45. Throwaway Jane - Scott William Carter

#1 Karen Pantelli

listened on Libby
314 pgs.

2020
Adult Mystery
Finished 5/19/24
Goodreads rating: 4.32
My rating: 4.25
Setting: Contemporary Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix

My comments: Karen Pantelli has become a drifter.  Three years after leaving the FBI with emotional scars, she finds herself busing in a bar in Denver.  This is where the wild ride begins.  She rescues a 13 year-old girls who seems terrified and won't speak, and Karen is framed to be a wanted killer.  So she and the girl, who calls herself Jane, are on the run.  They end up in Las Vegas where the story more-or-less cumulates.  Karen is from Tucson and is very protective of her bipolar sister who now lives in Phoenix with her two daughters, and their relationship comes into play in the story as well.  Very easy to listen to, good narration, good story.

Goodreads synopsis:  Former FBI agent Karen Pantelli lives by a simple philosophy: never, ever care. Three years after a tragic mistake ends her once-stellar career, she drifts from one dead-end job to another, quickly moving on when she finds herself getting too attached. A new city. A new life. A new way of forgetting and being forgotten.

Until one chilly night behind a seedy bar, when a frightened girl leaps out of the back of a speeding van.

As they end up on the run in a thrilling chase that spans half the country, Karen soon realizes it's much easier to say you don't care than to actually mean it. And that unlocking the secrets in this girl's extraordinary mind might not only save both of them, but bring down one of the most sinister organizations the world has ever known.

Las Vegas February 2023

Five wonderful days!

2/17/23 - 2/22/23

Drove down Thursday after school and spent the night at Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott at Dulles Airport (23000 Indian Creek Dr., Sterling, VA 703-435-5300)  They actually answer the phone themselves!  Parked my car there and took the shuttle, which leaves every 30 minutes beginning at 4:30 am until midnight.  Breakfast begins at 5 am and is everything anyone might want!  Note: Pickup was quick and easy.  I ended up spending the night here upon my return, leaving at 5 am and heading righ 

Flight out of Dulles (lots of walking, but a great place to fly to and from) on United, nonstop, leaving around 8 am, arriving in Vegas about 10:30 their time. Picked up by Fran and Terry and we had the whole rest of the day to have fun!

Did so many things this week!  

Two quilt shops:  Christmas Goose and Sew Yeah.

Two shoe shops:  DSW and Desert Birkenstock. Purchased a new pair of shoes at each!

Three movies:  Missing, Marlowe, and A Man Called Otto, all at South Point.

One show:  Van Gogh Immersion Exhibit at Aria - WOW!!

Chinese New Year exhibit at the Conservatory at Bellagio - Year of the Rabbit!

Casino fun:  Four times at South Point (love those free margaritas and the Roulette "slot" machine!)

Meals out and meals in.  So much fun sitting around the kitchen island eating salad, warm bread, fruit, decadent deserts from bakeries and Whole Foods and chatting...

Enjoying the outdoors:  Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument AND Desert National Wildlife Refuge

Loved this "slot" machine - spent many hours here (with my free margaritas)

 

On our way to the movies at SouthPoint

 

A teeny, tiny part of the South Point Casino floor

Fran & Terry's rental

We timed it perfectly whilst driving down the strip to see the Bellagio fountains!

Van Gogh Immersion exhibit

Year of the Rabbit at Bellagio Conservatory.  We are able to hit this every year we've been to Vegas in February together - quite a few years' worth now!

Love the Conservatory flowers!

You don't see this signage every day...

Desert Wildlife Reserve.  AMAZING!  1.5 million acres.  2nd largest in the world.  35 natural springs.

Las Vegas mountains.  Everywhere.  Gorgeous.  These are ones that are nearest to the Ranger Station at the Wildlife Preserve.

Time to go home.  At the airport.  I never take selfies, but this was too tempting.

Bye-bye Vegas.  One last look at the strip out the plane window.

