The Downloaded

The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer
5/7/24; 192 pages
Shadowpaw Press

The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer is a so-so light science fiction novel set in 2059 featuring cryogenic freezing and quantum computers.

"In 2059 two very different groups have their minds uploaded into a quantum computer in Waterloo, Ontario. One group consists of astronauts preparing for Earth’s first interstellar voyage. The other? Convicted murderers, serving their sentences in a virtual-reality prison. But when disaster strikes, the astronauts and the prisoners must download back into physical reality and find a way to work together to save Earth from destruction."

The plot and, sadly, the writing are just okay in The Downloaded, and, honestly it was disappointing. Science fiction is a genre I generally enjoy, but what I really like is hard science fiction with all the facts and details concerning the real science supporting the story line. That is absent here, perhaps because it is a very short book. What is present is another lecture wrapped around a short story. The light plot and tedious lecture series insured I would lose interest quickly.

Yet again I need to caution an author to keep their personal political/social views on contemporary topics to themselves as it diminishes and dates the novel. There were multiple examples of this lecturing on several different topics, including numerous times those who didn't mask or vaccinate for COVID were demonized. I'm reading fiction for entertainment and escapism. If I want a lecture on social topics, I'll select the nonfiction books and topics. Thanks to Shadowpaw Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Counting in Danish

Counting in Danish by Celia Berggreen
5/28/24; 360 pages
Cranthorpe Millner Publishers

Counting in Danish by Celia Berggreen is a highly recommended coming-of-age story following a grieving, surviving twin on a journey.

Twins Jess and Sophie have always known that their father, Mike, isn't their biological father. Their mother, Laura, told them that their father Per Jacobsen was from Denmark and left before they were born. Jess and Sophie were planning to travel to Denmark and find him. Now Sophie, the more confident of the two, is dead and the whole family is deeply grieving. Jess, who frequently counts to ground herself and fight off panic attacks, is seeing and talking to Sophie. She needs to make the trip to Denmark in her sister's memory to overcome her fears and hopefully find closure.

The writing is very good and does an excellent job capturing the emotional impact that a death and withheld secrets can have on a family. The only character that is really explored in any depth is Jess, and she can be an enigma because of a secret she holds that is eventually revealed. Traveling to Denmark marks an accomplishment, especially as Jess undertakes it without Sophie, that will eventually bring emotional closure for her and the whole family.

The story behind the publication of Counting in Danish is as much an emotional journey and love story as the novel itself. Sadly, author Celia Berggreen lost her battle with cancer before publication. Her Danish husband Kristian Berggreen made it his mission to see the novel through publication and fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a published author. Thanks to Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Return of Ellie Black

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
5/7/24; 320 pages
Simon & Schuster

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean is a highly recommended psychological thriller/procedural/crime novel.

Teenager Ellie Black has been found alive in the woods of Washington State after disappearing two years ago from the small town of Coldwell Beach. Detective Chelsey Calhoun is assigned the case and immediately begins to work with Ellie and her family and question everyone involved in the case previously. Ellie, who was a teen who was pushing all the boundaries before she was taken, has returned a seriously traumatized, damaged young woman. Chelsey's sister Lydia was presumed dead fifteen years earlier, so she has empathy with families of missing girls and wants others to find the closure they need.

The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives. Mainly it is told from Chelsey's point-of-view, but Ellie's point-of-view is presented in separate sections inserted within the chapters. Ellie's therapist also has some separate sections. Chelsey's chapters examine her investigation, her relationship with her husband, Noah, and her background. Ellie's point-of-view details the events during her horrific captivity. Using multiple perspectives results in the two main characters being sympathetic characters who are portrayed in a realistic manner.

The writing is good. There are a few sections where it flags a bit, but once the action picks up and the twists begin, the pages do fly by. I will say that more than once as I was reading I paused and thought, "Wait. Haven't I read that in another novel?" Some similarities to other novels with missing girls would be obvious, but this was more some of the details, the supporting material.

The ending twist is very surprising and shocking. You will not see it coming. However, it was simply too over-the-top much for me and required a heaping amount of setting aside disbelief. On the other hand I will certainly admit that The Return of Ellie Black is a page turner that will keep most readers glued to the pages. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Granite Harbor

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols
4/30/24; 320 pages
Celadon Books

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols is a recommended murder mystery/police procedural set in Granite Harbor, Maine.

Police detective Alex Brangwen was a novelist in Great Britain before he moved to Granite Harbor. Now he is a divorced, single father and the sole detective on the police force. When a local teenager is found brutally murdered in the Settlement, the town’s historic archaeological site, Alex is the one who must find the killer. His teenage daughter, Sophie, was a friend of the victim and his friends.

This is a character driven murder mystery with gruesome murder scenes, which some readers may want to take into consideration. This novel veers more toward horror so those who enjoy that genre mixed with a procedural may like it more than I did.

