Welcome to Litsy!

*Not the tagged book* ‘Dietrich,‘ a short story, by Don Winslow is set during the summer of 1977 in New York City. Homicide detective Richard Dietrich, weary and on the brink of burnout, is assigned to investigate a brutal mob hit that his superiors are desperate to bury. I love how Winslow surprises me with his unexpected conclusions, and this one was particularly captivating!

Full Review abookandadog.com/blog/dietrich

*Not the tagged book* Master storyteller Don Winslow‘s short story, ‘The Heron,‘ masterfully blends crime, dark humor, and revenge in his signature gritty style. The story follows a big-city accountant, nicknamed “The Heron,” who seemingly leads a quiet life near San Diego. His peaceful existence is disrupted when he suspects a hitman may be after him due to his boss‘s suspicion of him stealing.

Full Review abookandadog.com/blog/the-heron

A couple of weekends ago here in Australia, we had a ‘top 100 books of the 21st century‘ countdown, as voted by our national broadcaster, Radio National, listeners. Almost 300,000 Aussies voted. I‘d read 83 and decided to prioritise reading the (potentially 17) remaining books I had waiting patiently on my #tbr shelves. This is one of them. A fascinating account of the Stasi that I have had recommended to me more times than I can count.

*Not the tagged book* Set in the sun-bleached world of San Diego‘s surfing community, ‘Downward Facing Doug‘ by Don Winslow follows Doug, an accountant trapped in a soul-crushing job at a payday loan office. Married to his belittling wife, Carli, Doug finds solace in catching waves at dawn. However, a minor wipeout collision with another surfer ignites a brawl that Doug never anticipated.

Full Review abookandadog.com/blog/downward-facing-doug

#HauntedShelf #GrimReaders

Only 4 away from a full board for #AfterDarkBingo

I'll tag the books I read in the comments.

@PuddleJumper @CSeydel

*Not the tagged book* ‘Free Billy,‘ a short story by Don Winslow, follows Billy, an eccentric character who has discovered a way to live life without spending money. He indulges in hotel buffets, takes advantage of self-serve fast food drink stations, uses beachside showers, and sleeps in his van. Billy‘s desire to change his life leads him to seek a sugar mama.

Full Review abookandadog.com/blog/free-billy

*Not the tagged book* This was another fantastic short story by Don Winslow! Set in Rhode Island in 1970, the story of ‘Oregon‘ revolves around five close best friends. These high school friends share a common goal: to escape the Vietnam draft by going off the grid before turning 18. To achieve this, they raise money by selling marijuana and plan to move to Oregon to open a commune.

Full Review abookandadog.com/blog/oregon

This book was ok for me. I enjoyed digging into the Cold War but didn't find this to be much a spy story. It was an easy read but the characters didn't develop much. More a story about two sisters and the ones husband and how much he likes to drink. The ending also seemed a little too unrealistic for me. I did enjoy the Cold War historical aspects of the book and hope to read more Cold War historical fiction in the future.

Serhii Plokhy is Professor of History at Harvard University and a leading authority on Eastern Europe. Published in 2021, this gripping book draws on then recently released KGB files to analyse the Cuban Missile Crisis from both the US and Russian perspective, drawing out how badly Kruschev and Kennedy misread and misunderstood each others positions and how nuclear war was averted by fear and accident more than negotiation and decision.

This fascinating book read more like a gripping nonfiction memoir than a novel. A fascinating glimpse into the lives of FBI & CIA agents, and the impact their job had on their morals, ethics, and physical safety (and that of their families) during the Cold War. This was an excellent choice for #BookedInTime #ColdWar @Cuilin

#HauntedShelf #BlackCatCrew @BookwormAHN

#OneSnackToRuleThemAll #CandyCornies @Bookwormjillk