Books Read in 2022

  1. ***The Nazi’s Wife (Peter Watson). Interesting post-WW2 book about a “monument’s man” tracking down a major gold coin collection stolen by the Nazis. Kind of anti-climactic, yet worth the read. 1/3
  2. ***Betrayed in the Keys (Matthew Rief). The 4th Logan Dodge book involves a pirate treasure and a drug cartel that wants it. 1/7
  3. ***Good as Dead (Susan Walter, 2021). A woman’s husband is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Someone representing the killer buys her and her daughter a new house, pays all her bills, sets her up well. Written from alternative viewpoints of a number of people involved in the story. 1/12
  4. **Invasion (Sean Platt, Johnny Truant). First in a series about an alien invasion. I was skimming vast amounts. Won’t continue reading. 1/18
  5. ****Road to Perdition (Max Allan Collins). First in the trilogy, and written after the Tom Hanks movie. Differs in minor ways from the movie. Very good book, and I’ll read the ones that follow. 1/22
  6. ****Enemy of the State (Vince Flynn). The 16th Mitch Rapp book finds him going after ISIS and Saudis in a beyond-black operation for the President. 1/29
  7. ****Lethal Agent (Vince Flynn). The 18th Mitch Rapp book continues where “Enemy of the State” left off. I had already read “Red War,” which came between them. 1/31
  8. ****In Cold Blood (Mark Dawson). The first Beatrix Rose book. 2/3
  9. ****Blood Moon Rising (Mark Dawson). The 2nd Beatrix Rose book, in which she continues tracking down the operatives who killed her husband and kidnapped her daughter. 2/6
  10. ***Blood and Roses (Mark Dawson). The 3rd in the Beatrix Rose trilogy.
  11. **My Journey (Ray Seilhamer, 2022). My final proof of this autobiography. 1/23
  12. ****Pastrix (Nadia Bolz-Weber). A wonderfully insightful Christian book by a very unordinary Lutheran minister. 2/5
  13. ***RandomPokes 2 (Steve Dennie, 2022). My second collection of miscellaneous musings.
  14. ***White Devil (Mark Dawson). The first in the Hong Kong trilogy about Beatrix Rose, occurring after her daughter was kidnapped. 2/7
  15. ***Nine Dragons (Mark Dawson). The 2nd in the Hong Kong trilogy about Beatrix Rose, continues into the 3rd book. 2/9
  16. ***Dragon Head (Mark Dawson). The conclusion of the Hong Kong trilogy about Beatrix Rose. 2/11
  17. ***Phoenix (Mark Dawson). Beatrix Rose teams up with a new guy, John Milton, for a mission in Venezuela. 2/12
  18. ****Wild Case (Tripp Ellis). The 10th Tyson Wild book finds him in South America going up against drug dealers and guerillas. 2/14
  19. ****Wild Crown (Tripp Ellis). The 11th Tyson Wild book involves a murder in a beauty contest. Quite good. 2/16
  20. ****Wild Break (Tripp Ellis). The 12th Tyson Wild book takes place during spring break, with a serial killer at work. 2/18
  21. ****Wild Fury (Tripp Ellis). The 13th Tyson Wild book, in which JD become frontman for a ban called Wild Fury. 2/20
  22. ****Wild Surge (Tripp Ellis). The 14th Tyson Wild book, in which Tyson and JD discover a container ship in which all of the crew have been killed by some contagion, and it’s terrorist related. Plus, there’s the Seaside Stalker who is killing women. 2/23
  23. ****Wild Impact (Tripp Ellis). The 15th Tyson Wild book involves the killing of a golf pro’s wife. 2/26
  24. ****Family Money (Chad Zunker). An interesting thriller involving the kidnapping of a beloved father-in-law in Mexico and old family secrets. 3/1
  25. ****Death in the Sunshine (Steph Broadribb). Four retired police officers in a Florida community investigate the murder of a young woman. Quite good. 3/3
  26. ***Broken Churches, Broken Nation (C. C. Goen). A well-researched look at the role of churches in the lead-up to the Civil War. 3/6
  27. **The Time Traders (Andre Norton). I probably read this when I was in junior high and loved it. Didn’t this time. 3/10
