Author: ekkarn

Think of a Number – John Verdon – (Dave Gurney # 1) – A Great Series Starter!

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Think of a Number - John Verdon - Dave Gurney Number 1
Think of a Number – Dave Gurney #1

Originally posted on July 20, 2015. Updated October 2025 with new links, images, and reflections after reading additional books in the Dave Gurney series.

John Verdon’s  debut novel Think of a Number has  been on my To Be Read bookshelves for a very long time. Each time I pass the book, I say to myself “you know you should read that book”. Until last week, my answer was “I’ll get to it one of these days!”. Well, one of these days came last week and now I can kick myself for not reading it earlier!! Maybe I should have just taken the time to read the David Baldacci quote on the cover:

“Remarkable…The writing is haunting and quotable. the twists expertly placed and infinitely plausible… You can read the book as a game of cat and mouse, a ride of chilling suspense or a literary repast, since it provides all in abundance.”

All of the above is true.. the line he left out is you’ll feel like kicking yourself if you don’t read it!!

The cat and mouse in the story are retired, NYPD Detective Dave Gurney and the mouse a meticulous and diabolical serial killer.

The Plot

The story begins when Dave receives a call  form an old classmate who is panicked. He has received a letter that asks him to ‘think of a number any number up to a thousand – the first number that comes to your mind. Picture it. Now see how well I know your secrets. Open the envelope”.  When the envelope is opened and the number 658 is revealed the classmate is panicked. He can not believe that the letter writer guessed correctly. What else may he know! What did he do to anger this man!

Soon additional poetic letters arrive one requesting money. The classmate of course pays. Soon the letters become more threatening, culminating in the ritualistic murder of the classmate. He is stabbed multiple times in the neck with a broken bottle of Four Roses whiskey. The minimal evidence left at the scene, a folding lawn chair, cigarette butts and tracks in the snow, all lead nowhere and Dave and the police are left baffled!

When another victim turns up in Brooklyn murder in a similar fashion, Dave knows that its the work of a serial killer. But with no evidence of significance found at either crime scene how will they catch this killer!  But catch him they must or more will die!!

What I Thought –  Rating 4.5 out of 5.

Think of the Number is  a well-crafted debut novel. I thought the storyline was original and intricate. I enjoyed the characters, particularly Dave Gurney. During the time that Gurney served in the New York Police Department, he caught more serial killers than anyone else in the history of the NYPD.

Now even though he is retired from the force, he can’t stop doing what he does best – Catching Bad Guys!! Of course Dave is caught between a rock and a hard place though.

His wife Madeline wants Dave to stay retired and out of harms way. She knows though, that Dave’s not going to let this one go, especially since the victim was a friend. Of course there is the other reason, too. Dave is a cop who loves to solve cases, and this one is one intriguing cases to crack!! So Check it Out!

As for me, I am now set to move on to book two in the series Shut Your Eyes Tight. The good part is that the book is already on my Kindle!! I bought it a while back, when Amazon had it on sale for $1.99!

I also have book four Peter Pan Must Die on the Kindle, bought in a similar fashion!!

Now all I need is for book 3 Let The Devil Sleep to go on sale before I finish book 2! My guess is that will not happen. But there’s always hope – and the library!! Oh no Book 5 Wolf Lake was release on July 16th!!

Update (October 2025): Since first posting this review, I’ve continued with John Verdon’s Dave Gurney series — reading Book 2, Shut Your Eyes Tight and Book 3, Let the Devil Sleep. Both build on Gurney’s analytical mind and Verdon’s knack for psychological tension. I’m looking forward to diving into Book 4, Peter Pan Must Die next.

Links

Author’s Website
Goodreads
Amazon

John Verdon

John P. Verdon is an American novelist. In 2010, Crown/Random House published his first mystery thriller, Think of a Number, the debut novel in the Dave Gurney detective series. Wikipedia

Born: 1942 (age 83 years), The Bronx, New York, NY

Education: Fordham University, Regis High School

Here is the trailer for Think of a Number.…..

Visit Shut Your Eyes Tight – Dave Gurney Book #2

First Loaf of Sliced Bread Sells July 7,1928.

