​Genre: Psychological Thriller

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In 1985 Jonathan Kellerman introduced us to Alex Delaware in the novel When the Bough Breaks. Thirty-four books later we are still being entertained with tales of this forensic psychologist and his police detective buddy Milo Sturgis. Alex, whose beginning years were spent enmeshed in child psychology, plays the role of detective as well as psychologist in these well written books. Instead of the typical tough guy detective persona, Alex uses a gentler approach in crime solving.

He contrasts well with Milo, who is a big, lumbering detective who happens to be gay. In 1985, when Milo was introduced, a gay character was not as easily accepted as today, and I loved the fact that Kellerman gave him such a pivotal role in the series. He is one of fiction’s more interesting side-kicks and often comes to Alex’s aid. There are other characters that wind their way through Delaware’s novels, but these two definitely take center stage.

The Wedding Guest: An Alex Delaware Novel begins with a dead body found at a wedding. Guests on either side seem to recognize the dead young woman, and Milo calls for Alex’s help. Alex find’s something familiar about the method used in the murder, and so begins the hunt for clues. The author does a good job keeping us guessing while feeding us clues that keep us involved. Kellerman's novels are set in the Los Angeles area, and I enjoy his references to places in the area.

This mixture of police procedural and psychological thriller can definitely be read as a stand alone, but if you haven’t read this series before I suggest that you begin to rectify that mistake now by grabbing book number one.

- Beverly

Publisher - Ballantine Books
Date of Publication - February 5, 2019

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good
—- WICKED—-FOR GOOD lyrics

It is several days after my birthday, and this time of year always puts me in a pensive mood. Good or bad, another year of my life has passed, and usually I analyze where I have been and where I am going. This year I seem to be focusing on who I have known and how they have changed me, because I realize that for good or bad, everyone has altered me in some way.

We come into this world as a blank slate, and if we are lucky our parents and siblings build our knowledge base and self esteem in our formative years. I have always believed I could accomplish whatever I set my mind to doing, because my parents always believed I could. I  always understood that bad things can happen to good people because my sister Sharon was born severely mentally and physically handicapped, and so I have spent my life appreciating things that others take for granted. I spent my life knowing that someone would always have my back because my sister, Judy, is always there to catch me.

As we continue to travel along our paths we deal with friends and strangers who change us by their words and actions, and in turn we make a difference in more people’s lives than we ever imagined. Over four decades ago scientist Edward Lorenz described his idea of the butterfly effect during a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His idea was that if a butterfly flapped its wings in Brazil it could change the atmosphere enough to ultimately set off a tornado in Texas. We are all butterflies in our interactions with others, and what we say and do can have effects, for better or worse, that we might never be aware of as we travel through life.

There are the obvious interactions that changed your future, like the doctor who saved your life or the teacher who inspired you to follow your dreams, but it goes deeper than that. How about the teacher who inspired your doctor to follow his/her dreams or the parent who worked two jobs to send her/him to medical school? Think about the fact that if Mark Zuckerberg’s relatives had not been brave enough to immigrate from Germany, Austria and Poland to the welcoming shores of the United States, we might never have had a FaceBook page. So many things connect us to each other.

If I hadn’t celebrated my sixteenth birthday at a hootenanny I wouldn’t have gotten a crush on one of the performers, Arthur, who unfortunately had a girlfriend at the time. If I hadn’t have been dumped by a guy when I was eighteen, I wouldn’t have allowed my best friend, Mark, to set me up on a blind date. “Pick anyone out of my yearbook Bev, and you will have a date with him next Saturday.” If Mark wouldn’t have been so persuasive, Arthur would have never agreed to go on a blind date, but Mark was and Arthur did and...I was “changed for good.” That flap of a butterfly’s wing years ago resulted in the ultimate birth of Michael, who is now a psychologist and Beth, who is now a teacher. They both affect the lives of others every day and create their own ripples in the world around them. 

If our decisions have such a profound effect on everything we touch, than aren’t we obligated to make those decisions wisely? If we can make a choice on how we treat another person, shouldn’t we make the kinder choice? If what we say may change a person for good, shouldn’t we say the thing that will change him/her for the better? Who knows...that flap of a butterfly’s wings might be the very thing that eventually comes back to change you too.

This week I read/reviewed a Cozy Mystery that was recommended to me and found myself immersed in the beauty of France. The 13th Fellow (#1The Havilah Gaie Series) by Tracy Whiting is a well written story that lets the reader do some traveling while never leaving home.

