Reviews

In Ordinary Heroes,   retired newpaperman Stewart Dubinsky has discovered a packet of wartime letters his late father wrote to a former fiancé.  He learned of his father’s court-martial and imprisonment and was determined to learn more about this man who remained dis

Macarons have been made by pastry chefs for centuries but in the last few years this delicate yet tricky French pastry has been experiencing a comeback and another wave of fame outside Europe.  Its long history goes back to the 8th century Arabic pistachio traders via Italy, of the Middle-Ages to the present day culinary Mecca, France.

Ruth, Bethanne, and Annie, of the “Blossom Street” knitting group set off on a cross country road trip to Florida where Ruth will be attending her 50th high school class reunion and hopefully reconnecting with her high school beau Royce.  Bethanne, Ruth’s former daughter-in-law, has agreed to join her as she needs to get away so that she can consider the fact

With the exception of  Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (which was excellent) and an assortment of travel books, cookbooks and self-help books (that I never finish), I do NOT do non-fiction.  I am a fiction mystery reader with medical and legal thrillers thrown in.  I enjoy a fast, exciting read and that is exactly what Jon Bower

Calgon take me away!  One morning, Manhattan attorney, thirty something Emily, wakes up to the realization that neither her personal life (married to James, thirty something driven attorney), nor her professional life (corporate attorney drone in a large firm) are what she wanted when she graduated from law school and imagined her future life.  So, Emily packs a few things, throw

This movie is a documentary and a biography of Yves Saint Laurent, one of the most influential fashion designers. L'Amour Fou was made shortly after YSL’s death in 2008, for the occasion of Christie’s long awaited auction of YSL’s spectacular estates and his priceless ar

Death Cloud is the first in Andrew Lane’s excellent new series about young Sherlock Holmes.  Lane, a Brit who has written fan fiction for Doctor Who and James Bond, explains in his afterword that, “Arthur Conan Doyle gave little away about Sherlock’s early years… That has gi

The Inner Circle is a wonderful political thriller.  Beecher White is an archivist at the National Archives in Washington DC.  Clementine Kaye is a woman from Beecher’s past who asks him to help her find his father, a man who attempted to murder the current presid

It’s Passover and Laurel, a junior in high school, her little brother and parents celebrate at their neighbor’s home.  Following the meal everyone decides to go to the ice cream shop for dessert.  Laurel and David, the neighbor’s son, both decide to forego the ice cream—Laurel to do homework and David to do whatever it is David does these days.  W