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Using a Machine Designed by Otto  Rohwedder Sliced Bread Sells for the First Time – July 7, 1928

Ok so was Otto  Rohwedder, a jeweler by trade, was just sitting around one day and thought ” I think I can design a machine that slices bread!” Must be nice! I sure wish I had those kinds of thoughts!

Anyway that’s what he did and in 192 7, Rohweder not only designed a machine that slice bread, but the machine also wrapped it!! After applying for patents, he sold his first machine to a friend,  Frank Bench, who was a baker. The machine was installed in the Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri. Their first loaf of sliced bread was sold on July 7, 1928! Other bakeries soon bought the machine, making sliced bread available across the country, and well ,the rest as they say is history!!

Initially, Rodwedder studied optometry and graduated from the Northern Illinois College of Ophthalmology and Otology in Chicago in 1900 with a degree in optics. He became a jeweler and owned three jewelry stores in St. Joseph, MI. But as he worked on watches and jewelry, he also thought about new machines. When he became convinced that he could develop a bread slicing machine, he sold his jewelry stores to follow that dream. However, the realization of that dream was delayed for several years.In 1917, a fire broke out at the factory where Rohwedder was manufacturing his machine, resulting in the destruction of his prototype and blueprints.

After the success of his first machine one of the first companies to sell sliced bread was the Continental Baking Company. They introduced Wonder Bread in 1930. Sales of sliced bread went up, as did the sale of automatic toasters. Toasters were invented by Charles Strite in 1926  The end result was that in 1933 American bakeries for the first time produced more sliced than unsliced bread loaves!! Thank You, Otto Rohwedder!

Links for Further Exploration of Otto Rohwedder

Wikipedia
The Great Idea Finder: Bread Slicer

Now there are certain words and phrases that cause the Jukebox in my Head to pull up a song and Jeweler is one of those words. Here is one of my all-time favorite songs “The Jeweler” from Pearls Before Swine!

Smorgasblog Episode 1 – Books, Music and More….

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A Tasty Smorgasblog Episode 1

 

So what the hell is a smorgasblog?? According to the Urban Dictionary  defines a smorgasblog as….

A blog entry in which the writer writes about several different, often unrelated topics.

In yesterday’s smorgasblog he wrote about everything from global warming to what he had for breakfast to how he hates golf to his travel plans for next summer.

A blog entry in which the writer writes about several different, often unrelated topics.
In yesterday’s smorgasblog he wrote about everything from global warming to what he had for breakfast to how he hates golf to his travel plans for next summer

It seems that the word is perfect for a blogger whose thoughts and interests are all over the place! Uh, that would be me! So if you are here looking for a little bit of everything – Welcome!!

A Little Family Update

Now what’s been happening! Well, this week is the second week that I have not been babysitting my grandson Oliver at least one or  to days a week. I have been doing that since he was he was four or five months old. (He is now 27 months old and is going to daycare now five days a week, and while it is a good change from the physical side, mentally I miss him! So my wife decided that we should pick him up early on Wednesday and spend the early evening with him, which we did yesterday and it worked out well! And before you think I’ve had a bunch of time on my hands over those two weeks, think again, because our babysitting duties with our granddaughter Zoe have increased now that he mommy’s job went from part to full-time and her great-grandmother’s sitting time has been limited. But babysitting for both of them is a joy!

The Books

Even with the increase in babysitting Zoe,, I have been able to finish three books over the last three weeks bringing the total of books read for the year to 28! So I am on pace to read 56 books in 2016.and while that is two books off of the pace to read 60 books, it is still ahead of last year’s pace. Last year’s total number of books read was 51. The last three books I have read are

Small Move, Big Change - Smorgasblog 1 BookBook 26. Small Move, Big Change: using microresolutions to transform your life permanently by Caroline I. Arnold/ – I thought that this was a really good book and one that I will need to go back and investigate more in-depth and try to implement some of Ms. Arnold’s ideas. I totally agree we her basic theory that small measurable resolutions are much better than big sweeping resolutions. It may be easier to say I will read five books a month than 60 in a year. The goal of reading 60 books seems so unreachable but five per month, well, maybe I can do that. Here is a good summation of the book.