As always a complete review of this book follows my blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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​Genre: Mystery

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Tracy Whiting has introduced us to a very interesting character in Havilah Gaie, and I found The 13th Fellow (#1 The Havilah Gaie Series) a very enjoyable Cozy Mystery. Havilah is an American professor in France, an attractive academic who speaks several languages and is known for her many achievements.  She is shocked when her colleague, Lathan “Kit” Beirnes is found murdered, and dismayed that she might have been on the phone with him when the murder occurred. She is apprised of the situation when two policemen come to her door in Paris. This is her first encounter with Thierry Gasquet, a special agent for the French National Police, who is sent to protect her.

The author is very descriptive in her writing and allows the reader to smell, taste and hear France as the story progresses. She captured my senses from the first description of a Paris street and the “dog poo” she was forced to walk around. I remember avoiding just such a mess when trying to navigate my way around a street in Paris a few years ago. While there were times that the descriptions became a bit too much, on the whole they brought the story to life for me.

I also enjoyed Whiting's use of French interspersed throughout, although I can see where it might be frustrating for a reader with no background in the language. Context clues should certainly alleviate any confusion though, and it was fun trying to revisit my high school French.

Whiting does a good job with her characterization too, and I found more depth to Havilah than most Cozy Mystery heroines. She is obviously intelligent and allows the book a refreshing lack of “ditziness” that many of these mysteries feature. Of course there is suspense and romance to keep the reader interested, and if you are looking for a better than average Cozy Mystery, this would be a good choice.

- Beverly

Publisher - booksBnimble African-American Mysteries
Date of Publication - May 20, 2015

“Transcend political correctness and strive for human righteousness.”
—-Anthony J. D’Angelo


I dislike the terminology “politically correct.” In fact, I dislike the whole concept of political correctness for several reasons. First of all, correctness should not be dictated by our political climate. Correct is correct! We should do what we know to be correct because our inner self tells us it is the right thing to do. More importantly though, political correctness seems to be overshadowing our constitutional rights, and that is something of concern to me.

In 1977, the National Socialist Party of America (derived from the American Nazi Party) chose to march down the streets of Skokie, Illinois (a neighborhood heavily populated with Jewish families) waving Swastikas. Although the community tried to stop them, eventually they were given permission to march but not carry a swastika, because the march was protected under freedom of speech, but the swastika wasn’t. As much as I abhorred the very thought of these men using their constitutional rights to torture others, a part of me was relieved to see our constitution still working.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same protections are evident now. We are so worried about protecting everybody’s sensibilities that we seem to be trampling on the rights that our forefathers gave us and our ancestors fought to keep. Let me start by saying I have no understanding why some people derive pleasure from the suffering of others. If I know something I want to say or do will hurt another person, I just don’t say or do it. I should not be forbidden to say it though or forced to apologize if I am caught saying it.

Many comedians seem to find humor in ridiculing people of varied races, religions, sexual orientations, etc. I find that type of humor weak and offensive. I handle my distaste by avoiding the comedian, not by insisting he doesn’t have the right to speak. If enough people avoided a comedian because his performance was distasteful than I assume he would change his act. If a majority of people appreciate humor that demeans their neighbors, than perhaps the problem is more with society than the comedian.

Years ago comedians like Don Rickles and Joan Rivers made their fortunes by making fun of everyone around them. I didn’t particularly like their humor either, but people seemed to accept that it was meant as a joke and turned the other cheek. Now-a-days if a comedian alludes to the fact that a Jewish person likes bagels, a Mexican person likes tacos or a black person likes chicken, he is censored and his job is in danger. Although it might be somewhat insensitive, it is not something that should put his freedom of speech at risk.

I believe our sense of humor is being crushed along with our freedom of speech. Last week Delta Airlines and Coca-Cola were criticized and felt the need to apologize because of in-flight napkins they handed out. What horror did these napkins present, one might ask. Was there nudity, vulgarity or insensitive material displayed? Nope! It seems that they encouraged passengers to share their phone numbers with their “plane crush.”  “Because you’re on a plane full of interesting people and hey...you never know... ,” the napkin apparently read. Someone found this offensive, and Coca-Cola apologized and worked with Delta to remove the napkins. Really? Our country is running so smoothly that a napkin is what we need to worry about?

