Blog Posts - MADDERLY REVIEW

Ultimate Power by Stephen Frey

8/16/2018

Genre: Thriller

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Stephen Frey’s novels often encompass the military world and/or the financial world, and Ultimate Power does both. On the day that Andrew Falcon Jr. becomes the youngest hedge fund manager to become partner at his Wall Street investment bank, his niece is kidnapped. The price to get her back is information about his firm, and what he finds out horrifies him.

Meanwhile we meet the President, Katrina Hilton, and are privy to her liberal-leaning plans for the country. Several high ranking military leaders will do anything to thwart those plans, and a rogue faction forms to manipulate the American people. Throw in a mob boss on the run and presidential protection that goes beyond the Secret Service, and you have one of Stephen Frey’s non-stop thrillers.

The story-line got a little nerve wracking as it seemed to hit home with today’s political climate. In fact, Frey added an author’s note at the end explaining his need to change a locale in the book because, although it was written before an event that shocked our nation, it was too similar and would perhaps make a sensitive situation even worse.

Although many of the characters were a bit shallow and unappealing, I did like Andrew and enjoyed watching him fight his way through this untenable situation. Frey’s thrillers tend to be a bit convoluted, and there were times I had to look back and check out who was who, but on the whole I can recommend this as a book worth reading.

- Beverly

Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - February 13, 2018

Thru My Looking Glass

8/3/2018

“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things...I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.”
—-Leo Buscaglia

Yesterday my daughter reminded me that she returns to school next week, and I suddenly got a wave of nostalgia. For teachers , every year is a new beginning. We have a chance to face an entirely new group of children after a summer of reviewing our successes and failures of the previous year. Hopefully, we grow from our mistakes and our students are all the better for our growth.

My entire family has been sending me on a nostalgia trip this week. My sister has tackled the nearly impossible task of scanning all of their photographs into the computer and then giving the actual photos to relatives who might enjoy them. Since my brother-in-law spent years as an amateur photographer, they were in possession of thousands of pictures that followed us through the years. I received my shoebox of pictures yesterday and spent some time going down memory lane.

Like all families we had our sad times, but it is the laughter that I remember the most. The game nights, family cooking nights and family vacations left me with indelible memories, while the nights I spent worrying about health, money or the millions of little “mommy worries” seem wasteful now. I knew then, like I know now, that worrying neither prevents things from happening nor makes anything better, yet it is an aspect of so many of our personalities that seems to unfairly haunt us.

The pictures did highlight those good times though. The fact that we probably spent almost as much time in Disney World as Mickey did might be why I want to stay as far from Orlando as possible these day. I do have a little hint for those who are taking kids now. The best time to experience Magic Kingdom is during a non-electrical rain storm. The temperature drops quickly (and in Florida that is a plus) and the park clears out. Just buy one of those ubiquitous ponchos that every store sells and go from ride to ride without any of those interminable lines. My favorite Disney memory will always be of the eight of us (Disney trips always included sister Judy’s family) dodging raindrops and singing a made up “plastic family” song while people gathered around thinking we were one of the Disney “acts.”

Most of all though, these pictures and their memories are reminding me to appreciate all of the good things that I am lucky enough to be experiencing now. It is easy to get buried in the mire of everyday life and forget to smell the roses, but we need to make a concerted effort to focus on the beautiful. Argue less, laugh more, worry less, play more, fear less, experience more...each day, and each loved one, are gifts, not necessarily our due, and if we see them as such we will have birthday celebrations all through the year.

In keeping with the theme of this blog, I read/reviewed an awesome book this week. It certainly isn’t a literary epic, but The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha is a perfect book when you need a smile. His recognition of the importance of appreciating the everyday things in life is refreshing, and I recommend this book as a starting point for a list of your awesome moments.

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

Happy reading,

Beverly

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The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha

8/2/2018

Genre: Non-Fiction

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Coincidentally, I have spent the last few days appreciating what I have, and then I came upon Neil Pasricha’s book, The Book of Awesome. Here is a man who truly recognizes what is awesome in life. Think about it...you are standing five deep in a checkout line, and a new line suddenly opens up...awesome. Nothing is cozier than your warm underwear, straight from the dryer. Passing a police car when you AREN’T speeding is AWESOME.

Pasricha’s book is filled with so many of life’s everyday pleasures. It is difficult to keep from smiling as you turn the pages and relate to most of what he is saying. He talks about things like passing a bunch of green lights in a row and I get it. I always feel like I hit the lottery when I sail by one green light after another. Half way into his book I started making my own list, and that made me smile even more.

