The loyal friend by A. A. Choudhury

​"The loyal friend" by A. A. Choudhury - Good one!

This book is published by Hera in 2022 and has 341 pages. 

Jade, the fitness instructor is missing. Natalie, narrator of the story is the only one who’s worried. Police start the investigation. Secrets tumble out. 

Who has the secret? What are the secrets? Are they relevant to the disappearance? What happened to Jade? Who’s the loyal friend?

Jade is 30 and works as fitness instructor. She’s beautiful, humble, friendly, encouraging. From being a PT teacher, she has changed career and become fitness instructor. Natalie, the librarian, has grown up in foster care, a difficult childhood subject to abuse. She’s lost the only person close to her, her brother Jack, at 12. Since then she is taking therapy. Grace and her husband Jim blame each other for the reason their sons are not with them. Jim is an academic and is writing a book. Suzanne is rich and has drinking issues. There is no love between her and her husband Lance any more. They have three grown up children. DI Bailey and DS Khan are the investigators. However most of the investigation is done by DI Bailey. 

Jade has a secret that she wants to protect. Grace also has as secret or two that she has kept from everyone. Suzanne also has a secret that she has revealed to one person. Natalie also has a dangerous secret. All the ladies have their own secret. The question is who’s secret is relevant to the disappearance of Jade?

It’s a slow story. But it still retains your interest because author keeps revealing new facts, little twists and turns all along. This story passes the test of not letting readers guess the mystery. Although, I could guess who, I couldn’t guess why? That comes as a surprise. That’s when little crumbs of clues scattered all over the book fall in place and the Penny drops. To top it up, author gives another shock after the mystery is revealed. This is a new kind of strategy. You close the book with the satisfaction of having read a good mystery. 

The story is narrated in first person by four ladies; Natalie, Grace, Suzanne and Jade. So author puts forth different point of views. Each trying to establish her innocence and casting doubts on others. 

A. A. Chaudhuri is British author with Indian ancestry. She was a solicitor before she became full time writer. 

Why did I read this book? Gooodreads stars. 

What did I like? The mystery. 

What I didn't like? Was final twists necessary?

Recommend reading. 

Bone Rattle by Marc Cameron

​"Bone Rattle" by Marc Cameron - In the mines!

This book is published by Canelo action in 2022 and has 368 pages. This is Book 3 of Arliss Cutter series. 

Arliss and Lola are assigned duty to protect the jury, if they are sequestered, in case of trial of a pair of notorious gangsters. Arliss decides to take his Sister-in-law, Mim and his twin nephews there for a vacation. An unsavory wealthy person is making a road to his gold mine. While excavating they discover an ancient burial site and a bone rattle. But this evidence is suppressed.

Arliss is the good guy, dependable, likable, unsmiling, one who can’t stand injustice. Lola is his assistant who relies on him. There is the native reporter who has gone to hell and returned.  Harold Grimsson is the rich guy and villain. Dollarhyde is his soft spoken guy who handles Grimsson’s illegal side. 

A pattern has emerged from first three books of the series. Arliss goes somewhere. There he has to get involved in an unrelated case. For the main portion, he is separated from Lola. He gets assistance of a single lady, local to the town he is in. He protects her. There is no romantic involvement. 

Name of the story is bone rattle. There is a bone rattle in the story. But the relevance ends there. Then why the name? A more appropriate name would have been ‘Missing in the mine’. 

Author starts the story of Arliss’ niece and drugs. There is another thread of murders of girls. There is a thread of Hernandez brothers. Author leaves them  as loose threads. Probably he will pick them up in next book. 

My collectible sentence from this book:

The horrific music coming out of her earphones was like brain matter melting out. 

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? Pace and coincidence. 

What did I like? Life in Alaska. 

Read only if you plan to read the series, otherwise give it an miss. 

Caught by Harlan Coben

​"Caught" by Harlan Coben -  Interesting end!

This book is published by Orion in 2011 and has 400 pages. 

