STATE OF TERROR, a taut, tense, whiplash-inducing thriller, is so up to the minute in world events it seems like the authors, Hillary Clinton and crime fiction author, Louise Penny, had a crystal ball to look into scrying possible scenarios … no, wait … they did. In the form of Ms. Clintons and her years as Secretary of State. Her experience and skill, among other things, provide the backdrop to this immensely addictive thriller.
\nFrom the well delineated characters, including the secondary characters who are just as pivotal in the plot, through to the non-stop and relentless pace. We are whisked along by the unfolding events all the while chewing the inside of our cheeks, fretting along with Secretary of State, Ellen Adams, and her closest confident and Counsellor, Betsy Jameson.
\nThese two women whose bond throughout was a joy and a surprise, never mind the clever wit and snark. I also love that relationships play a large part in events, decision, and actions throughout. Which makes the stakes all the more threatening when they’re seen intimately, up-close and personal with frightening consequences.
\nPolitical intrigue, high-stakes espionage, traitors, misdirects, subterfuge, and the ultimate terror of a radical terrorist group laying hands on not one nuclear weapon, but three, set the stage and scope for this well-plotted emotional roller coaster ride of a thriller. That, in the end, had real bite.
\nGrab a large glass of your favourite wine, curl up on the sofa and get ready for Ellen and Betsy to get it done—two truly iconic women!
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-20T14:26:11-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/20/state-of-terror-by-hilary/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/20/secrets-of-state-by-matthew/", "title": "Secrets of State by Matthew Palmer", "content_html": "This is a solid outing from Matthew Palmer, an author that knows his stuff. SECRETS OF STATE, is a thriller with all the right ingredients, that hit all the right notes. The characters are nothing new, but familiar territory is okay as long as there is enough elsewhere to make up for it. And while the plot is nothing new either—terrorists stealing a nuclear weapon to blow up a city—again, that was okay, as the author came at this from a slightly different angle, with a new view while covering old ground, which freshened up a doomsday scenario with likeable enough characters that were engaging.
\nSet against the backdrop of simmering tensions between India and Pakistan, Palmer gives us a what-if that’s oh so plausible right now. And while most authors are focused on the usual suspects and setting that are becoming tired, he reminds us that the world at large is still a very dangerous place and has far more players on the world stage than we usually think about.
\nWhat sets SECRETS OF STATE apart from the average read, are the small things. And it’s not often we get a view of places like Mumbai and it’s slums—never mind the people that live there. A thoroughly enjoyable, and quick read, so much so I’ll be buying a few more of Palmer’s works as I suspect they’ll be just as enjoyable a romp as SECRETS OF STATE was.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-20T11:50:56-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/20/secrets-of-state-by-matthew/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/20/the-romanov-prophecy-by-steve/", "title": "The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry", "content_html": "THE ROMANOV PROPHECY is another fast-paced thriller that is pure popcorn entertainment from the first page, till the last. A rip-roaring romp through the streets, and politics, of Moscow, in a possible near-future where Russia, looking for it’s roots, is set on the restoration of the Monarchy. And looking for the next in line, and most direct heir to the murdered house of Romanov, a Commission is assembled.
\nStraight out of the gate, Miles Lord—a black American lawyer and part of the firm looking into the background of the hot favourite to ascend the throne, Stefan Baklanov—is running for his life, as gunmen open fire on him in the middle of a lunchtime crowd. From here on in Miles is in a race to piece together who is shooting at him, and want him dead, and why.
\nPart of what makes a Steve Berry novel entertaining and fun is the twist he takes on the tried and tested formula, adding his own touches like having a tall, athletic, black man the unlikely hero racing against time, the odds, corrupt government officials, the Russian mob, and an unlikely group of men hellbent on making Baklanov their Tsar puppet.
\nThrow in a love-interest with a twist of her own—she’s a circus acrobat—and have the pair thrust into the midst of an ancient prophecy they have to solve along the way. And the story is ripe for plenty of action, near-escapes, shoot-outs, as the pair piece together the clues that take them from Moscow, to St. Petersburg, Siberia and back to America.