104. Beyond the Night by Joss Ware and Colleen Gleason

listened to Audible via CHIRP
narrated  by Sebastian Fields
Unabridged audio (10:34)
2000, Harper Collins
357 pgs.
Adult Dystopia/Romance
Finished 10/24/2019
Goodreads rating: 3.60 - 1588 ratings
My rating:  1.5
Setting:  Future Las Vegas

First line/s:  " 'She went after them!" Elliot Drake exclaimed as he jumped over a half wall to join two of his four companions."

My comments:  I don't understand why they would put such a misleading cover on this book.  I think it would encourage many people who would enjoy the story NOT to read it.  I totally look forward to good character development in a story, and this really didn't have much of that.  It is the basis for a really good dystopian adventure, but it's too much telling and very little showing.  Even the parts that are supposed to be steamy aren't very steamy, IMO.  All in all, a very disappointing book.  The story outline is excellent, but it's written very badly.

Goodreads synopsis:  A man with no future . . .
          When Dr. Elliott Drake wakes from a mysterious fifty-year sleep, the world as he knew it is gone. Cities are now desolate, and civilization is controlled by deadly immortals. Stranger still is Elliott's extraordinary new "gift"--he has the power to heal, but it comes with fatal consequences.
          A woman with a past . . .
          Jade barely escaped the immortals and is now hell-bent on revenge. She trusts no one . . . until Elliott. His piercing gaze and tempting touch shatter her defenses, but the handsome doctor seems to have dangerous secrets of his own. Is it safe to trust him with her heart?
If they are to survive in this dark new world, Jade and Elliott must work together to fight the forces that take them beyond danger.
           Beyond desire.

29. Immoral by Brian Freeman

Jonathan Stride #1
listened on Audible, mostly in the car on the drive to Maine
Read by Joe Barrett - did the Minnesota accent okay, female voices not quite so well (but okay)
2005 St. Martin's Minotaur (741 pgs. HC)
2006 Headline (471 pgs.)
Audible 13 hrs. 30 min.
Adult Murder Mystery/Police Procedural
Finished Wed., May 17, 2017
Goodreads rating: 3.87 - 5262 ratings
My rating:  3.9....
Setting: Duluth MN and Las Vegas

First line/s:  "Darkness was a different thing in the north woods than it was in the city.  He had forgotten."

My comments:  Rating?  Not quite a four.  This was a little slow for me at the beginning, sped up a bit, then slowed down again during a long trial (which I have discovered that I do not enjoy in a book).  There were things to like a lot as well as things to dislike.  The plot twists and turns were huge, and I discovered that I missed some of the major clues at the beginning.  All the loose ends were eventually wrapped up, though in a somewhat weird way.  Setting - Duluth, MN and Las Vegas, NV - both places I have been to more than once, were believable and well written.  Because of the nature of the story, some of the characters weren't as fleshed out as others, which was a setback for me, although minor.  Stride's attraction to and fascination with Serena was difficult to believe and understand.  So, all in all, what do I look for in a good mystery?  A plot line that keeps me guessing.  Check.  Little surprises along the way.  Check.  A setting that is interesting and an integral part of the story.  Check.  Characters that are believable and seem real.  Not quite so much.  Writing.  Freeman strayed a few times from the protagonist's point-of-view, which was a bit disconcerting.  Will I read another in the series?  Sure, this was the first and he's up to seven with two novellas in between.  Bet he's gotten better.  All in all, a good find.

Goodreads synopsis:  In Duluth, Minnesota, a young woman, Rachel Stoner, has gone missing. Cop Jonathan Stride, a sharply focused detective despite the stresses of his troubled personal life, is quick to suspect her stepfather of murder. And yet, he has his doubts. Even for a man accustomed to power, the accused seems remarkably convinced he'll go free. Could he be telling the truth? While Stride endeavours to make sense of the conflicting pieces of evidence, a young woman's body lies half-buried deep in the woods. But if it's not the body of Rachel, where is the missing girl? Is she dead, or is the terrible, unexpected fate that awaits Graeme Stoner one he does not deserve? In this dark, involving mystery, nothing is as it seems, and readers will be gripped to the very last page as the shocking truth gradually emerges.