The Book of Awesome will not be voted book of the year. It isn’t a literary epic and probably won’t win a Pulitzer Prize, but if you want a few hours of appreciating the world you inhabit, then this might be just the book for you.

-Beverly

Publisher - G.P. Putnam's Sons; Reprint edition
Date of Publication - April 15, 2010

Thru My Looking Glass

7/27/2018

“When you get to be President, there are all these things, the honors, the twenty-one gun salutes,all those things. You have to remember it isn’t for you. It’s for the Presidency.”
—-Harry S Truman

The office of President of the United States always commanded the utmost of respect at home and abroad. Our elections were always done with precision and emulated throughout the world. Whether our candidate won or lost, our constituents gathered around him and protected him from the ill will of outsiders. Like a family, we protected one of our own.

I remember when George H.W. Bush took office, though he wasn’t my choice I respected the man. Political debates were heated but respectful. I was proud to be an American. Then politics took over when William J. Clinton took office, and the family-like pride in our country slowly eroded. Don’t get me wrong, I was disgusted with some of his personal dealings, but hanging our dirty laundry out on an impeachment clothesline was equally as disgusting.

When George W. Bush took office, I was concerned. His politics seemed way too conservative for me, but he was obviously a moral man and should have garnered our respect. Instead, even when the tragedy of September 11th struck, we took political sides again. Pictures of him reacting to the news quickly circled the globe, and his political enemies made him into a laughingstock. He didn’t react quickly enough for some. Why did he just continue reading to the children? Bush explained his reactions some time later, “So I made the decision not to jump up immediately and leave the classroom. I didn’t want to rattle the kids. I wanted to project a sense of calm,' he said. 'I had been in enough crises to know that the first thing a leader has to do is to project calm.'” ... but by then the damage had been done.

When President Barack Obama presented one of his initial health care speeches to congress, Rep. Joe Wilson shouted "you lie.” Apparently he disagreed when the President stated that the health care plan would not cover illegal immigrants. He had every right to disagree and debate with the President, but being so outright disrespectful to the President of the United States was shameful. Another chink in the armor of our happy family.

Which brings me to our latest President and the reaction that our country is having to him. As I watch part of our citizenry commit vicious acts of hatred in his name and watch another part demean him continually, I understand why we have lost credibility throughout the world. The fact that there is now a 33 foot tall inflatable blimp depicting President Trump as a chicken in prison stripes says more about our country than it does about the man.

We might disagree with what a President stands for and how he does his job, we might even try to have him impeached, but we must remember that through it all he remains our President. The office of the President must be shown respect in front of the world’s eyes, and we must protect that image even as we fight for what we believe in.

The mystery I read/reviewed this week, Vow of Silence by Chris Patchell mixed politics, murder and just a bit of mayhem in just the right proportions. It was definitely a fun read and will make you wonder who the “bad guy” really is.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Vow of Silence by Chris Patchell

7/26/2018

Genre: Mystery

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This was my first Chris Patchell book, but it won’t be my last. Vow of Silence was one of those books that I couldn’t put down. It was a bit confusing at first because each chapter is told through the eyes of different characters, but once I became familiar with the main ones, and their individual stories, I became totally invested in the book.

I liked the fact that, as in real life, no character was all good or all bad. Jill Shannon has a tragic backstory (unfortunately I didn’t read the first book in this series), and her dark secrets might just be the end of her. Conner Manning, her fiancé, is caught up in his father’s political ambitions, and that could have repercussions for them all.

Detective David Shaw is trying to find out who murdered reporter Joe Gaines and somehow ends up on Jill’s doorstep. Joe might have been working on a secret exposé that got him killed, or it could have been his drug involvement or a jealous husband. Detective Shaw is determined to solve this murder, even while he is skipping over a major problem in his own home.

The story is a good one and most of the characters are strong. Though there were a few loose ends, it kept my interest until the last page, and I look forward to the next in Patchell’s series.

- Beverly

Publisher - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2 edition
Date of Publication - January 17, 2018

Thru My Looking Glass

7/20/2018

“Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.”
― Cesar Chavez

While I am not an overtly religious person, I am a strongly traditional one. Arthur and I have always wanted our children to have a strong sense of their own identity with an equally strong sense of acceptance for the cultural identities of others. Their friends have always been culturally diverse (Mike’s table of friends at his Bar Mitzvah looked more like a U.N. Conference than a religious gathering) and equally accepting of each-other’s traditions.

I was raised decorating our neighbor’s Christmas tree, and I carried on the tradition of sharing cultures by sharing my potato pancake recipe with Beth’s third grade class. That is why it is a mystery to me when I see the hatred that is being spewed each day by people who feel that their identity is being trampled upon by people whose traditions are different than their own.

