​“Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.”
—Mary Schmich ( American journalist )


I have been doing some searching and have discovered some potentially great reading material coming up in 2018. In January William L Myers Jr. takes us for a wild ride on a derailed train with the attorney who is trying to defend his cousin, the man blamed for causing the accident. His newest book, An Engineered Injustice, promises to be a good one.

February brings us a Jack Swyteck novel by James Grippando, A Death in Live Oak, a Darren Street novel by Scott Pratt, Justice Lost, a missing child novel by Rick Mofina,  Last Seen, and a legal thriller, A Gambler’s Jury by Victor Methos. The blurbs about each of those books made me anxious to get them in my hands.

March brings us four tempting novels too, leading off with Fade to Black from one of my favorite escape novelists, David Rosenfelt. The Third Victim by Phillip Margolin promises to be as exciting as his previous thrillers. I remember being on the edge of my seat reading his very first novel, years ago, Gone But Not Forgotten. Brad Meltzer’s The Escape Artist introduces us to a new protagonist and a very different storyline. Lastly, for March, Alison Gaylin, an author I have yet to read, brings us If I Die Tonight, introducing us to several really interesting sounding characters.

April brings us more than showers, with Adam Mitzner’s Never Goodbye, Lisa Scottoline’s After Anna and James Patterson brings back the women’s murder club with his novel Seventeenth Suspect.

May promises another McMurtrie and Drake novel, The Last Trial by Robert Bailey.

Lastly, in June, I am really looking forward to The President is Missing, the newest Patterson collaboration, this time with former president Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton and I always had similar tastes in our book choices, so I can’t wait to see what kind of an author he turns out to be.

I am also planning on reading and reviewing a number of non-fiction books in 2018. Books  on David Bowie, Nelson Mandela, Henry III and Agatha Christie captured my attention to name a few. I think I will read some politically-leaning books too, because who can ignore that topic during these turbulent times.

Reading has always been a wonderfully de-stressing mechanism for me. I escape into other people’s lives, and my own problems fade away. I spent many years trying to pass on my love of reading to young people, and now I hope that I have convinced many of you to pick up a book and get lost in another world. If you aren’t there yet, I promise you that there are some really captivating books ahead as we face the craziness of 2018.

I did just finish an intriguing novel by Maurice Sellar, and it was a fun way to begin the last month of 2017. The Front Man is filled with excitement, history and political intrigue, as we read a bit about Adolph Hitler and his possible offspring. Can this new breed of Nazi  finish what their famous leader couldn’t, or is their plan destined to the same failure?

As always, a complete review of the book (The Front Man) follows this blog.

We here at MadderlyReview wish all of you a very happy and healthy new year. 

Happy Reading,

- Beverly
​

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Genre: Thriller

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The first chapter in Maurice Sellar’s novel, The Front Man, caught my attention immediately. Taking place in the thirties, we meet Hitler’s niece and begin to suspect the unthinkable. Chapter two brings us into the present, and we are introduced to Dan Shears, a psychiatrist who is wooed by the CIA. Shears takes the position and works in their offices for several years before they ask him to go on a mission to Europe.

He is sent to attend a trade convention in the home of a Nazi sympathizer, where he is to keep an eye on a would-be Russian defector. Things get complicated and he is suddenly working with others on a trail to Hitler’s legacy. There are deaths, espionage and an illegitimate child to keep the reader on the edge of his/her seat, and I found this book difficult to put down.

With the climate in our country (and the world ) these days, it isn’t difficult to imagine that the Neo-Nazi’s have intentions to take over where the third Reich left off, and Sellar’s does a good job depicting characters that are just evil enough to succeed. Of course his good guys are also well fleshed out, and the reader is never bored as the tale unwinds.

I love stories that mix history and true historical characters into their fictional plot. As in many of those types of novels, I felt the need to Google further information. I looked up Hitler’s niece, Geli Raubal, and found that she did, indeed exist, and that she did, in fact, have a relationship with her uncle. Of course the author took liberties with his description of said relationship, but that only made it more intriguing.

I found the descriptions of locations in Europe interesting, and though there were several slower moments, in general the pace was good. This author definitely did his research and now you can enjoy the fruits of his labor.