I think we all need to take a step back, reacquaint ourselves with our sense of humor, do what our inner selves tell us is correct and vote for representatives who truly represent the best in all of us.

On a different note, Harlan Coben did it again. His stand alone thriller, Run Away kept me reading way into the night, and I envy everyone who still has it to look forward to on March 19.

As always a complete review if this book follows my blog.

Happy Reading,

- Beverly

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​Genre: Thriller

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There is something very comfortable about reading a Harlan Coben novel. His characters are eccentric yet somewhat relatable, and his style is uniquely his own.  It began in 1990, when he wrote his first romantic suspense novel, Play Dead. He followed it the next year with Miracle Cure, and both books were well written and well received. Then in 1995 he wrote the first in his very successful Myron Bolitar series. Myron was a promising basketball player who became a sports agent when an injury sidelined him. The secondary characters in the series have been my favorite part, and I love the fact that he introduces snippets of them in his equally successful stand alone books.

Run Away is his latest stand alone, and it grabbed me and kept me coming back until I regretfully reached the last page. It begins with Simon sitting on a bench in a park in Manhattan. Simon is a successful businessman with a beautiful wife, Ingrid, and three children whom he adores. Their life was perfect. Why then do we come to find out that the drug addled panhandler with sunken cheeks and matted hair is Paige, his eldest daughter. How could she have gotten involved with an older druggie, left college and the life she had to end up here?

We watch as Simon tries to bring her home and watches as she runs away. We see his altercation with the abusive man who is destroying his daughter's life, and we know this will lead to no good. How far will a father go to save his child, and at what expense? Soon his life and his family are on the line, and Simon is navigating a world that he never knew existed.

Coben’s descriptive writing makes the reader see, feel, smell, and taste the scenes that he portrays in this thriller. No parent can read this without feeling the pain that Simon and Ingrid are feeling. I anxiously await this author’s books each year and savor them until the last page.

- Beverly

Publisher - Grand Central Publishing
Date of Publication - March 19, 2019

“To abandon Affirmative Action is to say there is is nothing more to be done about discrimination.”
—Coretta Scott King

I had an epiphany during one of my insomnia bouts last night, and it changed my way of thinking about affirmative action. I realized that I was looking at it from the wrong side, and this last year has given me a fresh perspective. I was questioning the necessity of a supposedly temporary measure that was introduced nearly sixty years ago, in 1961, by President John Kennedy. He believed that something needed to be done to atone for the discrimination that continued in our country. Upon Kennedy’s death, President Lyndon Johnson continued to support and enforce Affirmative Action in our country.

I never doubted, for a minute, that this measure was needed in the sixties. Something had to be done to level the playing field for minorities who were finding difficulty being accepted into colleges and being hired for jobs they were well qualified for during that  tumultuous time. Scholarships, financial aid, and salary increases seemed to be handed out to white people almost exclusively, and without something to force the issue the minority population would never have been able to attain equal footing.

In the beginning of the 21st century though, I began to wonder if it was still necessary. Hadn’t we become much more accepting of each other? After sixty some years of minorities using Affirmative Action, had it become more of a hindrance than a needed help? My African-American students were every bit as intelligent and determined as their White counterparts, but whenever they proudly showed their college acceptances eyebrows raised as if the only way they could have been accepted was through Affirmative Action. They began to resent the idea of such a measure, and I began to see their point. Surely our society had passed the point where minorities could only find success when others were forced to accept them.

In a way the 2016 election helped shine a light on the amount of bigotry that still remains in America. While I have to believe that President Trump did not have bigotry in mind when he used the phrase “make America great again,” many of those who don those red MAGA hats do so with a hatred that I had hoped was long gone. They have used it as a rallying point, much like other frightening symbols of the past, and gather like-minded individuals to spread bigotry through violent acts and attempted artistic renditions of swastikas painted on houses of worship and governmental buildings.

These red hats help them find each other, and in the process it helps me see how wrong I have been. Things have definitely improved through the years. Schools are integrated, for the most part, and we don’t have separate water fountains and rest-rooms. The majority of us see everyone as equal, and would never consider anything less than equal education and equal pay for all races, religions, gender and sexual orientation.

Unfortunately, most is not all though, and some college admission officers and heads of Human Resources still believe that the way to make America great again is through oppression of minorities and elevation of white American men to a status that stands just a little higher than everyone else. For those people, Affirmative Action is the only thing that keeps them from accepting students and hiring employees by the color of their skin.