I understand the desire to preserve ones own culture. There is something so very special about performing the same rites that your parents, grandparents and great grandparents performed before you. When Arthur tells the story of Passover at the first Seder each year, I flash back to my grandparents' Seder and my Zeyda telling the very same story. Lighting the candles for the eight nights of Chanukah brings me closer to those who did the same for many years past and those who were forbidden to do so during the dark years of the holocaust.

Why then would I ever want to deny anyone the right to enjoy his/her own traditions. I am proud to be an American and am proud to wave the American Flag that symbolizes all that we stand for, which includes years of being a melting pot of wonderful cultures. Much of the food that we eat and the music that we listen to were brought to America by immigrants who generously shared their traditions with us.

Instead of believing that we will be outnumbered by those who seek to settle here, we need to realize that we are only getting stronger. A culturally mixed neighborhood is not something to fear, it is something to embrace, and the education that we receive from our neighbors will make us a more complete nation.

Although I have tried to avoid Washington based novels this year, I did let one slip in. Death Votes Last: a Jeff Trask Crime Drama by Marc Rainer piqued my interest and I am sharing it with you this week. We also have a new book reviewed on our guest reviewer page, so enjoy.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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

Death Votes Last: A Jeff Trask Crime Drama by Marc Rainer

7/19/2018

Genre: Political Thriller

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I have carefully avoided political thrillers taking place in Washington this year, but I decided to listen to a recommendation and give this one a chance. I never read a Marc Rainer novel before, and Death Votes Last: a Jeff Trask Crime Drama is the fifth in this series, so I was hesitant. I needn’t have been, because the book stood well on its own.

In an uncomfortable twist of fate, the senate in Rainer’s book is split 50/50, and that isn’t good enough for some politicians who want to ensure a win for every point on there agenda. The plan seemed easy enough...drug one of the senators right before he gets in his car, slip a bottle of pills in his pocket, and wait for him to get pulled over for erratic driving. This would take him out of the running in the next election, and a candidate more sympathetic to their cause could take his place.

When the senator loses control of his car and ends up dead, the equation changes and suddenly federal prosecutor Jeff Trask is looking at a possible murder. Suddenly there is more than one murder to solve, and complicating everything is the fact that the trial must take place in the political hotbed that is Washington, D.C.

Author Rainer does a good job involving his readers in the goings on during a trial, and I enjoyed seeing things through the prosecutor's eyes. Some of the happenings were too close to “ripped from the headlines” happenings for me to be entirely comfortable, but I recommend this book highly to anyone with an interest in political thrillers.

- Beverly

Publisher - Gatekeeper Press
Date of Publication - November 10, 2017

Thru My Looking Glass

7/13/2018

“Anyone who says there is not a change in weather patterns is denying reality.”
——Andrew Cuomo

I am desperately looking for “beat the heat” suggestions. Whether you believe that our weather is affected by man-made elements or not, everyone is aware of the elevation of average temperatures over the last half dozen years. As a long time resident of South Florida, I am used to hot summers, but this year is bordering on undoable. After a near perfect winter down here, our bodies are rebelling against daily “feels like” temperatures in the 100’s.

Life in this area centers around the outdoors. Even if you aren’t into golfing or tennis, there are so many amazing hiking trails, public beaches and pools that there are few people who opt for indoor activities. Many restaurants have more outdoor seating than indoor seating, and every city is resplendent with neighborhood parks.

Unfortunately, even the outdoor shopping areas have become too hot to deal with during the afternoon sun. Arthur hits the golf course at sun-up here of late, and he still returns sweaty and dehydrated after drinking a large bottle of Gatorade and a several pints of water during what looks to me like four hours of organized torture.

We love museums, but there are just so many times you can gaze at the same pieces during these several brutal months. Last week I got so stir crazy that I asked Arthur to accompany me on a hike through one of the more shaded trails. Apparently the mosquito population is not discouraged with the heat, and after about two minutes of “man -vs- pest” we gave up and ran to the car.

I like an occasional movie but have no desire to sit in a theater every day or so, and I never was a mall shopper. So I ask you fellow readers, what are you doing to keep cool this summer? I feel like there must be indoor activities that I am missing because sitting in the house watching the news is getting more depressing every day.

At least I have my books, and I am reading a terrific one by Ronald H. Balson this week. The Girl From Berlin is another example of an author transporting us to a past time(1930’s, 1940’s) and place (Germany, Italy) and making us believe we are there. The book isn’t due out until October, so I won’t be reviewing it for another month or two, but I will say it is definitely as captivating as his past books that centered around this World War II era.