- Beverly

​
Publisher - Endeavour Press
Date of Publication - ​October 4, 2016

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
—Mohandas K. Gandhi

Uh-Oh, I feel a rant coming on. I am so tired of the abuse that I see directed at animals every day. Although I have taken almost all meat and all poultry out of my diet, I do understand that we are omnivores, and accept others' choice of eating meat. What I don’t except is the way many of these animals are treated. They are often stacked in small cages with no room to move and force-fed to fatten them for slaughter. Why does man believe this is right? Does level of intelligence determine how well one should be treated? If so, I know some animals that act a heck of a lot smarter than some humans.

I watched an internet video last week, that featured an orangutan fashioning a hammock out of a piece of cloth. He attached the cloth to two bars on the corner of his cage, and there in lies the problem. This animal, who has the intelligence to tie, and retie, cloth until it makes a comfortable resting place, is spending his life trapped in a cage as a spectacle for our enjoyment. Some people’s disrespect for any living thing that they deem less intelligent than man has always sickened me.

Even as a child I disliked the zoo. It didn’t take an adult’s awareness to realize that those poor animals, trapped in small cages, were spending a lifetime steeped in misery. They were born to run wild, not to eat a banana for our entertainment. As the years went on, zoos throughout the country have attempted to give these animals a bit more room to move about, but they are still kept away from the life they are meant to enjoy.

My dislike of zoos pales in comparison to my hatred of circuses. According to dosomething.org, there isn’t one circus that displays animals that hasn’t been cited for violating minimal standards of animal care. Imagine spending 96% of your life in chains or cages while you are transported to foreign areas and forced to perform while being muzzled, whipped and prodded for the entertainment of others. Thanks to groups that protect animal rights, many circuses are animal free at this point, but even one animal being forced to suffer for our entertainment is one too many.

What are we teaching our children when they watch these acts of cruelty while munching on popcorn and cotton candy? I remember Arthur teaching our children the importance of treating all creatures with respect. Michael watched as his dad picked up bugs/spiders that I needed removed from the house and gently deposited them outside. Sometimes he used a paper cup or napkin to capture them, but he always made sure they survived the transfer. Now I watch our son show the same respect to all creatures in his path, and for me, that is one of his most endearing qualities.

We, as a society, must teach all of our children the value of all life. Survival of the fittest might help humans rationalize eating animals and wearing leather, but there is no cliche that can rationalize systematic torture of a living thing that can not protect itself. Our children must be taught to protect those animals and respect all life, if we are to advance as a society.

Thankfully, the book that I read this week was one that made me smile. Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets by Lisa Quinn hit close to home as she explained the importance of enjoying life rather than striving for perfection. Her Erma Bombeck style was just what I needed to soothe me after my rant.

We here at Madderlyreview want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday filled with laughter, fun and a stack of new books.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Genre: Non-Fiction/Humor

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I've spent many an evening curled up and laughing as I read Erma Bombeck’s take on a woman’s life. Although she was more of my mother’s generation, somehow I related to much of what she wrote, and I miss her contributions to women everywhere.  I recently stumbled upon another woman who can make me laugh, Lisa Quinn. The title of her book, Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets, caught my attention immediately. I can’t begin to count the number of times I got tangled up in the king sized folded sheet I tried to fold. I began reading the book, and after the first chuckle there was no turning back.

I grew up in a time where women were beginning to believe they could “have it all” without realizing the toll it would take. Yes, we could have those coveted careers that eluded our mothers, but we never lost the responsibilities that our mothers had. In essence, we had two full time jobs, and if you were a perfectionist that was one job too many. Quinn helps us to see we don’t need to be perfectionists, and that is a good thing.

Her book is filled with tips on entertaining, cleaning and decorating. There have been times when I have had unexpected company drop in, and she gives us recipes and ideas on how to be the perfect hostess. Since I am a purest when it comes to cooking and use very little processed foods, her recipes didn’t work for me, but I imagine they could be lifesavers for the average overworked mother.

While Ms. Quinn has not taken Erma’s place in my heart, Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets was fun to read and did give me ideas on how to curb my OCD tendencies. It might make a good stocking stuffer too.

- Beverly


Publisher - Chronicle Books LLC
Date of Publication - February 25, 2011

​“A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.”
—Robert Orben (comedy writer)


I am feeling relaxed and happy today. Alabama did the right thing and proved that sexual harassment and abuse aren’t acceptable, the White House corrected their mistake and withdrew their nomination of two inept and/or dangerous lifetime judges, and Arthur and I are on our way home from our mini-vacation. Truth be told I didn’t pay much attention to the news these past few days, but those items caught my attention. That and the fact that Mario Batali has joined the legion of well known men who have disappointed me. Ah Mario...your recipes are so yummy and easy to follow. Who will I turn to for risotto recipes now?

