The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

THE PROVING GROUND by Michael Connelly is the latest Lincoln Lawyer novel although main character Mickey Haller is now representing clients in civil court cases instead of criminal ones. This mystery will feel as though it is literally ripped from the headlines as Haller’s client is a grieving Mom (Brenda Randolph) whose only child, a high school junior, was killed by a high school classmate, her former boyfriend. The key question is the extent to which an AI avatar (Clair/Wren) influenced the killer and whether the parent company, Tidalwaiv, is responsible. THE PROVING GROUND was full of suspense and a quick read, bolstered by my ability to readily picture the characters from the TV series. Often willing to take risks and push the envelope, Haller freely muses about his strategy and readers are subtly educated (or reminded) about related scholarship like Asimov’s three laws off robotics or Kurzweil’s The Singularity is Nearer. Connelly acknowledges the case Megan Garcia v. Character Technologies in his final notes and readers do not have to look far for other similar examples, such as this recent Wall Street Journal article on a suit filed against OpenAI. An excellent, highly relevant story, THE PROVING GROUND received a starred review from Booklist (“one of the best yet”) – and interested readers can join a Book Group discussion with the author on November 18.

Some recent mysteries ...

I have been reading quite a few mysteries lately and wanted to briefly share reactions to some that I had started, put down for various reasons, and picked up again. I may have originally chosen a title because of the favorable professional reviews, setting and description, availability as an audiobook, or author (one I knew or one who gave me a chance to experiment with a debut). None of these will make my favorites list, but other readers may feel differently, and these titles are worth a look.

THE LIBRARIANS by Sherry Thomas was a LibraryReads selection for September and received starred reviews from Booklist (“enhanced with several subplots”) and Kirkus (“crime-solving librarians solve double murder mysteries while guarding their own secrets”). Yes, the plot is quite intricate (possible kidnapping, missing heirs, fraudulent activities) with jumps in time and multiple romances, plus several deaths after a Game Night at a local public library… Whew! More than one member of the staff comes under suspicion and they all (somewhat improbably) band together to try to find the real killer. Readers will need patience to appreciate the complexity. THE LIBRARIANS is set in Austin and it is fun to see a local reviewer’s perspective: Kim’s Bookstack post. 4 stars. 

A MATTER OF PEDIGREE by Leslie Meier is a light and very fluffy whodunit from the author of the Lucy Stone series. This is the start of the Carole and Poopsie series in which Carole’s somewhat uncouth husband is indicted for murder. She sets out to investigate and clear his name. Overall, I thought this was a little “too” cute and the dog, Poopsie, is obnoxious but an obvious shtick which will be back in future series entries. An entertaining, undemanding beach read. 3.5 stars 

A KILLER WEDDING is a debut mystery written by Joan O'Leary, with an audiobook narrated by Amanda Dolan. The over-the-top society wedding between Jane Murphy and Dr. Graham Ripton (grandson and heir to a beauty company CEO, Gloria Beaufort) is about to take place in a lavish Irish setting. The glitzy celebration is to be chronicled by journalist Christine Russo who works for Bespoke Weddings magazine and is excited about this big career boost. Sadly, I found the story to be VERY slow to start, with almost a fourth of the book devoted to background and character introductions before someone dies. Also, there are numerous family members, spanning several generations, and since they all acted in a selfish and privileged manner, it was difficult to keep track of their relationships or care about them. Christine is relatively young and naïve so she is surprised when the family chooses to not report the death and instead go ahead with the wedding. Library Journal called this “a fast-paced, funny whodunit” and Publishers Weekly praised O’Leary’s ability to “juggle perspectives and timelines.” I simply could not get interested and clearly missed some of the subtleties - maybe reading the text would have worked better than listening to the story? 3 stars

I felt similarly about THE DEAD COME TO STAY by Brandy Schillace which offers a mystery set in Yorkshire and is the second one to feature Jo Jones, an American on the autism spectrum. There are numerous references to the earlier tale in this series and once again Jones pairs up with a local police officer to find a murderer. This time their sleuthing involves missing teens as well. I found the audiobook which is narrated by Imogen Church (she also narrates Ruth Ware titles) unenjoyable. Church attempts several strange voices and accents, particularly for detective James MacAdams, but sadly, the voices are both difficult to understand and quite distracting from the story. I did try reading an ebook preview, but the story did not keep me interested. Maybe my attention span was too short? Kirkus called THE DEAD COME TO STAY “a superior puzzle” and Booklist said, “engaging and full of twists.” 3.5 stars  Do give these titles a try and decide for yourself. 

The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves

THE KILLING STONES by Ann Cleeves is described as a stand-alone Detective Jimmy Perez novel and although I have read and enjoyed multiple titles (mostly about Vera Stanhope) by Cleeves, I think this was the first Jimmy Perez novel for me. He has settled into life on Orkney, accompanied by pregnant partner Willow, their young son, and step-daughter. Archie Stout, a childhood friend of Perez, is killed and Jimmy and Willow get involved in the investigation and comforting the family during the lead-up to Christmas. Cleeves offers a twisty set of clues with numerous motives for both villagers and tourists; even Perez muses, “so many stories could be told around these killings, and he was no longer confident that he knew which was true.” There’s a great deal of focus on the ancient history of the islands (like the Ring of Brodgar) and on several modern-day researchers, especially as more people are killed. Misdirection abounds and although I found the end to be a bit abrupt, it was certainly unexpected. Cleeves has provided an excellent mystery in an almost Gothic setting. For interested readers, The Black Raven is first in the Shetland/Perez series. 

