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US Marine Patrick Norris has seen the worst that Afghanistan has to offer–excruciating heat, bitter cold, and death waiting behind every rock as comrades are blown to pieces by bombs and snipers. He returns home not knowing the worst is ahead of him.

The avocado ranch his family has owned for generations in Fallbrook, in the foothills of San Diego, has been destroyed by a massive wildfire and the parents he loves are facing ruin. Patrick’s older brother Ted is drawn into a circle of violent, criminal misfits.

Patrick puts his own plans to become a fishing guide on hold to save the family’s home and falls in love with Iris, a beautiful and unusual woman, when disaster strikes.  

A tale of two brothers and overcoming the odds. Maybe Parker’s best and I have to give a shout out to another outstanding Fallbrook mystery writer – Randy Hicks.

11/14 Jack Quick

Another review:

Patrick Norris was a marine serving in Afghanistan amid the killings, bombings chaos of war and the sight of friends killed and maimed. He is discharged, and returns home to a small town in California near the marine base of Camp Pendleton with a dream of opening his own sport fishing business, catering to a clientele that wants some guidance in fishing for game fish.

Much to his surprise and dismay, he discovers that the avocado tree ranch his family has owned and worked for years, located in the foothills of San Diego, has been destroyed by a wildfire. Consequently his parents are facing ruin in the aftermath of the blaze.

Patrick’s brother Ted is living with the family. He is a gentle, trusting person by nature but tormented by dark thoughts. With Patrick back, Ted falls in with a criminal element as a means of proving himself worthy of his brother’s and parent’s love. Patrick puts his own plans on hold in order to help his parents move through the crisis they face and also attempts to get Ted on a path to normalcy and a full life. He meets and falls in love with Iris in the course of his attempts to help both his parents and his brother.

Parker is known for his many crime novels but makes a major departure with Full Measure. He explores the emotions, thoughts and currents experienced by the characters in the book. When Ted makes some major personal blunders, Patrick goes to his aid with a love only a brother has for a sibling getting himself into major problems. This is not a typical Parker novel, delving into a world of emotions and feelings rather than describing a crime taking place. Well done, and hopefully leading to other books by the versatile Parker straying from the mysteries he is famous for.

10/14 Paul Lane

FULL MEASURE by T. Jefferson Parker. St. Martin’s Press (October 7, 2014). ISBN 978-1250052001. 288p.

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Kinsey Millhone Mysteries

When Kinsey Millhone receives a call asking for help in identifying a dead man found with her card in his possession, of course she unhesitatingly steps in to try and help. Kinsey has never met the man in question but offers to do some asking around to see what she can uncover. As she cracks the mystery of his identity, though, things become even more complicated than before.

Meanwhile, it’s been three months since the murder of fellow PI Pete Wolinsky. Kinsey doesn’t know it yet, but she’s about to be dragged into the unsolved case whether she likes it or not.

Twenty-three titles in, Sue Grafton’s series is still one of my all-time favorites. Kinsey is whip smart and completely no nonsense, traits that really do come in handy in this latest.

Without giving too much away, I will say that W forces Kinsey to face more of her growing family issues as well as some past relationship issues. Kinsey’s family story is, of course, a long-running theme of the series. Orphaned at a young age and raised by a spinster aunt, Kinsey never met any of her extended family. And while she did begin discovering various connections in previous books, there are a lot of issues she’s still not faced with regards to her family history. We do finally get the long-awaited return of Dietz in this one, too.

With just three titles to go in the series, I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye. That said, I also can’t wait to see what Kinsey will be up against in X.

11/14 Becky LeJeune

W IS FOR WASTED by Sue Grafton. Berkley; Reprint edition (August 5, 2014). ISBN: 978-0425271575. 448p.

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It  is all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

That’s what former rivals, Lauren Hart and Pierce Maverick, thought as they mixed business with pleasure exploring their fantasies in The Sunday Arrangement. Their fun and games, however, now threaten to explode their world, hurting not only them personally but also the businesses they represent can be taken down with them.

Pierce’s assistant April, who mistakenly believes Pierce is enamored of her, has uncovered photographic evidence of their sexual dalliances and is threatening to expose them both to the world unless Pierce abandons Lauren and marries her.

Soon Lauren finds herself in the position she has always wanted – CEO of her family owned business – but with three immediate challenges – preventing two blackmail attempts and thwarting a hostile takeover. Can she handle the challenges? Will the price include the relationship with Pierce?

Batten down the hatches, bring out the good scotch and get ready for a truly bumpy ride as Lauren navigates the hallways of power. As importantly will the experience make Lauren a better, more adult person.  Another face paced read “adult” read.

eBook only

11/14 Jack Quick

RAISE THE STAKES by Lucy Smith. LucySmith.com (October 28, 2014). ASIN: B00P00ARCQ

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It starts with a middle of the night call to Virgil Flowers from his friend and fishing buddy Johnson Johnson. Johnson’s father liked outboard motors so he named his kids Johnson, Mercury and Evinrude. Johnson’s calling about someone stealing dogs.

Virgil agrees to come take a look and soon finds himself involved in a murder, a major meth lab operation and a school board gone rogue stealing millions of taxpayer dollars. Soon the murder count has doubled, the meth lab has been shut down, some of the dogs have been rescued and Virgil is zeroing in on the school board.

As usual, a great outing from John Sandford.

11/14 Jack Quick

DEADLINE by John Sandford. Putnam Adult; First Edition first Printing edition (October 7, 2014). ISBN 978-0399162374. 400p.