Well worth the read and a good view into East Africa

John Wells travels to East Africa to attempt to rescue four aid workers who were kidnapped after working at a Somalia refugee camp.

As usual with Alex Berenson, the writing is excellent and the suspense nonstop.

Wells shows his bravery and resourcefulness in doing much of the work on the rescue by himself.

We also get to know the kidnappers and some of their motivation.

The conclusion was well done and I highly recommend the book.

A child missing

This is a book I'd read years ago  and wanted to revisit during my cancer infusion at the Smilow Cancer Clinic.

During registration for a school reunion in Chicago, Beth Cappadora tells her seven-year-old son to watch his three-year-old brother. After being delayed in the registration, when she returns, Ben is missing.

There is a massive search and family crisis. Things change and relationships between members of the family are changed.

Finally, one day when Beth comes to the door of her home, a young boy is asking if she'd like her lawn mowed.  She's sure it's Ben.

An excellent debut novel that was made into a film, the story shows what can happen to a family's stability when a tragic event takes place.

Books while on my sickbed

Being treated for lung cancer has changed so much in my life but not the love of reading.

During my treatment at New Haven Smilow Cancer Hospital, I have continued to find books a good place to go for a change of pace and to emerse myself in the fictional world.

In "Trickster's Point," William Kent Krueger again takes the reader to the upper Minnesota American Indian Indian setting.

Cork O'Connor goes fishing with his childhood friend, Jubal Little, who is in the early stages of a run for Minnesota governor when someone shoots Little with an arrow and kills him.  Because Cork waited with his friend until Little died, he becomes a suspect.

Also in the story are Winonah Crane and her brother Willie, all characters, childhood friends.

The story is nicely told with realistic characters and a picturesque setting.

A novel that is just what the doctor ordered

James Lee Burke is one of the masters of crime fiction.

Having recently been diagnosed with lung cancer and wanting a good story to listen to, I chose "In the Moon of Red Ponies." This is a Billy Bob Holland story narrated by Tom Stechschulte in ten discs.

Holland is a former Texas Ranger who begins life in a new manner in Missoula, Montana. His first client in his Montana law practice is a politically active American Indian, Johnny American Horse. Johnny is accused of killing the two men who entered his home in an attempt to kill him.

A secondary plot involves a dramatically disgruntled character named Wyatt Dixon. Dixon was a man who was sent to prison by Holland but was released early on a technicality. He climes to have been reborn in prison and refers to Holland as Brother Holland. He is one of the most memorable characters in the story.

Stechschulte's dramatic reading of the story is extremely well done. He is an experienced actor with experience on Broadway and on TV. His expressive voice adds a dimension of tension to the story as he assumes the voice of the character in the story.

The novel is well done and highly recommended.