Nash Falls

 

Nash Falls (Walter Nash #1) by David Baldacci. Grand Central Publishing, 2025. 448 pages. ***

Walter Nash has it all. A highly successful position at Sybaritic Investments, a cheating wife and loving daughter. Estranged from his Vietnam- veteran father, he meets his father's friend and learns how he was viewed by his father and it unsettles his predictable, complacent life.

Approached by the FBI to provide evidence of a money laundering and drug selling enterprise, Nash becomes involved in international espionage. When his daughter is kidnapped and he is blamed, Nash agrees to be a man on the inside to bring down Victoria Speers, an international mastermind, and his boss, Rhett Temple. 

I am a fan of Baldacci books; however, this one dragged for me. The story line is continued in the second book, Hope Rises. Condensing the story into one book may not have provided the ability to introduce the many characters and the back stories, however, I am always impatient waiting for a story to be continued. Thankfully, I received Hope Rises to review, and it is excellent. As always, fantastic character development and still he incorporates his usual twists and turns to keep you guessing. 

 I had the pleasure of seeing David Baldacci interviewed by Lisa Scottoline in Lancaster, PA. What a fun evening! As an author and friend Lisa was able to ask probing and entertaining questions. 

David and Michelle Baldacci have created "Wishing You Well Foundation" to combat illiteracy in America. He spoke passionately about man's humanity and promoting civil discourse. 

For more info on Baldacci, click here

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Shibby Magee

 

Shibby Magee by Carrie Kabak. Cobyn, 2026. ****

Synopsis from the author - "When their mother, Vera Coffey, disappears after announcing she's a Traveller/Mincéir, Shibby and her twin sister, Dorah, are abandoned to a settled family already cracking at the seams. Under the iron rule of their viciously prejudiced grandmother, the two girls grow up on opposite tracks: Dorah, arrogant and bold; Shibby, bruised and quietly resilient.

As Shibby stumbles into adulthood, she's drawn to men who either abuse or dump her. She finds fleeting stability in the fast-paced chaos of a restaurant kitchen—but a question gnaws at her: is her future in the rooted life of the settled or on the open road to God only knows where? With the fierce support of a chosen few—Alice Duffy, housekeeper turned surrogate mother; Moochie de Barra, an affectionate stand-in for an emotionally absent father; and Kitty Dooley, a Traveller whose loyalty never wavers—Shibby begins to uncover hard truths about identity, family, and what she desperately needs to find where she truly belongs."

Billed as a tragicomedy, I loved this book!  Reading it stirred memories of my Irish Great-Grandmother and Godfather, the language, the sayings and the family situations. Shibby longs for her mother's love and doesn't understand how she could abandon her twin daughters. This is a story of loss, love, and families. Nanna Magee is all about appearances and holding her head high among the Parish Ladies even if her daughter-in-law is a Traveller. The reader is transported to another time and place, and it's easy to get lost in Shibby's story. I have been to Ireland and Kabak has captured the uniqueness of the Emerald Isle in her characters and dialog.  Fans of Claire Keegan will especially enjoy this book!

Irish recipes from Carrie Kabak - https://carriekabak.wixsite.com/home/copy-of-shibby-magee

Info on Irish Traveler's - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Travellers

https://phmuseum.com/projects/the-irish-travelers

I received a copy for a review.

From her website - Published by Penguin Random House, Carrie Kabak's novel, COVER THE BUTTER, was an Independent Booksellers' Pick, won an Audiofile Magazine award, and was nominated for a Quills Award. Her essays appear in FOR KEEPS and HE SAID WHAT? (Seal Press), EXIT LAUGHING (North Atlantic Books), FAITH (Simon and Schuster), and DUMPED (She Writes). Carrie's latest novels, SHIBBY MAGEE and EVERY MOLE AND FRECKLE, will be released in spring and fall 2026, and MALI MORGAN'S SUMMER in spring 2027. Carrie's a regular online visitor at a UCLA Personal Essay course, where she discusses the art of essay writing. ​For more info - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/488321.Carrie_Kabak

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Gone Before Goodbye

 

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2025. 340 pages. ****

From Goodreads..."Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan ... until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is ... Gone Before Goodbye"

This was the perfect read for a snowy weekend; I thoroughly enjoyed it. While author collaborations aren't always perfect, the story held together for me. I enjoy Coben's thrillers and there were enough twists and turns to hold my attention. The relationship that Maggie has with her father-in-law, Porkchop, a biker, is priceless. We all need that no matter what person who has our back especially when others are not who they seem to be. Reviews are mixed on this one, however, I found it to be entertaining and a perfect escape from the news channel and the snow!

Griefbots - https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2025/02/07/griefbots-blurring-the-reality-of-death-and-the-illusion-of-life/

Harlan Coben - https://www.harlancoben.com/reese-witherspoon-harlan-coben-novel/

Reese Witherspoon - https://reesesbookclub.com/

Interview on their Collaboration - https://www.npr.org/2025/12/31/nx-s1-5137288-e1/reese-witherspoon-and-harlan-coben-on-their-new-novel-gone-before-goodbye

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You Killed Me First

 

You Killed Me First  by John Marrs. Seattle : Thomas & Mercer, 2025. 381 pages. ***

Told in the alternating voices of three women, neighbors with secrets that include each other's families. It's November and one of the women wakes up tied and gagged in the middle of a wood pile for the neighborhood bonfire. The events leading up to her confinement set the stage for why there is a killer in their midst and how she has changed her identity to hide her past killings. No one is who they seem to be, and alliances are formed to protect their misdeeds. 

I really enjoy psychological thrillers and this is a complicated story with many twists and turns. At times, there were a few subplots that seemed to intentionally confuse the main plot. Fans of B. A. Paris will enjoy the psychology of the killer's intentions. 

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in Northamtonshire, England. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. 

For more info, https://www.johnmarrsauthor.com. 

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Skylark

 

Skylark by Paula McLain. New York: Atria Books, 2026. 464 pages. Good Morning America January Book Club pick.

I received two copies from the Publisher, Atria books, through the Little Free Library to share in my LFL. Stop by and claim one or check out the latest books. 

To watch this morning's GMA interview with the Paula McLain, click Here.

From Amazon - "1664: Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works, who secretly dreams of escaping her circumstances and creating her own masterpiece. When her father is unjustly imprisoned, Alouette's efforts to save him lead to her own confinement in the notorious Salpêtrière asylum, where thousands of women are held captive and cruelly treated. But within its grim walls, she discovers a small group of brave allies, and the possibility of a life bigger than she ever imagined.

1939: Kristof Larson is a medical student beginning his psychiatric residency in Paris, whose neighbors on the Rue de Gobelins are a Jewish family who have fled Poland. When Nazi forces descend on the city, Kristof becomes their only hope for survival, even as his work as a doctor is jeopardized."

Ratings are 4.4 out of 5. 

Paula McLain is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin, as well as two collections of poetry and a memoir. For more info on her, here.

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If you read Skylark, please leave a comment and let us know what you think!