Book Reviews

Reviews of books by MWSA members. Reviews appear in reverse chronological order, with the most recent review posted appearing first.
Note: Some older reviews are being reposted to this site and those will appear out of order.

Moving Is Murder: A Mom Zone Mystery (Ellie Avery Mysteries)

Title: Moving Is Murder: A Mom Zone Mystery (Ellie Avery Mysteries)
Author: Sara Rosett
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): B005GNMEIC

Moving four times in five years has honed Ellie's considerable skills. But unpacking with a newborn daughter, record-breaking heat wave, and the realization that their dream neighborhood is known as Base Housing East is enough to make her turn to chocolate for comfort. She and her husband, Mitch, moved off-base for privacy and peace of mind. Now half of their neighbors are with the 52nd Air Refueling Squadron. Forget privacy. Forget peace of mind, too. Driving home from her first squadron barbecue, Ellie finds neighborhood environmental activist Cass Vincent dead on the side of the road. The police call it an accident - Cass, fatally allergic, was stung by wasps - but Ellie's not so sure. Cass' husband said she always had an EpiPen in the car. Unfortunately, all Ellie found was a cup with sugary gunk and bits of bees at the bottom. She saw Cass argue violently at the barbecue with Mitch's buddy Jeff about something mysterious...and it just so happens Jeff knows a lot about bee-keeping. Hoping to clear Drew before the police get around to suspecting him, Ellie starts snooping in earnest. What she finds shocks her - alcoholism, blackmail, betrayal, secret debt...even illicit medical treatment the Air Force would never tolerate. But what's the connection to Cass? When suspicious "accidents" start happening in her own backyard, Ellie realizes she's getting closer to the killer...maybe too close!

Author(s) Mentioned: 
Rossett, Sara

Coil: A Novel, The

Title: The Coil: A Novel
Author: Gayle Lynds
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): ISBN / EAN

A sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, Masquerade, The Coil picks up several years later. Liz Sansborough, former CIA agent and now an academic, has managed to put the pieces of her life back together. But Sansborough has a dark secret - she is the daughter of the one of the most notorious Cold War Assassins, The Carnivore. When a series of prominent political figures are blackmailed into certain actions or die in suspicious ways, the CIA becomes convinced that someone has gotten hold of the Carnivore's files and is using that information to further some secret agenda. Sansborough herself - the closet living link to the Carnivore - is the target of a murder attempt, her offices are searched, her files stolen and her TV program on the secrets of the Cold War inexplicably shelved by the network. When she learns her cousin Sarah Walker - who bears a close resemblance to Sansborough - is kidnapped off the street with the ransom demand being the Carnivore's missing - possibly apocryphal - files, Liz is determined to save her cousin and uncover the swirling conspiracy, linked to a shadowy group known as The Coil, centered around the legacy of her father. But she's far from the only one going after the truth behind the legendary assassin.

Author(s) Mentioned: 
Lynds, Gayle

Iraq: Providing Hope

Title: Iraq: Providing Hope
Author: Eric Holmes & Michael Parkhouse
Genre: Non-Fiction, Anthology
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1587522527

Over fifty people tell their stories of what they did and what they saw in Iraq. This is a diverse group from military, civilians, government workers and Iraqis. This composite paints a true picture of what is going on in Iraq. These stories bring out the details that headlines and sound bites cannot. To get a complete picture, this book is a must.

Author(s) Mentioned: 
Holmes, Eric
Parkhouse, Michael

Help! I'm a Military Spouse--I Get a Life Too!: How to Craft a Life for You As You Move With the Military, Second Edition

Title: Help! I'm a Military Spouse--I Get a Life Too!: How to Craft a Life for You As You Move With the Military, Second Edition
Author: Kathie Hightower & Holly Scherer
Genre: Non-Fiction, Reference, How To
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1597970670

Help! I'm a Military Spouse is not a book about being the perfect military spouse. And it's not about rebelling against military life. It's about creatively taking advantage of the military life's opportunities to fulfill one's own dreams. Military lifestyle columnists, workshop presenters and longtime military spouses themselves, Kathie Hightower and Holly Scherer show how to tap into the richness and possibilities of a life with the military. Their positive, practical tips include:

-Five keys to happiness for a life with the military
-Fifty tips to maintain energy and lower stress
-Seventy creative and practical ways to follow one's dreams

Updated to address the latest issues, this ultimate self-help book is for anyone engaged to someone in the military, for the new military spouse, and for the longer-term spouse frustrated by the unique challenges of the military lifestyle.

Author(s) Mentioned: 
Hightower, Kathie
Scherer, Holly

Tracings

Title: Tracings
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Genre: Poetry, Book of Poetry
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1599240173

Book of Poetry

Author(s) Mentioned: 
Howard-Johnson, Carolyn

Pages