‘I  love this book! From page one, Small Move, Big Change is filled with wisdom. insight, and whip-smart “micro” suggestions that you can I actually implement to change your life” – Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

I am in total agreement with Ms Chua assessment of Small Move, Big Change. By the way all those who are familiar with Amy Chua, raise your hand. I know you can’t see them, but my hands never left the keyboard!! So I went to Amazon and then to the Burlington County Library and here’s what  I found out about Amy ….

An awe-inspiring, often hilarious, and unerringly honest story of one mother’s exercise in extreme parenting, revealing the rewards-and the costs-of raising her children the Chinese way.

All decent parents want to do what’s best for their children. What Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother reveals is that the Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that. Western parents try to respect their children’s individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions and providing a nurturing environment. The Chinese believe that the best way to protect your children is by preparing them for the future and arming them with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother chronicles Chua’s iron-willed decision to raise her daughters, Sophia and Lulu, her way-the Chinese way-and the remarkable results her choice inspires.  Read More

Hmm, to late for thoughts about how to raise my kids…..but there’s always that grandchildren….I may have to check this book out!

Books number 27 and 28 were both thrillers. One from an author that is new to me Chris Carter and the second from one of my favorites James Rollins. I will write more about both books soon, but here are some initial though about each book

An Evil Mind

 

 

Book 27. An Evil Mind – Chris Carter –  (Robert Hunter #6) This may be a 5-star book for me. I thought it was extremely well crafted. I loved it! From Amazon….

.A freak accident in rural Wyoming leads the Sheriff’s Department to arrest a man for a possible double homicide, but further investigations suggest a much more horrifying discovery – a serial killer who has been kidnapping, torturing and mutilating victims all over the United States for at least twenty-five years.

The suspect claims he is a pawn in a huge labyrinth of lies and deception – and he will now only speak to Robert Hunter of the LAPD.

Just a riveting read, that will certainly send me scampering to find other books in the series! Maybe Books 1 and 7 so I can stay current and also find out what has gone on before!

War Hawk

 

Book 28 War Hawk – James Rollins and Grant Blackwood. I am a big fan of James Rollins’ Sigma Force novels and this second installment of the Tucker Wayne series has all the makings of being just as good. Roliins and Blackwood offer the same blend of cutting edge science and technology with great characters (one of them in this series is a K-9) and action!

Former Army Ranger Tucker Wayne and his war dog Kane are thrust into a global conspiracy that threatens to shake the foundations of American democracy in this second exciting Sigma Force spinoff adventure from New York Times bestselling authors James Rollins and Grant Blackwood.

Tucker Wayne’s past and his present collide when a former army colleague comes to him for help. She’s on the run from brutal assassins hunting her and her son. To keep them safe, Tucker must discover who killed a brilliant young idealist—a crime that leads back to the most powerful figures in the U.S. government. Read more

Another winner!!

The Music

So to wrap up this first Smorgasblog how about some of the music I’ve been listening to….(music listing has been somewhat limited I am afraid I  just have too much to do!) Two of the albums that I have really enjoyed over the last couple of days are the latest from Sherry Finzer, Darin Mahoney and Will Clipman Trialogue.  A New Age tour-de force! You’ll be ready more about this album in the future! And the new album from jazz trumpeter Marquis Hill The Way We Play. So check them out!

Here’s the opening track from Trialogue

Jack 1939 – Francine Mathews

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Jack 1939 – Francine Mathews’s story of JFK in Europe in 1939

 

The inspiration for the historical novel Jack 1939 came to author Francine Mathew after seeing a photograph of John Kennedy on a street in Germany in 1937. She writes this about the picture..he was….

….wearing clothes he’d probably slept in for a week, tousled hair, head thrown back , mouth opened in a grin. He was  juggling fruit for the camera. He looked like a wild and free street busker without a care in the world; he was also rail thin, the bones in his face painfully prominent I forgot completely that he had ever been that young. The image haunted me for weeks. I wanted to know more about that boy….