TV reporter Wendy Times runs a TV show that operates sting against pedophiles. Her sting against Dan Mercer results in his arrest and the judge throwing out the evidence. Dan calls Wendy and says he was framed. Father of a boy that was previously sexually assaulted kills Dan but since there is no body, no weapon and there is alibi, he is released. Evidence emerges linking Dan with a missing girl. Everyone is convinced Dan is guilty. Dan’s ex-wife is sure he is innocent. Wendy is undecided. 

Was Dan Mercer a pedophile? Didn’t he kill the girl? Did Wendy destroy an innocent man? Is there more to it than what meets the eye?

It’s an open and shut case for police, community and media. Dan is guilty. Good riddance! But the incorrigible reporter in Wendy thinks that something doesn’t add up. She doesn’t give up. She perseveres. She digs deep into his background to his Princeton years. 

Wendy is the main character. A widow and mother of a teenager. On one side she can’t forgive the drunk driver who killed her husband. On the other she dreads that may be Dan was innocent. If he was, who will forgive her? Her father-in-law is a biker. In his flashy lifestyle he gives her good support and advise. Win is her Uber rich friend who appears when she needs him and then disappears from the story. Dan is an orphan, Princeton graduate, works for destitute and orphan children and is basically a loner. Sheriff and Investigator duo are investigating cases of Dan and missing girl. Jenna is Dan’s ex wife, now married to a surgeon. She is still a very good friend of Dan. Dan is godfather of her daughter. When everyone declares him guilty, she’s the only one who comes out in his support. 

Although it’s not a page turner, it’s a good story. There is good flow to it. Enough to keep you interested all the time. Identity of the culprits is cleverly masked by the author, so when it’s revealed it becomes a mini Eureka moment.

The end of story is interesting. It’s different. Not like any run of the mill whodunit?

Why did I read this book? Author. 

What I didn't like? Umm... 

What did I like? Makes identity, the end.

Recommend reading. 

I owe you one by Sophie Kinsella

​"I owe you one" by Sophie Kinsella - Fairy tale?

This book is published by Black Swan in 2019 and has 432 pages. 

Fixy Fa runs a family shop with her mother. She is smitten with her brother’s friend Ryan, since she was teenager, who never reciprocated and eventually left for USA to make a career in Hollywood and is now returning to England. One day in a restaurant she ends up drenched while saving the laptop of a fellow patron. This handsome and rich looking guy literally gives her an IOU note scribbled on a coffee sleeve.

Will Ryan and Fixy be together? Will the rich guy respect his IOU? What will the IOU lead to? Will there be a fairy tale end?

Fixy is a capable girl but isn’t confident at all. She is understanding and compassionate but can’t stand up for herself. Nobody takes her seriously. As a result she doesn’t get what she deserves. She’s also has OCD.  She doesn’t like things that are not perfect. Ryan is smoking hot and self centered. He isn’t bad but can’t think beyond himself. He’s overconfident, all bluster and no substance. Jake, Fixy’s brother, keeps coming up with harebrained schemes. He always belittles Fixy and has grandiose ideas. Nicole, her sister, is lost in herself, doesn’t contribute in house or shop work. Sebastian Marlowe is the owner of investment firm. He is fair, confident, good looking and taken. He’s the IOU guy. 

Return of Ryan was expected to cause much consternation, even upheaval in Fixy’s life. But that doesn’t pan out on expected lines. While reading aboutFixy, you remember someone you know who always thinks of others, works very hard to make others happy but in the processes does injustice to himself / herself and is taken for granted.

The biggest question this book asks is: Is love transactional or is doing things for each other part of love?

The characters appear extreme and unreal. Fixy can’t see what’s evident but she can be excused as she’s in love. Ryan is the big mouth. All talk and no substance. How long can it last? Jake’s ideas are grandiose, impractical. He isn’t connected to reality. Nicole lives in kind of dream. Totally disconnected from reality, as if she’s high. So much so that she can’t even operate a coffee machine at home. Uncle Ned suggests things that won’t work. He too is far from reality. He likes to play the man of the house. Seb is all measured, logical and likable but transforms in an instant and runs back to Brainy. Thus although it’s a good story the characters appear to be from a fairy tale rather than real life. The end is predictable. 