  28. ****His Truth is Marching On (Jon Meacham, 2021). A biography of Civil Rights icon John Louis. Excellent primer on the whole Civil Rights movement. 3/11
  29. ***Shots Fired (CJ Box). A short story collection, with 3 stories involving Joe Pickett and one Nate R. 3/12
  30. ****Off the Grid (CJ Box). A Joe Pickett novel with a big focus on Nate, and involving domestic terrorism, kind of. 3/15
  31. ****Vicious Circle (CJ Box). Dallas Cates and his family, from a few books ago, comes back for revenge. Very very good. 3/18
  32. **Black Judas (John David Smith). A meticulously researched biography of William Hannibal Thomas. 3/19
  33.  ****True Conviction (James P Sumner). The first Adrian Hell book, in which the assassin goes to Nevada for a job. I’m going to like this series. 3/23
  34. ****Resistance (JM Dillard). Borg drones are building a huge new cube and making a new queen. Picard can hear them in his head, and with the Enterprise goes after them. 3/24
  35. ****Traveling Mercies (Ann Lamott). The author’s spiritual journey, with a lot of good stories and insights. 3/26
  36. ****Forsaken (Jeffrey James Higgins). A novella about a woman medic in Afghanistan who gets stranded in Taliban territory. Very good. 3/26
  37. ****Q&A (Keith R. A. DeCandido). A Star Trek novel continuing after Resistance. Brings back Q and the Q Continuum. The plot involves the Enterprise and Titan ships, Romulans, and Klingons. 3/28
  38. **History of the 7th Illinois Infantry (Daniel Lieb Ambrose). Written by a UB preacher’s kid. 3/28
  39. ****Greater than the Sum (Christopher Bennett). Picard’s crew encounters somewhat of a renegade version of the Borg. Leads to an upcoming trilogy with a final showdown with the Borg. 3/30
  40. ****Of Mice and Minestrone (2021, Joe R Lansdale).  A short story and novella collection of Hap & Leonard. 4/2
  41. ****Dead End Jobs: a Hitman Anthology (Andy Rausch). A collection of short stories about contract killers. 4/3
  42. ****A Minute to Midnight (David Baldacci). The second Atlee Pine novel. This one takes her to Andersonville, Ga., looking for clues into the disappearance of her twin sister. 4/6
  43. ****The Big Book of Hep and Leonard (Joe R. Lansdale). A collection of novellas, short stories, and other writings about Hap and Leonard. 4/10
  44. ****Go and Bury Your Dead (Bill Brooks). A John henry Cole book. 4/13
  45. ****Kilkenny (Louis L’Amour). One of L’Amour’s favorite characters, possibly the 3rd book about him. 4/15
  46. ****The Mountain Valley War (Louis L’Amour). Possibly the first book about Kilkenny. 4/17
  47. ****Redemption in the Keys (Matthew Rief). The 5th Logan Dodge book involves a Navy Seal Dodge served with who was dishonored and presumed dead, but comes back to be exonerated. 4/18
  48. ****Corruption in the Keys (Matthew Rief). The 6th Logan Dodge book picks up right after the Redemption in the Keys. 4/20
  49. ****Free but Not Equal (V. Jacque Voegel). A fascinating look at views about slaves and emancipation in the northern midwestern states (mostly Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa) during the Civil War, and public opinions about freeing the slaves and its ramifications. 4/21
  50. ****Bitterroots (C. J. Box). The 5th Cassie Dewell book finds her mixing it up with a highly dysfunctional ranch family who pretty much control a county in Montana. Shades of Yellowstone. 4/22
  51. ****For Cause and Comrades (James M. McPherson). McPherson examines, from soldiers’ letters, both North and South, the reasons why men signed up to fight, and what kept them fighting. Fascinating stuff. 4/25
  52. ****The Disappeared (CJ Box). The 19th Joe Pickett novel. In this one, he’s sent by the new governor to another district to try to uncover the mystery of an English woman who disappeared after spending a week at a high-end dude-type ranch. There’s also a conspiracy involving a big wind farm. 4/29