\nWhat I also love about a Steve Berry novel is the history he always manages to incorporate. Most of what’s quoted in THE ROMANOV PROPHECY is documented fact. What’s Berry has done is take those facts and created a very plausible, if somewhat fantastical story that has you thinking.
\nThe settings are authentic, the secondary characters have some depth to them, and the dialogue is exactly what you’d expect for this kind of thriller. The plot and pacing are brisk, and play out nicely to a very satisfactory conclusion. All-in-all, a thoroughly enjoyable read.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-20T11:01:56-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/20/the-romanov-prophecy-by-steve/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/20/the-lost-symbol-by-dan/", "title": "The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown", "content_html": "I spent a day reading this fast paced, fun read, that takes you on another Dan Brown whirlwind ride. This time around it’s the US Capital, Washington DC, as opposed to some European City. But whatever the city, you know to suspend your sense of disbelief on the the first page, and just jump in.
\nThe author packs in the right ingredients with just the right amount of action and intrigue to keep you flipping the pages in fast succession. Whether or not the characters look like they (and the rather outlandish situations they subsequently find themselves in) were written with a movie in mind can be forgiven because, well, let’s just say, they’re easily identifiable with and leave it at that. Regardless, you will find yourself there with them and, if not rooting for them, at least enjoying gallivanting all over Washington’s famous monuments, and seeing them in a new light. The dialogue is unabashed, the info dumps easy to digest, and the characters written in the mould we’ve come to expect.
\nWhether you like Dan Brown, or not, is beside the point. We all know he doesn’t write great literature, what he does write is accessible, fun, though-provoking, fast-paced thrillers that are a thoroughly enjoyable read. You can’t go to wrong with this one. If a fan already, I recommend you buy the hardback edition, if not, then wait for the paperback, or check it out from the library.
\nAs far as I am concerned, this is worth skipping a couple of Starbuck’s lattes to buy. Always a fun read.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-20T10:59:41-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/20/the-lost-symbol-by-dan/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/20/inside-out-by-barry-eisler/", "title": "Inside Out by Barry Eisler", "content_html": "Barry Eisler just keeps getting better and better with each book he writes.
\nINSIDE OUT is the second Ben Treven story, sadly I haven’t read the previous outing but that didn’t spoil this one in anyway. Thankfully, Eisler doesn’t waste time playing catch up in his opening chapters but writes thought-provoking, stand-alone thrillers that deliver on every level, whether or not they feature characters who’ll become part of a series.
\nIt’s how Eisler takes you straight into the heart of the story and characters that makes him a captivating writer. He sets the scene, he builds the characters with just the right amount of background detail and shading (no one is paper thin, black and white, or without a hidden agenda or motives) his characters come with their own share of baggage so you know exactly where each one is coming from, from the get-go. Eisler also delivers the punches, and by god he’ll make you squirm, and smile, and wince, and nod your head knowingly as you read this one. At times wonderfully nuanced, it’s also in your face and brutal, revealing, and all at once, thought provoking.
\nInside Out is a deceptive look into the black abyss of what goes on behind closed doors in the corridors of power and politics that is so close to reality, you wonder if, in fact, he’s writing fiction at all.
\nIf you love well-researched, well-written and well-plotted thrillers, this one is a must read!
\nThank you Barry, I can’t wait for the next one.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-20T10:53:49-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/20/inside-out-by-barry-eisler/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/19/cold-storage-by-david-koepp/", "title": "Cold Storage by David Koepp", "content_html": "COLD STORAGE is an incredibly fast read, not just because it’s only 308 pages long, but because it’s that kind of a story. A book you simply cannot put down. I read this in a day. Yes, seven hours on a Sunday, from beginning to end. I really didn’t want to stop as there was too much at stake. Yes, I know, it’s not real, but the science in Cold Storage, along with the excellently researched background to the alphabet soup government departments and processes, were spot on.
\nThe context for this story, a mutated, fast breeding ELE fungus capable of eradicating all life, as we know it, is so plausible as to scare the bejesus out of me! Based on reality, and stretched to the what-if point like any good author should, Koepp takes the reader on a wild, scary ride. But then, tempers the real-life horror with two flawed, familiar, and sympathetic characters—Teacake and Naomi—that you are immediately drawn too and root for.
