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Another enjoyable East Texas mystery!

Revisado: 07-26-22

In this sequel, Texas ranger Darren Matthews is on a new assignment in East Texas. This time his opportunistic FBI friend, Greg, seems to be trying to pin a “hate crime” of sorts on an elderly member of an old freedmen’s town when the son of an infamous member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas goes missing. But the investigation seems rushed to Darren and other pieces of this puzzle don’t make sense, so he seeks to uncover the truth before a possibly innocent man goes to prison.

In the midst of this case, there is a side plot connected to the first book as Darren puts his own livelihood on the line to try to throw off suspicions of his knowledge about the murder of a different member of the ABT months prior.

Perhaps not as intricately woven and complex a story as Bluebird, Bluebird, and slightly harder to keep up with the backstory of the origins of Hopetown, but this was still another enjoyable mystery from Locke.

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Atmospheric East Texas mystery with excellent narration

Revisado: 07-26-22

It’s a story as old as time here in the south; two murders possibly related and potentially racially charged. Darren Matthews, a black Texas ranger, leaves Houston to investigate the crimes as a favor to a friend in the FBI, all while his own personal life is crumbling apart. What Darren finds in East Texas is about what you’d expect: tight-lipped locals on both sides of the racial divide, and more questions than answers.

The story that unfolds is full of twists and turns, including some very messy but convincing family ties and drama. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a great atmospheric mystery! JD Jackson gives a superb audio narration.

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Brilliant

Revisado: 02-25-22

“Nothing’s changed with these people. They still build societies around their least and worst instead of the best and brightest.”

Absurd, smart, and hilarious. This short story tackles classical beauty, class, eugenics, ableism, toxic productivity and greed, misogyny, and vanity with a respectable dose of wit.

What the “elite” thought was a mass exodus of the best and brightest, leaving the “undesirables” to die, was actually a blessing in disguise because it did the opposite, in that the most abhorrent of society removed themselves, leaving people who actually cared about other people and the earth, creating a type of utopia for those who remained.

This is the type of irony and satire I love to read, reminiscent of Percival Everett, and the audio is hysterical. If you enjoy hyperbole, satire, and allegory without taking it personally, I highly recommend this one.

Favorite quote:
“To save the world, people had to think differently.”

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Good start to a series with a unique cast of characters

Revisado: 03-17-20

Binti is a math wiz and member of the Himba tribe. Her academic prowess earns her a spot at the most prestigious university in the galaxy, and she defies her peoples’ customs by deciding to travel to this far-off land and study with the best of the best. What she doesn’t know is that a group of beings who aren’t students are also headed to Oomza University, for very deadly reasons.

I loved how this book mixed in authentic elements of the Himba culture, such as covering herself with otjize being a way for Binti to still feel connected to her homeland, along with the use of sci-fi elements such as living ships, jellyfish-like extraterrestrial species, and an intergalactic war. It touched on issues of classism, elitism, lack of respect for indigenous cultures, and the peace that comes from reconciliation. I’m glad I finally read this one, and I’ll be reading the rest of the series soon!

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An Engrossing Psychological Suspense Story!

Revisado: 03-13-20

I don't typically like psychological and domestic thrillers, so I didn't expect much from this, but I took a chance on it because the blurb about a man getting pushed into an incoming train sounded interesting.

I was pulled into the story immediately. I enjoy the study of psychology, so this was right up my alley. A psychologist treats a myriad of clients, including one who works as a content moderator dealing with hate speech and graphic images all day, another whose father tried to murder his mother. She becomes deeply interested in some of her clients, and eventually things start to go wrong.

Everyone's credibility is questioned, and it kept me guessing about who was involved with what until the very end, because nothing was what it seemed. I did feel the final section started to drag a bit and became a little clichéd and predictable, but for the most part I was engrossed and couldn't wait to put my earbuds in to dive further into this twisted web of lies. I'll look for more from this author!

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More substance than I expected

Revisado: 11-07-19

I thought this would be mainly fluff, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Are millennial lives harder than others? Who knows. Are they significantly different? Absolutely. I enjoyed the various perspectives (ex-marine, 1st Gen college grad, editor, pastor) and commentary on burnout, particularly the "always on" blending of life across social media and contract work instability. This was a good conversation starter and I'm glad I picked it as one of my free Audible originals. I'm looking forward to seeing what Petersen comes up with for a full-length book.

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Not an "enjoyable" read, but important nontheless

Revisado: 07-22-19

I love Baldwin's writing, particularly his non-fiction. This is a short novel that moves fast, and the characterization is rich. I wasn't as invested in the characters as much as I thought I would be, and I wished there was more resolve with the ending, but that's more personal preference. This is still a classic and should be ready by all. Bahni Turpin gave a great performance as always!

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A quick and important read; you will learn something

Revisado: 04-14-19

A solid YA book that's more mature than most and makes you think. This is a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about Nigeria and the rise of Boko Haram. It prompted me to spend several days doing additional research on Boko Haram, their victims, and what's being done to defeat them.

This fictionalized account is told in short, vignette-style chapters that make it a quick read despite the heavy subject matter. A possible downside to this format is that the reader might not feel intensely connected to the characters.

Overall though, this is a great book that made me more aware of Boko Haram, their supposed "purpose," and tactics they used to control the young girls and women they kidnapped, including starvation, abuse, jealousy and brainwashing. The afterward was also very informative. I was left contemplating the levels of human depravity, martyrdom, brainwashing, and survival. Finally, Robin Miles' narration is fantastic as always. Highly recommend!

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Horrible narrators and a sluggish plot

Revisado: 07-21-18

First, the narration is really bad. This "full cast" production was disjointed and irritating. The author chose to use multiple POVs in this book, which normally isn't a problem for me, but it just didn't work well. The kids' chapters were pointless, annoying, and slogged on and on. The voices for the kids were insufferable. They sounded like caricatures of whiny, attitudinal adolescents. I couldn't even continue listening. The narrator for Sam Cade was corny and did not evoke the correct emotions to match whatever was happening. It just didn't flow. And the plot was taking so long to go anywhere that I just didn't care anymore. I didn't even get to all the torture and gore I've seen others comment about, and I don't care to.

I thought the first book was an okay read, although I had to suspend some disbelief, but at least it was written decently enough and had enough suspense to keep me wanting to continue. This one seems to be going down the road of implausibility. I rarely DNF books but this is way too long to waste my time.

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A must listen!! This was the essence of MLK Jr

Revisado: 02-12-18

Wow. I will re-listen to this speech several times a year. Wanda Sykes did a great job invoking emotion into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words, and she held my attention for the entire speech. The issues MLK spoke of, the hypocrisies of America, the injustices faced by particular groups that the majority didn't care about, the plight of the poor no matter what color your skin, these issues are still unfortunately relevant today. He discusses them with such eloquence and grace, yet is confident and unyielding in speaking the truth. I am convinced 90% of people who quote him in an effort to silence people who speak up against injustice have no idea what he stood for or the things he said. They have turned him into a posthumous puppet, but he certainly wasn't anyone's puppet while he walked this earth. This speech should be mandatory reading/listening in all American schools. Perhaps if there wasn't such a diffeciency in education, our society would be a much better place.

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