Challenger

 Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higgenbotham (2024) 563 pages

A friend has planned a Jolabokaflod, or Yule Book Flood, book gift exchange for New Years for the past several years. This is the book that was gifted to me this year. It is very in-depth. I appreciated the brief biographies of ALL the major people involved. The engineering of the solid rocket boosters are covered in great detail since the joints where the sections stack together were the main flaw that led to the explosion. Also Higgenbotham spends a good deal of time examining the chain of command and decision-making process of NASA and their contractors. The decision to launch the shuttles through the 1980s often ignored engineers' advice about risky technological problems. The book goes back to the beginning of the space rocket program and shows a pattern that existed since the Apollo 1 disaster in 1967. Then the book covers the Congressional investigation into the 1986 disaster and loss of life. Hope and human achievement is balanced with scientific facts and figures.

Not Quite Dead Yet

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson, 400 pages

Jet is the disappointing daughter of one of the wealthiest families in town, having moved back into her parents' house as she procrastinates starting her life over. But then one day, she's attacked in her kitchen and left for dead. Jet survives the attack, but is given just a week left to live, which she chooses to spend solving her own murder. She moves onto her childhood friend Billy's couch and begins her investigation into everyone she knows, all of whom seem suspicious now.

This is an interesting conceit for a thriller/mystery, and overall it's done pretty well, acknowledging Jet's physical limitations in a way that would be totally ignored in a TV show or movie. However, I do have an issue with the fact that the doctor is able to pinpoint exactly how many days Jet has left before an aneurysm kills her — and the fact that the doctor is correct in her deadline. I get why it was done, but that bit made it hard to suspend disbelief in an otherwise excellent novel.

Hold Fast Through the Fire

Hold Fast Through the Fire by K.B. Wagers, 405 pages

This sequel to 2020's A Pale Light in the Black takes the tight-knit, highly competent team of Zuma's Ghost and throws them into another action-packed conspiracy mission. As one of the top ships in the Near-Earth Orbital Guard (NeoG to those in the know), Zuma's Ghost has been chosen to participate in a task force...but there's more to the task force than meets the eye. The mission is a front for the NeoG intelligence branch, though this is known only to a handful of players, placing a lot of mental stress on the relationships of Zuma's Ghost's crew. It's an excellent follow-up to Pale Light, and I'll happily keep reading about this crew for quite some time.

Newcomer

Newcomer / Keigo Higashino, translated by Giles Murray, read by P. J. Ochlan, 342 pgs.

Detective Kaga is a new transfer to the Nihonbashi section of Tokyo.  He is on the team investigating the murder of a newly divorced woman in her 40s.  The book takes us through the investigation at a deliberate pace.  Kaga has a good reputation but some wonder if he has lost his fire as they watch him wander around and ask seemingly irrelevant questions.  How will this all end up?  We know the crime will be solved but are kept in the dark about what is important to the case and the connections Kaga makes as he goes.  I liked the way this unfolded and agree with Kara that it reminded me of Agatha Christie.  Well done plot and writing.  I did not enjoy the audio version enough to finish so switched to print.

The burglar

The burglar / Thomas Perry, 288 pgs.

Elle Stowell is good at her job.  She is a burglar.  She can case a joint in no time flat and get in and out quickly.  She is in fantastic shape, a tiny blond 25 year old, she looks like she belongs in the toniest neighborhoods.  In the process of stealing, she stumbles on a murder scene.  It takes her a minute to see the camera that has probably recorded it all.  She ends up only taking the camera.  Now she is being followed.  She isn't sure if it is the cops or somehow related to the murder.  She starts investigating.  The pulse of this book keeps ratcheting up as Elle gets closer to the truth.  Will she figure out who committed the murder and why?  Read to find out.

Rossen to the Rescue: Secrets to Avoiding Scams, Everyday Dangers and Major Catastrophes

Rossen to the Rescue: Secrets to Avoiding Scams, Everyday Dangers and Major Catastrophes  by Jeff Rossen (2017) 245 pages

Not a morning television watcher, I wasn't aware of Jeff Rossen's reports on NBC's The Today Show, where he alerts the public to dangers (big and small), money-saving tips, and more. The book has a potpourri of topics. with a detailed table of contents and a thorough index.

One of the topics that surprised me in particular was the hidden camera report on how maids in a number of different hotels clean your room. (Don't trust the shiny counter and glasses in the bathrooms!) Other tips include how to stop a fire in your kitchen and how to behave if a policeman pulls you over. A surprising piece of info was that the calorie counts on food are allowed by the FDA to be off by as much as 20%. This was a useful, quick read, written in a personal, engaging style.