The book I did review this week, Eat, Pray, Die (An Eat, Pray, Die Humorous Mystery) by Chelsea Field, is quite the opposite in style. While I did not get as involved in the lives of the characters in Field’s book, I found them enjoyable to read about as the heroine, Izzy, attempts to solve her mystery. This is a good summer read.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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Eat, Pray, Die (An Eat, Pray, Die Humorous Mystery Novel) by Chelsea Field

7/12/2018

Genre: Mystery

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In order to train for her new (and high paying) job, Isobel Avery had to memorize the taste and smell of all relevant poisonous and psychoactive substances so she could detect them in food and beverages. Izzy is a poison taster for the rich and famous. The job is a dangerous one, but the money is good, and paying off her ex-husband’s debts isn’t easy.

Her first client, Connor, did not prove to be easy, and the fact that her cover was to play his girlfriend was not a pleasant thought. During their first meeting he told her to deal with his stylist and get a makeover so she will fit the role. His attractiveness was a plus, but his condescending manner cancelled out any hope she had of a pleasant experience. Interestingly enough, her first case turns out to be not so much a case as ...well, I am not going to give away any more of the story except to say that you can expect a loan shark, a murder attempt, a little romance and a few good laughs.

Author Fields did a good job making Izzy easy to root for, and I found this light read entertaining for the most part. The heroine is a fairly good puzzle solver, and even though she gets into some rather insane jams, she shows her intelligence every now and again as we follow her antics.

Eat, Pray, Die will definitely take you through a long airplane ride or a day at the beach.

- Beverly

Publisher - JFP Press
Date of Publication - July 3, 2016

Thru My Looking Glass

7/6/2018

“Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio,
Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”
—-Simon and Garfunkel

In 1941, Joe DiMaggio got a hit in 56 strait games. Our country was in the midst of the Second World War, Pearl Harbor was attacked, and Hitler was ravaging Europe, but “Joltin' Joe” didn’t give up for a minute. If you had any interest in baseball at all, DiMaggio was your hero, and this country desperately needed a hero at that time.

During the early sixties Americans found their hero in a good looking young Catholic man who won a hard-fought election and became President of the United States. John F. Kennedy and his brother, Bobby, captured the hearts of those looking to ensure that all people in our country were treated equally. The assassinations of these brothers, along with that of Martin Luther King Jr., brought a feeling of hopelessness over our country, but America has a way of bouncing back. On July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law.

This act outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Although it seems like that would be a no-brainer to me, the passage of this act caused much dissension in parts of our country, and changed demographic support in both parties. The South saw five states swing republican, and in years to come the South became the stronghold of the Republican Party.

Ever in search of a hero, many in our country believed that they found one in an actor from Hollywood, Ronald Reagan. While the sixties was a time when liberals seemed to be pushing their agenda, the eighties brought a new fervor towards conservatism, and Ronald Reagan was a staunch conservative. He advocated reductions in taxes and government spending, and our country became more conservative as the political pendulum continued to swing.

As the liberal and conservative agenda moved further and further apart through the years, one man’s hero became another man’s nightmare, and our country began to polarize. The panic that parts of our nation felt when Barack Obama was elected as our first black President was very real, and while there is no doubt that he held hero status in the eyes of much of the liberal community, there was a palpable fear in much of the conservative strongholds that life as they knew it would change forever.

We watched many changes take place during Obama’s two terms, and heard many conservative pundits bemoan the destruction of their way of life. As the ever moving pendulum stretched itself in one direction, I had no doubt that we would see a major shift take place. Anyone who follows history realized that things never stay on one side forever, and if you wait long enough your politics will come into vogue.

So while Donald Trump is far from my hero, he does fill that bill for quite a few people in our country. I wish that more people would think like I do (don’t we all), but I also realize that two strongly opposed viewpoints often help to balance the teeter-totter that is American politics. So rather than linger in panic mode when I watch many of my values being challenged, I will take a deep breathe and have faith that our democracy, flawed as it might be, will “keep on keepin' on,” and I will soon find another “Joe DiMaggio” in a country that thankfully raises many heroes for us all.

This week’s book was not my favorite. I decided to review it anyway, because it was my first (and last) foray into erotica, and I promised I would try, so here goes... I never got on the Fifty Shades of Grey bandwagon, and when, His for a Week: Bought by Em Brown was recommended to me I agreed to read it. I just couldn’t get past the women’s acceptance of being demeaned in the hopes of finding “true love.” Not for me, but these books certainly have an audience, and if you are a fan, this is reasonably well written and offers a bit of romance.

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

Happy reading,

- Beverly

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