"If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call them. Don’t text. Don’t email. Call them on the phone. Tell them you love them and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you.”
—-J. k. Simmons

Thanksgiving is sadly in the rear view mirror as everyone prepares for the December holidays. During most years the week of Thanksgiving is my favorite week of the year. Son Michael comes for an amazing ten days and we re-explore all of the fun that South Florida has to offer. If you are planning a trip to my neck of the woods this winter, you shouldn’t miss Morikami Japanese gardens and Lion Country Safari.

Morikami offers about a one mile walk through the most beautifully manicured landscape you will ever experience. The hike is punctuated with waterfalls, peaceful zen gardens, several museums and a much loved Japanese restaurant. Tourists and locals alike explore the area in a respectful manner. Rarely do you see a person on a cell phone or a person littering, and the children seem to realize that this is a place for their inside voices.

Lion Country Safari, on the other hand, is a child’s fantasy. The first part is a slow drive ( (approximately 45-70 minutes) through the various African habitats that house an amazing collection of freely roaming animals. From zebras and wildebeest to rhinos the animals graze and wander about with no fear. The antelopes frolic in large herds and the lions (the only truly gated animals) are given lots of room to roam but generally prefer sunning themselves as cars drive by.

When the drive is over their is a walking area with miniature golf, boat rides, a small water park, giraffe feeding and smaller animals on display. The gift shop and restaurant help keep the kids satisfied, and rarely do you see an unhappy child. Although Lion Country is definitely child oriented, adults love it too. Arthur and I get yearly passes and drive through every few months. It is so much better then a zoo...no cages and much larger groups of the animals that live there.

This was a bittersweet Thanksgiving for our family. My dad, 95 years old and quite ill, died on November 22. He was a very vibrant senior citizen for most of his later life, taking full advantage of the activities offered to him in his senior life care community, but the last few months have been rough. Although his death was not a surprise, it is never easy to lose a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, or friend, and his empty seat at Thanksgiving made it a difficult day. It would be nice to believe that he spent the day with my mom after being apart for seven years, but he was missed here.

That is why J. K. Simmons’ quote had a great deal of meaning for me this week. I can’t tell you how many times over the last few weeks I went to call my dad to check on him before remembering he was gone . Even though we talked almost every day, I still think of the days I skipped calling and wish I had them back. Our lives are busy, and it is easy to put off those phone calls or visits to those we love, because we believe there will always be another day. Forget any grudges or annoyances and enjoy your loved ones while you can. The holiday season is a great time to connect or reconnect.

It is also a great time to read. Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. I highly recommend it as a gift for a friend or for yourself.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Genre: Thriller

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Morgan’s life changed forever when her husband took his own life. Nicole’s life forever changed years before, when the child she was babysitting died while Nicole napped.  While they never met, their lives would forever be linked and changed again on a subway platform, when Nicole throws her baby into Morgan’s arms and says “Keep her safe. Love her for me, Morgan,” and then jumps in front of a moving train.

Morgan is in shock as people run to her and the baby. How did this woman even know her name? Things happen quickly from this point on, and I had trouble putting the book down. Woman on the Edge alternates chapters between Nicole before the incident and Morgan after the incident, and author Bailey does a good job building the characters of these two women.

Although I figured out who the “bad guy” was pretty quickly, there were several strong possibilities along the way that kept me guessing if I was correct until the very end. Both characters are being blamed for things  they had no control over and have difficulty moving on with their lives. Bailey gives us a window into the dark paths of mental illness, and while it was often uncomfortable for the reader, it did bring an important reality to the story.

Although some of the situations and their conclusions seemed a bit preposterous, Bailey did an excellent job capturing her audience with a thrilling first chapter and then holding our interest throughout. Hopefully. we will see many more books from this talented writer.