So Francine read several books about Jack Kennedy and the Kennedy family. Based upon the facts, she wrote Jack 1939, a novel of speculative fiction that tells a tale of Jack in Europe in 1939, ostensibly traveling through Europe for the purpose of gathering information for his thesis. While actually gathering information for President Franklin Roosevelt about Hitler’s spy rings and plans as the world braces for the war to come. In the novel Jack is confronted by a sadistic killer, meets a beautiful married woman, encounters the Enigma machine and searches for a ledger stolen for a charity with information that could bring down the House of Kennedy!!

Here’s what some others say about the novel…

“A triumph: an exciting thriller, an intriguing exploration of a troubled time, and an absorbing take on the early history of one of America’s most iconic figures. Highly recommended”. Iain Pears author of An Instance of the Fingerpost

” Like JFK  himself, this book is smart, sexy and unafraid to take risks. With nimble prose and easy charm. Francine Mathews leads us beyond the frontiers of history to make us believe in her version of a young Kennedy at large in a dark-world of prewar spies and secrets”. – Dan Fesperman, author of Lie in the Dark

In the Afterward of Jack 1939 Francine says that she roughly used the actual times and places that Kennedy was as he crossed Europe in 1939, gathering information for his senior thesis. For me that made this novel a whole lot better.

The book did provide a great glimpse into the early life of JFK and for me his medical problems were particularly interesting. I never knew about how fragile his health was. They did a great job of hiding that both during his Presidential campaign and his years as President.

Bottom Line: I thought that the descriptions of Jack and the Kennedy family and even Roosevelt, Hoover and Churchill were better than the storyline. I had so trouble getting through the middle of the book, but the last half of the book was better than the first half. Overall, I liked the Jack 1939 but it was not a page-turner for me. So it is a 3 star out of 5 book for me!! But well worth checking out!

Book 25 for 2016

A Foundation Course in German Starts Me on My Way!

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Don’t Know Much about the German I Took – But I’m trying anew!!

 

So if you have been reading along you are probably thinking this guy doesn’t know much about the German language, Why did He start a webpage? And you know what you’d probably be 100% right. But that’s the point – the purpose of this blog is to chronicle my attempt to learn the German language. Over the years I have noticed that I have a lot more drive and determination to run now than I did back in my youth. If I put the effort into running then that I have over the last 20 years I would have been a hell of a lot better runner!!  It’s the same with German.I didn’t put much effort in learning the language back then, but I do want to put a lot in now!! Now there’s the added benefit that learning a new language provides those who may be a little older!! I am not saying the elderly, because I in no way feel elderly, except at the end of the day after babysitting Oliver all day!!

The book that I started my study of German was a book I bought at a library used book sale titled Foundation Course in German. And while the book is almost as old as me (it has a 1958 copyright) it seems to me to be a pretty interesting and comprehensive book. Each lesson starts with a short passage followed by sections on vocabulary, commentary (rules etc) and exercises. When I started several weeks ago I really couldn’t read the first passage very well, but going back to it and re-reading it today I had no problem understanding everything! So I am learning something, yeah me!!

Lets Learn GermanMany of the vocabulary words have become familiar to me from both this book and the Let’s Learn German Picture Dictionary i checked out of the library. The picture dictionary groups items by locations and type of words. The first location is the classroom hence the familiar words in both books! Yes the dictionary is a child’s book but hey, you can consider children newbies to the language, which is also hat i am!! Anyway, I am going to start both a resource page for the site, listing information about the books and other resources I am using in my studies and a vocabulary page. Creation of the vocabulary pages will give me each practice in writing out the words as I learn new ones as well as providing me a place to review the words!!

So first I hope you will join me in this endeavor and secondly I hope maybe it will either give you so inspiration to try to learn the language, because if this older dog can learn it, I am sure you can. too!

 

Day Two – Another Boring Day – not with Zoe!

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Day Two – Work and Babysitting in German……

 

Today was just another day. The day’s summary in German follows. I have highlighted words I had to look up. I will list them at the end of the post.

