The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

 

I wasn't sure Richard Osman could top The Thursday Murder Club, but this second book in the series is just as good.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron are back together, with detectives Chris and Donna playing supporting roles in the Thursday Murder Club's newest adventure. Elizabeth's ex-husband shows up at the retirement village, hiding from the men from whom he stole 20 million pounds of diamonds. He is tracked down, and an attempt is made on his life, so he must find another place to hide while Elizabeth and the TMC try to figure out who is behind the attempts on his life.

Like the first book in the series, this is a fast-paced story with twists, turns, and multiple subplots--it is also highly entertaining. To my great satisfaction, Elizabeth's mysterious past and the other  character's lives are fleshed out more, helping the reader to get a better understanding of their motives. All-in-all, this is a wonderful addition to the series and I'm looking forward to the third book, The Bullet That Missed. 5/5 stars.

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The Future by Naomi Alderman

This author is new to me but I like a good apocalyptic story and this sounded like a good one. I was right; it is a good one.

The future looks grim: billionaires have secret retreats and "preppers" have a dominant Web presence. Everyone thinks the end of times is near. When survivalists Martha and Zhen meet and combine their knowledge, they see a dangerous situation when the ultra-rich look out for themselves at the expense of civilization. They and a small group of survivalist friends decide to take action. Besides their retreats, a select few of the richest of the rich also have software telling them how and when to escape. This software also mysteriously appears on Zhen's phone giving her inside information but also raising questions: who sent it to her and why? And what is most important, is there time to fix things?

This story took off with a bang and grabbed me with its good versus evil idea but it got bogged down a bit in the middle with the over-my-head descriptions of software and algorithms to predict the future. It did pick up again, however, and I enjoyed the cat-and-mouse games that played out. The writing is excellent and the plot is just far-fetched enough to be believable. 3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is November 7, 2023.

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Weyward by Emilia Hart

This book seemed to be everywhere I looked. It was hyped so much, that I knew I had to read it to see why everyone was so enthralled. Well, I think I figured it out but I can't say I agree with most of the opinions about this book.

This is a family saga of strong women whose connection with nature lends them the name witches. In 1619, Altha is on trial accused of using her powers as a witch to cause the death of a local farmer. Fast forward to 1942: Violet is being virtually held hostage by her father and the strict society that governs her life. She yearns for a scientific education and the freedom her brother has but her father, saying he doesn't want her to be like her long-dead mother, shuts her away at their estate. In 2019, Kate is trapped in an abusive marriage in London when she receives word that her great-aunt Violet has died and left a rural cottage to her--just what she needs to start a new life.

That is how we meet the three women whose lives are alternately laid out in this story; they are connected by blood and the secrets they possess. I usually like stories that follow a family through generations, and this is no exception. I think the way the characters evolved as they realized their powers is good; the writing is excellent; the pacing and plotting are good. What I don't like is the portrayal of almost every male in the book: domineering and abusive--few kind men supported these women. I know there are women trapped in abusive relationships but this verged on the ridiculous. 3.5 stars.

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The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay

 In my opinion, this is one of the best stories in the futuristic Forward collection.

When a man wakes up in terrible pain with no knowledge of who he is, where he is, or how he got there, and only the disconnected voice of Dr. Anne Kuhn to help him, he panics. It's Anne's job to help him emotionally, physically, and psychologically, and to do that she must gain his trust. And trust is something in short supply with this patient. Anne has all the answers but we the readers learn the truths along with the patient.

I do enjoy Paul Tremblay's books and this novella is an excellent addition to his catalog. He leads us on a twisty path of discovery all to answer Anne's final question: do you consent to the treatment? The answer does not disappoint. 4.5 stars.

For more information:

Amazon | Forward Collection

Randomize by Andy Weir

 Once again Andy Weir wows in this novella about supercomputing and the gambling industry.

A new supercomputer has just been developed that will help the Babylon Casino ensure that the random numbers generated for their keno game are truly random and thwart any attempt at gaming the system. But can inside knowledge be the downfall of the number generator?

There is a great cast of characters in this story--from the IT guy, the head of the casino, and the computer salesman and his wife. I was often scratching my head trying to figure out who was good and who wasn't. Some of the technology explanations were way over my head but that didn't make it any less of an entertaining story. Another winner from Weir. 4.5 stars.

For more information:

Amazon | Forward Collection

You Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles

I was somewhat surprised to see Amor Towles contributing to a futuristic story collection; it's nice to see writers stepping outside their known genres.

In the near future, Sam and his wife are relying on a fertility lab to help them decide not just the sex of their child, but its personality traits as well. Not only that, they are given a preview of what will become of the three different personality types they have selected--and it's not always a rosy picture. In exploring their future child, Sam is also confronted with his own life choices--again, not always rosy. What to do? What to do?

This is an often disquieting story billed as nature versus nurture--throw in the cold-blooded scientific approach and it is very unsettling at best. Another good story by an excellent storyteller. 4.5 stars.

For more information:

Amazon | Forward Collection

Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin

 N.K. Jemisin's contribution to this six-story collection is an interesting look at humanity.

The supposed best and brightest have left a climate-ravaged Earth and built their own society on another world. Centuries later they send back a soldier to collect a much-needed compound known to exist on Earth. Expecting destruction, the soldier is surprised to find the planet flourishing and the natives friendly and willing to give away the sought-after compound. Perplexed, the soldier vacillates between wanting to know more about Earth and following orders.

Having an AI voice directing the soldier was interesting but also confusing at times: the multiple dialogues contrasted the self-will of the soldier versus its directive which was often at odds. We learn what the off-shoot culture became and how mankind pulled together to save Earth. A bit preachy at times, but it's still an entertaining story. 2.5 stars.

For more information:

Amazon | Forward Collection