Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
Cool Machine
Cool Machine is Volume 3 of Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Trilogy. With 1980s New York City as its backdrop, corruption is rampant. Main character Ray Carney gambles his future and joins forces with a criminal mastermind to help his wife achieve her business goal. As one would expect, mayhem ensues. Review by Barry Novick.
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
Down Cemetery Road.
Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron is Herron’s first book in the Zoë Boehm private investigator series. A thrilling and chilling series of events unfolds— a neighborhood house explodes, one of the occupants, a young girl, goes missing, and a neighbor, Sarah Tucker, becomes consumed with finding her. A great read. Hold on for dear life! Review by Barry Novick.
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
The Drowned.
The Drowned, by Booker Prize Winning author John Banville, is a mystery/thriller that will hold you until the last page. Set in the 1950s in a rural Irish town, and in Dublin, the investigation into a drowning and potential murder turns out to be much more than that. Suffice it to say, “It’s complicated.” Review by Barry Novick. Recommended!
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
Theft
The new novel, by Nobel Prize winning author Abdulrazak Gurnah, is a carefully crafted story about each of the three main characters finding themselves, despite and because of their complicated pasts. A joy to read and highly recommended! Review by Barry Novick.
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
Intermezzo
A beautifully written book by Sally Rooney, Intermezzo tells the story of two brothers grieving the loss of their father. They navigate a complicated relationship that is bolstered by their commitment to one another and love. Review by Barry Novick.
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
Three Days in June
In Anne Tyler’s most recent novel, truths unfold during main character Gail Baines’ daughter’s wedding weekend. In Tyler’s signature style, the story reveals how tenuous relationships can be, but also how resilient the human spirit is. And, there is a cat. Rescued too, like all of them. Review by Barry Novick.
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
Fever Beach
You can expect the unexpected in typical Carl Hiassen style! With a cast of misguided, eccentric characters that only Hiassen could conjure up, Fever Beach is hilarious. A great summer read! Review by Barry Novick.
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
The City and Its Uncertain Walls
In Haruki Murakami’s newest novel, Murakami explores the “real” vs “imagined” worlds. Through the narrator, we enter the two parallel worlds with their own “operating systems.” Classic Murakami! Review by Barry Novick.
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
All the Colors of the Dark
A suspense thriller by Chris Whitaker. Imagine being kidnapped at the age of 13 by a serial killer. Set in a small rural Missouri town in the Ozarks, this suspenseful thriller has all of the ingredients for a great read. Review by Barry Novick
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
Karla’s Choice
A John le Carré Novel by Nick Harkaway. A spy-thriller that captures, the intrigue, jargon and nuance of le Carré's meticulous writing style featuring George Smiley (of course!), the “Circus,” disappearance, a Soviet operative, an Hungarian assistant...Click thru for the review by Barry Novick
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
Creation Lake
Rachel Kushner’s most recent book has been called Kushner’s best to date, and that is saying a lot. Creation Lake is a “spy-novel” with its protagonist Sadie Smith assigned to infiltrate and undermine a left-wing farming group in a rural region of France. Piqued your interest? There is so much more! Click thru for the review by Barry Novick
Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
Table for Two
By Amor Towles. A collection of 6 short stories and one novella. Nuanced characters, rich prose, unanticipated twists with unexpected outcomes. It’s great! Review by Barry Novick