Super Series Sunday: The Law of Innocence & Resurrection Walk

(Lincoln Lawyer #6 & #7) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday picks are The Law of Innocence, the sixth book and Resurrection Walk, the seventh book in the Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly. 

"A trial often comes down to who is a better storyteller, the prosecution or the defense." ~ 44%

And what a story author Michael Connelly told in The Law of Innocence. This book of the series, now adapted to Netflix, features the most important trial of defense attorney Mickey Haller's life. It will make or break his career. His life literally depends on the verdict. Why? Because Mickey is the accused this time and he is defending himself in the courtroom.

Let me back up. Mickey is out celebrating yet another victory when he leaves the bar and pulls out of a parking garage. Within seconds, he is pulled over by police, who find a dead body in the trunk of his Lincoln. Haller is charged with murder, slapped with an impossible-to-pay bail and forced to build his defense from his jail cell.

Every part of The Law of Innocence was intriguing. The arrest, the jury selection, the bail process, opening and closing statements, witness testimony, evidence, discovery, the burden of proof, the criminal defense system and the inner workings of a legal defense team. My head was spinning and my fingers frantically turning the ePages on my Kindle Signature Paperwhite. Just wow!

The Lincoln Lawyer was on his Matlock shit with this one; I loved every page of it! 

"It was going to be do-or-die time very soon." ~ pg. 359

Resurrection Walk brings Mickey Haller back to the streets of taking long shot cases. He is overwhelmed with pleas to defend the wrongfully convicted. He enlists the help of his famous half-brother, Harry Bosch, to weed through the requests and find a needle in the haystack. The case that stands out is a woman in prison for killing her husband, a sheriff's deputy, maintaining her innocence.

I love the Haller-Bosch dream team! Opposite sides of the track working together toward a common goal of justice. Their work ethic is so different yet complements the other. However, Resurrection Walk was too predictable. It was a weak follow-up to The Law of Innocence. I expected more oomph! 

Title: The Law of Innocence

Author: Michael Connelly

Published: November 2020

Pages: 400

Edition: eBook

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Title: Resurrection Walk

Author: Michael Connelly

Published: October 2023

Pages: 405

Edition: Hardcover

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 🖤 🖤 

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"Some days, you wake up, and you're supposed to feel different, but you don't. Take, for example, your birthday, your anniversary, the first day of the year. You want to be excited, but it's just another day, like all the days before it."

~ Sisters with a Side of Greens by Michelle Stimpson 

Series Sunday: Alex Cross Must Die / Cross Out

(Alex Cross #32) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Alex Cross Must Die / Cross Out, the 32nd book in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. As it usually happens, Alex Cross gets an urgent call to rush to the scene of a crime. A plane crashed and exploded on the runway. It was taken down by a remote-controlled machine gun by an expert trained shooter. Cross and his partner, John Sampson, race against time to solve the case and prevent another mass murder.

"Split-second gut decision." ~ pg. 234

I was riding the high wave of Cross Down, the previous book, when I read this next installment of the series. My hopes were up. My fingers were ready to crack the spine of this brand new hardcover and turn the crisp physical pages. I just knew I was in for a treat. Only to be let down...

Alex Cross Must Die / Cross Out had no sense of urgency. No thriller vibes. Hardly any suspense. It was a cluster of plot points and too many moving parts for no apparent reason. I love this series that features a Black man but this new novel is not one of the best of the bunch.

And why is there two (2) different titles?! 

Title: Alex Cross Must Die 

Author: James Patterson

Published: October 2023

Pages: 416

Edition: Hardcover

Genre: Mystery

Challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson

Rating: 🖤 🖤 

The First Lady of Dirt

"I didn't know I couldn't. Therefore, I could." ~ 45%

It's hard to rate someone's real life story. How can I put stars to a life? Especially a life that made history and defied the odds. So instead, this review will focus on the little-known story of Cheryl Glass and the author's writing style. 