69. Against the Odds by Mara Jacobs

Anna Dawson, Las Vegas Gambler #1
read on my Kindle
2012
228 pgs.Adult Mystery
Finished 12-5-16
Goodreads rating:  4.09 - 570 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting:  Contemporary Las Vegas, NV

First line/s:  "Get it together, I told myself.  This isn't life or death.  It's just college basketball.  Nobody's going to die from what I'm about to do."

My comments:  I purchased this book despite the cover (not one I'd usually choose) and I made the correct choice.  The book is nothing like the cover, or even the blurb on Goodreads, which make it sound like it's a "romance."  This is a good whodunnit through and through, in a setting I love (Las Vegas) with a bunch of really interesting characters.  And Anna, the protagonist, is a really great person with a big flaw or two.  In other words, REAL.  I liked the plot, setting, and characters, and will read more in the series since this looks like the first one.

Goodreads synopsis:  My name is Anna Dawson, and I'm a professional poker player. And I'm good. Very good.  But, I also have a little bit of a problem with placing bets on a sporting events. Not so good.
          Sometimes my little problem becomes a whole lot of trouble and I need to resort to some, shall we say, less than stellar actions to get out of debt. So, I become my alter ego, JoJo, and fix college basketball games. Hey, a victimless crime, no one's the wiser, and it's better than the alternative, which is a drive into the desert with my loan shark and a shovel in the trunk. Although, it has to be said, my loan shark is pretty good looking.
          I love Vegas, and I love the life I've built, but when one of my friends is murdered, and another one shot at, I know I need to take a serious look at myself. And I need to call in the big guns. Even if that means teaming up with detective Jack Schiller, a man who's dealing with his own problems. But dang, he sure is sexy.
          I'm just trying to juggle protecting my friends, helping sexy detective Jack while not letting him get to close, and finding a murderer. And, oh yeah, no one can learn about JoJo.
          Because if they do, there's no way I'll be able to bluff my way out.

58. The Chapel Wars - Lindsey Leavitt

2014, Bloomsbury

294 pgs.

YA CRF

Finished 9/11/14

Goodreads rating: 3.57

My rating:   3.5 liked it on many levels

Acquired TPP:

Contemporary Las Vegas, NV

1st sentence/s: "Inheritance.  I hate that word.  Translation: Sorry someone you loved kicked the bucket; now here's your present.  It's like getting hit by a car, only to make a fortune in the lawsuit.   People constantly remind you what a financial blessing that accident was, such a sweet silver lining, when the truth is, you still got hit by a car."

My comments: The Chapel Wars is a cute story about young love, determination, relationships of all sorts, and Las Vegas. It's a quick read and pretty light.  I really loved looking into the mind of a teenager that loves the city of Las Vegas itself - not its vulgarities, vices, and debauchery.  I have the same feelings about the city, and appreciated the story for that alone.  The characters and setting were both strong points.

Becky's review from Becky's Book Reviews

Goodreads book summary: Sixteen-year-old Holly wants to remember her Grandpa forever, but she’d rather forget what he left her in his will: his wedding chapel on the Las Vegas strip. Whatever happened to gold watches, savings bonds, or some normal inheritance? 
          And then there's Grandpa's letter. Not only is Holly running the business with her recently divorced parents, but she needs to make some serious money—fast. Grandpa also insists Holly reach out to Dax, the grandson of her family's mortal enemy and owner of the cheesy chapel next door. No matter how cute Dax is, Holly needs to stay focused: on her group of guy friends, her disjointed family, work, school and... Dax. No wait, not Dax. 
          Holly’s chapel represents everything she’s ever loved in her past. Dax might be everything she could ever love in the future. But as for right now, there's a wedding chapel to save.

54. Never Coming Back - Tim Weaver

#4 David Raker

2013 Viking Penguin

374 pgs.

