Ponder: Tailspin

I read Tailspin ©2018 by Sandra Brown on my flights to and from North Carolina for visiting QuiltCon last month. Perhaps the title might indicate that this was not the best topic for in-flight reading, but it was a real page turner, kept me engaged, and made the time in the air go quickly. A boring book and a cramped airline seat do not make a good combination, so I was very fortunate I had Tailspin to read. Sadly, no, it did not made the leg room any more spacious, but I was absorbed in the novel and did not notice so much.

According to the book's front flap synopsis

Rye Mallett is a fearless pilot with a reputation and a deadline to uphold. When he's asked to deliver a mysterious black box to Dr. Lambert, he doesn't ask questions. After a sabotage attempt on his plane, he's greeted by the mysterious Dr. Brynn O'Neal. Rye finds himself irresistibly drawn by the intrigue surrounding his cargo...and the alluring Brynn. Soon, Rye and Brynn are in a treacherous forty-eight-hour race to deliver the box. With everyone from law enforcement to hired guns hot on their heels, they must learn to trust each other to protect their valuable cargo–and their lives–from those who would kill for it.

Finding out what the mysterious cargo is and why its delivery is time critical, despite horrendous weather conditions, kept me curious. The pilot Rye regarded the transport as a mere delivery transaction and couldn't care less about its contents... until all hell breaks loose. I have read several other of Sandra Brown's book and they have the right mix of fast-paced adventure and smoldering romance. I general rate them around fours stars, very enjoyable but not classic literature. The following three Sandra Brown titles about which I happened to write blog posts.

• Out of Nowhere ©2023 about a mass shooting at a county fair in Texas and its aftermath
• (see post 10/21/23) ★★★★☆
• Tough Customer ©2011 mediocre, but moves quickly, minimizing exposure to creepy villain
  (see post 9/17/14)★★★☆☆
• Low Pressure ©2013 involves tornado obscuring crime scene evidence
  (see post 9/2/13) ★★★★☆ 

Shortly after completing my first Sandra Brown book back in 2013, Frank noticed that an e-bay auction item for 30 of her books, a mix of hardcovers and paperbacks with the current bid at $12.50 was closing within 16 minutes. The coincidence was so uncanny we figured it was word from above. Frank put in a last minute bid and won them all for $15.50 + $12 shipping. For less than $30 we got 30 books. This deal even beats the $0.01 books on Amazon, since each of those has $3.99 shipping. I just remembered that he'd done this when I reread my post from 9/2/13. These are the novels from that eBay bargain that I have left to read. I am so glad I rediscovered these on shelves in our garage.

Tailspin was a fun read that had a strong premise which was maintained and resolved to my satisfaction. I also enjoyed the multi-dimensionality of the two main characters. Their growth at the end of the story pleased me as well. Perhaps the sex scenes could be a bit too graphic for the sensitivity of some gentle readers, so I rate Tailspin four stars.

★★★★☆ Really good; maybe only one weak aspect or limited audience

Ponder: In Her Defense

I found the premise of In Her Defense ©2026 by Philippa Malicka intriguing and thought-provoking, a psychological topic I'd been curious about understanding. Anna and Bonamy Finbow have become estranged from their adult daughter, Mary, and blame her therapist. Per the front flap of the book.

The whole country has been riveted by the trial: Beloved TV star and national treasure Anna Finbow, standing in court, accusing her daughter’s therapist Jean Guest of brainwashing her daughter Mary for her own financial gain. Jean insists Mary’s traumatic memories arise from her upbringing and her time studying at a prestigious art school in Rome; wounds only Jean’s therapy can heal. But as the trial unfolds, it’s Augusta “Gus” Bird, Anna’s former employee—a seemingly insignificant bystander, a nobody—who holds the key to unraveling the tangled web of lies and deceit.

If you can tolerate reading about smoking, heroin snorting, the stigma of lesbianism, and the deprived conditions within an artists' colony, juxtaposed with child abuse and the entitled wealth of an elite crowd... then this book might appeal. Plowing through these unpleasant topics to get to the core of the central conflict made this book a difficult read for me. What really are memories? Chapters about the court trial alternate with chapters about remembrances or interactions that gave background. The trial chapters were engaging but I wish I could have skipped the other chapters. I would have liked more discussion about repressed memories versus false "recovered" memories. The novel fell short in this area. In Her Defense was a disappointment for me. I rate it only one star but I did read it through to completion to learn of the trial resolution.

★☆☆☆☆ Awful but I read most or maybe even all of it