Heute war ein Arbeitstag am Target. Ich gingen zu Arbeit am 7 uhr und ich hatte bis 12 uhr Arbeit. Ich dachte Ich war Kinderbetreung Zoe um 2.30 Uhr aber Es war um 1.30 Uhr! Also Ich ass zu Mittagessen schnell und habe es dort in der Zeit! Wir sassen mit Zoe bis 5 Uhr, wenn ihr Vater, unser Sohn Peter, nach Hause kam. Sie war sehr gut, wie immer!

Nach der Einnahme von Zoe nach Hause. Ich den Rasen gemäht. Es war heiß!! Nach dem Máhen kam ein kurzes Nickerchen und dann Abendessen! Nach Abendessen Ich ging in die Bibliothek. der Bibliothekar gefragt: Wo ist Oliver? Sie können nicht ohne ihn kommen! Wir beide lachten! Ich ausgecheckt zwei Bücher und links.

Oliver mit underer Tochter Elizabeth nd ihre Frendin Alyssa

Oliver mit underer Tochter Elizabeth und ihre Freundin Alyssa

Es war weiter langweiliger Tag von Zoe besser gemacht!

New Vocabulary

Arbeitstag – workday
Kinderbetreung – babysitting
den Rasen – lawn – den Rasen gemâht – mow the lawn
kurzes Nickerchen – short nap
Bibliothekar – librarian
Lachten – laughed (lachen -to laugh)
ausgecheckt -checked out

At the start of the year, I bought a page a day German calendar. While I have not read the phrases everyday, especially when i was sick back in February, I have been looking at it over the last few weeks.I thought I would try to incorporate these phrases, etc into this website.

Yesterday the phrase was…..

Ist sie noch ledig?

Is she still single?

I have been trying to answer the questions. My answer to this question was

Nein, sie ist nicht ledig. sie ist verheiratet mit zwei Kinder! 

No she is  not single. She is married with two children.

The two key words – ledig which means single and verheiratet which is married. I had to look up married!!

Today’s Phrase….

Wie lange sind Sie schon verheiratet?

How long have you (formal) been married?

My answer: Ich habe seit sechsundvierzig Jahre verheiratet!!

Es ist eine lange Zeit seit ich ledig war! – It’s been a long time since I was single!

Sind Sie ledig or verheiratet? Wenn Sie, für wie lange verheiratet sind?

(Are You single or married? If you are married, for how long?) The answer is…..

 

Featured Image – Zoe am Muttertag – Zoe on Mother’s Day

My Day in German 1 – A Backhoe in the Street

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Hallo und herzlich willkommen zu meinem Tag in detscher Sprache. ich heiß Edward und ich lerne Deutsch. Ich mache diese website zu helfen mir lernen.

 

A month of so ago, I started learning to speak and read German again. I restarted for two reasons. First to help in my research of my German roots and secondly because dropping my second quarter of German class in college led to my not graduating from the University of Florida on time! So learning the language is to prove to myself that I can do it all be it 46 years later! I have already written about the materials that I have been using in my study of German. For me write now it seems that reading and writing my own sentences and little stories are working best for me. With that in mind  I have started this website. What I want to do in this website is to write little stories of my life with hopes that the writing will help me learn to language.As I move along I will try to expand what I write about as my vocabulary increases. Right now I am using a couple of translation apps and a dictionary to help me put together the stories. I also plan to continue to use the other resources i.e. textbooks and other books with stories in my studies.
So here is my first installment in Mein Tag in detscher Sprache……

Heute Mein Tag begann Ich Mit Yoga. Dann Ich hatte einen Smoothie und einfache Müsli für Frühstück. Nach dem Frühstück begann ich unsere Wäsche. Dann machte ich unserer Bett.Dann sah ich es! Ein bagger! 

German: Die Bagger in unserer Straße English: The backhoe in our street!

German: Die Bagger in unserer Straße
English: The backhoe in our street!

ja,in unserer strasse gibt es heute ein bagger!. Mein Enkel Oliver werde sehr glücklich wenn es ist noch hierher diese nachmittag. Ich habe ein paar Bilder nd ein Video um Oliver später ziegen schießen. Die Arbeiter wurde ein wenig nach dem Mittagessen und der Bagger ein wenig später verließ. Pech fur Oliver!