  53. *****Wolf Pack (CJ Box). The 20th Joe Pickett novel, and a very good one. Involves a mysterious and reclusive New Jersey guy who likes harassing game animals with his drone, and a team of cartel killer who comes to Saddlestring. 5/2
  54. ***Hunter’s Game (James P. Sumner). The 2nd Adrian Hell book finds him in San Francisco with the FBI and a fellow from the 1st book who didn’t stay dead, and is back for revenge. 5/7
  55. ****Driving to Geronimo’s Grave (Joe R. Lansale). A very good collection of novellas. 5/7
  56. ****One Last Bullet (James Sumner, 2015). The 3rd Adrian Hell book kind of concludes a trilogy. 5/12
  57. ****The Sawtooth Job (Vince Milam). The latest in the Case Lee series finds him initially in Montana, then in South America, all to find a kidnapped scientist and foil a big plot. 5/17
  58. ****Better Off Dead (Lee Child). The 26th Jack Reacher book finds him drawn into a conspiracy in a small town along the Mexico border, with a villain named Dendoncker, and a one-legged military vet trying to rescue her brother. Very good book. Better than the previous one co-written by Andrew Child. 5/19
  59. ****Road to Purgatory (Max Allen Collins). A sequel to Road to Perdition, second in a trilogy. Focuses on the son from Road to Perdition, who was 12 then, and is now a Medal of Honor winner. He is placed by Elliott Ness within the Al Capone organization, but is really seeking revenge for his father’s death. 5/20
  60. ****Road to Paradise (Max Allen Collins). The 3rd in the Perdition trilogy. The boy is now in his 50s or 60s, and leading a casino/hotel in Lake Tahoe. His gangster days seem behind him, but he gets pulled back in. 5/21
  61. ****Down Among the Jocks (Ralph Dennis). The 5th Hardman book involves Hump and a former pro football player writing a tell-all book. 5/23
  62. ****Murder if Not an Odd Job (Ralph Dennis). The 6th Hardman book has Hardman and Hump doing bodyguard work for a guy about to inherit a fortune. 5/25
  63. ****Working for the Man (Ralph Dennis). In the 7th Hardman book, our hero duo are working for a mobster known as The Man, trying to find who is blackmailing him. 5/27
  64. *Contingency (G. J. Ogden). First in a sci-fi series. Didn’t care for it. 5/30
  65. ***Tempest (Mark Dawson). A longer Beatrice Rose novel in which she helps a friend leave Hong Kong for Cuba to meet up with his daughter. So so. 6/2
  66. ****Wild L. A. (Tripp Ellis). Tyson Wild is in Los Angeles trying to learn who killed a starlet. 6/3
  67. ****Wild High (Tripp Ellis). The 17th Tyson Wild book involves the murder of a high school cheerleader. Throw in a serial killer from a previous book. 6/5
  68. ****Wild Abyss (Tripp Ellis). The 18th Tyson Wild book involves a missing mortuary owner, ocean treasure, and mobsters. 6/5
  69. ****Wild Life (Tripp Ellis). The 19th Tyson Wild book. 6/7
  70. ****Wild Spirit (Tripp Ellis). Hijinks and murder around Halloween in this 20th Tyson Wild book. 6/8
  71. **Hellmouth (Giles Kristian). An okay novella, and a good introduction to Kristian. I’ll read more of his stuff. 6/10
  72. *****I Am Pilgrim (Terry Hayes). One of the best spy-type novels I’ve ever read. Quite a debut novel.  6/16
  73. ***Targeted (Stephen Hunter). The latest Bob Lee Swagger book, but just not up to his usual standards. Kind of dull in parts. 6/18
  74. ***Hyperion (Dan Simmons). An acclaimed sci-fi book, but I just wasn’t all that crazy about it. And a very unsatisfying ending. 6/24
  75. *****Long Range (CJ Box). One of the best Joe Pickett books, with three things going on at once–a grizzly bear attack, a cartel assassin, and a sniper. 6/25
  76. ****Dark Sky (CJ Box). Joe Pickett takes a billionaire and his small entourage deep into the mountains to hunt elk, and killers are after them. 6/27
