The Witch Elm is a 500-page psychological thriller that should have been limited to 300 pages. Not that it isn’t well written. Tana French is an elegant stylist, and her command of human psychology is impressive. The story is reasonably interesting, and the ending surprising. The problem is...
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Bad Blood is a cautionary tale about the corrosive effects of corporate power in Silicon Valley. It’s also vivid evidence for the invaluable role played by investigative journalists, whose work constitutes one of the few checks available in our society on corporate misbehavior. The...
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After you’ve read hundreds of mystery and suspense novels, as I have, you’d probably find it difficult to get carried away with any book in the genre. By “carried away,” I mean feeling your blood pressure rising as you near the end. Yet that’s exactly the experience I...
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These days, most science fiction novels that portray future political systems are dystopian tales. The examples are legion, beginning with Brave New World, 1984, and The Handmaid’s Tale. There are hundreds more. So it’s a little unusual to come across a story that features a new...
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Europeans are well acquainted with terrorism. Long before jihadist fighters began operating in the West, 19th-century anarchists, the Irish Republican Army, and the Basque ETA killed hundreds. By contrast, the United States has largely avoided loss of life from terrorists, with the sole (major)...
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Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review,
with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review,
with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.
Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review, with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review, with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.