When you live in South Florida and want to go away for two or three nights, you are pretty much relegated to a Florida vacation. After all, it takes about six hours to cross the state line, and unless you intend to vacation in Valdosta, Georgia, you still have a ways to go. We decided to take a ride across the state and spend three nights in Sarasota, Florida. There are a few touristy things to experience there, and we decided to spend a full day at the John and Mable Ringling Museum. The Museum  is filled with all sorts of circus props, posters and wardrobes. The Howard Bros. Circus building was truly fascinating. At seven years of age Howard Tibbals became fascinated with the circus. He began working on model-building in earnest when he turned thirteen, and still tinkers at it now (he is in his eighties). Wikipedia gives some interesting facts about the display that takes over much of one of the buildings on the Ringling campus:

“ It contains 42,143 items, not including small pieces such as thousands of railroad stakes.

• It consists of eight large tents, 152 circus wagons, 1,500 workers and performers, 7,000 folding chairs and more than 500 hand-carved animals.
• Everything can be packed up into the 55 train cars, also individually hand-crafted.
• The display includes seven miniature video stations positioned in various tents with documentary footage of circus life from the 1920s and 1930s. “

The grounds themselves are worth the trip, and the Art Museum kept us busy for a good part of the afternoon.

Our hotel, the Hyatt Regency, had several strong points and a few disappointments. The staff was friendly and attentive, and most importantly, the room was clean. We were upgraded to a room overlooking the marina, with Sarasota Bay sparkling in the background. I spent quite a bit of time on the terrace, reading today’s reviewed book and enjoying the crisp winter air. I found that the bathroom needed some updating (I hate climbing into a tub to take a shower) and the headboard emitted a strange odor that permeated the sheets.

Speaking of odors, I am not sure why some hotels and restaurants feel the need to saturate their lobbies with a strong smell of incense. Even if you like your air quality hampered with a chemically manufactured smell, not everyone enjoys the same scent. Most of us like to believe that the places we are staying at or eating in don’t need to mask their natural odor. In this instance, the smell was so strong that we couldn’t linger in the lobby or restaurant area at all.

We did enjoy several superb meals in Sarasota. The restaurant MADE (modern American delicious eats) came highly recommended and didn’t disappoint. My meal consisting of cast iron seared house cured salmon with a sun dried tomato-tarragon gravy and country style green beans was perhaps one of the best salmon preps that I ever experienced. It is usually served over Jalapeño Pesto-Parmesan mashers, but I substituted their amazing herbed steak fries. Wow!

Art’s 15 spice rubbed slow roasted pork belly, country collards and jalapeño-cheddar grits kept him smiling, and our side order of cast iron corn bread rounded out a perfect meal. The staff was attentive and made us feel as though we were regulars, and we will surely be back on our next visit.

One other restaurant of note was The Shore on St Armand’s Circle (the food and touristy shopping area of Sarasota). We walked through a trendy clothing store, and found an elevator that took us up to a rustic looking restaurant. We ate outside, in one of the most charming outdoor spaces we’ve ever dined in. Our servers, Rebecca and Michael, were terrific, always there when needed but never hovering uncomfortably. We first shared a beet, goat cheese, citrus and walnut salad. It was supposed to come on mixed greens, but they gladly substituted kale when I mentioned an allergy to the greens. Then my fish dish on a bed of grilled veggies and smashed fingerling potatoes with a beet coolie and pomegranate butter was perfectly cooked and presented. Art’s lobster, crab and shrimp Cobb was towered with bacon, tomato, lettuce and egg. It was a clever presentation that was gone before I could take a taste.

So yes we ate well, spent time sight seeing like true tourists, relaxed, and of course read. Jake Harrison’s novel, State of Vengeance, while well written, was probably not the book to promote peace of mind. The terrorist aspect of it made it difficult, but the quality of writing kept me coming back. Worth the read.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Genre: Thriller

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When Rachel Katz receives a text that warns her not to get on her flight to Spain, the reader wants to loudly convince her to obey the threat. If she waits just one more day, her husband Zeke will accompany her and their infant son. They were all scheduled to leave together, but hedge fund manager Zeke is on the cusp of an enormous financial windfall and must be at the office today. Rachel doesn’t want to deal with explanations to her parents whom she is scheduled to meet in Spain, so she decides to ignore the threat.

