Review: The Atlas Maneuver

The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure:  I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley.

The Atlas Maneuver is the 18th book in the Cotton Malone series by Steve Berry.  You could read it as a standalone but given many of the references to previous books, the overall experience might be better if you know Cotton's whole history.  

It was exciting for me to have Cassiopeia back and not just in a cameo.  While she isn't with Cotton for most of the book, she is featured heavily.  There are also some other characters we've met before.  Cotton is the best kind of friend to have apparently.

As always, there is an historic element here with gold that the Japanese hid in the Philippines during World War II.  I thought we would be going on a treasure hunt but turns out the book is really more about cryptocurrency.  I worked on financial crimes for awhile and have a fondness for bitcoin and its offshoots.  It is one of those things that I understand enough to understand I don't understand it. Or at least, just when I think I understand it, I suddenly feel out of my depth.  Berry does a good job of explaining the basics and the arguments for and against it.  If everyone bought into bitcoin, would it create a utopian world of economic equality?  I'm not sure about that.  I think Berry's premise proves that as long as someone is greedy or power hungry, that world could never exist.  I like to think there are people out there in the world trying to make it better for everyone and maybe they will win one day.   

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Review: Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing

Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing by Emily Lynn Paulson is a must-read for anyone who is interested in MLMs or cults, thinking of joining a MLM, or already in one.  Emily Lynn Paulson was in a MLM for a long time.  She rose to the top of the ranks.  She got the FREE CAR.  She's the definition of the #bossbabe MLM success story.  While this is primarily about her personal experience, she has clearly done the research into MLMs to explain how the methods and mindsets are applicable no matter what the product is.  You come away understanding why it is so attractive, particularly for a very specific type of person.  While the title might make you think she is out to destroy people in MLMs, there was a lot of empathy, especially for those who struggle to make ends meet and see this as their salvation.  A very fascinating read!   

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Review: The Sun Down Motel

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James is about a haunted motel and the women who were murdered nearby.  It jumps back and forth in time and perspective between a young woman investigating the disappearance of her aunt and her aunt at the time right before her disappearance. Was her aunt also murdered?  Is it serendipity, coincidence, or other worldly forces that lead them to live in the same apartment and work the same shift at the motel?  If you like very spooky mysteries, pick this one up.

In my opinion, this book sets the stage for another book just about the creepy town and its weird college.  That was a whole unexplored plotline that I was ready to follow.  Maybe there will be a future book about that?

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Review: The Last Kingdom

The Last Kingdom by Steve Berry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Last Kingdom is the 17th book in the Cotton Malone series by Steve Berry.  While it references things that happened in previous books, you could pick this up on its own and not have trouble understanding what is going on.  If you haven't read these before, I highly recommend the series!  It is a good blend of history and thriller.  

This story revolves around King Ludwig II of Bavaria and a rumored "last kingdom" that would have allowed Bavaria to break off from Germany completely.  Ludwig II had the unfortunate nickname "The Mad King" and is best known maybe for building the castle that Walt Disney would later use as the inspiration for Cinderella's Castle in Disneyworld.  Ludwig II was much more than that.  Were he alive today and able to avail himself of the mental health treatments we have, he might have continued successfully as King.  There is a surprising amount of history about the Hawaiian islands and the dirty deeds against their royal family.  Even if you are rooting for Cotton and Luke to get themselves out of this pickle, no country comes out looking very good.    

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Review: Zero Days

Zero Days by Ruth Ware
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zero Days by Ruth Ware was not my favorite of her books although it was still pretty good.  I figured the twist out too early and that spoiled a bit of the suspense.  I learned a lot of helpful personal, physical, and technology security tips which made it worth the read.  Someone who isn't very tech savvy might find it mind-blowing to see what one can accomplish these days with just a cell phone.  The depiction of grief was very powerful.  If you've ever lost someone who was so important to you, you can relate to the lengths Jack will go to to find her husband's killer.

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Review: Hokuloa Road

Hokuloa Road by Elizabeth Hand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had my reservations about Hokuloa Road by Elizabeth Hand.  It is a book set in Hawaii written by someone not from there with a white, male protagonist.  I was skeptical about how good it could be, but Elizabeth Hand has never disappointed me before.  I took a leap of faith.  I appreciated the effort to educate the reader about Hawaiian culture and the negative impact of humanity on the delicate island environment.  Having a somewhat clueless main character really helped weave that all in.  Setting it in the pandemic only lent to the feeling of isolation in a remote part of an island.  Then there were the mysterious disappearances.  For a book that is a slow burn, a lot is going on!  

Bonus points for one of the most unique weapon choices I have ever read. Extra points for all the birds. 

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Review: The Starless Sea

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm not sure how one begins to describe The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.  If you are a fan of books and/or doors that lead to a fantasy world, then this is a great book to read.  I loved the literary references, the book gala, the descriptions of New York City, and all of the cats.  Some of the descriptions of the Starless Sea and its environs reminded me of the art of Remedios Varo.  Reading this book is a bit like a fever dream in the best ways.  It is an epic tale.  There are stories within stories  that eventually make perfect sense so if you are wondering why you are suddenly reading a completely different book, hang in there!  All shall be revealed.    

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Review: The Maidens

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides is a mystery/thriller set in academia of sorts.  I was drawn to it because the titular Maidens come across as very culty sounding.  A group of young women who worship their Greek Tragedies professor to the point of wearing white gowns and performing weird initiation rituals and then they start dying off in very Greek Tragedy type ways?  If my niece was on the periphery of such a group, I would probably want to intervene as well, especially if I was trained in group psychology.  Bonus, the book takes place in the same world as The Silent Patient.  That was a fun little shoutout.  

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Review: Theme Music

Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly is a ghost story at its heart, but it is also a mystery and thriller.  One can be haunted by more than just ghosts and sometimes the only way to deal with it is head on.  That said, would I want to live in the house where my entire family was brutally murdered when I was an infant?  Maybe not although I can understand the curiosity to want answers.  There are some really grotesque things that happen so if you are squeamish, you've been warned.  I did find it a very quick read because I wanted to know what was really going on.  It might surprise you! 

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