\nAll the fingernail biting tension is further tempered with plenty of dry humour including the line that I think Cold Storage is going to be most remembered for: “The fucking deer just took the fucking elevator.” Uttered by the astonished Teacake (great name btw) who was a character I took an instant liking too.
\nWhile it’s true Diaz and his partner, and senior officer, Trini Romano, get an opener to the book that will blow your socks off (and, might I suggest, not be read before bedtime! Trust me.) It’s Teacake and Naomi who, for the most part, carry the weight of the story. It’s the investment into their two lives that make us care, care about what happens, and adds the heart to what could be an otherwise chilling read.
\nOver all, this is a riotous read. Suspend your disbelief at the first page, jump in with macabre glee, after all this is fiction, and have a fun, frightening, all to plausible ride on the horror-tinged train.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-19T16:58:18-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/19/cold-storage-by-david-koepp/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/19/sawbones-by-melissa-lenhardt/", "title": "Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt", "content_html": "SAWBONES is raw, gritty and, at times, violently graphic. The characters themselves could have been ripped out of a Dime novel of the day back in the late 1800s—with a woman on the run after being accused of murder she didn’t commit, Indians on the warpath, and a saddle-weary Army Captain with a dire secret of his. Each adds their own story to the narrative as seen through the eyes of Lenhardt’s heroine, Catherine Bennett. A woman with the audacity to think she could be a doctor in a man’s world.
\nEscaping from the stifling confines of NYC after being wrongly accused of murder, Bennet flees to the Texas frontier with help form a childhood friend, James, and her Irish maid, Maureen. But the West is filled with more than its own fair share of dangers, from drunken cowpokes, to bounty hunters, and those trying to make a fast buck any where they can. Each character more despicable than the last.
\nHeading toward a frontier town, the wagon train Maureen and Catherine—now calling herself Laura Elliston—are travelling on is attacked by marauding Indians. Everyone, except Laura, is brutally murdered. Chased off by an Army patrol, Laura is rescued by Captain William Kindle and his men. However, in the fight, Kindle is severely injured. But thanks to Laura’s skill as a surgeon, she’s able to save Kindle’s life. And thus, as the two are thrown together by chance and circumstances, a romance ignites.
\nWhile Sawbones is, at times, a page-turner with lots of gung-ho action, Lenhardt does try to tempers her unflinching portrayal of the West—and the prevailing attitudes of the times—with some thoughtful moments between the various characters. But even out in the wild west love can be a burden when trying to hide in plain sight. As passions run high between Kindle and Elliston, betrayal may have the last word in any hope of happiness for the couple. A spectre from Kindle’s past rides into town and demands the ultimate sacrifice of them. The result is an ending that goes completely over the top.
\nThis is no rosy, glossy love-story, but a visceral look at how life in the wild west might have looked. With characters whose lives are torn apart by circumstances, in a brutal world vividly brought to life by Lenhardt’s style of storytelling. Sadly, for me, what was lost in all this gore and extreme violence, is a decent storyline.
\nIf you like your westerns with an overload of violence, and a heavy dose of romance, then maybe you’ll enjoy taking a ride out west with Lenhardt’s Sawbones.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-19T16:54:26-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/19/sawbones-by-melissa-lenhardt/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/19/finding-nouf-by-zoe-ferraris/", "title": "Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris", "content_html": "This novel is something of a misrepresentation. It might be titled Finding Nouf, but Nouf is found quite dead, about ten pages into the story. And, from there on in, this flimsy excuse for a murder mystery takes on a plodding pace. While two of the most unlikeliest characters ever conceived are thrown together by circumstances, in finding out the truth of Nouf’s death and, more to the point, who did it. I found I cared very little for either of them, let alone for poor dead Nouf.
\nThis was one long, hard, struggle to maintain any interest in any character, or what was going on, because of the somewhat glacial pacing. This is not a taut, psychological suspense novel, as the publicity would have you believe, neither is there any real suspense as the two unlikely sleuths plod there way through finding, gathering and analysing hearsay, evidence, and facts. Seemingly unable to tell the difference between the three.