- Beverly


Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Date of Publication - November 26, 2019

Today, make time to play.”
― Na'ama Yehuda

As I sit here at 2:00 A.M. trying to harness my thoughts and put them on paper, I realize that after almost six years of writing madderlyreview.com I need a break. Not a long one, and certainly not a break from reading, but I need a few weeks to focus on cooking a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and spending time with those who bring me joy every day. My number one son Michael will be here for his yearly Thanksgiving gift to mom...ten days spent with us in sunny Florida, and nephew Jonathan is spending a week with his folks this year as we celebrate a big birthday for my sister. Lots of partying planned, and I really need that this year.

So I am going to spend the rest of November reading and relaxing, and I will come back in December ready to share some great books to be released in the coming year. I am looking forward to books from some of my old favorites (Joseph Finder, Phillip Margolin, Harlan Coben and David Rosenfelt) and some authors who are new to me, and you can be sure that I will share them all with you.

In the meantime, I wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving shared with those you love and time for yourselves in this very busy world. You deserve it!

- Beverly

​“There is nothing funny about Halloween. This sarcastic festival reflects , rather, an infernal demand for revenge by children on the adult world.”
—-Jean Baudrillard (French sociologist, philosopher and cultural theorist)



Halloween is almost here, and although many children anxiously await this yearly candy fest, I can’t wait to see it gone. I never liked it much as a kid...being scared out of my wits was never my thing...and I liked it much less as an adult. It is an invitation for all of the crazies to come out and taint the treats while frightening the children. Parents spend a fortune on costumes that are always uncomfortable and send their children out to beg.

I was that mom who feared razor blades in apples, so I tried to bribe my kids into skipping trick or treating each year, to no avail and ended up with a scheme that cost me a fortune. I bought four identical “trick or treat” bags each year and filled two with an assortment of Mike and Beth’s favorite candies while they dressed in costumes. I gave them the two empty bags, and off we went. They came home with bags filled with a frightening assortment of junk, which I confiscated. We told them we would sort out the unwrapped and suspicious treats while they changed. Those bags hit the trash immediately, and when they returned the kids were given the bags we had prepared earlier. It worked for quite a few years, but I later found out that they realized what was going on after a couple of years and played along. They liked what they were getting and decided not to rock the boat.

I also had trouble rationalizing teaching children to beg for food. I know it is supposed to be fun, and I admit that the kids were all so adorable in their costumes, but the message always seemed wrong. “Give me a treat or I will trick you.” Sort of a politically correct way of saying “stick em up.” I know, I know...I sound like the Grinch who stole Halloween, but if it makes you feel any better, Arthur is always at the door handing out goodies and marveling at the costumes.

My blog is a bit short today, because we are preparing for a mini vacation to celebrate my sister Judy’s birthday. The four of us are off to a South Beach adventure. We have plans to eat in some of the top restaurants, visit some museums, hit the beach and most definitely partake in some top notch people watching. Next week’s blog should be filled with info on what to do and see at one of the most talked about beaches in the world.

Since I always find time for reading, this past week I read book one and two in Alan Lee’s Mackenzie August series. Last week I read/reviewed the stand alone prequel.  Book one, August Origins helped us become a bit more involved in the lives of the main characters. In it Mack moves to a small city in Virginia and sets up shop as a private investigator.  Sheriff Stackhouse, as witty as she is beautiful, asks him to go undercover in a local inner-city school to help her with a gang and drug problem. Maybe a bit too much like the prequel but equally enjoyable.

In Book two, The Second Secret, Mack is hired by Veronica (Ronnie) Summers to find a traitorous informant who helped send her father to jail. Dad is out now, and is as mean as ever, but Mack agrees to take the case because of his feelings for Ronnie. Again there is a lot of action and more insight into what makes Mack tick.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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“A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.”
—-Ludwig Erhard


Our community has spent the last several months arguing about the continued use of Round-Up to kill the weeds in our lakes. According to the HOA board of directors, who are definitely pro continuing the use of Round-Up, our monthly HOA fees will go up substantially if we change to the hand picked method. The use of Round-Up is alarming to me, but more alarming is the lost art of debate.