Wir holten Oliver in seinem Siiter Haus auf 3 Uhr.. Er aufhoren nicht, bis wir ihn bei der Arbeit seines Vaters bei 5:00 geloscht!

Ok so I know it is no literary masterpiece but I am still in the crawling stage!! For me i am learning more just writing simple sentences like the above. than I do just doing exercises in a book! I do know that some exercises are important and will keep doing them!

Now a summarized translation of the above My day started with Yoga – my”New Beginnings Routine” Then I had a smoothie and raisin granila for breakfast. I made the bed and started the wash! Then I saw the backhoe out in the street!  Yes, there was a backhoe on or street Oliver would have loved it. In case they weren’t there when I picked him up at 2 this afternoon, I took some pictures and a video. The men finished up just after lunch. We picked oliver up at three and he didn’t stop until we dropped him off at his father’s work at 5 o’clock!

Some Vocabulary…...

Bilder schießen – take photographs
später – later
Pech fur Oliver – Too bad for Olive
Er aufhoren nicht – He doesn’t stop!
das Bagger – backhoe

RGranddad learns German by Reading!!

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The Texts in Learn German! Get Me  Writing – Ich heiss Edward!

Was Magst du? Wie heisst du?……

The other day I wrote about the materials that I am using to help me learn German, They include regular textbooks, one on verbs and one on grammar, As well as, a more traditional foundation text book. In addition I have also been using a book of story stories, titled German Short Stories for Beginners. I find that reading these short stories is a great way to see vocabulary and grammar put into use! And more fn than doing exercises in a textbook. (actually exercises do have their place, and I will continue to do them) With that thought in mind, I started to look for books with stories. I found Learn German! More than 100 didactic texts to learn and improve your German. Learn vocabulary and grammar while you are reading. by Dominik Waxenberger. I read the introduction yesterday and I when I read the following I agreed with what he was saying and he supported my thoughts about using children’s books as a place to start my study of German. Dominick writes……

….The problem of many students I met was that they didn’t know what to read or better which texts suited their level and wouldn’t make them feel frustrated. I always told them that I would try to find first children’s books, fairytales and suchlike in order to get used to the language and broaden my vocabulary and understanding of grammar. Then I would go for books for 10 to 12 years olds. After a while I would go for books for adolescents. At this point you have actually already won the match. But for many students it seemed harder to find and select literature than I thought. That is why I decided to write this book for them and everyone who would like to learn German

I read the first three texts that were Prasentation in the texts many questions are asked like How are you? Where are you from? Where do you work and What do you like? After reading the texts I immediately set out to write answers to his questions  and I found myself writing even more….. so here are my responses and an introduction to me in German……

Mir geht is gut. Ich heisse Edward Karn. Ich bin 64 jahren alt. Meine Frau ist Kathleen and wir haben vier kinder. Ihre Namen sind Nicholas, Andrew, Peter and Elizabeth. Wir haben zwei Enkelkinder, Zoe und Oliver. Wir wohnen in Riverside, N.J

Oliver and Zoe Driving

Unsere Enkelkinder Oliver und Zoe

Mein Vaters Mutter and ihr Elter kam von Dresden. Sachsen. Sein Grosseltern kam von Hesse and Sweiz.

Meine Hobbys sind: Lesen, Sports, und anhoren von Musik.Ich mag lernen auch Ich mag sehr hot wetter nicht. Ich mag Rap Musik oder Tomaten nicht

Ich spreche Englisch and Ich lerne Duetsch!

Ich bin im Ruhestand. Drei Tage in der woche arbeite ich bei Target. Ich Babysitten oft meine Enkelkinder an meinen freien Tagen aus!

So the above may not seem like much but I did learn several things putting it together. I learned that the verb kommen is irregular and that kam is the past tense. Also that I am Ruhestand (retired). Plus I am still working on where to put words in sentences. So I admit to using Translators for the above!! But overall I think I’m moving along nicely!!