Why did I read this book? Blurb. It was on hand. 

What I didn't like? Fairytale characterization. 

What did I like? Overall feel good effect. 

Recommend reading.

State of terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

​"State of terror" by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny - Unusual protagonist! 

This book is published by Macmillan in 2021 and has 512 pages. 

Surprisingly, Newly elected President Douglas Williams offers the position of Secretary of State to Ellen Adams, his most vocal and vicious adversary. Even more surprisingly, she accepts. Sounds familiar? A coded message reveals three Bomb blasts, yet to happen. The atomic devices have reached America and the only person who can make a headway is Ellen. Name of a notorious Pakistani scientist and black marketer pops up.

Who is behind the threat? Where will Ellen have to go to get to the bottom of it? Can Ellen save America and possibly the world?

The characters are interesting. President Douglas Williams offers the position to Ellen to make her fail in international politics and to make sure that she doesn’t head the news organization that has been very critical of him. Ellen surprisingly accepts the position. She is determined to demonstrate her capabilities. Her character is obviously based on Hillary. Elizabeth Jameson, or Betsy, is Ellen‘s childhood friend and now a counselor. She is a true friend, and always thinks for the good of her friend Ellen. This character is based on author’s real life best friend Betsy. Barbara Stenhauser is President’s Chief of Staff, and Charles Boynton is Ellens chief of staff. Anahita Dahir is an analysts at Pakistan desk who receives the message. She has an affair with a journalist Gil Bahar, who happens to be connected. 

The story has only one hero, that’s Ellen. She travels from one place to another, one country to another, without sleep, without rest until she unravels the plot and saves the situation. in the process she manages to get information and cooperation from unlikely sources. She demonstrates courage, intelligence, wit and she isn’t afraid to fail. 

The story is interesting. It’s an unusual protagonist. Usually Secretary of State doesn’t do field work. There are operatives for that. Here she does all of it. So she is the strategist, enforcer and operator at the same time. There are many parallels with Hillary. 

It’s a good read for a change. 

Why did I read this book? Curiosity about thriller by Hillary. 

What I didn't like? The revelation at the end.

What did I like? Unusualness of the story. 

Recommend reading. 

Stone Cross by Marc Cameron

​"Stone Cross" by Marc Cameron - Cold!

This book was published by Pinnacle in 2020 and has 400 pages. This is Book 2 of Arliss Cutter series. 

Sarah, recently married to David, lives in Alaska on Chagan lodge with her husband with no habitation for miles. One day the couple is kidnapped. Judge Markum is to go to Stone Cross for hearing, but someone has sent him a threatening letter. Supervisory Deputy Arliss Cutter and Lola Tieriki are assigned to accompany the reluctant judge.

Will the judge be harmed? Who has kidnapped the couple? Why? Can Arliss Cutter help?

Arliss Cutter series is set in Dark, cold, desolate wilderness of Alaska. Arliss is a US Marshall who gets a transfer to Alaska to help his recently widowed sister-in-law, Mim, and her three children. Arliss loves Mim, has always loved her, but his big brother swooped in and married her years ago. In the mean time Arliss has had four marriages. 7 years old Twin nephews of Arliss are adorable. His relationship with them is also special. 

At Stone Cross, they meet various people. There’s a lady who has grudge against the judge. There is a school headmistress, a Clinquet (Tlingit), woman who has suffered a lot but stands tall. Her daughter, a typical teenager. A wife beater. A convicted felon. Although Arliss is a US Marshall, not investigator, he ends up investigating as there aren’t many law enforcement personnel in remote Alaska. 

Alaska means snow and cold. So there is the paraphernalia of sledges, dogs, snow bikes, hypothermia, Caribou etc.

Note about the story, well there isn’t a story as such. That is the weakest link. So the story ambles along and keeps you just about interested. You don’t read late into night. 

