Box’s ‘Paradise Valley’ taut, suspenseful
Clinton calling new book ‘What Happened’
‘PBy Oline H. Cogdill
aradise Valley: a Novel’ (Minotaur), by
CJ Box
“Paradise Valley” reaches the same level of frightening realism that made CJ Box’s “The Highway” so terrifying. A sequel to that novel, “Paradise Valley,” makes an excellent conclusion to Box’s gripping The Highway Quartet novels that have evolved into a hunt for a serial killer who works as a long-haul trucker.
The realistic fright factor soars because Box uses the FBI’s Highway Serial Killer Task Force as a base for “Paradise Valley” and “The Highway.”
In “Paradise Valley,” Cassie Dewell, chief investigator in the Bakken County, North Dakota, sheriff’s department, is obsessed with finding killer Ronald Pergram, an independent trucker who preys on truck stop prostitutes. When a sting operation to entrap Pergram goes horribly wrong, Cassie is forced to resign. But Cassie holds firm to her mission of arresting Pergram, who is nicknamed The Lizard King.
The disappearance of three people where Pergram has been seen leads Cassie to believe that Pergram has kidnapped them. One of those missing is Kyle Westergaard, a troubled child for whom Cassie feels responsible. Working on her own, Cassie follows her instincts to track down Pergram.
Box keeps “Paradise Valley” taut, with twists that are as suspenseful as they are believable. Terrifying scenes at a truck stop, at a remote cabin and on a hilltop are not easily forgotten. The intuitive Cassie continues to display her acumen, and we hope Box will find new stories for her and for Kyle, who suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome. Although Box never allows sympathy nor empathy for Pergram, Box does show a glimmer of humanity that remains in this killer.
Box, best known for his long-running series about Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, has become one of the best purveyors of stories about the new American West. He vividly recounts how this part of North Dakota has gone from a boomtown to a near bust with unfinished subdivisions littering the landscape. As “Paradise Valley” moves to Montana, Box shows that the best travel writing delves into a region’s environs.
Box, winner of the Edgar Award, again proves his superior storytelling skills in “Paradise Valley.”
“Amanda Wakes Up” (Viking), by Alisyn
If anyone has the talent to write an innovative narrative about the realities of working at a popular cable-news station, it’s Alisyn
Camerota. As a correspondent and anchor for multiple major news outlets throughout her career, Camerota’s experience enables the reader to enjoy an eye-opening behindthe-scenes look at broadcast journalism in her debut novel, “Amanda Wakes Up.”
Amanda Gallo’s dream is to be a hardhitting journalist at a legitimate cable news station. When media mogul Benji Diggs notices her spunk and gumption, he invites Amanda to leave her local station to join him for a coveted morning co-anchor slot at FAIR News. In a matter of weeks, Amanda has the salary, the wardrobe and the respect she’s always wanted.
What Amanda didn’t expect was a reality check on her willingness to substitute integrity for ratings. With an election year coming up, Amanda swells with pride that FAIR News is the only morning show that tackles issues from both sides.
Unfortunately, the producers have a different viewpoint.
Former Hollywood wild-card presidential candidate Victor Fluke is a right-wing joke. He’s also ratings gold. Amanda understands her boss’ affinity for the obnoxious man, but shouldn’t the left-wing candidate also be allowed to have her voice heard on FAIR? And why is her co-anchor, the annoying yet incredibly handsome Rob Lahr, incapable of challenging any of the guests from Fluke’s political party?
Amanda decides to take matters into her own hands. As her personal life and career begin to unravel around her, Amanda faces the biggest story of her life. Will she do what she knows is right in her heart? Or what is easy in order to expand her career?
“Amanda Wakes Up” is an energetic and sometimes surprising look at the life of an ambitious news anchor. Readers’ loyalties will swing back and forth as different characters’ perspectives are introduced into the story line. At its core, the novel offers a lot of comedy, a touch of romance and a healthy dose of what it means to weigh ambition against truth.
NEW YORK:
Hillary Clinton is calling her new book “What Happened” and promising unprecedented candor as she remembers her stunning defeat last year to Donald Trump.
“In the past, for reasons I try to explain, I’ve often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net,” Clinton writes in the introduction, according to publisher Simon & Schuster. “Now I’m letting my guard down.”
Simon & Schuster told The Associated Press on Thursday that Clinton’s book will be a highly personal work that also is a “cautionary tale” about Russian interference in last year’s election and its threat to democracy.
In public remarks since last fall, the Democrat has cited Russia as a factor in her defeat to her Republican opponent, along with a letter sent by then-FBI Director James Comey less than two weeks before the election.
NEW YORK:
Also:
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has a book deal.
Henry Holt and Co. told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Abrams’ “Minority Leader: How to Lead from the Outside and Make Real Change” is scheduled for next spring. According to Holt, her book will combine her life story with “real-world, how-to advice” for women and minorities “who must grapple with the implications of race, class, gender and otherness.” Abrams, a Democrat, is hoping to become the country’s first black woman governor. She is calling her book “Lean In’ for the rest of us.”
“This is a book about how potent and compelling being the minority can be and how it can transform your destiny when properly harnessed,” she said in a statement.
NEW YORK:
George RR Martin says the next “Song of Ice and Fire” book has a real chance of coming out in 2018. But don’t count on it yet. In a weekend posting on his website, Martin wrote that he’s working hard on “The Winds of Winter,” the long-awaited sixth volume in the series adapted into the HBO hit “Game of Thrones.” He added that he has “good days and bad days” and is still months away from finishing. (AP)