Lucky Day

Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle, 240 pages

On the same day that her book is due to be published, statistics and probability professor Vera finds a penny that is very likely one that she collected as a kid, and then at brunch with her friends, every unlikely thing in the world happens — Vera's mom gets instantly killed by a truck, a chimpanzee starts killing people with a typewriter, people are strangled (and then dangled) by the ropes meant to hold down a parade balloon, you name it. Officially named the Low Probability Event, the collection of unlikely things kills millions worldwide and sends Vera into a years-long depression. Four years later, a government agent knocks on her door, asking for Vera's help taking down a casino that he's convinced has something to do with the Low Probability Event, and much to her own surprise, Vera agrees.

Like much of Chuck Tingle's horror, this book is clever and gory and fun, though I'm not sure I'd categorize it as strictly horror — it's more super-gory science fiction/horror? It's like if John Scalzi's Starter Villain had an evil twin, this would be it. That's probably a horrible way to describe this, so please take this from it: this book is fun, funny, and weird, while still having the heart that Tingle's books have (I loved seeing a depressed main character dealing very slowly with her depression). Highly recommended.

*This book will be published Aug. 12, 2025.

Too Much and Never Enough

Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump, PhD

Mary Trump writes extensively about her family, most notably her grandfather, Fred Trump; her father, Freddy Trump; and her uncle, Donald Trump. She delves into her grandfather's upbringing, and into his later relationships with his wife and children. Fred was not an emotionally supportive father and it's clear that this lack negatively affected his children. Mary (Fred's wife) did not attempt to moderate the harsh influence of her husband, but instead left the child-rearing to Fred, not trying to correct Donald's bullying behavior that was evident from a young age.

I found this book a fascinating look at family relationships by a psychologist who knows the family quite well, having grown up in the midst of it. Her vingettes capture a family whose values didn't seem to include love and emotional support. The writing flows well and the index is quite useful.

Void Moon

Void Moon / Michael Connelly, 391 p.. read by L.J. Ganser

Cassie Black has success selling cars at an LA Porsche dealership, not a mean feat for someone who's just left prison in Nevada and is still on parole.  Why then does she leave her comfortable new life behind to return to the place where, 6 years earlier, Cassie lost her love and her freedom: the Cleopatra casino on the Vegas strip?  Can she survive one final job?

In order to enjoy a heist, the reader has to like the con and loathe the victim.  As always, Connelly understands good storytelling, so we root for Cassie all the way.   Chock full of action and surprises and, of course, supported with carefully researched technical detail, Connelly entertains with outlandish scenarios that just manage to be plausible.