Adult Murder Mystery

Finished 9/2/2014

Goodreads rating:

My rating:    (5) Awesome - a terrific read that I stayed up LATE to read....

Acquired TPPL

Contemporary  Las Vegas and Dorset, England (on the coast)

1st sentence/s:  "When the night came, it came fast.  The sky yellowed, like a week-old bruise, and then the sun began its descent into the desert floor, dropping out of the clouds as if it were falling.  The further it fell, the quicker the sky changed, until the sun was gone from view and all that remained was a smear of red cloud, like a bloodstain above the Mohave."

My comments:  Hot damn, this was GOOD!  A twisty-turny plot, two great settings (Las Vegas and the coast of England0, an ultra-interesting protagonist, lots of clues and hints to ponder, and a couple of surprises.  A perfect book that I devoured in just three days!  Although this was the fourth in a series and I had never heard of David Raker, it was pretty easy to pick up on.  Of course there are always questions, especially about Raker's relationship with the dark-and-doomed Healy....but that means more to look forward to figuring out in the future.  The fifth book in the series was just published two weeks ago, but I'm not sure if it's yet available in the U.S. Tim Weaver is a great new find for me!

Goodreads book summary: A bestseller in the UK, this gripping thriller of a family that vanishes into thin air is Tim Weaver’s American debut

           Emily Kane arrives at her sister Carrie’s house to find the front door unlocked, dinner on the table, and the family nowhere to be found—Carrie, her husband, and two daughters have disappeared. When the police turn up no leads, Emily turns to her former boyfriend David Raker, a missing persons investigator, to track the family down. As Raker pursues the case, he discovers evidence of a sinister cover-up, decades in the making and with a long trail of bodies behind it.
           Tim Weaver’s thrillers have been hugely popular in the UK, and now Never Coming Back will introduce his beloved character David Raker to American audiences. Set in Las Vegas and a small fishing village in England, the novel is a smart, fast-paced thriller sure to keep readers guessing until the very end.

44. The Narrows - Michael Connelly

#10 Harry Bosch

Audio read by Len Cariou
9 unabridged cds (10:00)

2004 Time Warner Audio Books

427 pgs.

Adult Murder Mystery

Finished 7/25/2014

Goodreads Rating:  4.01

My Rating:  3/ It was okay

Amelia Given Library,, Mt. Holly Springs

Setting: Contemporary LA & Las Vegas

1^st sentence/s:  "I think maybe I know only one thing in this world. One thing for sure.  And that is that the truth does not set you free."

My comments:  I read this without reading The Poet first, but have read every other Harry Bosch, in order.  I could figure out what was going on with this "past case" very quickly, but will admit that it would have been nice to have read The Poet first, thus having all the background.  I love the character of Harry Bosch.  I've loved every one of the books so far, but this one was a little (tiny, tiny) bit disappointing --- and I'm not sure why.  Perhaps I've read the previous books and listened to this one, which made it different? It brings together THREE different books, including Terry McCaleb and bounces back and forth between points-of-view, not just Harry's?

Nice Harry Bosch quote:  "There is nothing like being wanted or being welcomed, being valued."

Goodreads Review:  FBI agent Rachel Walling finally gets the call she's dreaded for years, the one that tells her the Poet has surfaced. She has never forgotten the serial killer who wove lines of poetry in his hideous crimes--and apparently he has not forgotten her.
Former LAPD detective Harry Bosch gets a call, too--from the widow of an old friend. Her husband's death seems natural, but his ties to the hunt for the Poet make Bosch dig deep. Arriving at a derelict spot in the California desert where the feds are unearthing bodies, Bosch joins forces with Rachel. Now the two are at odds with the FBI...and squarely in the path of the Poet, who will lead them on a wicked ride out of the heat, through the narrows of evil, and into a darkness all his own..

36. Lost Light - Michael Connelly

#9 Harry Bosch
audio read by Len Cariou

Listened on my iPhone through Overdrive/TPPL download

9 discs/parts

2004

416 pgs.

