Nicci French, a husband/wife writing team recently released  this second installment to their new mystery series starring  Frieda Klein for whom the series is named.  Left hanging, so-to-speak, in the last one titled Blue Monday, we are quickly reminded that there is still unfinished business left from that case.  Returning to the London setting,  Tuesday’s Gone  has a crime scene  in a flat in which a man is found propped up on the couch, cup of tea near-by but unfortunately quite dead.  If  Blue Monday captured the mood of something very dark, this one is enveloped by a chilling and wintry atmosphere and we share not only in a sense of suspense but also in a rising fear that Frieda is being watched by someone.

This time,  Chief Detective Karlsson has solicited Frieda’s help.  Sought after for her brilliance in understanding human psychology (she’s a psychiatrist), Frieda gets pitted against some insecure police workers who try to undermine her more intuitive way of working.  Even Karlsson misses the boat on seeing certain connections that may be crucial and which make us wonder if Frieda can depend on the police to back her up.

As a character Frieda also adds value to the  mystery for her night-time peregrinations around London;  her insomnia affords us the chance to get her “hidden city” tour descriptions of long buried landscape features which can’t be seen today.  Perhaps what lurks deep underground is a metaphor for the deep psychological scars so many of the characters bear, and not just the suspects.

This one is chilling, complex, suspenseful, and has another ending twist that may shock you along with a few more murders.  If each new sequel continues to “up the ante,”  we are promised one of the best suspense/thriller series ever….   Don’t miss them!

Starting Now by Debbie Macomber

Blossom Street is back!  This story is about Libby Morgan, an attorney trying to make partner in a high-pressured prestigious law firm.  She thinks she is finally there when she get laid off.  She must begin to rebuild and recreate her life – starting now.  Join Debbie as she brings Libby onto Blossom Street and into “A Good Yarn” where she begins to find friends, family and love.

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead   by Sheryl Sandberg

Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg is using her influence to send a wake-up call to American society.  Sandberg’s hopes with this book to get a dialogue started that challenges us all to rethink how obstacles to success can be overcome if we understand it is for the common good.  Chapter by chapter, Sandberg tells us about the real world and also charges women to “lean-in”  and keep working towards the positions that not only males covet.

Taking a leap-of-faith that she will not be misinterpreted, Sandberg gives a huge pep-talk and lets women know they can succeed at leadership but more importantly tells them how to do it!  Written with humor and from her own experiences she lays out a plan for how to juggle job and family.  The conversation is clear and obviously heart felt and to her credit, Sandberg does not play the blame game.

My favorite sentence in the book stems from a two-year drive at Harvard Business School to get students to work together and come up with a “new communal definition of leadership”: ‘Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.’

And in no way is this point of view about limiting personal choices but actually it is about lending the support and encouragement to women so they can aspire to leadership positions and in so doing, pave the way for others to follow.  Just one sentence of encouragement can go a long way to open a new pathway towards an opportunity of a lifetime that otherwise might have been undreamed.  I think we owe a thanks to Sheryl Sandberg for her honesty.

No Easy Day: the Autobiography of a Navy SEAL

by Mark Own with Kevin Maurer

This is a behind the scenes look at the dangerous assignments around the world of Navy SEALs.  These secret missions illustrate the life and work of a SEAL and how Team Six evolved post September 11.  This elite team is the most vigorously trained and in this first-hand account you will be astounded by the selection process and the training of this special unit.  You will get a blow-by-blow of the most secret and memorable mission this hand-picked unit of twenty-four performed: the assault on Bin Laden’s hideout.
In this fascinating  account the dedication of these men to protecting our freedoms around the world will astound you.  You can’t help but appreciate the sacrifices they make  in service to our country.  A quick and eye-opening read you won’t want to miss.

 I laughed, I cried and I yelled at the author… that tells you how engaging this story is!

Take two star-crossed teens, Enza and Ciro and follow them from the    gorgeous Italian Alps to America where they build new lives, totally apart from each other until fate reunites them… only to separate them once again by war.  This novel of love, loss and destiny is a story built on a family history that Trigiani is heir to.  She makes the immigrant experience come to life as this epic love story reveals the ambition and tenacity that newcomers in their striving for the American dream all possessed.  As a drama this one is grand in scope with a cast of characters you won’t be able to forget.

The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva (August 2012)

Another exciting installment to the Gabriel Allon spy thriller series that will have you on the edge of your seat as Gabriel once again fights against the clock, this time to save an important ancient religious symbol in the heart of Jerusalem.  As always Gabriel travels to many cities in this complex operation:  we find him in Rome where he is working on the Caravaggio painting, “The Deposition of Christ,” Jerusalem where the Pope is on a visit during Lent, Tel Aviv, Paris and Vienna.  The subject of this thriller is the laundering of money through the illegal trade of stolen antiquities by Hezbollah.  Doom looms large and poor Gabriel is so exhausted he just wants to retire and return to his first love, painting  restoration… but first he has to save the day!  Excellent read…but  I just  hope Gabriel has the energy to appear in another episode; even his surrogate father and mentor, Ari  Shamron,  is weary and showing his age.