  77. ***Born for Trouble (Joe R. Lansdale). About five novellas about Hap & Leonard. I’d read most of them before. 6/28
  78. ****Not In It to Win it (Andy Stanley). Excellent book about the dangers of Kingdom people playing in the political system of this world. 7/3
  79. ****Gods of Night (David Mack). The first of the Destiny trilogy, which deals with the final end of the Borg conflict. Very good. 7/3
  80. ****Mere Mortals (David Mack). The second of the Star Trek Destiny trilogy. 7/6
  81. ****Lost Souls (David Mack). The conclusion of the Star Trek Destiny trilogy, which brings what seems to be a final end to the Borg threat. 7/10
  82. ****Losing the Peace (William Eisner). The Enterprise helps deal with the refugee crisis resulting from the Borg invasion, with several worlds totally destroyed and others severely stricken. 7/13
  83. ****Predator in the Keys (Matthew Rief). Logan Dodge and friends seek revenge for the killing of a couple of friends. 7/16
  84. ***Q are Cordially Uninvited (Rudy Josephs). What really happened at the marriage of Jean-Luc and Beverly, with mischief from Q. 7/17
  85. ****War Party (Louis L’Amour). A collection of short stories. 7/19
  86. ****Brionne (Louis L’Amour). Major Brionne, a Civil War soldier, out to avenge the death of his wife. 7/22
  87. ****Heller with a Gun (Louis L’Mour). King Mabry is the good guy, hooking up with a traveling entertainer show during the winter in Wyoming. 7/25
  88. ****Steel Fear (Brandon Webb & John David Mann, 2021). A new series involving an ex-SEAL. This one is basically a murder mystery aboard an aircraft carrier. Very interesting, and great descriptions of life aboard such a carrier. 7/30
  89. **Cold Fear (Brandon Webb & John David Mann, 2022). The sequel to Steel Fear. This one takes place entirely in Iceland, with all kinds of intrigue. 8/2
  90. ****Signal Moon (Kate Quinn). A wonderful short story (55 pages) involving a woman in WW2 who works to intercept Nazi radio messages, who suddenly is able to communicate with a signals operator aboard an American warship in 2023. Loved every bit of it. 8/3
  91. ***London Twist (Barry Eisler). Novella about a Mossad agent tracking down a terrorist woman in London. 8/5
  92. ****The Deadly Cotton Heart (Ralph Dennis). The 8th Hardman book. 8/8
  93. ****The Professionals (Owen Laukkanen). This book had been setting on my shelf for years. Finally read it. Very good story involving four young professional kidnappers and the Minnesota cop and FBI agent trying to bring them down. Really liked it. 8/12
  94. ****West of Dodge (Louis L’Amour). A collection of short stories. I love his short stories. 8/14
  95. ****Taking Wing (2005, Michael Martin and Andy Mangels). First in the Titan series finds the newly-launched ship going to Romulus to rescue Tuvok, working as an undercover operative, and negotiate between the warring sides. 8/20
  96. ***The Red King (2005, Michael Martin and Andy Mangels). A sequel to “Taking Wing.” The crew, along with a fleet of Romulun ships, ends up in a distant part of the galaxy trying to thwart some kind of god-like entity, which didn’t make a very good villain. 8/21
  97. ****A Man Called Justice (John Deacon). First in a series about a “silent justice” lawman who loses his memory. 8/22
  98. ****Justice Returns (John Deacon, 2022). Second in the series. Clean, plenty of action, good characters. 8/24
  99. ****Final Justice (John Deacon, 2022). Third book in the trilogy. 8/26
  100. ****The One-Dollar Rip-Off (Ralph Dennis). The 9th (of 13) Hardman book finds Hardman and Hump embroiled in a scam which escalates into murder. 8/26
  101. **Assignment Darklanding (Craig Martelle). The first in a sci-fi series. Kind of boring. Won’t read any more. 8/27
