Showing posts with label Mark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Plum Island by Nelson DeMille

Plum Island My Rating: 4.4


Wounded in the line of duty, NYPD homicide detective John Corey is recuperating in the quiet Long Island town of Southold when a young couple he knows is found murdered on their patio, each shot in the head. The local police chief asks Corey to lend his big-city expertise to the investigation, and what begins as a seemingly straightforward murder case soon leads him into the history, legends, and secrets of Long Island.

Along the way, Corey meets Detective Beth Penrose and Mayflower descendant Emma Whitestone, two women who become entangled in both the investigation and his life.

We listened to Plum Island in the car during our commute between homes, and it definitely kept us entertained. That said, it felt fairly formulaic, and I think we listened to it a little too soon after another Nelson DeMille novel. There were a lot of similarities, and at times it felt like we were listening to variations on the same characters and situations.

Still, DeMille knows how to keep a story moving, and John Corey is entertaining enough that we enjoyed the ride. Despite the sense of déjà vu, this was a solid listen, and we’ll definitely be reading more Nelson DeMille in the future.


Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes


My Rating: 4.9


Intense, powerful, and compelling, Matterhorn is an epic war novel. Written by a highly decorated Marine veteran over the course of thirty years, Matterhorn is a spellbinding and unforgettable novel that brings to life an entire world—both its horrors and its thrills—and seems destined to become a classic of combat literature.

We listened to this together in the car. I am constantly amazed at what our young men go through to defend our country but, this had me astounded at the stupidity of the politics of the generals, the racial divide and other internal strife within their unit. My heart broke for so many unnecessary tragedies. This was a very graphic novel and yet, at times, it also had us laughing. Amazing author that brought the war to life.