Lee Bains - Work Lunch

Work Lunch by Lee Bains
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lee Bains leads by example. His music with the Glory Fires and later solo echo the trials of the common man and implore us to do better. He's got the knack for using how you view yourself to agree with his points. His poetry is no different. Very accessible and timely work.

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Kate Russo - Until Alison

Until Alison by Kate Russo
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I'm beginning to think it's me.
I'm on a run of terrible books.
This one? Oy
A college student sees a former friend who winds up dead that very night. They were buddies in middle school/junior high and had a major falling out. That's the plot, not a bad start except that seemingly every 3rd sentence was flashing back to jr high. It was exhausting and terrible writing. I can't believe this got past an editor.

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Chris Bohjalian - The Amateur

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It wasn't bad but it really dragged on for me. There was an interesting twist and more interesting response to that twist towards the end. I'd really like to know how the author came up with that idea. But it was too little too late for me. I'd lost interest and was reading just to be done with it.

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Gregg Olsen - By The River's Edge

By the River's Edge: A True Story of Identity and Serial Murder by Gregg Olsen
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Not a spoiler as it's part of the synopsis but there are murders that occur in 1990 perpetrated by a male. DNA exposes the killer decades later as a female currently in federal prison. The person was born intersex, declared a male and had surgery as a baby. Fully transitioned to female as an adult. While on the surface the scenario is certainly interesting. It wasn't nearly as interesting as Olsen wanted it to be and wasn't enough to carry an entire book. Hard pass.

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So, yeah Topeka

I work in cybersecurity and have an extensive background in teaching. I don't remember how we found one another, but a company contracted me to fly out, with several other instructors, and provide a week-long course in cyber to State of Kansas IT employees. It paid well enough and I did it to keep my name out there. I've driven across Kansas twice and spent one night there post-concert but had never really hung out.

Topeka is the capital city and feels like a bigger city. But there's no one there?! It got weird enough that I looked up the populations, 150ish but metro is only another 75k! I lean towards Kansas City Missouri is only an hour due east and likely has a graviatational pull. Bigger, more stuff to do, more jobs, sports, and a big airport.

I will say the houses and neighborhoods are cute and there's a very modern looking university there. Happily I report that Topeka has it's share of lefties, guessing that university helps there.

Housing is pretty cheap which lends me to believe the population theory, and/or jobs don't pay well.

Hope you like the pics. JS

Elly Griffiths - Frozen People

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great characters, very inventive plot, moved quickly, and was a relatively short book.
What's not to like?
Movie please!

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Charles Todd - An Impartial Witness

An Impartial Witness by Charles Todd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like this author's series with Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford. This is the 3rd Crawford book I've read and probably my favorite thus far. Very well done. I'm surprised there aren't any TV shows about this.

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