The narrative is told through the point-of-view of Alex and Isabel Dorr, a parent of one of the teens and a character player at the Settlement site. There are also chapters sharing information about the killer's past incorporated through out the novel, although the identity is hidden. From the opening we understand that the killer may still have the teens in his sights. Take note that there is a twist in the plot further along that was too incredulous for me to accept the sudden insertion of it.

As a character driven novel, developing the characters into believable, sympathetic, unique individuals is essential. Alex and Isabel achieved this level of development, but the other characters fell short. Alex was the most fully realized character and if another novel featured him I would likely give it a read. Thanks to Celadon Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Three Drowned Girls

Three Drowned Girls by Emily Shiner
4/22/24; 352 pages
Bookouture
Detective Freya Sinclair #1

Three Drowned Girls by Emily Shiner is a recommended crime thriller and the first book in a series featuring Detective Freya Sinclair

After five years in Texas, Detective Freya Sinclair has returned to her hometown, Fawn Lake, North Carolina. The community knows her history and some will hold her background against her while others are happy to have her back working for their police department again. On her first day back the body of a young girl is pulled from the river. With no report of a missing girl, Freya and Detective Candy Ettinger along with help from Officer Brad Williams, immediately start trying to find the child's identity but before they do another young girl is reported missing.

Although Freya's background is referred to and hinted at throughout the novel, the total story isn't told until the end. This plot device didn't work well at all in the novel. Disclosing Freya's back story right away would have made Freya a more compelling and sympathetic character. Readers will still be supporting her investigative abilities, hoping she finds evidence and pieces clues together quickly before something else happens to some other little girl, but they aren't going to understand some of the interactions she has with others.

The writing is good and the investigation takes a logical direction. On the other hand, the plot moves a little slowly and the final denouement required too much suspension of disbelief. Additionally, there was a part of the investigation that really annoyed me for numerous reasons but to say anything would be a huge spoiler. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Within Arm's Reach

Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano
4/30/24; 352 pages
Random House

Within Arm's Reach by Ann Napolitano is a highly recommended literary family drama featuring three generations of an Irish-American family. First published in 2004, this was Napolitano's debut novel and showcases her early skillful ability to create finely drawn characters and bring them to life.

Catharine, the matriarch of the Irish-American McLaughlin clan, is approaching 80 years-old. Catharine has the gift of visions and has conversations with deceased relatives, a gift of her heritage. She has 6 surviving children after losing three. Kelly, 56, is her oldest surviving daughter, is married to Louis and mother to Lila and Gracie. Now Gracie is pregnant and Catharine is sure this baby, this start of the next generation will help bind the family together again. Right now the whole family keeps a tight rein on their emotions. This new addition may change everything. 

The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of six different characters : Gracie, Catharine, Louis, Lila, Kelly, and Noreen Ballen (Catharine's nurse). These are all fully realized, exquisitely written characters who came to life on the page. They are all portrayed as real individuals, with different opinions, flaws, strengths, and conflicting emotions.

The writing is excellent in this portrait of three generations of a family. Within Arm’s Reach demonstrates how interconnected the members of a family can be and how they inherit more than they realize from their ancestors. I enjoyed everything about this novel except for the fact that it was left open ended. Certainly it showcases the developing talent of a gifted writer. It was a pleasure to read this debut novel from 2004 since I loved and adored both Dear Edward and Hello Beautiful. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Someone Saw Something

Someone Saw Something by Rick Mofina
4/30/24; 400 pages
MIRA

Someone Saw Something by Rick Mofina is a highly recommended family drama centered around the search for a child who has gone missing and presumed to be abducted.

News anchor and journalist Corina Corado asks her sixteen-year-old stepdaughter, Charlotte, to pick up her six-year-old little brother, Gabriel, from school because their father, Robert had to delay his flight and is unable to do so. Charlotte and Gabriel walk through Central Park on their way home so he can have a text flight of a plane he made. As the plane flies over a hill, Gabriel runs off to get it and Charlotte, who is texting, says she'll be right there waiting for him... but he doesn't come right back. Charlotte runs to find him and can't. The unthinkable has happened. Gabriel is missing.

A missing child and subsequent search and investigation is enough excitement to hold up a plot. Adding one complication, the hate mail Corina receives as a well known journalist is an understandable concern. But Mofina ups the ante to almost unbelievable levels. The number of secrets, twists, and extraneous directions the investigation takes is throwing everything into the plot, including the kitchen sink. The whole twenty-one year old "boyfriend" of your sixteen-year-old daughter thread could have been left out, as could Robert's big secrets.

The characters are portrayed as realistic individuals, except for maybe the whole withholding of major pieces of information that might be connected to the search for their SON. However, while reading your emotions will be running high as you wait for the characters to just tell the whole truth. 

Admittedly, it held my attention because of all the secrets and intrigue, but in the end I felt as if the main concern, Gabriel, was being buried under all the other plot threads and characters included in the narrative. This overload of extras that maybe were possibly connected with the investigation actually slowed down the novel and the main concern - searching for Gabriel. 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to MIRA for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.