  102. *Track Down Africa (Scott Conrad). First in a series. This one involves rescuing a woman from deepest Africa. Really boring. Absolutely nothing interesting. 8/29
  103. ***Rider of the Ruby Hills (Louis L’Mour). A short story and then a full length novel which gives the book its title. 9/1
  104. ***Down Range (Taylor Moore). First book in a new thriller series, this being the author’s first. Pretty good, but somehow not compelling. Involves drugs and a larger plot set in Texas. I may or may not read the next volume. 9/5
  105. ***Lost Arrow (Marshall Ross). First in a sci-fi trilogy involving a massive spaceship which seeded the population of earth. I’m intrigued. 9/6
  106. ***Fallen Arrow (Marshall Ross). Second in the Kalelah trilogy. 9/7
  107. ***Jagged Arrow (Marshall Ross). The conclusion of the Kalelah trilogy. 9/9
  108. ****A Clean Kill in Tokyo (Barry Eisler). First in the Jack Rain series. Pretty good. Very evocative of Tokyo. 9/12
  109. ****Lonely Resurrection (Barry Eisler). Second Jack Rain book. Something isn’t grabbing me. 9/18
  110. ***That Time in Paris (Logan Ryles). First in the “Wolgang Pierce” series about an unusual team that pulls off capers, all in different world cities. These are all basically novellas, around 120 pages. 9/19
  111. ****The Bourne Treachery (Brian Freeman). Second book since Brian Freeman took over and rebooted the Jason Bourne series. I really like his books. 9/22
  112. ****No Fortunate Son (Brad Taylor). I got away from the Pike Logan books, but this one is really good. 9/23
  113. ****That Time in Cairo (Logan Ryles). Second in the series. This one is set in Egypt, involving a stolen ancient manuscript.
  114. ****Conviction (Glynn Stewart). Sci-fi military involving a woman pilot as the main protagonist who joins up with a mercenary carrier. Part 1 of 6. Like it. 9/28
  115. ***Duel (JH Lee). A novella set in the Wuxia universe. This is set entirely in a roadside inn, involving a woman who can’t remember her identity but is an amazing fighter. 9/29
  116. ***Call Sign (Brad Taylor). A novella. Nothing special, but fills in some blanks in Pike’s story. 9/30
  117. ***Gut Instinct (Brad Taylor). A Novella, mostly focused on Jennifer. 10/2
  118. ****The Political Seduction of the Church (Michael Brown). Brown, a well-known charismatic Christian columnist, writes to his own tribe about, basically, becoming toadies for the Republican party and Trump cultists. 10/
  119. ****Long Lost (Harlan Coben). The first Coben book I’ve read, and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long. This was a Myron Bolitar book. Super all the way around. 10/9
  120. **Until Unity (Francis Chan). Chan writes about the need for unity among Christians, but it’s all very confusing. 10/12
  121. ****Don’t Let Go (Harlan Coben). A stand-along Coben book, with another great plot. This one involves a young police officer trying to figure out what happened the night his brother was killed and his girlfriend went missing, 15 years ago. 10/13
  122. Hairpin Bridge (Taylor Adams). The third book I’ve read by Adams, and all have been engrossing, clever, and unpredictable. 10/15
  123. ****Three Weeks to Say Goodbye (CJ Box). Might be his first novel. This one has Cody Hoyt when he was still single. Excellent book–far better than I was expecting as an early novel. One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. 10/18
  124. ***Fender Lizards (Joe R Lansdale). A light thriller involving roller-skating waitresses doing roller-derby against professionals from a circus. 10/20
  125. **Churches on Hospice (Ray A. Seilhamer, 2022). Why churches die. 10/24
  126. ****Wild Thunder (Tripp Ellis). The 21st Tyson Wild book–always an enjoyable, action filled romp. JD and Tyson help an army buddy whose daughter is kidnapped by a cartel. 10/25
  127. ****Wild Season (Tripp Ellis). The 22nd Tyson Wild book. Involves the murder of a guy who plays Santa Claus. 10/27