Each side has resorted to scare tactics in making their points, and their tones have become progressively more hostile. Somehow we have become a nation of people who can only see our own side of an argument and view those with contrary opinions as stubborn and/or lacking in intelligence. Since this particular chemical has been scientifically connected to cases of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in people who have used it directly over a period of time, I am leaning towards the “better safe than sorry” side. After all, it took them a long time to prove that second-hand smoke was as dangerous as smoking to those with continuous exposure. How many people faced cancer that might have been avoided?

This does not mean that I consider those on the other side of this issue less intelligent or intrinsically evil. Their points are well taken. A hefty raise in HOA fees could price some people out of the community or present difficulties when trying to sell our homes. I listened carefully to all they had to say, sorted the rational responses from the ranting, and came to my own conclusion.

If we could do this politically, imagine how much less stress we would all feel. If our representatives could listen to all sides and come to a rational decision that isn’t influenced completely by party affiliation, then we would live in a true democracy and make decisions in the best interest of all people, not just those with enough income to influence outcomes.

Whether you were an Obama fan or not, his desire to find compromise in his congress during the beginning of his first term was evident. Not only didn’t it work, but it set his own agenda so far back that he never really recovered. When a majority leader blocks discussion and refuses to allow a vote, no matter which party he represents, he is stomping on the document that our forefathers poured their hearts into, and their party needs to take action. Sadly, neither party seems to have the strength needed to fix our stalled congress. Too bad my former debate team can’t take over. Populated with liberals and conservatives, these young men and women learned to listen to each other and come up with true compromise. I have followed many of them through the years thanks to social media and am so proud to see that they are still able to accept both sides of most issues.

I have obsessed over a new found author over the last two weeks. I found Alan Lee’s novel, The Last Teacher: A Stand-Alone Mackenzie Mystery, read/reviewed it in two days, and went on to read the first two books in the Mackenzie Mystery series. Your turn.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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​Genre: Mystery

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As an English teacher myself, The Last Teacher captured my interest. Mackenzie August, a former California homicide detective spent the last year as a youth Pastor. The fit was wrong, and he moved to Virginia with his infant son Kix. His job as an English teacher seemed to be a perfect way to ease into an easier lifestyle, until his colleagues' bodies began showing up dead in front of his classroom.

Working with the local police, Mack uses his experience to track down a killer. Although some of the scenes were hard to accept, for the most part this was a well written mystery with an intelligent and humorous protagonist. His dry wit reminded me of Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter, but Mack is “in your face brave” while Andy is realistically a bit of a coward.

I enjoyed Mack's relationship with his dad and Kix, and found his treatment of women refreshing. I generally stay away from any books with a religious theme, and this one does bring up religion, but author Lee doesn’t seem to foist it upon us, and it is somewhat necessary to the plot. The plot, which meanders along, kept my interest and made me want to read more of Alan Lee’s writing.

- Beverly


Publisher - Sparkle Press; 2 edition
Date of Publication - ​​​April 13, 2015

TO THOSE I MAY HAVE WRONGED,
I ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS.
FOR THOSE I MAY HAVE HELPED,
I WISH I COULD HAVE DONE MORE.
FOR THE MANY I NEGLECTED TO HELP,
I AM TRULY SORRY.
TO THOSE WHO HELPED ME,
I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL.
—-Rabbi Shalom Ber Cohen

The Jewish community is celebrating their new year this week, and I sent Rabbi Cohen’s message to all of my friends and family on Facebook. I decided that I wanted to send the same message out to everyone who shares in my blog each week, because I realized that for better or worse, I touch all of you as well.

