Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Rousing roundup of Michael Connelly / Bosch Universe books

The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

Blue on Black by Michael Connelly

Dangerous Women by Michael Connelly and various other authors

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Last year (literally the beginning of January 2021) I started reading the Detective Harry Bosch books.  There are twenty something in total that are just Bosch books.  There are also some offshoots that are considered part of the Harry Bosch Universe.  They include: Mickey Haller – Bosch’s half brother, and the Lincoln Lawyer (obviously the book first, but the Matthew McConaughey movie character too), Jack McEvoy – a reporter that intersects with Harry a few times, Terry McCaleb – an FBI agent who works with […]

“That was the thing about lies: they demanded commitment.”

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

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I really liked this. I didn’t want to read it for the longest time, because I thought it was lit-fic (and it sort of was), but when I heard it was a courtroom drama/mystery, I immediately bought it. The premise also sounded like something pretty unique, and I wanted to see what the author could do with it. The Yoo family are immigrants from Korea, and run a business called Miracle Submarine in the small town of Miracle Creek. The sub in question is actually […]

Historical true crime, plus something for the Hamilton Fans

Duel with the Devil by Paul Collins

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CBR12 BINGO: Shelfie “Gentlemen of the jury, I’m curious, bear with me Are you aware that we’re making hist’y? This is the first murder trial of our brand-new nation.” If you’re a Hamilfan, you might recognize those words from the song “Non-Stop,” in which Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr act as co-counsel for the defense on a murder trial. In Duel with the Devil, Paul Collins tells the story of that historical court case and the gruesome event that led to it. As I mentioned […]

In which I get my husband to co-review this bit of fluff with me

Rumpole and the Reign of Terror by John Mortimer

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CBR11bingo: Two heads are better than one Allow me to introduce my husband, Peter! He is an avid reader but isn’t part of this community (yet). I’m working on him. A little background about the book: You may have heard of a British TV show called Rumpole of the Bailey, about a barrister named Horace Rumpole who defends various clients (the Old Bailey being the main criminal court in London). The creator is one John Mortimer, also a British barrister. I had never seen the […]

Cheating shmeating! In the mid-19th century, Harvard really knew how to rock a scandal.

Blood & Ivy: The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard by Paul Collins

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Ooh, I do love a good period true crime drama. From Erik Larson’s much-lauded Devil in the White City, to Kate Summerscale’s lesser-known The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, to Bruce Chadwick’s I Am Murdered (which I reviewed all the way back for CBR5),  you take a  murder that’s at least a century old, add some period costumes, a few blue collar witnesses pitted against high-brow lawyers, and a lot of research, mix well, and you have a perfect cocktail of historical entertainment. I especially enjoy reading […]

“You don’t kick a dressage horse after a failed pas de deux.” – Ingrid de Forest

Grand Theft Horse by G. Neri

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Are you looking for a fascinating true story? Do you have conflicted feelings about the world of horse-racing? Do you like stories about brash women outwitting smarmy men? Would you do anything for your animal friend? Are you always rooting for the underdog? Are you a “horse girl”? Do you just want to read a damn good graphic novel?! If you answered yes to any of that, you should read this book next! Grand Theft Horse is by award-winning writer G. Neri whose books for youth […]



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