Finished Tripwire by Lee Child. This is the third book in his popular Jack Reacher series, about a tough-as-nails, ex-military policeman who wanders around the country.

In this one, Reacher is digging swimming pools in Key West when a private detective comes to town looking for him. Soon after, the detective is murdered, so Reacher backtraces his steps to see why the guy wanted to contact him so badly. Soon, he’s in New York and involved with an elderly couple looking for their son, who went MIA in Vietnam. But there are people out there who don’t want Reacher to find out what happened to the missing son — and they’ll do anything to stop him.

I really enjoyed Killing Floor, the first book in the series. I was a little disappointed with the second one, Die Trying, mainly because Child switched Reacher’s POV from first to third person. But the change allows him to have multiple plot lines going, like he does in Tripwire. In addition to Reacher, we get the villain’s POV, along with a housewife, her CEO husband, and Jodie, Reacher’s love interest. All of them have an important part to play in the story, and Child handles all the action and characters well.

But Reacher is the star of the book. He’s a great character. Tough, confident, determined, and a little grumpy on occasion. Reacher knows how to get things done, and he’s not afraid to use violence when the going gets tough. Which it often does, since this is a hard-boiled thriller. 😎

There are a lot of plot threads going in this one, as Reacher moves closer and closer to the truth about what happened to the missing son. The answer isn’t quite what you expect, but it all builds to a satisfying conclusion. 

My only real quibble with the book was that things came together a little too perfectly in places. For example, Reacher flies all over the country, but he always makes his flights on time and they’re never delayed — something that’s a big plot point at the very end of the book. Of course, the book came out several years ago, but still. You’d think the law of averages on a flight being delayed or cancelled would catch up with Reacher sooner or later.

But if you want a solid thriller with a cool protagonist and lots of action, check out Child’s books. Thumbs up.

Up next: Dark Dreamers, featuring novellas by Christine Feehan and Marjorie M. Liu.

Books in my TBR pile: About 14.

Finished The Red Heart of Jade by Marjorie M. Liu. This is the third book her popular Dirk & Steele paranormal romance series. Warning: There be spoilers ahead.

This one’s about psychic Dean Campbell, a D&S operative who’s chasing a vicious killer in Taipei. At one of the victim’s homes, he finds a picture of Mirabelle Lee, the girl he loved as a teenager — and thought was dead. Dean races to save Mirabelle, who’s now an archeologist. But they’re soon caught up in a hunt for two pieces of red jade that will have great power when brought together. And both Dean and Mirabelle start having vivid dreams of seeing the jade before — and fire and death …

Shadow Touch, the second book in the D&S series, was one of the best books I read last year, and I was expecting another great read from Heart of Jade. I didn’t quite get it.

Heart of Jade is a good book, full of Liu’s lush, descriptive writing and interesting worldbuilding. But it didn’t blow me away like Shadow Touch did. Mainly, because of the plot. Dean and Mirabelle were carjacked one night, and both of them were shot. Dean went after their assailant; Mirabelle was taken to the hospital. Each one thought the other was dead. This felt a little unbelievable and contrived to me, especially given how in love they were. Liu offers an explanation for it at the very end of the book, but it just didn’t gell for me.

Then, there’s the other part of the plot. Dean and Mirabelle are basically soulmates, and a piece of the red jade is in each one of their chests. Their vivid dreams are of a past life, when a great evil took over (old) Mirabelle and (old) Dean had to kill her to keep the evil from using the jade in both of them. And of course, Dean is faced with that choice in this life, as an evil possesses Mirabelle when they finally realize the jade is in each one of them.

Maybe it’s me, but soulmates and past lives just aren’t my favorite plot devices. I also had a little trouble with the ending. Basically, throughout the whole book, there is an evil spirit/person/thing possessing a dragon shapeshifter and getting the dragon to do its dirty work, like hunting Dean and Mirabelle. But Liu never tells us who the evil spirit/person/thing is at the end of the book. I’m hoping it’s a plot thread that’s resolved further in the series, but I would have liked a little more information in this book.

Don’t get me wrong. This is still a good book. Liu’s elegant writing alone is worth the price, and I really liked some of the secondary characters, like Koni, the shapeshifting crow. Liu also gives readers a real feel for her exotic locales, and she has some nice action scenes. It just wasn’t as good as Shadow Touch. Still, I’m looking forward to the rest of the D&S series. So thumbs up.

Up next: Tripwire by Lee Child.

Books in my TBR pile: About 15.

Finished Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas. Warning: there be spoilers ahead.

This is a contemporary about Liberty Jones, a teenager growing up in rural Texas. Liberty is desperately in love with Hardy Cates, an older boy who lives in the same trailer park. Hardy feels the same way, but keeps Liberty at arm’s length because he has no intention of staying in their small town — not even for her. Hardy eventually leaves town, but the real trouble for Liberty begins when her mother is tragically killed in a car accident, and she’s left to take care of her toddler sister, Carrington — alone.