\nThe problem with all the characters is, they’re not very well fleshed out. Two dimensional at best, they’re there to poke into places they shouldn’t so the author can spotlight how life might be for both men, and segregated women, in Saudi society. There’s never really any action, and people flit in and out so the author can describe this or that situation or make a point, without too much context to this being about a young woman’s murder.
\nBecause the characters are there as almost a backdrop, the dialogue suffers. Stilted in parts and nonsensical in others. It became almost comical at times. Even the chance to make the desert a character, in and of it self, is a missed opportunity.
\nFar from being a mystery, and far from solving a murder, this novel is more about a westerner’s, and an outsider’s eye-view of life in the dark corners of Saudi life. We are introduced to a number of minor characters by way of showing what life is like for outsiders within this stifling religious country, and how different sections of society live and get by. Not so much a murder mystery as an exploration or mores and morals of a society that tries to project a face of religious piety to the world, while behaving quite differently behind the golden curtain.
\nThe author actually, quite deftly, shows us a sneak peek behind that curtain and what might lie beyond, as I’m sure, even she doesn’t really know. But, nonetheless, still feels qualified to tell us a number of times how ‘blind’ the Saudi people are. A euphemism perhaps for something else? This is definitely more a story about reading between the lines but then again, maybe it’s me who who’s reading between the lines. I don’t know.
\nMy take-away from this, is that Finding Nouf is more about highlighting certain aspects of life inside a repressed country than a murder-mystery. If you are all right with that, then great, you might enjoy Ferraris’s look behind the curtain. Otherwise, I suggest you steer well clear of this one, and go find a real murder-mystery to read, I’m sure it will be far more satisfying.
", "date_published": "2026-05-19T16:53:22-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/19/finding-nouf-by-zoe-ferraris/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/19/a-man-called-ove-by/", "title": "A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman", "content_html": "I don’t normally read contemporary or literary fiction, in the same way I like to avoid getting a nasty skin rash — through avoidance. But after reading a couple of reviews, and seeing it listed on a couple of blogs as a book to read I found myself staring at the cover in my local bookstore and thinking, okay, maybe this won’t be so bad. Maybe I won’t get a skin rash, vomit, swoon or faint from cracking open its pages. So I bought it.
\nSure enough, I checked myself regularly through out the reading process and, no rashes. I did, however, laugh a lot—because of Ove’s droll observations and the awkward situations he found himself dealing with—and smiled at the nicknames he gave everyone in his neighbourhood, including the mangy cat. I was also left shaking my head in wonder, when the seemingly innocent act of drilling a hole in the ceiling turns out to be a lot more than drilling a hole in the ceiling.
\nThere is so much more going on in Ove’s life, that trickles in through those first few chapters which, by the end, make you sit up and realise what’s really going on. And just why there is no colour left in Ove’s life anymore.
\n\n\nDeath is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it does not exist, and yet it’s often one of the great motivations for the living… For the greatest fear of death is always that it will pass us by. And leave us there alone. All people at root are time optimists. We always think there’s enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like ‘if’. People said Ove saw the world in black and white. But she was color. All the color he had.
\n
Poignant, funny, uplifting and yes, at times, heartbreakingly sad, Ove has lived a simple life that’s anything but simple. In that the challenges he’s had to overcome, and the people—good and bad—that have shaped and moulded the boy through to the man that he becomes, all become part of the very cleverly written backstory. From Ove’s interactions with his father, through to the loving relationship he has with his wife, Sonja, and how they met and fell in love.
\nBut it’s in the present we see how Ove’s life slowly transforms through the interactions with his (somewhat) friends and neighbours. Flawed people who make mistakes, argue (a lot) and drive Ove nuts yet, who at times, also touch Ove deeply in ways even he never expected — especially his next door neighbour, Parvaneh and her two young daughters. And even though Ove tells these people exactly what he thinks of them, they still manage to be there and to rally round, and change a grumpy old man’s life, in ways he never expected all for the better.
