#BookReview: The Big Necessity by Rose George

Interesting. Possibly Benefits From My Reading Audible Version. The day I was finishing reading this book, my own dad was being congratulated for reaching 15 years working at Cobb County, Ga’s RL Sutton Water Reclamation Facility. One of my brothers had also worked at a similar facility several years ago, before dad even started working there, so I’ve had a tangential knowledge of at least some of the issues raised in this book for even longer than the near 20 yrs since George first began writing it back in 2006.

And this tale is absolutely interesting. Perhaps a bit dry at times, and certainly with many references from earlier tales in the book the deeper you get into it, but as a global tale of how the world takes on the issue of “solid waste management”, as the US euphemism goes, this was truly a fascinating and globe trotting tale that perhaps spent a bit more time in the Indian subcontinent than it arguably should have and could maybe have used a foray into South America, but was still utterly fascinating in what it did cover nonetheless.

From the origins of sewers as we currently know them in London to the high tech roboticized toilets of Japan to the open defecation so prevalent even then in India as George was writing this book, this is a globe trotting adventure that takes us on a look at an area of life that we all do… and do our best not to think about.

Ultimately this was a very well written examination of its topic, and one that I would love to see yet another update to – or perhaps even a full on sequel of – now that we *are* approaching the 20 yr anniversary of George’s first research into the topic.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Big Necessity by Rose George was originally written on February 3, 2025.

#BookReview: The Hunt by Gregg Dunnett

Intriguing If A Touch Meandering. Will Be Divisive. I believe this is my first ever review with an asterisk on the rating as far as I’m concerned – because for the first time ever I may well come back and reduce it by a star, depending on how the next book plays out. My reasons here can’t be explained without delving into spoiler territory, but I’ve written about my thoughts on what happens here in other contexts in other places, so they are at least quantities that can be known – and which should be at least partially obvious to those who have read the book.

For what it is though, this book itself is truly a fun and intriguing look at a Sherlock-variant “super detective” who finds herself placed in a situation she refuses to believe is actually true. The story then meanders quite a bit before the big reveal, which then explains the meandering before leading into the final sequences here.

Even in the meandering, the plot is well paced with a lot going on in different areas around the globe, making this easily the most expansive book in the series to date. The characters all play their roles superbly, and the result is a book that reads at least as good as some of the movies that are of its ultimate form. But again, because of the nature of this book, there is really only so much that can be said without revealing spoilers of some form or another.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Hunt by Gregg Dunnett was originally written on January 10, 2025.

#BookReview: We Three Kings by Kristen Bailey

If Charles Dickens Wrote A Hallmarkie Christmas RomCom. Seriously, this is one of those Christmas Hallmarkie type tales that in its basic set up brings to mind almost a modern version of A Christmas Carol… but as a romcom rather than a “glimpse” based drama. Here, Bailey works her usual comedic genius in the various situations Maggie finds herself in, even if the ultimate outcome (not just the romantic one, but the specific plot one) was rather obvious almost from the moment the “problem” is introduced in the tale. But there again: Hallmarkie. As in, such obvious outcomes are damn near a reason to read the book to begin with – there won’t be much unexpected here, and what does show up unexpectedly will be used for either comedy or light drama that won’t really go much of anywhere other than to add a few dozen more pages to the tale.

I will note that as someone in tech who actually experienced an unexpected “reduction” earlier this year, this one hit a touch harder than many for me personally – and given the blood bath that tech has been experiencing these last few years, this will likely be the case for many readers. One of the better things here though is that Bailey captures our world so well that one begins to suspect she may have been one of us before beginning her writing career.

Ultimately a feel good Christmas romcom, this is going to be exactly what some people want… and exactly what at least a few others want to avoid. Know thyself and which camp you’re in and read (or not) accordingly. 😀

Very much recommended.

This review of We Three Kings by Kristen Bailey was originally written on November 1, 2024.

#BookReview: Death Pact by Matt Hilton

Gruesome Crime Horror/ Thriller Starts With A Bang. Seriously, the start of this book feels like Hilton read Jeff Guinn’s Waco, because it truly feels like Hilton took Guinn’s hyper realistic descriptions of what actually went down there to scaffold his own fictional version.

Which is actually a *phenomenal* way to begin this particular tale.

The rest of the tale then flashes forward a bit and crosses the “pond”, becoming a UK based police/ crime tale featuring some particularly horrific murders that fans of Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Lecter trilogy or Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s Pendergast series will absolutely enjoy. The pacing of the investigation is solid, and the way the various characters meld together is done quite well.

Surprises late are well executed, and by the end you’re going to be questioning if this is meant to be a series starter afterall…

Overall truly a great crime story excellently told, and a solid change of pace from Hilton’s Grey and Villere thrillers in particular in that while the action is equally intense, the criminals here feel so much more decidedly dark and truly evil. Very much recommended.

This review of Death Pact by Matt Hilton was originally written on April 14, 2024.

#BookReview: Little Sister by Gytha Lodge

Solid UK Police Procedural Thriller. I picked up this book because I was invited to based on my reviews of other similar books, not knowing that it was number four in the series. As such, it was readily apparent in the beginning that if this was the start of a series there would likely be prequels down the road… or this was deeper into the series (which turned out to be the case). That noted, for me it was still easy enough to follow along with where each member of our police team was in their journeys. Though for those more sensitive to any hint of a “spoiler”… eh, you’ll want to make sure to start with Book 1.

What I *did* find in this book is that for the most part, if you are a fan of this subgenre of mystery/ thriller, you’re going to like this book and (likely) this series as well. If you’ve never experienced this subgenre before, this is a pretty solid example of it with a compelling mystery, tense thriller moments, and relatable characters.

Overall a solid work, and I look forward to seeing what Lodge has in store for the team next. 🙂 Very much recommended.

This review of Little Sister by Gytha Lodge was originally written on July 5, 2022.

#BookReview: Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams

Excellently Executed. This is a romance tale where the entire premise is that our central couple keeps *just* missing each other, and it *really* works. The cuts between perspectives in different scenes are amazing, showing the couple at various points literally in the same place at the same time… and completely missing each other. It *is* a romance though and *does* have a happily ever after, but Williams does an amazing job of holding that off until almost literally the last second. Funny where it needs to be, serious where it needs to be, and overall a fun romantic comedy. Very much recommended.

This review of Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams was originally published on June 12, 2019.