Reading Right Now:

“Ghost of a Gamble” by Sue Ann Jaffarian. Sue Ann Jaffarian’s Ghost of Granny Apples series is a favorite for me. It is a paranormal cozy series. Medium Emma Whitecastle and her great-great-great grandmother solve mysteries and in this latest book go to Las Vegas to help a former Vegas showgirl deal with an old casino heist that leads to modern murders and ghosts with agendas. Emma has great relationships with her boyfriend, her daughter, her mentor, and her very funny ghostly Granny. This book was so much fun to read that I went through it really fast and managed to start David Baldacci’s “The Target.” Baldacci’s books are often a real thrill-ride and “The Target” looks to be full of startling twists and turns. This is the third book in the CIA assassin Will Robie series and so far involves a boss who wants him dead, a high-risk assignment from the President involving North Korea, and an unknown assassin who is out to eliminate both Robie and his partner Jessica Reel. Sounds like a lot to deal with in one book, especially a book that starts out with Robie and Reel being sent back to be reevaluated by the CIA to see if they can still cut it in the field. Seems to me that the last three books prove they can, but we’ll see how it goes.

On hold right now:

“Deadliest of Sins” by Sallie Bissell. Bissell’s suspenseful novels feature Cherokee prosecutor Mary Crow. In this sixth novel in the series, Crow attempts to help an eleven-year-old boy find his missing teenage sister which leads to a deadly sextrafficking ring.

“Live to See Tomorrow” by Iris Johansen. This is the third book in the CIA Operative Catherine Ling series. In “Live to See Tomorrow,” Catherine is called in to save a female journalist in prison in Tibet.

Other Mysterious Things:

Almost exactly a year ago, Jason Matthews’ first book “Red Sparrow” was released. As a former CIA operative Jason Matthews has the inside scoop on a spy thriller. If you like spy novels and haven’t read the book yet you should. The question is where’s the second novel?

Speaking of operatives and spies, “24: Live Another Day” premieres May 5. The ninth  season of this terrific tv series will find Jack a fugitive in London. Kiefer Sutherland makes a fantastic Jack Bauer, a Counter Terrorist Unit agent, which over the past eight seasons has gotten himself into and out of all kinds of trouble. Enjoy!