But Liberty’s defining trait is her determination, which she uses to get her cosmotology license and a good job in a trendy salon. Things are looking up for Liberty, especially when a so-called “sugar daddy” named Churchill Travis takes an interest in her — along with his son, Gage. But Liberty has never gotten over Hardy, and he blows back into her life just when she thinks she’s finally moved on with Gage …

I really enjoyed Kleypas’ Wallflower historical romances, and I’ve been wanting to read Sugar Daddy since it came out last year. When I saw a paperback version in the goodie room at RT, I snatched it up. The book did not disappoint.

I don’t know that I’d classify this one as a romance, though. Sure, there’s romance in it, but it’s mostly about Liberty growing up and taking care of her sister after their mother dies. It’s more of a coming-of-age story or women’s fiction than a straight romance. Regardless, it’s a really good read.

Liberty is a great character. She runs the gamut of emotions from tough, selfish, vulnerable, selfless, determined, depressed, and much more. The book is written in first person, and Liberty’s voice really makes the story come alive. She’s also a very relatable character, with her struggles to make ends meet and desire to provide a better life for her sister.

I didn’t like Hardy nearly as much. He’s as selfish as Liberty is selfless, especially at the end. He winds up being rich and successful and what he does to Liberty is petty, to say the least. I won’t spoil who Liberty ends up with, but I think she made the right decision.

Kleypas also has a lot of great descriptions in the book and really gives you a feel for Texas.

However, I did have some quibbles with the book. The story starts out a little slow. The first 200 pages or so are spent on Liberty growing up. I would have liked to have seen more of her as an adult, especially interacting with Churchill and Gage.

Then, there’s the issue of Churchill. Turns out he was in love with Liberty’s mother for years and discreetly helped Liberty get her cosmotology license, among other things. Hardy also tells Liberty that everyone thinks Churchill is Carrington’s father (although it turns out that he’s not). I didn’t think Liberty got nearly angry enough with Churchill for deceiving her all those years, and she forgave him way too easily.

Also, Kleypas never comes right out and says who Carrington’s father is. And after all the buildup in the book, I really wanted to know, since it’s not Churchill. And then, there’s Hardy. After all the buildup of Liberty loving him for years, he doesn’t show up until the last 50 pages or so. Again, I thought the conflict with him was resolved a little too easily, given how much Liberty has always loved him.

But overall, this is a really good read. One of the best books I’ve read this year. I’ll definitely be getting the sequel, Blue-Eyed Devil. Thumbs up.

BTW, does anyone know how to say Kleypas’s name? Is it “Clay-pass”? “Klee-pas?” Or some other variation I haven’t thought of? I’ve always wondered …

Up next: The Red Heart of Jade by Marjorie M. Liu.

Books in my TBR pile: 16.

Since July is creeping up on us, I’d thought I’d do a post about the books I’ve read so far this year (which is halfway gone again!).

Number of books I’ve read this year: 29. Not too bad, considering I’ve also written (and rewritten) two books in the same time frame. And yes, Virginia, I have a day job too. I’m hoping to hit 60 books read by the end of the year.

New authors I’ve read: 13, including Stephanie Meyer, HelenKay Dimon, Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Lilith Saintcrow and more. (Also, this isn’t counting a bunch of new people I read through various anthologies). I’ll try anybody at least once.

Best read so far this year: Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughn. I really enjoyed this fantasy romance.

Runner-up: The short story Dead Man’s Chest by Rachel Caine in the My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding anthology. It’s about pirates, yargh! And it probably would have taken the top spot, if it had been a whole book.

Strangest read so far: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. Not what I was expecting from a Batman story. Weird, just weird.

Books/authors in my TBR pile: Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward; Ill Wind by Rachel Caine; Bitten by Kelley Armstrong; a bunch of books in Marjorie M. Liu’s Dirk & Steele series; and Tripwire by Lee Child, among others.

Books I plan to buy at some point: Fire & Ice by Anne Stuart; Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks; and some titles by P.N. Elrod, along with too many others to list here. 

What about you? What’s your favorite read so far this year? Have you discovered any new authors you absolutely adore? Share in the comments.

Finished Resolution by Robert B. Parker. I was looking for a quick read and spotted this one at the library. Plus, the setting intriguied me, since Parker leaves Spenser and his other Boston characters behind in this western. Yep, it’s a western. And I do love me some westerns. 😎

Tough guy Everett Hitch hires on as a lookout at a saloon in the dusty town of Resolution and soon finds himself in the middle of a fight for control of the town. The players include a saloon owner, a miner, a ragtag group of ranchers, and a couple other gunslingers. But Hitch always remains cool under pressure, especially after his friend Virgil Cole comes to Resolution to help him sort things out. Gunfights and more ensue.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Nobody does tough-guy dialogue better than Parker. His books are almost completely dialogue, which makes them quick reads. I just love his breezy style.

The plot, well, it’s a pretty typical Parker story. An honorable tough guy with his own code stands up to some unsavory characters. But it works well in the western setting. I would have liked Hitch to have to work a little more to sort things out (especially since he kills the town’s reigning gunslinger a couple days after he gets into town). I also thought the mine owner (another one of the bad guys) bit the dust a little too early.

But overall, if you’re looking a quick summer read or want to try Parker, pick up this book. It’s a good introduction to his style without the backstory involved in his other detective series. Thumbs up.

Up next: Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas.

Books in my TBR pile: 17 or so. I keep adding and subtracting books …