  128. ****Wild Rage (Tripp Ellis). The 23rd Tyson Wild book. Involves the murder of a county judge. 10/29
  129. ****Wild Heart (Tripp ELlis). The 24th Tyson Wild book. Involves the murder of a couples counselor. 10/30
  130. ****Wild Spring (Tripp Ellis). The 25th Tyson Wild book. Involves a spring break beauty contest. 10/31
  131. ****Valley of the Sun (Louis L’Mour). A collection of short stories. 11/2
  132. ****A Promise to Kill (Erik Storey). The 2nd Clyde Barr story finds the former mercenary-of-sorts in an Indiana reservation town that is besieged by a biker gang. 11/2
  133. ***Black Flag (Brad Taylor). A novella in the Pike Logan series. 11/4
  134. ***The Dig (Brad Taylor). Another novella in the Pike Logan series, this one involving Area 51. 11/5
  135. ****The Recruit (Brad Taylor). Another novella in the Pike Logan series, this one not involving Logan himself, but Knuckles, one of his teammates, and an interesting recruit in a plot set in South America. 11/7
  136. ****Total Power (Vince Flynn). An excellent, and scary, book involving a successful plot to take down the entire American electrical grid. 11/11
  137. ****Fool Me Once (Harlan Coben). A stand-alone novel. A special-ops pilot, Maya, sees on her nanny cam her late husband playing with her daughter. 11/13
  138. ***Never Die (Rob J. Hayes). A fantasy set in a place similar to ancient China. The swordsmen heroes are brought back to life to fulfill a mission.11/18
  139. ****Deal Breaker (Harlan Coben). The first Myron Bolitar book. He’s a sports agent. This rather intricate plot involves the death 18 months before of the fiance of his top client. 11/20
  140. ***Duel Between the First Ironclads (William C. Davis). The story of the Monitor and the Merrimack. 11/21
  141. ****Legend in the Keys (Matthew Rieff). The 8th Logan Dodge thriller finds them teaming up with a famous treasure hunter to find a long-lost huge diamond, but with Albanian mafia hounding them. 11/24
  142. ****Enemy at the Gates (Vince Flynn). Mitch Rapp comes to the aid of the world’s first trillionaire who is being chased by Ugandan terrorists. 11/26
  143. ****Oath of Loyalty (Vince Flynn). Mitch Rapp thought he had a truce with the new US president, but it’s been broken, as people come after Claudia. 11/29
  144. ****Stealing the General (Russell Bonds). A very thorough, well-researched account of the Civil War’s “Great Train Chase.”
  145. ****All God’s Children (Aaron Gwyn). An unusual western set in 1840s Texas, mostly, with a protagonist who is inactively gay. 12/5
  146. ****The Yestertime Effect (Andrew Cunningham). A sequel to Yestertime, with people navigating secret portals through various years. 12/8
  147. ****The Yestertime Warning (Andrew Cunningham). The conclusion (I think) of the Yestertime trilogy. I enjoyed these books. 12/11
  148. ****The Boy in the Woods (Carter Wilson). A psychological thriller by an author I’ll need to read more of. 12/15
  149. ****Savage Indulgence (Shayla Raquel). A light-hearted novella involving cannibalism. Enjoyed it a lot. 12/18
  150. ****They Come at Knight (Yasmine Angoe). The sequel to last year’s Her Name is Knight. 12/24
  151. *****The Boy from the Woods (Harlan Coben). The first Wilde book, and a spectacular start. Involves a bullied girl, a presidential candidate, a boy trying to fit in, an an adult man–Wilde–who grew up partly on his own roaming in forests. 12/28
  152. ****A Fine Night for Dying (Jack Higgins). It’s been many years since I’ve read a Jack Higgins book. This is a stand-alone involving an organization that smuggles people into Britain. 12/29
  153. ****The Last of the Armageddon Wars (Ralph Dennie). Someone is trying to assassinate The Man, and Hardman is trying to stop it. 12/30

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