When we really think about all of the people who we directly or indirectly affect every day, our responsibility to do good becomes clearer. We need to think before we speak, because words cut deeper than blades sometimes. My humor tends towards the sarcastic, and sometimes it comes out harsher than I mean. As a teacher I had to learn to curb those tendencies because not everyone understands sarcasm. One day I sarcastically responded to a young man who chose not to avail himself of my after school tutoring. He came to me the next day and told me that my words hurt him all night. He explained his reason for passing up tutoring and told me he believed I was wrong in my words to him. I was lucky that this young man had the strength to face me and give me the chance to apologize. I had spoken out of a teacher’s love, but it wasn’t seen that way. If, in my blog this year I said anything to hurt anyone, I do ask your forgiveness.

I enjoy sharing my love of reading with you each week. When readers tell me that they couldn’t put down one of the books that I recommended, I feel that I did a little part to support the literary world that has made me so happy. When someone tells me that my point of view helped clarify their political thoughts, whether they agree with me or not, I feel my words were successful. I am never trying to change your thinking, I just want you to see the other side. So yes, for those I may have helped, I do wish I could have done more.

Unfortunately, there are those I have neglected to help. About two miles from my home resides a homeless man. His meager belongings sit next to him on the sidewalk while cars whiz by never noticing him. I notice him. I have noticed him since I moved to this neighborhood. I have noticed him in the broiling sun. I have noticed him in the rain and wind. I have worried about him during hurricane warnings. I have thought about him when our normally warm weather turns freezing.  The one thing that I have neglected to do is help. I think it is because I don’t know what to do...for him or the thousands like him. That is not an excuse though, and I am truly sorry.

Most of us are lucky enough to have friends and family who help us every day. I am surrounded by the kindest of people, and I never take that for granted. My nickname for Arthur is “Arthur the Good,” because he will literally stop in traffic to help strangers...which is not a safe plan in South Florida. Mike takes after his dad (honestly walked a nervous elderly lady across the street one day...and waited with her until her bus came), and Beth and my sister Judy have an overload of empathy that has changed the lives of classrooms worth of students every year. Brother-in-law Allan spends his “free” time volunteering his dental skills at a health clinic, and my amazing neighbors never miss an opportunity to offer their much appreciated assistance to anyone in need.  Yes, I am deeply grateful to not only be surrounded by these people but to have the awareness of how lucky I am every single day.

I wish a very Happy New Year to all who celebrate, and I wish all who read this the awareness to appreciate the special people in their lives.

This blog has afforded me the ability to expand my wealth of friends. I used to laugh at my students who referred to their “on-line” acquaintances as their best friends, but I have learned that you don’t need face-to-face time to feel affection for people you “meet” along the way. The correspondences I have shared with some outstanding authors have added so much to my world. This week I am reviewing High Stakes by John Dobbyn, a scholarly author whom I would like to count among my friends. Although his books would be categorized as legal thrillers, they always are filled with a plethora of information on the most fascinating of topics. High Stakes was one of my favorites.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

​Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog

​​​​Genre: Legal Thriller

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John Dobbyn’s legal thrillers written in his unique literary style are always a treat to read.  His research is evident when attorneys Michael Knight and Lex Devlin tackle a new case, and I find the information shared in High Stakes particularly fascinating. Knight takes center stage in this novel as he searches for an authentic Stradivarius violin with a jaunt through the streets of Romania. This violin is believed to house the code for a secret treasure that was hidden during the fifteenth century by Vlad Dracula.

The descriptions of the streets and little violin shop in Romania made me feel like I was there, and the notes on the tyrannical Dracula felt historically accurate and were a highlight of the story. I even enjoyed reading about the violins themselves and began to have a greater appreciation of their worth.

Dobbyn’s main setting for this series is Boston, and he seems to have a handle on the various gangs that reside there. In High Stakes we are privy to the workings of the Russian, Romanian and Chinese gangs as Knight juggles all three in his quest for the violin...and his desire to remain alive.

With little stops in Bucharest, Istanbul and even the Carpathian Mountains, this book is sure to satisfy your wanderlust as well as your craving for a good thriller. 

