73. The Fixer by T. E. Woods

#1 Justice series

listened on Audible

narrated by Christina Delaine

Unabridged audio (11:01)
2012
312 pgs.
Adult mystery
Finished  7/3/2021
Goodreads rating: 3.97 - 2115 ratings
My rating: 5
Setting: contemporary Washington state

First line/s: "The prospect sat in the hot tub, fat and doughy."

My comments: First in the series, and this's so exciting because I absolutely loved the story.  I love the way the author kept giving you, the reader, little bits of information that start you on the right path slowly, but also withheld a few things that kept the mystery going perfectly.  Characters were really well drawn, I loved Mort and I loved Lydia.  Their relationship was genuine and perfect.  I so look forward to upcoming books and hope that they are both included jointly, keeping their relationship intact.  High five!

Goodreads synopsis:   T. E. Woods delivers a fast-paced thriller—the first in an electrifying new series—peopled with sharp, intriguing characters and more twists and turns than a corkscrew.
        Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice. Never for revenge. She’s the person you hire when you need something fixed—permanently. With a strict set of criteria, she evaluates every request and chooses only a few. No more than one job per country, per year. She will only step in if it’s clear that justice will not be served any other way. Her jobs are completed with skill and precision, and never result in inquiry or police investigation. The Fixer is invisible—and quite deadly. . . .
        In the office of a clinical psychologist in Olympia, Washington, a beautiful young woman is in terrible emotional pain. She puts up walls, tells lies, and seems to speak in riddles, but the doctor is determined to help her heal, despite the fact that she claims to have hurt many people. As their sessions escalate, the psychologist feels compelled to reach out to the police . . . but it might be too late.

        In Seattle, a detective gets a call from his son. A dedicated journalist, he wants his father’s expertise as he looks into a suspicious death. Together they follow the trail of leads toward a stone-cold hired killer—only to find that death has been closer than either could have imagined.

135. When She Was Good by Michael Robotham

#2 Cyrus Haven
borrowed from Library and listened on Libby
narrated by Joe Jameson
Unabridged audio (11:25)
2020
352 pgs.
Adult Mystery
Finished 10/28/2020
Goodreads rating: 4.33 - 4181 ratings
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary Nottingham/Manchester, England

First line/s: "Late spring.  Morning cold.  A small wooden boat emerges from the mist, sliding forward with each pull of the oars."

What I posted on Goodreads:  Part two in a 2-part mystery, finished quite satisfactorily.  Great narration, wonderful mystery.

My comments: Part two, finishing a story begun in a prior book (Good Girl, Bad Girl) quite satisfactorily.  I enjoyed the way it flip-flops between the two man characters, a forensic psychiatrist and an 18-year-old girl who has been abused and/or on the run for most of her remembered life.  The setting of Nottingham/Manchester, England and the perfectly accented and accentuated male reader enhanced my reading experience.  Plot, setting, characterization, and narration worked perfectly together in this excellent mystery.

Goodreads synopsis:  Criminal psychologist Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac return in this new thriller from author Michael Robotham. Who is Evie, the girl with no past, running from? She was discovered hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a terrible crime. Her ability to tell when someone is lying helped Cyrus crack an impenetrable case in Good Girl, Bad Girl. Now, the closer Cyrus gets to uncovering answers about Evie’s dark history, the more he exposes Evie to danger, giving her no choice but to run. Ultimately, both will have to decide if some secrets are better left buried and some monsters should never be named...

32. Dead Time - Stephen White

Alan Gregory #16
audio read by Dick Hill
11 unabridged cds...13 hrs....on the road from Tucson to PA
2008, Dutton Adult
397 pgs.
Contemporary Mystery
Finished 5/31/16
Goodreads rating: 3.82 (1503 ratings)
My rating:  4
Setting: Grand Canyon bottom and Colorado

First line/s:  "She disappeared into a crack in the earth."

