Dee Reads

  Her Last  Breath by  Taylor Adams One in a while, too few and far between for me, a book comes along that makes you want to "slam it down on the bar and say 'give me another' ".🍺  A book, such as this, never fails to make me gasp when the shocking surprise is unveiled.  Of that ilk for me, was The Silent Patient  by Alex Michaelides.  It's been almost eight years since I turned those pages like a tornado, and was shocked into an audible gasp when the curtain was raised on the stunning ending.  Her Last Breath  is more compellingly readable, more gasp-worthy, and surely one of my favorites of 2026.  Unlike Michaelides was at the time,  Taylor Adams isn't a first-time author.  Her Last Breath is his most recent release, published in February 2026, with several other books on his list dating back to 2014. I've read several of them, beginning with No Exit .  What a wild ride that was, or should I say what a wild stall?!...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW MJ Stringer In February of 2025, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing local bookstore owner,  Sherrele Goloversic.  Sherrele owns and operates a small, independent bookstore, The Book Reader's Venue , located in Humble, Texas.  Sherrele's shop  is a cozy corner, and she is the perfect welcoming host.  Please take a few minutes to check out our conversation and her bookstore.  One of the perks of my time with Sherrele, was her mention of local romance author, MJ Stringer, as a possible interview candidate.  It took us quite a while, nearly two years 🥹, but we finally got together for a sit down. As it turns out, I owe Sherrele a big "thank you".  MJ was a great interviewee; open, candid, and generous with her time.  Beyond that, she is a kindred spirit who enjoys the reading and writing experience as much as I do.  Thank you to MJ Stringer for the gift of her time.   MJ Stringer-      ...

Preface                                  If you've been following the blog, you know that I sometimes have a guest contributor.  My brother, Jay, has often chimed in when asked and I find that helpful in many ways.  One of which, is the different perspective of his thoughts, reduced to words, even on the same book or subject can be so very unique.   Differing points of view, and being open to them, is what makes the world go 'round.  In my small place in the world, it keeps the blog from becoming stagnant and hopefully more representative of what you readers think and want to hear about.  In order to stretch that arm of the blog a few inches more, this week's guest is my son, Cody, who is also a reader.  Occasionally, he will read the blog pre-publication or one of my book reviews and then comment with some pretty astute observations that almost hadn't o...

Jay Reviews/Dee Writes an Essay If you're a follower, or even an occasional reader of Dee Reads , you'll know that my brother, Jay, is a guest contributor.  He's always got something to say 😜.  Seriously, he tends to have ideas and opinions that lend a new perspective and a fresh voice to the blog.  So credit, where credit is due, Jay suggested I might want to review some essays.  Of course, I was glad to accept his review as the first entry.   One Long River of Song  by Brian Doyle, Reviewed by Jay Mueller                                                                                                                 ...

Dee Reads and Reviews 👍👎 A couple of blogs ago, I mentioned several of my favorite mystery series were dropping new books this fall.  I was so excited and lucky to add three of them to my TBR for September.  I read all three in the first week of the month, record time for me.  If my reading speed is any indication these new books should be smokin'.🤣 Five Super Stars I got my eager hands on #4 in the Detective Inspector Matthew Venn Series last week and simply devoured it - all in one day.  It is a five star, two huge thumbs up of a mystery.   "Ann Cleeves you have outdone yourself!  I must admit I've never read any of the Vera Stanhope Series or, for that matter, any of Ms. Cleeves' other work.  However, after finishing The Dying Light, I have read all the Matthew Venn books and am looking forward to many more.  Thank you Net Galley and Minotaur Books for this wonderful book and the opportunity to offer my thoughts and a big round of appla...

Have you ever wondered where bloggers get their ideas? Some weeks I ask myself the same question. 🤣   Am I sitting on my couch when a comic book bubble suddenly appears over my head and there's a fantastic original theme?  I wish it were that easy, but I am fortunate to have a great sounding board who never fails to shoot off his own unique thoughts.  My brother, my reading cohort, friend, and whom I have mentioned throughout the blog is responsible for the seed that grew into this week's drop.  Here's Jay's inspiration - "It would be interesting to share some authors who have successfully written outside what is thought of as their genre." Jay mentioned one of his special favorites, Robert Dugoni .  Robert, author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series, also favored us with three books, that define the word special and are outside the mystery/thriller genre, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell , The World Played Chess , and Hold Strong .  Dugoni has proven himself...

  Book Review Connections🔖 Many years ago now, my mother was telling me about a person she'd met on an airplane.  It must have been a flight from Houston, Texas to Dayton, Ohio or vice versa, since that was the trip between her home and some of my siblings.  Mom was a lifelong reader of many genres, particularly mystery/thriller books.  That's probably how I got interested in some of the same books.  As Mom told me, she had just sat down on the plane and noticed her seatmate reading a book titled  Kiss the Girls .  Yes, from James Patterson's early years, published in 1997.  As a prodigious reader, my mother was surprised to see she'd missed a new, at the time, thriller.  However, that didn't stop her from instigating a conversation with her fellow passenger that lasted for well into their flight.  Would she have begun to talk to a complete stranger had it not been for that book?  Knowing my mom, likely not.  James Patterson c...