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Today’s Book: Almost Home, Pam Jenoff


The Plot: American State Department employee, Jordan Weiss, maneuvers a new work assignment to England. In reality she wants to be geographically closer to her friend Sarah who is suffering with ALS. When Jordan arrives she is called upon to investigate the Albanian mob and a money laundering scheme. Complicating her return are unresolved feelings about her college lover Jared who died in an apparent drowning ten years ago.

Why you’ll Love it: Jenoff does a masterful job of blending romance, friendship, loyalty, and political mayhem along with a shady bit of World War II history into a suspenseful and multi-layered novel.

Who Should Read it?: Readers who enjoy suspense stories with a good deal of character development will find much to appreciate here.

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*Look for Jenoff's follow-up to this novel, Hidden Things, coming July 2010!

Outside of a Dog, #76

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.

Many people are aware of the presidential thriller movies about agent Jack Ryan, played in movies such as Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger by Harrison Ford, but did you know those movies began as books? The Jack Ryan series, by author Tom Clancy is a series of some of the most suspenseful works you’ll ever read. If presidential, political and F.B.I.-based adventures are your favorite thing to read, try some of these novels:

Transfer of Power – Vince Flynn

Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp novels are very popular, and often on hold as soon as they’re announced. This is the first Rapp novel, where we meet the Navy SEAL while he tries to save the President and a White House full of hostages from terrorists. There are recurring characters from Flynn’s other novels here, too.

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No Safe Place – Richard North Patterson

Normally a fan of courtroom dramas like John Grisham, in this novel, Richard North Patterson dips into politics, introducing readers to a senator named Kerry. In a series of flashbacks, we see how he got where he is today: waiting to hear the results of a presidential primary.

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The Next President – Joseph Flynn

Well-developed characters and interesting plot twists abound in this 2001 novel. Perhaps showing a bit of clairvoyance, Flynn tells the tale of an ex-Army-sniper who is given a deadly choice: assassinate the presidential hopeful who might be the first African-American president, or let his son be killed an a centuries-old family feud rekindle.

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Gideon – Russell Andrews

A complicated tale written by a book editor and a mystery author (“Russell Andrews” is a pen name) delves into politics via publishing. Carl Granville is offered an immense amount of money to change the hand-written diary he’s given into a best-selling novel. He sets about doing the job, but things twist way out of control when his contact is murdered and his apartment ransacked. Whose story is he really writing?

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By Order of the President – W.E.B. Griffin

Griffin’s “Presidential Agent” series makes the total of six for this veteran author. In this first novel, we meet Army Major Carlos “Charley” Castillo, trusted by the President to delve into Angola to discover the truth behind a plane hijacking. These novels take place post-9/11 and explore counterterrorism measures in Griffin’s trademark style.

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The President’s Daughter – Jack Higgins

A YA novel by suspense star Higgins, this book is a fast, fun thrill ride with lots of action and surprises on every page. Here, we find a trio of government agents – including the President of the title, who is a war hero – all racing to save the president’s secret daughter and the world. Will they make it in time?

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Testimony-al: This book is good!

Today's Book: Testimony by Anita Shreve


The Plot: This is a behind-the-headlines story dealing with a sex scandal at a prestigious high school in Vermont. The novel unfolds as various individual characters slowly share their own unique viewpoints of the events. We are relentlessly pulled into the story and quickly become conflicted as to what really happened and why.

Why You’ll Love it: The story builds slowly with an ever-growing dose of suspense. It gives readers a chance to see behind a tabloid-like headline. It’s a multifaceted tale that shows how one poor choice or decision can have life-changing consequences we might never have imagined.

Who Should Read it? : Almost anyone who likes character-driven novels will find Anita Shreve’s novel enticing and entertaining. Book clubs especially will enjoy this selection because of the challenging dilemmas and moral questions the characters face as the plot unfolds.
Readers who have enjoyed novels by Jodi Picoult, Chris Bohjalian, Elizabeth Berg, or Alice Hoffman will definitely enjoy discovering author Anita Shreve.

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Thanks to MH for this book review!