33. Ironwood by Michael Connelly

#2 Catalina

listened on Libby

327 pgs.

2026
Adult Mystery
Finished 7/18/26
Goodreads rating: 4.41
My rating: 4
Setting: comtemporary Catalina Island, southern California

My comments: Another good one, Mr. Connelly!  I love how he included quite a bit of Renee Ballard and a couple of good mysteries that needed solving at the same time, very interesting, went very fast, "Still" is a great character with great morals and a pretty darned sharp mind.  Enjoyable.

Goodreads synopsis: Sworn to protect a scenic island meant to be far from the evils of the mainland, Detective Sergeant Stilwell can feel danger closing in.

Detective Sergeant Stilwell knows that his posting on Catalina Island is no paradise, but to most residents, it seems blissfully separated—by twenty-two miles of ocean—from the troubles of Los Angeles County. But now a threat is coming to his safe haven.
 
Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, Stilwell and his deputies watch a plane land in the middle of the night at the Airport in the Sky, a remote airstrip in the mountains. A duffel bag of drugs is dropped and the deputies move in, but things quickly go sideways. While Stilwell chases the fleeing pickup man into the mountainside brush, shots are fired on the runway and the plane flies off.
 
An internal inquiry follows, putting Stilwell on the bench until he is cleared of responsibility for the disastrous operation. But he is determined to find out who brought deadly violence to his island, and begins his own secret investigation into the drug deal gone wrong.
 
While under orders to remain in the sheriff’s substation, he finds in the lost and found a valuable backpack that was never claimed. He traces it to a woman who disappeared while hiking on the island four years ago. But then why was the pack only turned in two months back? Now thoroughly intrigued, he follows the mystery all the way to the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard.
 
Stilwell and Ballard work the case from both sides of the channel, and soon realize they are on the trail of a criminal who revels in taunting the authorities. Meanwhile, frustrated at being shut out of an investigation on his own island, Stilwell risks his already shaky standing in the department to pursue a case whose reach is wider than he ever imagined.
 
Page-turning, packed with intrigue, and bringing together an unstoppable investigative team, Ironwood continues the Catalina series with all of Michael Connelly’s signature “relentless narrative drive…evocative atmosphere, realistic dialogue, and well-developed characters” (Washington Review of Books).

I Really Love to Collage - APCs for FUN!

 Sometimes I just like to take a random playing card, a color, and a focal point and see what I can create.  I tend to usually do the same sort of thing each time, but I love it.   JJ&CV in July they're playing "Reindeer Games" and every day there's a prompt for five different reindeer.  I've done a few for PRANCER.  He's the underdog (or should I say underdeer) and I've made a few cards for him this month.

For this one I needed a clock and numbers

This one required wings and something glittery

Fort this, a ticket and a destination (Gorham, Maine, where I went to college and met Steve!)

32. Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

listened on Libby

410 pgs.

2026
Adult Romance
Finished 7/11/2026
Goodreads rating: 4.05
My rating: 4.5
Setting: Contemporary Canada - Toronto, Tofino

My comments: 4.5  I didn't want to like this book as much as I did (I've sort of sworn off romances", but it's a real feel-good story that was hard to put down.  I'm glad I read the end notes, because I learned a lot about the fate of the right whale, who live off the eastern Canadian coast.  The setting is Canada, from Toronto to the west coast to the Bay of Fundy, which was great.

Goodreads synopsis: 

Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

31. Storm Tide by Paul Doiron

#16 Mike Bowditch

listened on Audible (purchased)

352 pgs.

2026
Adult Mystery
Finished 7/6/2026
Goodreads rating: 4.38
My rating: 3.5
Setting: Machias/Washington Country and north, Belfast area, contemporary Maine

My comments: 3.5 rated down to 3.  Although throughout this book Mike Bowditch is on leave awaiting the decision whether to reinstate him or let him go because of previous not-following-the-rules violations, he seems to make even more thoughtless decisions than I ever realized before.  Some of this was so totally not-believable.  He's got a newborn baby and he still chooses to do what I consider incredibly reckless, thoughtless things.  No wonder people hardly believe him most of the time.  I've really loved these books, but Mike is starting to let me down a bit, I'm afraid.  I probably should have rated this even lower.  Maybe I'm just grumpy today.

Goodreads synopsis: Game Warden Mike Bowditch investigates a series of brutal killings during a life-changing year in Storm Tide, the harrowing new thriller from Edgar Award-nominated author Paul Doiron.

When the magnificent home of entrepreneur Brian Malloy mysteriously goes up in flames, Maine game warden Mike Bowditch tries to pull Malloy’s burning body from the fire but is too late. Malloy was suspected of murdering his young, illegitimate son. Now it looks like someone else has delivered a verdict.

Miles away, on a lonely stretch of icy railroad track, the body of Axl Deming, once accused of a brutal rape, is found literally cut in half. Though the two murders seem unrelated, a cryptic text from an unknown number draws Bowditch to the scene—and hints at a chilling connection. He suspects someone is orchestrating the executions of criminals who escaped justice, and for reasons he can’t explain, his own name is on the list, but the state police aren’t convinced. His search for the truth takes him through frozen harbors, trackless forests, and remote islands, far from rescue.

Meanwhile, Bowditch is facing a disciplinary hearing that could end his career. His wife Stacey, just weeks from giving birth, is being stalked by a stranger in a white van. And when he realizes someone has also been watching their home, the case turns increasingly personal.

To protect his family, Bowditch must work alone to uncover who’s behind the killings—and stop them before he becomes their next victim.

Chinese Vegetable StirFry with EASY Sauce

 For a 20 oz bag of stir-fry vegetables:

Heat 1–2 teaspoons of a neutral oil (canola, avocado, or vegetable oil) in a large skillet.

Add the frozen vegetables straight from the freezer.

Cook over medium-high to high heat, stirring occasionally.

Let the excess water evaporate. This may take 8–10 minutes for a large bag.

Add the sauce.

If using cornstarch, stir it in and cook another minute until the sauce thickens. (1 t. cornstarch & 2T cold water)

Finish with the sesame oil if you didn't add it earlier.

The Sauce:  

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1–2 tsp jarred garlic
• ½ tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp fresh if you ever have it)
• 1–2 tsp toasted sesame oil (add near the end)