\nA Man Called Ove is an immensely enjoyable read and one you will not easily forget. Certainly, it touched me deeply.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-19T16:49:29-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/19/a-man-called-ove-by/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/19/the-woowoo-by-lindsay-wong/", "title": "The Woo-Woo by Lindsay Wong", "content_html": "The Woo-Woo by Lindsay Wong is a darkly humorous memoir that talks about her parents, her childhood upbringing—or, lack thereof—and just what the hell the Woo-Woo are—Ghosts and demons that her parents are convinced are trying to take over their bodies and possess them at any sign of weakness. As a result, Lindsay’s upbringing is one long nightmare. Not that she’s fully aware of that, at the time, as she acts out just as her parents do. Causing teachers and school officials to wonder if, as her parents think, Lindsay is retarded and emotionally stunted.
\nWell, yes, with a couple of parents like Lindsay’s it’s a wonder she made it out of childhood alive, let alone sane. And while, to start with, this is a memoir you find yourself smiling and, at times, laughing along with the author. It’s not because it’s that kind of laugh out loud humour, rather more like the, “OMG! Shit! really?” shocked kind of uncomfortable laugher.
\nIn the end, after struggling through, I wasn’t really enlightened, so much as saddened. Because you realise here’s a woman making light of what she went through, using dark humour as a tool. But it was, for me at least, painful.
\nYes, it’s funny reading about the family of Mom, Pop and three young kids moving into a seemingly successful neighbourhood called the plateau—renamed ‘poteau’ due to all the grow-ops and drugs on the street—a colourful neighbourhood full of eccentric Chinese families making their living manufacturing meth, growing weed, and importing cocaine, and hushing the rest of the neighbours with weekly gifts of lobster and chocolate. It seems like something straight out of a comedy movie—not someone’s childhood.
\nFor me, it got a little awkward and repetitive, as each section about something seemingly funny, is punctuated with the broken family dynamic, the father’s lack of understanding and cruelty, and then, the mother’s obvious psychosis and mental illness.
\nWith all the underlying problems of telling a story like this as a series of vignettes dotted with moments of humour, is that it relies on the reader going along. If this is your kind of ‘read’ then great, otherwise, you might want to look elsewhere.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-19T16:44:44-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/19/the-woowoo-by-lindsay-wong/", "tags": ["Book Review"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/19/the-thicket-by-joe-r/", "title": "The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale", "content_html": "Joe Lansdale’s western, THE THICKET, is wickedly smart, funny, vulgar, violent, philosophical and yes, even at times, a little whimsical. All in part due to the wonderful, quirky cast of characters and, of course, Lansdale’s own voluble prose. Prose prickling with acute observations, jibes, laconic wit, and snappy dialogue that reflect the era and characters, perfectly.
\nLansdale also manages to sketch out an opening scene that’s akin to free-crack to a drug-addict: irresistible. I mean, come on, our young hero’s life is turned up side down and sideways within a heartbeat, and who does he end up going on a quest with? A philosophical-spouting dwarf (and circus escapee) who knows how to pistol-whip, a black ex-slave who has a perchance for digging up the dead when he’s not paid, and a wild boar who’s taken a liking to him. Throw in a love-interest for Jack who persuades him to help her escape the brothel were she works, and you have a recipe for explosive action, humorous antics, and a fast-paced plot that delivers right up to the end.
\nEach character in this western is finely detailed with their own distinct quirks and failings that add layers of depth to this story of rescue and redemption. Each is taking up Jack’s quest for their own personal reasons, and all looking to leave their pasts behind them, with a hope they can find a better future. Lansdale doesn’t hold back on the gritty details, so much so, you can almost taste and smell the grit, grim, and rot. But he also tempers the pervading darkness with plenty of snarky humour and lighter moments.
\nIt takes a great deal of skill as an author to find just the right balance in what could have been a dark, brooding story, but Lansdale pulls it off with remarkable aplomb.
\nTHE THICKET is a riveting, funny, darkly droll read, with a cast of characters you’ll be rooting for. I know I was.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-19T16:40:57-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/19/the-thicket-by-joe-r/", "tags": ["Book Review"] } ] }