Tension immediately starts to build, and a few minutes after take off the plane is hijacked by Arab terrorists. Harrison’s character build-up is so strong that the reader can’t help but get involved in each aspect of the story. Deals are made, and broken, as tension rises. Told from different points of view and bolstered by different back stories, each chapter took my breath away as I tried to walk in the shoes of individual characters. The action became too intense for me in parts, and I ultimately had to put the book down for a bit before attacking it again.

The story bounces from Washington to New York and Karachi, and from offices to airplanes, cities and deserts, while the search for these terrorists who are hellbent on finding vengeance by destroying the western world, continues. Some parts were a bit too unrealistic, even for this genre, but my emotions were bouncing around too much for me to care. Sometimes all we want is an exciting story, and I guarantee that State of Vengeance is that and a little more.

I, for one, am planning to catch up on this author’s past work while waiting for his next novel.

- Beverly

Publisher - WorldMaker Media
Date of Publication - ​September 27, 2017

“True Love Stories Never Have Endings”
—Richard Bach


I am so frustrated. The Republican tax plan feels wrong to me, yet some republicans whom I respect, believe it has enough positive aspects to vote for it. Trickle down economics seems to have been a disaster for Reagan, yet there are those in power who believe it is the only way. While I see the theoretical success of such a plan, it seems not to take into account human greed, or human suffering, for that matter. Both of those things seem to make it a losing proposition before we even start.

I want to know the facts...just the facts...and that seems as difficult now as it did for Joe Friday fifty years ago. If I watch FOX I will be shown illogical statistics from gung-ho republicans who are pushing their right-wing agenda. If I watch MSNBC it will be the left who will be clouding reality while pushing their agenda. I don’t know where to go to get an impartial explanation of a tax plan that seems poorly suited for me, my family or the majority of the country. I doubt that I will ever like it, but I would sure love to understand it.

I would also like to understand why Social Security, a program that I have been paying into for most of my life, is referred to as an “entitlement program.” I never complain about paying my social security taxes, because I know that someday I will hopefully be getting that money back. It should work as a forced savings account, accruing interest until the participant needs it. Unfortunately, much of my money...all of our money...was “borrowed” years ago to pay off other shortfalls, and if there ever was a plan to pay back this money, that plan has long been forgotten. So suddenly, seniors have become liabilities to a broken system and politicians looking to fix blame on something tangible.

On a totally different note, I have been smiling all week over the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. I have been watching the TV show "Suits" from its inception, and she is one of those actresses who you just like looking at. She is quite attractive, and she just oozes sweetness. If she can tame “Wild Child Harry” then she deserves to be royalty, and apparently she is his long time crush becoming a reality.

I think Princess Di would have been proud to see that her sons grew up to be fine independent men who chose fine independent women to share their lives with, even though British royalty makes independence difficult. The fact that the Queen seems to be accepting a half-black, American actress who is apparently pregnant as her grandson’s future wife, tells me that the stodginess of the throne might just be a thing of the past. Yes, I am sure that Diana was smiling from above as she watched Harry and Meghan work the crowd as they promoted the Aids charity that meant so much to the beloved princess.

Speaking of this beloved princess, my book of the week, Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words by Andrew Morton, paints a picture of a very unhappy young woman trapped in a “unhappily ever after” fairytale. I enjoyed learning about her life before, during and after her time with Charles.

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

Happy reading,

-  Beverly

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Genre: Biography

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When Andrew Morton’s book, Diana: Her True Story - in Her Own Words, was first published in 1992, it was quite scandalous. It was banned from several bookstores in England, people believed it did not show the true story of the much loved Princess Diana. Since he had promised her anonymity, it was difficult to prove what he was writing. When the truth of Diana’s involvement did come out, after her death, it changed the way people viewed the monarchy.

Morton was one of many palace journalists when a friend of Diana’s, Dr James Colthurst approached him in 1986 and asked if he would be interested in writing Diana’s story. He had met with the princess several times, but he had no idea what her life was actually like.

Diana was a bit unstable, but her husband and his family and friends played on her weaknesses and tried convincing her that she was being paranoid about Charles’ relationship with Camilla. Their affair was known among a nervous staff that had to cover for him, but when she tried to talk about it with Charles and the Queen, she was made to feel as though she was acting irrationally.

Diana realized she had to get out, but she was not in a position to leave. The world thought she was living a storybook life, and if she left the royal family would paint her as unstable. She felt this was the only way to get her story out, but she realized that she couldn’t meet directly with Morton. The servants would recognize him, and he would be banned. So she began meeting with Colthurst, an old friend who would arouse no suspicion. He would ask the questions that were supplied to him and deliver the answers to Morton.

