind/AI Dressler aka “Lex”; Jackson Hammond, the Engineer; Dr. Ava, daughter of the man who created the biological and generation seed ships; and Colin, Captain. Dr. Ava and the Captain find a fungus coming from Hammond’s crucifix jewelry is quickly killing the shuttle and the asteroid 43 Ariadne is their only hope for rescue. Hammond has to convince Dr. Ava and the Captain to save “Lex” by combining her with the seed that will eventually create a generation ship. The melding is successful and “Lex” becomes the mind of the generation ship.

They are successful but at a cost: Dr. Ava goes off to prison for killing Jackson and Colin becomes director of Transfer Station for AmSplor, the oversight body for the growing and developing generation ship.

A decade passes, and Dr. Ava returns to Transfer Station to witness the result of her creation. Alex Hammond is on the same ship to get answers to why his father died. “Lex” takes exception to Dr. Ava’s return, confronts her, and she flees. Hammond, carrying the wetware virus his father did, is told to save her.

A decade passes, and Colin has retired from Station director and Hammond is now in charge. His daughter Andy, has inherited the same ability to talk and merge directly with the ship-mind. The situation on Earth has exploded, Transfer station is hacked and its core attacked, “Lex” and her human cargo may be all that’s left of the human race.

Whew! A lot to recap without spoilers! If you like scifi, you’ll probably like this. There’s the melding of mechanical and biological to make ships which is an interesting concept, the idea of growing a generation ship from the raw materials of an asteroid is different, as long as you don’t think too hard about certain scientific aspects and the use of three parts to move the story forward was nicely executed.

Where I struggled with the book was aspects like Jackson performing mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions on Dr. Ana after a near-fatal incident space and upon reviving, she gets up and walks around. Ah…no. Big NO. If you do chest compression's on someone you have just cracked/broke their ribs where they connect to your sternum. It’s going to hurt like a sonofabitch to move. She’s not going to be pushing anything around. I’m overlooking doing chest compression's while in a space suit…

I also found it highly unlikely that a shuttle ship captain would be given the directorate of a space station.

I grappled with Ana and Colin being so quick to accuse Jackson of putting the ship in peril, of knocking the man out and trussing him up in his bunk without even questioning the man. But when the truth comes to light and Dr. Ana confesses, Colin is all “Well…okay then.” The emotions didn’t fit the crime.

I had a bit of a Star Wars (Episode 4) moment, when Aaron Hammond goes in search of answers regarding his father, and doesn’t like what he’s told. It was a bit reminiscent of Luke Skywalkers anguished NNnnooo echoing through the chamber. After my eyes stopped rolling, all I could think was, don’t go looking for the truth IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT.

My final grumble with the book was the repetitive statements – I wish there was a way to track on my e-reader every time a character said “X”, only to repeat “X” three paragraphs over because it was a lot.

Overall, despite the items above, this was an interesting read. I liked the decade jumps to bring on new characters and move the timeline forward, the concept of growing a generation ship was different (as long as you don’t think too hard of the science and timelines), and the characters were interesting.

I do feel a shout out for the cover art is a must: Aaron Anderson did a fantastic job.

I’ll close with a note – while this doesn’t end on a cliffhanger (some might debate that point), this is by no means a standalone book.

Review is cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!



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Private: Syndey by James Patterson and Kathryn Fox (Private #12)

Private Sydney by James Patterson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  Even for Private Investigations, the world’s top detective agency, it’s tough to find a man who doesn’t exist . . .
Craig Gisto has promised Eliza Moss that his elite team at Private Sydney will investigate the disappearance of her father. After all, as CEO of a high-profile research company, Eric Moss shouldn’t be difficult to find.

Except it’s not just the man who’s gone missing. Despite the most advanced technology at their disposal, they find every trace of him has vanished too.
 
And they aren’t the only ones on the hunt. Powerful figures want Moss to stay ‘lost’, while others just as ruthlessly want him found.

Meanwhile, a routine background check becomes a frantic race to find a stolen baby and catch a brutal killer – a killer Private may well have sent straight to the victim’s door . . .


Read as an audio book.

Alternate title is Private: Missing. The irony here is the audio CD was actually missing from my library, then it was unavailable through inter-library loan, and after about 5 months I was able to get my hands on a copy.

Premise of the book is Craig Gisto receives a call from Jack Morgan to find Eric Moss, CEO of a research company that has international ties. Eliza and Eric are good friends with Jack, so this is high priority for Craig.

At the same time, a wealthy couple approaches Craig asking for a full-blown background check on one Louise Simpson, purported to be a nanny. Upon deeper questioning, what the Finch's actually want is a surrogate mother, which is illegal in Australia. Craig reluctantly agrees, and the next day the surrogate is found brutally murdered and her 8 month old baby is missing. Craig realizes he's been set up, and his brother-in-law Mark, detective on the Sydney police force, is only too keen to take Craig and Private down on grounds of accessory to murder.

This is a short, fast paced, well narrated story (remember, I read as an audio book). I liked the two concurrent plots, they added just enough tension to keep the story moving along but didn't clash with each other. It allowed Craig's group to work as a team, and it wasn't Craig running all over Sydney.

