Evelyn Hugo hires a journalist to write her biography with the stipulation that it be published after her death. There is a reason she selects this journalist which we find out towards the end of the book. Quite honestly even though it got rave reviews, I didn't really like it, and have read much better books.

The latest in the Robert Langdon series set in Prague. Unlike the previous books in the series, this one focused heavily on current and future scientific achievements rather than religious and ancient stories. While there were references to The Golem, this was not the overall driving point for the plot. I found this particular book harder to grasp compared to the others because of the difficulty level of science that was being described. The concept of life after death is an age old question that has never been solved. Instead of focusing on the spiritual aspects of this question, Brown went in the opposite direction and used science to prove that there is some sort of life after death because your consciousness is simply changing vessels. One of the main takeaways is how consciousness is what signifies life. A section that stuck with me is when they describe what a life is. A body that’s functioning but has no brain activity is widely considered to be dead by the medical standard. Yet a body without most of its function but a fully functional mind is without a doubt alive. In the book, they use Stephen Hawking as an example of a non functional body and how as a society no one would consider pulling the plug on him because of his incredibly functioning mind.

I liked this book and recommend it. What starts out as a wealthy man’s search for his wife who has disappeared after a vacation with her close college friends end up in typical Daniel Silva intrigue If you want to find out what happens then you need to read this book. I don’t want to give anything away that will spoil the book for others

A great murder mystery in which we know who the serial killer is, but wonder at who will stop him and how. Without revealing too much, there is actually another murderer (or two) also. Filled with surprises. This book will definitely keep the reader reading!

Christine is hired to cover the wedding of graham Rifton and Jane Murphy for Bespoke magazine in a beautiful restored castle in Ireland. But when the matriarch , Gloria Beaufort, is murdered before the wedding, can the wedding go on. This story is a great who done it featuring the ultra rich Rifton family and how their perfect lives implode. Read and find out who killed Gloria and if Jane and Graham can still live happily ever after. You’ll be surprised! Knives Out fans will enjoy this mystery.

Before there was Jessica Fletcher, Columbo and Sam Spade there was Sherlock Holmes. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle introduced me to the origins of Sherlock Holmes and his meeting up with Doctor Watson; how they became friends and heir working together to solve presumably unsolvable mysteries. A little slow at times but fascinating. Not a perfect 5 but certainly a 4 star read. I am glad my son suggested it and I get to use it for bingo.

This book is Historical Fiction that integrates two time periods. The Main Characters are : Henry Widener, a 27 year old Harvard graduate aristocrat who died on the Titanic: who graduated from Harvard and Violet Hutchins, a grieving Harvard Junior in 1992. The author pivots seamlessly between the two time periods as we discover what they have in common.

A non-Jewish British journalist, who has covered the MidEast extensively, is outraged by the extensive anti-Israel, pro-Hamas demonstrations that took place immediately after the atrocities Hamas committed on Oct 7, weeks before Israel began its counter-offensive in Gaza. Interviewing people on all sides, he warns about the "theology" of terrorist groups and the impact they are having -- and the dangers they pose -- to Western societies. Powerful reading; MUST reading for all Americans.

One of the best books I’ve read this year with an incredible ending. The plot twist was built up throughout the novel and when finally revealed, everything made sense. The moral of the story about the dangers of technology was artfully weaved into the plot that incorporated assassins and the literal secrets of how life originated and where it’s going. Winston is one of the best characters and he was essentially an AI chatbot, the puppeteer pulling the strings behind the scenes of all the humans.

Gone Before Goodbye Reese Witherspoon Harlan Coben 3 stars Not sure what these two authors have in common, that they decided to write together and I am still not sure. It was interesting but the twists and turns made no sense and yet there were parts I liked. A generous 3 because I am a fan of both.