November's Best Reads

November was a well-rounded reading month. Added a new author to the list, caught up with a favorite, and was reminded why a Grand Master is a Grand Master. Can’t ask for more than that.

The Second Girl, David Swinson. I scored a pre-release copy at Bouchercon. My review and an interview with the author will run in the spring. Suffice to say, you’re going to want this book, and you’re going to want to keep an eye on this writer.

Big Shoes, Jack Getze. Getze has a deceptively easy style that sounds like protagonist Austin Carr is bullshitting with you. Writers know that’s a lot harder to pull off than it sounds. Just as difficult is switching from first person to third person point of view, and he also does that without taking one out of the story. That’s writer, “inside baseball” stuff. What matters is that the fourth book of the Carr series has all the wit and wacky plotting the first three books (Big Numbers, Big Money, and Big Mojo) have led us to expect. Great fun, and Austin Carr wears well as a series protagonist.

The Choirboys, Joseph Wambaugh. I reviewed this one in detail last week. Suffice to say my opinion has not changed. A classic from a master.