My comments:  This was my first foray into this series, and I was told that I'd be okay if I didn't start with the first.  I liked it.  It was written from three points-of-view... Alan Gregory (a psychologist and the protagonist of the series); his ex-wife, Merideth; and a third person voice that describes a happening at the Grand Canyon's Phantom Ranch a few years previously that becomes the crux of the story.  Each of the numerous characters have backstories and difficulties they're coping with along with the current mystery, and I love the way it was all woven together.  I liked some of the characters, rolled my eyes at others, and laughed at and with some of them.  Great characterization and consuming storyline.  So why not a five?  A little too much conversation and rehashing - the book could have edited out some of the redundancy and extra long-winded-ness.  It was fine for a long cross-country drive, however.

Goodreads synopsis:  After the shocking developments in Dry Ice, Colorado psychologist Alan Gregory is struggling to deal with his newly adopted son and repair his shaky, though generally improving, marriage. But then Alan’s ex-wife, Merideth, reappears, seeking help she feels only Alan can give. Suddenly Alan is pulled into a mystery that reaches back years to a camping trip at the Grand Canyon involving Merideth’s fiancé and five friends whose lives were changed forever when a young woman mysteriously vanished from the Canyon floor. 
          Enlisting the help of friend and detective Sam Purdy, Alan finds himself pitted against new demons and unseen enemies as he tries to uncover the connection between the unexplained disappearance at the Grand Canyon and Merideth’s missing surrogate. The clock is ticking, and as Alan’s and Sam’s investigations take them from New York City to Los Angeles to the cavernous reaches of the Canyon itself, Alan unearths a series of secrets and deceptions that someone wishes to keep buried at all costs.

61. Victims - Jonathan Kellerman

Alex Delaware #27
listened to the audio cd on the way back and forth from work
audio read by John Rubenstein - very enjoyable
2012, Random House Audio,
12 hours/10 unabridged cds
338 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery
Finished 10/6/2015
Goodreads rating: 3.91
My rating: 4/ very good storytelling, though gritty/gross
Setting: contemporary LA area

First line/s:  "This one was different.  The first hint was Milo's tight-voiced eight a.m. message, stripped of details."

My comments:  I haven't read a Jonathan Kellerman for many years, but have read a few in the past, so decided to read this one out-of-order (I'm so anal, I don't usually do this).  Very interesting story, especially when looking at the deep dark workings of the human psyche that have gone awry...very awry.  Alex Delaware is the psycho-therapist sidekick to LA detective Milo Sturgis.  He doesn't really do too much, perhaps sheds a little insight, but when Milo Sturgis is on the track, watch out.  I love the way that John Rubenstein "reads" Sturgis - tough, gritty, but with great empathy.  I enjoyed this one, as super-gritty (gross) as it was...

Goodreads Summary:

MOVIE - The One I Love

R (1:31)

Limited Release 8/22/2014

9-18-14 at the Loft

RT Critic: 80  Audience: 78

Cag:  4/Liked it a Lot - Quirky

Directed by Charlie McDowell

Radius - TWC

Actors: Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss, Ted Danson

My comments:  As I was leaving the theater, I heard a women bemoaning, "I didn't get it."  There's only a little part that you're not supposed to get, it's what I call fantastic realism.  It was fun, clever, and really well acted.  SPOILER ALERT:  The two leads play two different people brilliantly.  Mark Duplass is particularly believable.  It makes you think, but not too hard....

Rotten Tomato Summary:  The highly anticipated debut feature from acclaimed author Charlie McDowell, THE ONE I LOVE is an original tale that continues to showcase McDowell's keen observations of human relationships with a distinct and comedic voice. THE ONE I LOVE, written by Justin Lader, was produced by Mel Eslyn and executive produced by Mark Duplass who stars opposite Elisabeth Moss. On the brink of separation, Ethan (Duplass) and Sophie (Moss) escape to a beautiful vacation house for a weekend getaway in anattempt to save their marriage. What begins as a romantic and fun retreat soon becomes surreal, when an unexpected discovery forces the two to examine themselves, their relationship, and their future.