Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks

Banks continues to impress me with his intricate plots and interesting characters. In this, the third book in the Culture series, he transforms a character who would typically be a villain into one I rooted for. 

Cheradenine Zakalwe is a fixer for the Culture's Special Circumstances operations. He makes sure the wishes of the Culture are carried out by whatever means necessary. Zakalwe's contact, Diziet Sma, assigns the situations that need fixing, and occasionally cajoles Zakalwe into taking assignments he's not too thrilled about. 

Alternating between events in Zakalwe's past and his current assignment, Banks develops a complex character who is both ruthless and sympathetic. Excellently written and fast paced, "Use of Weapons" is an excellent addition to the series. Unlike many series that continue characters from book to book, Banks's books bounce around in time, and each book, although building on the reader's knowledge of the Culture, focuses on different characters. I find this format satisfying. 

4.5/5 stars. 

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Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall

 I like police procedurals, and this one was good. The pacing was a bit slow, but the story was interesting.

In a small town in Devon, the man who ran the White Hart pub is murdered, and his body is graphically displayed in the middle of a road. Detective Sargent Nicola Bridge, recently returned to the area, and Detective Constable Harry Ward are assigned to the case. They discover that similar murders occurred many years ago, and wonder if there is a link. As they investigate, they begin uncovering secrets that many wish to stay hidden. What was once an idyllic village is now a place where neighbors point the finger at neighbors, and speculation runs rampant.

The beginning grabbed my attention with the description of the victim, but the pace slowed, and I skimmed over the character's navel-gazing. I didn't find Nicola engaging, and often felt sorry for the way she treated Harry.  The writing is good, but I figured out who the murderer was well before the reveal. 

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is June 10, 2025.

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The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi

 

Time travel is one of my favorite genres. Done well, it captures the imagination and can be thought-provoking. Based on the description of this book, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, it was light on time travel and heavy on Beth's tumultuous life, which wasn't all that interesting.

Beth and her husband, Colson, were developing a time travel machine when they sold their work to a corporation to allow them the funding and facilities necessary to continue. Colson then dies in a car crash, and Beth is left to continue their work and raise their daughter. When the company's CEO begins pushing Beth to accelerate the amount of time travel, Beth starts to notice anomalies in her current circumstances. Alarmed, Beth tries to figure out what is happening with the machine, only to face pushback from the CEO. Feeling isolated and realizing she cannot trust those around her, Beth struggles to find answers, fighting for her career and her daughter.

The book started interestingly, but quickly became bogged down in Beth and her struggles. Additionally, Beth is not the most sympathetic character, and I skimmed long passages of introspection and soul-searching. Again, the premise is good, but the execution is flawed. 

3/5 stars.

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Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza

 

I love Robert Bryndza's books. The Kate Marshall and Erika Foster series have interesting characters and always intriguing plots that keep me turning pages. This latest Erika Foster book is no exception.

What starts as a routine investigation into a dead body leads Erika to the past that continues to haunt her: the death of her husband and colleagues ten years ago on what was supposed to have been a routine drug bust. The perpetrators were never caught, but now, Erika comes face-to-face with one of the suspected killers. He has a different identity, but Erika knows it's him--only to be told to stop pursuing that case angle. Frustrated and forced to take leave, Erika returns to the scene of the drug bust and begins digging. What she finds is damning information about the bust and links to the current case.

I liked that Bryndza went back to Erika's past so she could try to solve the case that has haunted her. This cleverly plotted story ties Erika's past and present lives in ways that enrich the character and help resolve her demons. The writing is top-notch, and the breakneck pacing makes for an excellent page-turner. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is June 5, 2025.

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Heaven's Keep by William Kent Krueger

Just when I thought this series could not get better,  I read the next book, immersing myself more in the characters and Native American culture.

When a small plane carrying Cork's wife and tribal members goes down in the Wyoming wilderness, Cork joins the search effort. Blame focuses on the pilot, who had been drinking heavily the night before the flight. Later, the pilot's wife approaches Cork, asking him to look into the allegations, and Cork returns to Wyoming to find the truth. What Cork finds is a web of lies and perhaps misdeeds done by the Northern Arapaho tribe, and, hope against hope, his wife is still alive.

This intricately plotted novel grabbed my heart at the possible death of Cork's wife. I couldn't believe Krueger would kill off a major character, so I hoped, along with Cork, for a miracle. Krueger again exceeded my expectations in this ninth book in the twenty-one-book series. The story is riveting, and the location shift from Minnesota to Wyoming is a welcome change. 

5/5 stars.

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Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel

 

I like alternate history books: they are imaginative and thought-provoking. "Ten Incarnations of Rebellion" is both of those things, raising issues about colonialism and its effects on native cultures.

It's the 1960s, and India has been under British rule for decades. The restrictions imposed on the Indians have created a climate of unrest. Resistance groups have sprung up, some militant, others non-violent. Kalki Divekar, whose father has been away fighting for freedom, has decided to form her resistance group in her hometown of Kingston. Together with her two closest friends, Kalki begins sewing the seeds of a non-violent movement, designed to harass the British rulers and their Indian collaborators. By working in the British governing hierarchy, they initially sought to disrupt plans. However, as the movement grew, the goals changed, and their once non-violent activities now incorporate sabotage that imperils all their lives.

The interweaving of historical fact and speculation makes this an engrossing read. It is well-researched and doesn't shy away from the injustice done to the Indian people while under British rule. It deals with the morality of the oppressors as well as the power of resistance. The characters are well-drawn, and their situations are believable. 

4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is June 3, 2025.

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The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

 

I enjoy science fiction. The world-building, alien cultures, and futuristic themes appeal to me. I especially like space operas where the story is set aboard a spaceship with a few quirky characters. Although "The Player of Games" satisfied my first set of criteria, it was tagged as a space opera, which it wasn't. I liked the first book in Banks's series, "Consider Phlebas, " and was expecting a lot from this second book; it didn't deliver.

Gurgeh is a master game player. He is famous for his tactics and elegant strategies. When the opportunity arises to travel to the distant Empire of Azad to play their challenging game, which is used to determine who becomes emperor, he jumps at the chance. When he begins winning, his welcome sours, and his life is in danger. He faces the dilemma: continue to best the players, or convincingly lose to save face and return home.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It delivered a good story, was excellently written, and moved along. What I didn't like was the book's central theme: game playing. I much prefer a shoot-'em-up story set in space to politically heavy books. That's just personal bias. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, "Use of Weapons. " It sounds much more like what I look for in a science fiction read.

3.5/5 stars.

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