Finished 6/11/14 in my cozy PA apartment

Adult murder mystery

Goodreads Rating: 4.09

My Rating: 4.5 Loved it

Acquired: TPPL Overdrive Audio

Setting: LA and Vegas

1^st sentence/s:  "There is no end of things in the heart.  Somebody once told me that."

My comments: Harry Bosch #9 did not disappoint.  This time he's no longer on the LAPD homicide squad, he's out on his own.  Although Virgil Flowers has overtaken Harry as my favorite protagonist, I'm still a total Harry Bosch fan.  I've got the next one on reserve!

Goodreads Review:  The vision has haunted him for four years--a young woman lying crumpled in death, her hand outstretched in silent supplication. Harry Bosch was taken off the Angella Benton murder case when the production assistant's death was linked with the violent theft of two million dollars from a movie set. Both files were never closed. Now retired from the L.A.P.D., Bosch is determined to find justice for Angella. Without a badge to open doors and strike fear into the guilty, he's on his own. And even in the face of an opponent more powerful and ruthless than any he's ever encountered, Bosch is not backing down.

MOVIE - Last Vegas

PG-13 (1:30)

Wide Release 11/1/2013

Viewed at Kolb Cheap Theater on Friday, 12/20/2013

RT Critic: 45  Audience: 67

4/ Liked it a lot- it was freaking hilarious!

Directed by Jon Turteltaub

Film Studio: CBS Films

Morgan Freeman, Robert DeNiro, Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas

My comments:  This was hilarious!  Sure, you knew exactly what was going to happen well before it did, but the laughs along the way were great.  Particularly good was Morgan Freeman, grinning, dancing, and being the magical man he is.....

Fandango::  Four geriatric friends vow to set Las Vegas ablaze during the ultimate bachelor party in this all-star comedy from director Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure, The Sorcerer's Apprentice). Amongst his friends, Billy (Michael Douglas) has always been the confirmed bachelor. When Billy finally pops the question to his much-younger girlfriend, his pals Paddy Robert De Niro, Archie Morgan Freeman, and Sam Kevin Kline plan to send him off in style. But Vegas has changed since the last time they prowled the Strip, and once the party gets started, there's no telling how it will end

37. Maya's Notebook - Isabel Allende

translated from Spanish by Anne McLean

read by Maria Cabezas

12 unabridged cds (14.5 hrs.)

2013, Harper Audio

387 pgs.

Adult CRF

Finished 9/5/2013

Goodreads Rating: 3.83

My Rating: Loved it (4) 

TPPL Audio Book

Setting: Contemporary Chile and, for the most part, Berkley, CA, 

1^st sentence/s: "A week ago my grandmother gave me a dry-eyed hug at the San Francisco Airport and told me again that if I valued my life at all I should not get in touch with anyone I knew until we could be sure my enemies were no longer looking for me."

Introductory words/a poem by Mary Oliver from The Summer Day:  

"Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

My Goodreads Review: While I found the story quite unbelievable, I found the writing (or the translation of the original Spanish), the voice of the audio reader, and the voice of the protagonist completely mesmerizing.  The first person account switches back and forth between the present on a remote Chilean island and the past couple of years in San Francisco, an Oregon rehab facility and the darkest of dark bowels of Las Vegas.  Some of that part was quite upsetting to listen to.  But darkness and ubelievability did not deter me from enjoying the beautiful words and storytelling of Isabel Allende. This is the first of her books I've ever read, and I'm not sure why that is!

Goodreads Summary: Isabel Allende’s latest novel, set in the present day (a new departure for the author), tells the story of a 19-year-old American girl who finds refuge on a remote island off the coast of Chile after falling into a life of drugs, crime, and prostitution. There, in the company of a torture survivor, a lame dog, and other unforgettable characters, Maya Vidal writes her story, which includes pursuit by a gang of assassins, the police, the FBI, and Interpol. In the process, she unveils a terrible family secret, comes to understand the meaning of love and loyalty, and initiates the greatest adventure of her life: the journey into her own soul.