Morton continues to revisit the many tapes of Colthurst’s interviews with Princess Di, and has updated the book several times. The book has her biography, transcripts of her interview and things that happened after the original publication date. The author adds in much detail about things I wasn’t aware of, and I learned more than I expected in his book.

Reading her words made me feel sad for this young woman who had the possibilities to live every young girl’s dream but was caught in every woman’s nightmare. If you have any interest in Princess Diana and have not read this book, buy yourself a holiday treat. You won’t be sorry.

- Beverly
​
Publisher - Simon & Schuster; Anniversary edition
Date of Publication - ​December 1, 2009

“Its so unbelievable that in 2017, almost every single woman has a story about sexual harassment.”
—Gretchen Carlson



Well, sadly my favorite week of the year is over. The food is long gone, Michael is back in New York, and life is settling down to normal—whatever that may be. With my entire family around me for the holidays, I was reminded again of all that I have to be thankful for and hope that all of my readers had a similar experience.

Of course the insanity of the world around us makes it difficult to concentrate on much of anything but the constant news alerts. The fact that our media giants are falling faster than the trees in our last hurricane makes me wonder when the next shoe will drop. We might not be surprised at some of the names that are popping up, but Garrison Keillor really gave me a double take. I mean now I have to wonder what really did go on in Lake Wobegon.

I wonder exactly how far this all will go. Will it stop with politicians, performers and media people, or will it start crawling into all of our workplaces? I know that during my early years of teaching, some of the male teachers and administrators were definitely inappropriate in their actions, but many of their victims chalked it up to “boys being boys.” I remember the shock on one guy’s face when I elbowed him soundly in the solar plexus when he began giving me an unsolicited back rub. He didn’t understand my discomfort. He said I looked like I needed to “relax” and was befuddled when I explained his hands on my body were the farthest thing from relaxing.

Are men in schools and various businesses across the country thinking about their past actions and wondering if someone might be thinking back on them too? Do they fear losing their jobs, reputations and maybe their families? Did they really believe that it was okay for them to put their hands on another person’s body, and if they did, why weren’t they giving those “relaxing” back rubs to other men too? Kathie Lee Gifford might have had a point when she said, “sexual harassment is complex, subtle and highly subjective,” but men need to learn that it is better to err on the side of conservative behavior. Hmmm...makes you wonder.

So with all of my planning, cooking, and vacationing with company, I had less time to read than I thought I would. I did enjoy The Prize though, written by Geoffrey M. Cooper. Mr. Cooper is a cancer researcher, professor, and scientific administrator, who held positions at Harvard Medical School and Boston University. I was reluctant to read his book, because I thought it would be too technical. It was actually quite reader friendly, and I found myself getting involved in this intriguing story of research, competition and mystery. I did learn tidbits of information as I read and found the book to be a successful first novel.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

Genre: Thriller

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​After several seasons of watching The Big Bang Theory, I realize that the Science world is definitely a competitive one. The show’s humor serves to lighten the intensity, but striving to be tops in your field just goes with the territory.

There is little humor in Geoffrey Cooper’s first novel, The Prize, but there is definitely competition. The book begins at a celebratory event honoring Eric Prescott’s Lasker Award for his research of Alzheimer’s Disease. The Lasker Award has been presented annually since 1945, and it is sometimes referred to as “America’s Nobel.” Prescott is proud of his award, but it is the true Nobel Prize that he is after, and he intends to let nothing (or no one) stand in his way.

We are soon introduced to Pam Weller, whose work in the field certainly puts her in contention for the prestigious award. Pam is interested in making a difference in the world of medicine, while Eric is interested in the fame that goes with discovery. When one of Pam’s postdocs, Holly Singer, joins up with Eric to claim Pam’s breakthrough as their own, the thriller aspect of this book begins.

The book is interesting, for the most part, and it is easy enough to understand, even though it is the first novel written by Cooper, who is a scientific researcher himself and has had several scientific books published already. I found his characterization fine for the most part, but I would have liked to feel a bit more connection with the main characters.

I don’t want to include any spoilers, but I will say that there or moments of suspense in this well presented tale that drops little scientific facts to the reader as the story progresses. It will be a good beginning to your 2018 reading collection.

- Beverly
​

Publisher - BookBaby
Date of Publication - ​January 15, 2018