- Beverly
​

Publisher - Oceanview Publishing
Date of Publication - ​​October 2, 2019

“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”
—-Harry S. Truman


I was a bit shaken up this week, and I am not sure why. I think it began with the book that I read/reviewed, Elevator Pitch by one of my very favorite authors, Linwood Barclay. Barclay’s books are so captivating that sometimes it is difficult to separate fact from fiction, and this one definitely had me checking my surroundings. The basic premise, elevators dropping to the ground with no warning in New York City, highlights the possibility of terrorism at its worst, and just mirrored the fear that seems to run through us every day.

Be they domestic or foreign, articles about terrorism cover the pages of our newspapers every day. Last week eleven year old Olivia called her mom, Beth, into her “fort” and began a lesson on how to handle a “hostile intruder.” Apparently, should there be a hostile intruder to the room in which the fort is located, Beth is to move so that she is fully blocked by the fort wall and Olivia will then pull on a mask and hit them with the nerf gun. Quite an imaginary plan for an eleven year old. What has our world become?

Thinking it through I realized that our world hasn’t changed much at all. Since civilized times began, man seems to find more and more ways to torture his fellow man. As sad as it is that young children need to come up with ways to protect themselves now, is it really any different than children hiding under their desks to protect themselves from a nuclear attack (really?...under a desk?) during the Cold War days?

How about the fear of a military draft being reinstated during Gulf War times and young men being forced to leave the security of their homes for a battlefield far away. That fear sat heavy on many family’s shoulders in the nineties, but it was a reality in the sixties.  In those days, as in these days, the world was a very scary place. People talk about before and after 9/11 like it was a mark in the sand that took away our innocence.  Nope...innocence was/is an illusion that people hang on to when they see the proverbial boogie man knocking on their door.

The best thing we can do right now is stop living in fear of things that might never occur and people whose cultures are a bit different than our own. We can most certainly teach our children to be prepared, but then we must also teach them to face life with opened arms and embrace people with an open heart. We should show them that while it might be useful to find ways to overtake a school shooter, it is much more prudent to find a way to change the hearts of the school bullies.

We must teach them (and learn ourselves) that while there will always be people and things to fear, our world is a wonderful place filled with remarkable people and glorious places just waiting to be discovered. That, my friends, is the only way that we will truly beat the terrorists whom we fear the most.

As always a complete review of this week’s book will follow my blog.

Happy reading,

- Beverly

​Click on the book cover to order the title mentioned in today's blog

​​​​Genre: Thriller

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?Linwood Barclay shows his mastery of the suspense tale in his newest novel, Elevator Pitch. Each chapter introduces a new tidbit to keep the reader guessing, and the plethora of characters were interesting enough to hold my attention throughout the story.

New York City is always an interesting setting for a novel, but she really takes the lead in this one. Being one of the few truly vertical cities in the United States, it is the perfect setting for a story about runaway elevators. The novel begins with four people plummeting to their death in a Manhattan office building. What seems like a terrible but random accident takes on a new life when more elevator accidents follow. Barclay allows us to get to know the victims before their accidents, which makes their deaths all the more tragic. We also get to know the detectives working on the case, the reporter following the case and the politicians who are involved every step of the way.

The mayor is put in a no win situation. If he takes a wait and see attitude and more elevators fall, how many deaths will be on his hands? On the other hand, if he decides to shut down every elevator in the city, how will the people survive? Commerce will come to a halt, people will be stuck in their apartments or exhaust themselves climbing up and down the stairs.

While none of the characters are major protagonists, Barclay has gotten his readers invested in many different lives as terrorism takes over the city. We even spend some time with the leader of a right wing group known as the Flyovers who is in town with his wife as they celebrate their anniversary. It is obvious that he is a terrorist, but not as clear is his possible involvement with the elevators.

Barclay has always been one of my favorite authors, and this book is a clear example as to why I anxiously await his newest novels each year.

- Beverly


​Publisher - William Morrow
Date of Publication - ​​September 17, 2019