Cheryl Glass was one of the most promising race car drivers in the United States. Her dream was to become the first Black woman to race in the Indy 500. But after repeated concussions and major injuries, her auto racing career ended abruptly and her life crashed with it. Overwhelmed with depression, she committed suicide at the young age of 35.

Author Bill Poehler takes us through Cheryl's childhood and journey to the world of auto racing. He does not mince words when it comes to the obstacles she faced far as racism, sexism, mental illness, law enforcement and enablers. The First Lady of Dirt can be an inspiring story and an example of the pressure placed on Black women to succeed and be pushed to the limit, sometimes at our own expense or from those surrounding us. 

Due to the author's factual emotionless writing style and the PDF format with smaller than small font, I found The First Lady of Dirt difficult to read through. It isn't that Cheryl's life was not interesting but it read like a newspaper article or journalist assignment with no connection to the author, main subject or audience. I spent most of my time zooming in and out of the page. Nevertheless, I finished The First Lady of Dirt and picked up little-known Black History facts. 

Don't let this deter you. I am sure the published edition (hardcover or eBook format) is more reader-friendly and legible. Also, it is great to learn about a Black woman that made history in the male-dominated sport of auto racing.

Happy Pub Day, Bill Poehler! The First Lady of Dirt: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Racing Pioneer Cheryl Glass is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The First Lady of Dirt
Author: Bill Poehler
Published: February 2024
Pages: 240
Edition: Galley
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Crosshairs

(Michael Bennett #16) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Crosshairs, the 16th book in the Michael Bennett series by James Patterson and James O. Born. A sniper is taking out targets in New York City. Supposedly, the "Long Shot Killer" is the most terrifying killer that Detective Michael Bennett has ever faced. He partners with Officer Rob Trilling, a former Army Ranger and sniper expert with the NYPD. But Bennett is a little more than suspicious of the new guy. 

"Words are a little like fashion." ~ 84%

I am being generous rating Crosshairs 3 out of 5. First of all, this title is better suited for the Alex Cross series by same author. Secondly, I believe the author let the co-author take the steering wheel majority of this road trip because the writing seemed off. Or perhaps their collaboration just didn't mesh well with the plot. To be the 16th installment of this series, it read like a standalone that anyone could jump into. In conclusion, Crosshairs fell flat as a thriller.

Happy Early Pub Day, James Patterson and James O. Born! Crosshairs will be available Monday, February 12.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Crosshairs

Author: James Patterson and James O. Born

Published: February 2024

Pages: 400

Edition: Galley

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

"He was music I could listen to forever." ~ 8%

You know a book is good when the characters live rent-free in your head months after you've finished reading. Such is the case for Tia Williams' new release titled A Love Song for Ricki Wilde.

The nontraditional love story—set in both modern Harlem and the Renaissance era of the 1920s—held my attention from the synopsis to the last word. Ricki Wilde is the artistic impulsive daughter of the Wilde family. Her two sisters are well established socialites whereas Ricki beats to her own drum. 

When 90-something-year-old Ms. Della invites her to rent the bottom level of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance to leave Atlanta for a fresh beginning. It is there she realizes her dream of opening a flower shop. One evening, Ricki crosses paths with a handsome, mysterious musician that makes her swoon in the most unexpected way.

"Sexy sepia shenanigans." ~ 24%

Bookhearts, I dare not say more because this is a well written story that you have to read to experience. Just know that it takes hold of your imagination and doesn't let go until you're tenderly holding the book in your arms with a satisfied smile on your face.

Tia Williams takes you on a magical journey with her engaging writing, heartfelt dialogue and deep characters. Need I say more? Add to your TBR now! Put on a pot of collard greens, play some Louis Armstrong or classic jazz and get ready for a wild ride. This new historical fiction romance has already claimed a spot as one of my top reads for 2024!

Happy Pub Day, Tia Williams! A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
Author: Tia Williams
Published: February 2024
Pages: 347
Edition: Galley
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

New Year Hold 'Em

• Be intentional.
• Match energy.
• Genuinely smile.
• Improve quality of life.
• Dedicate time to self-care.
• Allow rest and rejuvenation. 
• Attract love, health and happiness.