My epiphany was that Affirmative Action was not about making it easier for minorities but about the oversight of those who make it more difficult for minorities to be treated equally, and unfortunately our country is no where near ready to lose that oversight. I wanted to believe that bigotry was close to being wiped out, but I was proved wrong. Although it is unfair that minorities who attain their goals through hard work and intelligence are made to feel as though they were given a “gift,” it is a small price to pay for the ability to advance in a world where those who make decisions over our future do so with the knowledge that there will be over-sight and their personal agenda will never hold minorities back. I will continue to support Affirmative Action until all Americans see their fellow Americans as equals. That is what will make us great.

Our country is filled with people who spent their lifetime working towards a great America. Author Brad Meltzer, has spent the last few years writing a series that beautifully illustrates what a caring heart and much determination can accomplish. In the latest book in this children’s series, I am Billie Jean King (Ordinary People Change the World), Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos (illustrator) share their findings on the life of Billie Jean King. This is another winner in a series that just keeps getting better.

As always a complete review of this book follows my blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Genre: Children/Biography

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Through the years I have enjoyed reviewing Brad Meltzer’s adult novels. He weaves intrigue into history and keeps the readers on the edge of their seats. I must admit, I am equally enthralled with his children’s series, Ordinary People Change the World.  We have reviewed several books in this series, each one informative and charmingly illustrated.

I am Billie Jean King (Ordinary People Change the World) is the latest in his series, and tells the story of the tennis champion’s introduction and further adventures in the sport she excelled in. The first pages introduce us to a very young Billie Jean who is mesmerized by all kinds of sports. Unfortunately, growing up in the forties and fifties made it difficult for her, as a female, to be accepted into the world of sports.

Meltzer shows us how, with the support of her family, she discovered her talent in tennis and never looked back. There are so many lessons in this well done children’s book, that I think it should be required reading for young children facing a world that isn’t always accepting of them. The author seems to have a talent for picking out “heroes” that ultimately change our world for the better.

I enjoy the combination of narration and dialogue that should definitely keep children interested as they learn more about working hard and achieving their goals.

- Beverly

​Publisher - Dial Books
Date of Publication - February 5, 2019

“I touch the future. I teach.”
—-Christa McAuliffe


We have spent the last few weeks continuing to watch the new group of television shows that always come in January, and are disappointed in most of them. Tonight we watched the third episode of "Schooled", a spin-off of "The Goldbergs", a sit-com that features a Jewish family growing up in the 80’s in suburban Philadelphia. "Schooled" takes place in the 90’s and is populated with several familiar faces from its parent show. It is so busy trying to incorporate messages throughout that it sometimes misses the opportunity to be funny.

The messages are relevant though, and unlike many of the current school based shows, the teachers are portrayed as caring for their students. Throughout my years of teaching it was rare to find a teacher who didn’t care deeply for the welfare of his/her students, and it annoys me to watch shows like A.P. Bio that highlight teachers whose self-interest takes center stage.

Although "Schooled" is somewhat corny in its portrayal of the teacher-student relationship, it hits the mark displaying the concern educators feel and the time they spend worrying about those who are their daily responsibility. It is true that a teacher wears more hats than any other professional, having to act as a nurse, a counselor, a mediator, a parent and a friend in between spurts of teaching, but I can’t imagine any other profession that would have given me anywhere near the satisfaction I got each time I watched the light of understanding flicker in a student’s eyes.

Meanwhile, I have tried to steer clear of politics these last few weeks, and I am not going to go too far down that rabbit hole today, but somebody posted something on Facebook  that made me remember the pride I always felt in being an American. If you have the opportunity, and haven’t seen it yet, google the last speech Ronald Reagan gave as President. I didn’t believe in everything he stood for, but there is no doubt that he believed in his country.

As every President before him, and every president through Barack Obama who followed him, Ronald Reagan understood exactly how important immigrants were to our country. Without them we would not have attained leadership in science, the arts or business. It is with the collaboration of fine brains that came to our shores from countries throughout the world that we have become the leader of the free world. Reagan believed that if we ever closed our doors to immigration, we would quickly lose our status in the world. I fear he was right and worry for our tomorrow.

Quite a few books that I have read this year touched on our immigration problems. This week I read/reviewed The Rule of Law: A Dismas Hardy Novel by John Lescroart, and he touched upon this subject that seems to be tearing our country apart.

As always, a complete review of this book follows my blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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