Tarnished City by Vic James

Just published this week, TARNISHED CITY by Vic James is the second book (after Gilded Cage) in the Dark Gifts Trilogy. Taking place in a futuristic Britain, this work of fantasy concentrates on the power struggle between the privileged, led by the magically proficient and power-hungry Jardine family, and their rebellious slaves, called the Unskilled. The latter group includes Abi Hadley, currently a fugitive, and her brother, Luke, condemned to prison in Scotland for an assassination he did not commit. Author James describes a harrowing existence filled with betrayal, secrets, and political intrigue. These books are dark, cruel, and complicated. If you like dystopian action adventure, start with Gilded Cage and then turn to TARNISHED CITY. The final book, Bright Ruin, is scheduled for publication in October.

Force of Nature by Jane Harper

FORCE OF NATURE by Jane Harper is her second Aaron Falk mystery, primarily set in a rural, backwoods area a few hours from Melbourne, Australia. There, Executive Adventures has organized a nature survival experience for several corporate employees. The mystery? Five women begin the hike and only four, injured and late, arrive at the rendezvous point a few days later. Harper does an excellent job of building suspense and a feeling of very grave danger. Her story is complex – involving past kidnappings and a serial killer in the area, corporate misdeeds and financial secrets, and family dynamics. Using flashbacks, she gradually reveals the events that occurred when the women (Jill, twins Bree and Beth, Lauren and Alice) were in the wild. Those are interspersed with the ongoing investigation of Falk, his partner and local law enforcement. Although scary and unnerving at times, I found myself looking forward to reading FORCE OF NATURE and finished it in just a day or two. This title received a starred review from Booklist and I highly recommended it. Look also for The Dry which is Harper’s much-acclaimed previous bestseller and the first in this series.

Building The Great Society by Joshua Zeitz

BUILDING THE GREAT SOCIETY by Joshua Zeitz has been a real treat to read. I truly enjoyed seeing some of the “behind the scenes” politics and “wheeling and dealing” necessary to make change in the 1960’s.  This is a fascinating, if somewhat biased, look at the challenges, accomplishments, and social justice values associated with LBJ’s Great Society and War on Poverty. One cannot help but contrast the described events with those in Washington, D.C. today. Zeitz notes that “LBJ’s early success [was] owed in part to his mastery of legislative strategy, equally fundamental were the efforts of advocacy groups … [and] Johnson benefited from a deep well of public support….” Amazingly, Johnson made 87 legislative requests in 1965, 84 were passed.  The efforts of Johnson and his staff resulted in transformative programs like Medicare, Head Start, and funding for education and the arts, including PBS/NPR. In addition to passing The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, they addressed immigration reform. Many familiar names (Joseph Califano, Jack Valenti, Bill Moyers, Abe Fortas, Sargent Shriver and so on) appear in Zeitz’s highly readable and narrative account. Extensively researched and footnoted, BUILDING THE GREAT SOCIETY aptly recalls a more hopeful, productive time in American history.