As with most mysteries and thrillers, there is a love interest. This time it was understated without the usual tumble in the sheets, which I greatly appreciated.

A few grumbles - the whole cloak and daggers CIA ADF business was a bit over the top. Yes, ALL the Private books are over the top, but if trying to find someone, why not just go ask, then trail and monitor phone calls. All this attacking and threatening seemed unnecessary, other than to add dramatic suspense.

The Eric Moss character and plot line just didn't seem plausible to me. Yeah, yeah...it's Private. But it had me rolling my eyes more than once.

Ultimately the end of the audio book I was pleasantly entertained, which is what I want in a book. This was better than several other Private books and I hope to see Mr. Gisto and Australia in a future book. Recommended if you've read previous Private books.




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Oregon, 2017

Another year, another visit to see the Sister and Family!

Thursday - Flight from Duluth to Mpls was a half hour late, which give me 10 minutes to run from Terminal A to the verrryyy beginning of Terminal C.  I did get there before they started boarding, and I should have immediately gotten in line at Starbucks to get some real food, but I waffled too long and ended up having time to grab a bottle of water and a piece of banana bread.  Flight from Mpls to Portland was 40 minutes early and Sister was running almost 40 minutes late, so I got to stand outside and watch the cars go by - which is actually kinda a nice way to decompress from flights and before socializing kicks in.   Lunch at an Iraqi/Middle Eastern restaurant on Albert St in Portland and we stopped at two yarn stores on our way back to Corvallis. 

Friday -  Sister and I dropped Nephew off at school, got donuts for breakfast, bought some gardening supplies and started digging out her flowerbeds.   I have to say, her so-called soil makes the Duluth clay look and feel like the softest, loamy-est dirt ever!  Uff!   Her co-worker/best friend stopped by for a couple hours to chat before he went and picked up his sisters from the airport.  Sister and I finished the one bed in preparation for her Community Garden plants. 

A mantis on her Mum's!

Saturday  Sister's friend C came over with her truck and were off to the Community Garden to pull out the perennials Sister wanted to keep.  We totally filled the back of C's Tacoma! Sister had so much fun plopping her plant babies in the ground, but after five hours we were pooped and the homeless plants were tucked into Rubbermaid containers filled with dirt until Sister could prep some more beds. 

Fishing boats in Newport, OR

Sunday - Sister planned a trip to the coast (yay!), so we bundled the Nephew into the car and away we went to Newport, a fishing/tourist town on the coast.  Supposedly it is the largest town on the Oregon coast at 10,000 people.  Got there about 11a, walked through kitchy shops, looked at sea lions, then K drove over to a lighthouse - alas, no time to tour as we were hustled back into the car and were on the road again.

Where we then drove for another hour or so down the coast to Yahutz (I'm butchering that spelling), with one stop at a glass blowing shop (such beautiful work!).  We up with her co-worker again and said hello to his two sisters and their husbands.  We did take out chowder from a local restaurant and then wandered the shore picking agates.  Back over the mountains for a quiet evening at the house.

 

Monday -  Sister had a couple of meetings from 11-1, so I had her drop me off downtown where I got to crawl through some interesting stores like Oregon Tea and Coffee Co, some shoe stores, and a couple of clothing stores.  Lunch at a restaurant I enjoy, then I walked a portion of their river walk park.  After the meeting she took me to Benton Lane winery where we did a tasting, then shared a glass, and sat and knit.  Ahhhh.   Supper was at this bizarre sushi place where the food comes around on little plates on a conveyor belt and you just pick up what you want. 

Tuesday -  I was on the 730a shuttle to Portland.  In Portland by 1000aish.  Hotel shuttle was prompt and I was at the hotel by 1030a.  Unloaded my stuff, repacked a little hiking bag, and a High School acquaintance picked me up by 11a.  We grabbed sandwiches on our way out of town to our destination:  Tillmook State Forest and Elk Peak.   8 miles, 4.5 hours, about 1900' in elevation.  First 2 hours were pretty much straight up, remainder was following a very old logging road down down down down.  It was amazing!  At one point in the hike, we could see Mt. Hood.  Dinner then back to the hotel for a very hot, very long shower.  I was a bit sore after that kind of hiking. 

Floating in the middle of the picture is Mt. Hood.

Wednesday - I admit, I cut getting to the airport a bit closer than I should have that morning.  I didn't count on the family of 6 with their all their luggage, six coolers and deep sea fishing poles on the shuttle in addition to everyone else.  And I underestimated how long security lines could be at 5 in the morning (PDX is great tho, they'll open up extra check points).  AND I scheduled my connecting flight rather too close at MSP - I *thought* I had an hour to get from point A to point B, and realized once we were on the ground...they were boarding in 5 minutes!   Mad mad run across the airport. I made it.  They were running about 20 minutes late.  Whew! 

On the ground in Duluth at 145p.  Home.  Unpacked.  Did laundry.  Tidied the house.  And then chilled until it was time to take Kep to Obedience School at 6p. 

Great great trip.  Looking forward to more adventures on the West Coast!  