In the first book Lola was divorced. I thought it has some significance. But doesn’t look like. Then why divorce her?

Why did I read this book? It was on hand.  

What I didn't like? Story or the lack of it. 

What did I like? Characters of Arliss and Lola

Give it a miss.

Critical thinking by Simon Bradley and Nicole Price

​"Critical thinking" by Simon Bradley and Nicole Price - Its a start!

This book is published by Createspace Independent Publishers in 2016 and has 106 pages.

This book is divided into 15 chapters and covers the aspects of critical thinking. 

1- Understanding critical thinking

A critical thinker has a great body of knowledge to tap into as well as the competence to analyze issues and make sense of the information. 

2- Historical details of critical thinking

While analyzing any idea Socrates traced out complete implications and traced the actions accompanying them. Socratic questioning thereby becomes the basis for critical thinking. Plato and Aristotle underlined the fact that everything suffered from their external manifestation. St. Thomas Aquinas, Sir Francis Bacon and Descartes are also mentioned. However middle eastern, Indian and Chinese are conspicuously absent. 

3- Thinkers who fashioned critical thinking

Sir Thomas Moore, Niccolo Machiavelli, Robert Boyle, Isaac Newton, Comte, Summer, Darwin etc. made checks& balances, inquisitive reasoning, positivism, criticism, sociology part of critical thinking. 

4- Skills and procedure

To develop correct stance towards situations, you need to think critically and act decisively. Use Socratic questioning in professional environment. 

5- Inductive and deductive reasoning

Clarity of thought, Fair-mindedness, Intellectual courage, Confidence, Insight, Integrity, Curiosity, Intellectual humility, Perseverance and Independence are attitudes important to critical thinking. 

6- Reasons to adopt critical thinking

Critical thinking improves standards, incorporates professional experience, is useful in knowledge based society, makes you a better orator, develops your personality. Foremost quality of critical thinker is the ability to discard conventional thought patterns and re-examine logical reasoning of evidence of new knowledge. 

7- Difference between reading and thinking

The critical reader does not jump to conclusions. He or she is willing to take notes and analyze the text in an unprejudiced way. Critical thinking will work only when you have adequate exposure to events of life. 

8- How critical thinking solves problems

Identify the problem, analyze the problem, come up with plausible solutions, pick the best option and take action. 

9- Get logical thinking

Importance and use of conditional statement, converse statement, inverse statement, contrapositive statement, necessary and sufficient conditions. 

10- Improve your decision making skills

Try something you never thought you would do, it activates brains. Write down Pros and Cons. 

11- How to make better decisions

Look for cost benefit, narrow options, Evaluate significance, stop sweating the small stuff, research, obtain well informed opinions. 

12- Strategies to help improve critical thinking

Making conscious effort to focus on the challenge, learn to ask critical questions, logical thinking, analyze, interpret matters in depth, learn to synthesize, break down complex questions, keep learning, be open, respect other people’s ideas, evaluate possible repercussions, collaborate, observe.

13- Group decision making skills

Conflict management, plan ahead, take charge, never dwell in mistakes.

14- Applying questions in critical thinking

Ask questions that enhance your knowledge, comprehension of situation, enable you to analyze and evaluate facts, help synthesizing. 

15- Exercising the brain

Make exercise fun, exercise the mind, ask why, laugh, eat omega 3, remember, cut out fat, puzzles, Mozart effect, improve existing skills, watch your drinking, play, sleep, concentrate, make love, cycles of consciousness, learn something new, write to be read, aromatherapy, drugs, brain trust.

This book has the theory for critical thinking but lacks practical examples. It would have been nice if the author demonstrated with examples how critical thinking lead to a better and winning decision, using either examples from corporate world or history. That way the book would have become more enjoyable and acceptable. 

This book sets course for critical thinking. It’s only the beginning of a long road. Each one has to make the journey on his/her own because every person and the situations are unique. 

Why did I read this book? Topic

What did I like? Topic.  

What I didn't like? Lack of practical examples. Mainly western oriented. 

Read if the topic interests you.