RUN, ROSE, RUN by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

 RUN, ROSE, RUN

by

Dolly Parton and James Patterson

    Run, Rose, Run, a novel written by Dolly Parton and James Patterson, gives us an insightful tour through the world of country music. I am a Dolly Parton fan, and I enjoy many of Patterson's books, so I was excited about this book. 

    In Run, Rose, Run, singer songwriter AnnieLee Keyes finds her way to Nashville. Once there, AnnieLee is lucky and meets Ruthanna Ryder, the retired "Queen" of country music, and Ethan Blake, an army veteran who plays guitar and does studio work with Ruthanna. They all have their secrets; they all have their pasts. As the story unfolds, so do their secrets.

    Run, Rose, Run is fun. It is not a work of literary fiction - and at times the plot might seem "hokey" - but it is a cohesive, enjoyable reading experience that also provides a look inside the world of country music from our real life "Queen".

    When Run, Rose, Run was first published, I listened to the audiobook; after recently being approved to read and review an ARC, I read the book. Although I really enjoyed the book on both occasions, I highly recommend listening to this one. The narrators include Kelsea Ballerini and Dolly Parton. Either way, Run, Rose, Run is a fun reading experience.

A KILLING OF INNOCENTS by Deborah Crombie

 A KILLING OF INNOCENTS

(Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James #19)

by

Deborah Crombie

(expected publication February 7, 2023)

    A Killing of Innocents is the nineteenth installment in Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series. And, it is a worthy addition to this wonderful series.

    When junior doctor Sasha Johnson realizes that she has been stood up, she heads through London's Russell Square. After someone in the crowd jostles her while passing, she collapses. Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid receives the call, and he and Detective Sergeant Doug Cullen find that Sasha had been stabbed. Who would want to kill this young doctor? Why? As we follow Duncan's usual investigation into Sasha's family, her roommate, her coworkers, what seems like a straightforward, albeit puzzling, case develops complications and becomes multifaceted. We witness how Duncan and his team find the who and the why.

    Although A Killing of Innocents gives us the complex plot development that we have come to expect from Crombie, this book seems to lack a lot of the "extra-plot development" to which we are accustomed; in other words, Duncan's wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, is largely sidelined in this book. Gemma and her sergeant, Melody Talbot, have been assigned to a task force involving the tracking and identifying of knife crimes. And, although both detectives contribute to the investigation, their participation is minimal; there is no real role for them in this book. However, Crombie has done a nice job capturing the frustration that Gemma experiences with balancing the primary care of their three children with her desire to be solving cases, work at which she excels. And, even though the plot may be more narrow - in the sense of which characters are given an active role - Crombie skillfully works in some continued development to characters who are sidelined in this plot.

   I was very excited to have the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy of this book. Nonetheless, when I came to the end of A Killing of Innocents, I was very sad. It is a great addition to the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series - and I highly recommend the book and the entire series - but at the end, I realized that my return to Duncan's and Gemma's world was over. Crombie, as always, is masterful, and I anxiously await the next installment in the series.