Split Second by David Baldacci (Sean and Michelle #1)

Split Second by David Baldacci

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




Jacket Blurb:  Michelle Maxwell has just wrecked her promising career at the Secret Service. Against her instincts, she let a presidential candidate out of her sight for the briefest moment and the man whose safety was her responsibility vanished into thin air. Sean King knows how the younger agent feels. Eight years earlier, the hard-charging Secret Service agent allowed his attention to be diverted for a split second. And the candidate he was protecting was gunned down before his eyes. Now Michelle and Sean are about to see their destinies converge.

Drawn into a maze of lies, secrets, and deadly coincidences, the two discredited agents uncover a shocking truth: that the separate acts of violence that shattered their lives were really a long time in the making – and are a long way from over….

Read as an audio book.

First in a somewhat "new to me" series - I read and reviewed The Sixth Man (35) here. I enjoyed The Sixth Man enough to go and start from the beginning.

First book didn't disappoint.

Premise of the book was 8 years ago, while guarding a presidential candidate, Sean took his eyes off the audience and his protectee was shot. A replay of the video of the event showed that Sean was distracted by something, but he never admitted to more than a lapse of attention. His career in the Secret Service over, Sean now lives quietly as an estate attorney (for a lack of a better description).

Michelle, rising star in the service, manages to lose her presidential candidate at a funeral, in a room that only held the widow and the deceased. Remiss and chastised for leaving her protectee unguarded, her career is on the line. Michelle decides to look up Sean, and the two soon realize that the two events might be linked.

In between Sean and Michelle is Joan - prior secret service, now retired and running her own PI firm. She enlists Sean's help in finding the missing presidential candidate and hopes to re-kindle a previous relationship with Sean.

This was a bit of a whirlwind thriller and I admit, I really didn't see aspects of the conclusion coming. Which *I* really enjoy. I like being surprised.

I also GREATLY appreciate that Sean did not sleep with either female lead within the pages of the book. We know he and Joan had a relationship prior to this, but they did not renew the sexual liaisons. Sean certainly admired Michelle's body, but there was no falling into the sheets. I can't tell you how happy that made me, such a refreshing change from just about every other mystery/thriller out there. Thank you Mr. Baldacci!

One not insignificant "oops" was noticed by the husband - during the Grande Finale, Sean was given a gun. The magazine was welded shut so theoretically he couldn't check to see if he had live ammo or blanks. Sean agonized over what the antagonist loaded the gun with and what he would do when the scenario played out. The Husband pointed out Sean could have checked his ammo when he racked the slide and jacked a round into the chamber.

Overall an engaging story, interesting characters, author avoided some much overused tropes and the ubiquitous sexual tension, and some surprising twists at the end. I'll be reading the next in the series.



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Recipe Review from 9/25/2017

By the time this is posted, I'll be off on An Adventure!  Stay tuned for where! 

Here's a little hint...

 
Meanwhile, I had my first Obedience Class this past week.  First session is sans pup - a meet and greet, class expectations and how-to.    Six more sessions with pup to follow, we'll miss the last one due to a scheduling conflict.   While I've trained all my dogs in the past - two previous puppies and one adult rescue dog (Andy) -  it's been almost 15 years since I've had a puppy and the intent is to hunt with Kepler, so I decided I should step up my game.  Stay tuned for more exciting Adventures With Kep!

Only one new dish to report on this past week.  

The Meal Plan for week of Sept 25:
Sat (L)  RGS Class Potluck  (S)  leftovers
Sun (L)  leftovers  (S)  "Hunter's Stew"
Mon (yoga/bkgrp/legion) leftovers
Tues - Black Bean Burgers
Wed - left burgers or stew
Thurs - The Husband's Choice
Fri -The Husband's Choice


Black Bean and Mushroom Burgers (Ckng Lght, Oct 2017)  vegetarian
This was easy enough to assemble, but I wasn't pleased with how gloopy it turned out even after letting the mixture stand for 15-20 minutes.  I was able to form patties, but I baked them rather than pan-frying. 

I also didn't do the avocado/red cabbage topping.  I had planned this recipe for a couple weeks ago, then procceded to eat the avocado with a different dish and completely forgot this one.   So I topped this with some chopped cilantro and white cheddar, and served open faced on a sourdough english muffin.

Overall, tasty enough, but not my favorite black bean burger recipe.

photo from cookinglight.com

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces cremini mushrooms
1 (15-oz.) can unsalted black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/3 cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon water
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
1/2 cup finely shredded red cabbage

1) Place flaxseed, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, cumin, pepper, mushrooms, half of the beans, egg, and garlic in a food processor; process 1 minute or until almost smooth. Place bean mixture in a bowl; stir in remaining half of beans and panko.

 

2) Heat oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high. Fill a 1/2-cup measure with bean mixture; add to pan. Repeat procedure 3 times to form 4 patties. Flatten patties slightly with the back of a spatula. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned.

 

3) Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, juice, and avocado in a bowl, mashing with a fork. Stir in yogurt and 1 tablespoon water. Divide patties among bottom halves of buns; top evenly with avocado mixture, cabbage, and top halves of buns.