Entry Island – Peter May

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Peter May’s – Entry Island  A Read for Mystery Lovers and Lovers of Genealogy

 

I always say that I love to read because books take me to places that i will never visit. One such place is the Outer Hebrides islands off of the western coast of Scotland. I have visited these islands four times thanks to the books of Peter May. The first three visits came via May’s Lewis Trilogy. That trilogy is composed of Blackhouse, The Lewis Man and The Chessmen. Each of these books is a terrific read. The last visit was through another of May’s books Entry Island. The setting for the trilogy is modern-day Scotland and features Edinburgh, police detective Fin Macleod. The dual settings for Entry Island are contemporary Entry Island in the St Gulf of St.Lawrence in Canada and the Outer Hebrides of the mid-19th century. The one thing that one gets from all the books is the life is rough in the Outer Hebrides!!

A Brief Synopsis

Entry Island begins when police detective Sime MacKenzie is sent to the island as part of a team investigating a murder. The main suspect of the murder is the victim’s wife and when Sime first meets her he swears he knows her! As he mulls over why he may know her, Sime begins to have vivid dreams based on the stories that his grandmother used to read to him and his sister when they were little. The stories came from Sime’s great-grandfather’s dairies. They focus on the his life in Scotland and eventually Canada in the mid-1800s.

Entry Island works as both a fine mystery novel with many twists and turns before the final murderer is revealed and a historic tale about the adversities faced by residents of the Outer Hebrides.The novel also paints a grim picture of the conditions that many of our ancestors faced as they made their way to a new land. Reading the novel  made me stop and think about what it must have been like for my ancestors who came to America in the 1800s. from both Scotland and Ireland.

Here’s what some others say……

“Told with exceptional clarity and a fine eyefor the clausrophobia of island life, it weaves a hypnotic spell as it jumps between generations and proves that May is a writer to be cherished” – Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail

“May is the master of painting a vivid picture of his chosen landscapes and weaving a fascinating plot. The research he has packed into this well-paced dual tale is impressive…. An absorbing tale from a writer at the top of his game.” Daily Express

Bottom Line:

Entry Island is another fantastic read from Peter May. It works for both mystery lovers and those who love genealogy! Entry Island was named the Deanston Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2014, and it also won the ITV Specsavers Book Club Dagger for the Best Read of the Year 2014, So Check it Out!!   Rating **** Book 19 of 2016

Links for Further Exploration of the Books of Peter May

Website
Goodreads
Amazon

The 6th Extinction – James Rollins

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The 6th Extinction - James Rollins

Originally posted April 2016 Revised and updated April 2026

I don’t think there are many authors who blend science, history and action together better than James Rollins. I read several of his early stand-alone novels before I read my first Sigma Force novel Map of Bones and since then I don’t think I’ve missed an installment in the series.

One thing I love about James Rollins is that at the end of his books he always discusses the truth or fiction of  the science or history contained in the book,

In the6th Extinction that discussion  covers ten pages! The science discussed ranges from XNA, Jumping genes, De-Extinction, Extremophiles to Antarctic life and geology. While the history discussed includes Darwin’s Voyage on the Beagle and the Germans in Antarctica!….

From Goodreads – The Story

A remote military research station broadcasts a frantic distress call that ends with a chilling message: Kill us all. When soldiers arrive to investigate, they discover everyone in the lab is dead—not just the scientists, but every living thing for fifty square miles is annihilated: every animal, plant, and insect, even bacteria. The land is completely sterile—and the blight is spreading.

To prevent the inevitable, Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma must decipher a threat that rises out of the distant past.  A time, when Antarctica was green and Earth’s life balanced on a knife edge. Following clues from an ancient map rescued from the lost Library of Alexandria, Sigma will make a shocking discovery involving a prehistoric continent, and a new form of death buried under miles of ice. Read More

The Bottom Line:

The 6th Extinction is scary good, because most of the technological stuff is real and it’s scary!! The book gets 4.5 stars out of 5. Next up on the Rollins front is The Bone Labyrinth the latest Sigma Force adventure!

Author’s Website
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Goodreads

James Rollins

About James Rollins

James Rollins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers. His writing has been translated into more than forty languages and has sold more than 20 million books. The New York Times says, “Rollins is what you might wind up with if you tossed Michael Crichton and Dan Brown into a particle accelerator together.” NPR calls his work, “Adventurous and enormously engrossing.”