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

ELSEWHERE by Gabrielle Zevin is a young adult novel which I read - and loved – about twenty years ago when it was first published. At the time, it received starred reviews from Booklist and Horn Book and was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Now it is being re-released with a new cover, following the popularity of Zevin’s Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow. In ELSEWHERE, Liz, a fifteen-year-old, is killed in a car accident and travels to an afterlife where she meets her already dead Grandma Betty. It may sound macabre, but instead Zevin infuses the book with hope, personal growth and adventure where Liz’s advisor, for example, suggests, “That dying is just another part of living... In time, you may even come to see your death as a birth.” And Liz does need to mourn the loss of her family and friends, but she meets new people while experiencing the impact of aging backwards as all the afterlife residents do. The new edition contains an interview with the author where she quotes J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan: “To die will be an awfully big adventure,” saying it “feels like an optimistic way of looking at things.” Somehow, I found Zevin’s work more comforting a couple of decades ago when death was a more abstract concept, but I am still grateful for Zevin’s positivity and would certainly recommend this title. The New York Times’ 2005 review references titles like Tuck Everlasting and A Wrinkle in Time concluding, “Its message is how thrilling it is to be alive, here or in Elsewhere.”

The Flipside by Michelle Curran

THE FLIPSIDE by Michelle "MACE" Curran explains “How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower.” As the publisher says, this former Air Force fighter pilot “channels her unique perspective into relatable storytelling to empower others to make bold choices and find their inner courage.” Curran describes her decision to become a pilot and discusses silencing one’s inner critic, noting that she “eventually saw that avoiding discomfort came at a higher cost than facing it head-on because it forces us back into our comfort zones, which stunts our growth and keeps us emotionally, spiritually, and personally small.” Another section looks at the differences between reacting and responding and her stories about relying on her training to land safely are memorable. Overall, Curran combines her personal experiences with research and the varied perspectives of others; slightly less than ten percent of the book is devoted to endnotes. While readers may not agree with all of her suggestions (e.g., the timeframes seem too short in one minute to pause, one hour to analyze; and one month to transform), THE FLIPSIDE will encourage readers to reflect on their habits and mindsets. This made me think of other related texts like Be Fearless by Case or Resilient by Hanson.

Epic Disruptions by Scott D. Anthony

EPIC DISRUPTIONS by Scott D. Anthony (Eat, Sleep, Innovate) highlights “11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World” and I think it would have been fascinating to be in the discussions of which 11 to choose. Anthony, a Clinical Professor of Strategy at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, studies the adaptive challenges of disruptive change while clearly recognizing the contributions of his mentor, Clay Christensen. In his latest book, Anthony looks at technologies like the printing press, the Model T, and Apple iPhone. He argues that “Disruption is an engine of progress. By making the complicated simple and the expensive affordable, it transforms how we work, play, live, and communicate.” A few examples he chose may not come readily to mind: Julia Child, disposable diapers, steel minimills; but he uses his case studies to answer basic questions (Who does it? Is it random? Is it accelerating? Is it a universal good?).  I liked his graphs and many corporate examples (e.g., Eastman Kodak, Sears, and McDonald’s) to further support his points (e.g., “innovation magic happens at intersections”). The conclusion section is especially thought-provoking as he looks briefly at newer technologies (additive technology, artificial intelligence, robotics) whose story is not yet complete. There, Anthony again weaves facts and examples while asking probing questions. Approximately fifteen percent of the text is devoted to Notes and a detailed Index. For stories of some innovations particular to Texas, see the recent Texas Monthly feature that appeared on PBS.

Move for Life by Damien A. Joyner

MOVE FOR LIFE by Damien A. Joyner offers “A Practical Guide to Building Everyday Strength, Balance, and Confidence for Thriving after 65.” Joyner is a certified personal trainer and also a health coach at UC San Diego’s WorkStrong Program.  I think that he does give practical, relatable examples and plenty of encouragement.  One statement which really stayed with me was: “Even if you can do everything you want now, what steps are you taking to ensure this remains true as you age?” I made the choice, however, to look at this preview in the Kindle app and unfortunately, it did not display particularly well (the text seemed quite dense). There is a better sample of the presentation on amazon for interested readers. The pictures (concentrated in a chapter titled Photo Intermission) seemed to work quite well since they often included older people with everyday props (e.g., bag of groceries). Some, though, had large weights and other devices which would mainly be found at a gym. Great concepts and information (e.g., “Untreated hearing loss can raise your risk of falls”), but the preview was hard to read and retain. I would have appreciated more of a summary so as to have a quick “workout guide;” instead, the chapters just ran together. MOVE FOR LIFE does have an extensive Resources section which is also available online, but not all of the links are functional (e.g., the YMCA page on yoga and tai-chi said access denied, although I did some searching and found a YouTube Channel with some of YMCA “mindset” videos).  By using a caring, conversational tone in this book, Joyner reinforced the need for movement and encouraged me to look for relevant videos and other tools.