Two Nights in Lisbon

This twisty mystery by Chris Pavone was chosen by my mystery book group and had me guessing until the end. And the ending has made me and others in my book group feel like we need to re-read the book to see how the author tricked us about so many things. Kirkus Reviews delivers an admirable intro duction to the plot and provokes potential readers' curiosity. They conclude by saying, "This high-stakes drama grabs your attention and doesn’t let go." Publishers Weekly likewise gushes that the book is a "superior, elegantly crafted yarn."  The New York Times is more positive about the author than the book itself and concludes with these comments about Pavone and his writing: "this smart, calculating author remains many notches above others in his field. He is worldly and inviting when it comes to the book’s mostly European settings. His book captures a vacation’s escapism even as its heroine feels walls closing in."

Say No More

This is the latest (5th) installment in the "Jane Ryland" series by Hank Phillippi Ryan, an author I had not previously read.  Ryan is "the investigative reporter for NBC's Boston affiliate and has won thirty-three Emmys and fourteen Edward R. Murrow Awards for her groundbreaking journalism.She has also won multiple awards for her bestselling crime fiction, including five Agatha Awards, and the Anthony, Daphne, Macavity, and Mary Higgins Clark Awards. Ryan is a founding teacher at Mystery Writers of America University and past president of Sisters in Crime." (from the book jacket) That makes me tired just to read it! Not surprisingly, this was a compelling read that I had to tear myself away from at night. 

Protagonist Jane Ryland has been an investigative reporter for Channel 2 in Boston but recently decided to leave that role and take on documentary stories for the same channel. This is primarily because her reporter role has often put her into conflict with that of her partner (and now secret fiancé ) homicide detective Jake Brogan. She has just started working with a producer on an exposé of sexual assaults on college campuses. Returning from an interview with a local college administrator, they witness a car slam into the back of a take-out food delivery truck. Jane rolls down her window as they approach the scene and clearly identifies the offending car (writing down the license plate number) and gets a good look at the driver. When the driver then speeds off, Jane feels compelled to report the hit and run to the police. Little does she know what a can of worms she has opened. When an assistant district attorney commands her to appear in his office, Jane gets worried and no support seems forthcoming from the station higher-ups. 

In the meantime, Jake and his partner DeLuca are called in to investigate an "unaccompanied death" of a college visiting professor, found in the pool of her home as the result of an anonymous 911 caller. Although they track down the caller, she is unwilling to say anymore than that she saw a body in the pool of the house behind hers. She clearly has secrets and debilitating fears of her own. There's a 2nd murder, the wife of an organized crime boss, a young woman who is struggling with whether or not to reveal her own sexual assault to Jane, and multiple other story threads that of course get tied together at the end. Each chapter is told from the POV of one character, but in spite of the complexities, the reader never feels lost. It would probably be worthwhile to read this series from the beginning, but this book can absolutely stand alone. I'll add this author to my list of favorites.

Positive reveiws from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, and Booklist concludes it's a "compelling entry in a series known for wrapping timely social issues in realistic danger."