Mark Lieberman's Blog: Mark Lieberman's BOOK REVIEWS , page 5

The Women’s Murder Club (books 2 through 9) by James Patterson

I am fully vested in this series, and have been really enjoying it. I like how Patterson and whomever is helping him write it describes in fantastic detail the action and sometimes it’s pretty graphic. The research for it must be a lot and it makes it sound real.

I like that each member, Lindsay, Claire, Cindy, Jill, and Yuki can easily be the main characters of a story by themselves. They rely on their individual expertise, but collaborate together to solve cases. I also like the role players of Brenda, Conklin, Jacobi, Charlie Clapper, Joe, and the Edmund as well as the location of Susie’s.

For me, I am reading them pretty quickly (usually, about two days per book). Sometimes as I am reading in my bed before my bedtime, I want to keep reading to see what happens. I don’t need sleep!

My question is if the Women’s Murder Club was real, who would play them? Helen Hunt for Lindsay, Viola Davis as Claire, Ally Sheedy as Cindy, and Mindy Kaling as Yuki. For Joe, I would say Brendan Fraser and for Conklin, I would say Rami Malek. I would for sure watch that movie!

Oh, I have just started 10th Anniversary.

The Mogul: Eddie Gottlieb, Philadelphia Sports Legend and Pro Basketball Pioneer – by Rich Westcott

Last November, I read two basketball biographies about Abe Saperstein and Red Klotz, and in both, Eddie Gottlieb was mentioned.   I was intrigued about Gottlieb and everything he did for the NBA as well as Negro baseball.

He played, coached, and owned the Philadelphia SPHAS, one of the best semi professional basketball teams way before the NBA took control of the world.

He owned, coached, and was the GM of the Philadelphia Warriors in the National Basketball League.  He won two championships.  He drafted Wilt Chamberlain to play for the Warriors in the 1959 season.  It was there when he had his 100-point game!  He actually created a rule that the NBA ruled in favor to guarantee that the team can indeed draft Wilt.  It was rescinded a few years later.

He sold the Philadelphia Warriors to a group who moved the team to San Francisco.  It was Gottlieb’s experience and knowledge of basketball that helped make and keep them in San Francisco (it was him who told the GM to draft Rick Barry); later they become the Golden State Warriors.

Since Philadelphia was without a team, Gottlieb tried to work with some other NBA teams to come to Philadelphia, but those all fell through. He was aware of financial issues with the Syracuse Nationals and was friendly with the owner, Daniel Biasone and told him if he wanted to sell, I am here!  The Syracuse Nationals were brought by close friends of Gottlieb and the team relocated to Philadelphia and became the 76ers.

In addition to everything I mentioned, Gottlieb was also an organizer and promoter for baseball and basketball teams in the Philadelphia area for a long time before the Warriors and 76ers.  For baseball, he was also the owner of the Negro National League team, the Philadelphia Stars.  He was a big lobbyist and on the baseball hall of committee that helped get the Negro stars elected to the hall of fame (Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson to name the most known).

He was also in charge of the NBA schedule for 30 years, doing everything by hand and this was way before computers.

He was more about getting people to watch the games than making money for himself.  It was mentioned throughout the book that he carried his net worth in his pockets and those pockets paid the salaries for the players as well as daily per diem.

I enjoyed the stories of Gottlieb as told by him, players, and associates.  This book is a great source of the history of Philadelphia sports.  By far, this has been one of the best books I have read this year.  He really was a Philadelphia sports legend and was often referred to as “the mogul.”

Roll With It: A Trip Back To The 90’s – Gen X Style – by Brad Porteus

I saw a substack review from allsportsbookreviews.substack.com, and thought I would give it a read.  The author, Brad Proteus, got a job with the San Jose Rhinos, a professional roller hockey team.  He ended up becoming the GM of the team.  He was in his mid 20’s, and this was the mid 90’s.  In his 2nd year with the Rhinos, the team won the championship, which was known as the ‘Murphy Cup.”

He tells the story of how he got started in sports with the San Jose Sharks hockey expansion team in 1991 and the Rhinos a few years later.   Thrown in are stories from the job, stories from being a young adult in that area, and references from the 90’s (which I really enjoyed as I remember a lot of them as I was 13 in 1990).

Overall, it was OK for me, and it was a quick read.  It was more of, hey, I got a job for a sports team and this is what I did, and I got a championship ring.

1st to Die (Women’s Murder Club, #1) – by James Patterson

I have read all the James Patterson Alex Cross and Michael Bennett books and wanted to try this one by him. I have also read all the Jesse Stone and Spenser books by Robert Parker. As you can see, that is a lot of macho men and I was ready for a change and that change being strong females.

So, with that being said, I read 1st to Die, and I enjoyed meeting the Women’s Murder Club of Lindsey (SFPD), Jill (ADA), Claire (ME), and Cindy (SF Chronicle Writer). The book is told in first person from Lindsey’s POV, and we get a background of the Fab Four. We also learn that Lindsey has a life changing illness that she deals with throughout the book.

Together, they solved a crime, but I will admit and tell you I was sad to see Chris Raleigh die. I was like really. Come on, Patterson!

Heartbreaker: A Memoir – by Mike Campbell

I saw this book as a new release, and although I was halfway interested in it, I scrolled past it and moved on.  Then, a few weeks later, Mike Campbell was one of the musicians featured on the FireAid concert in L.A where the proceeds helped the victims of the wildfires.  So, that is when I put this book in my To Be Read list.

I enjoyed reading his story of how he became a guitar player (self-taught), and how he got to be a Heartbreaker.  There were stories of how songs came to be as well, stories from being a traveling musician, and a lot of insight to the mind of Tom Petty.

I do like several of there hits.  When the album, Full Moon Fever came out in 1989, I remember a lot of my fellow campers at the camp I attended that summer had the album, and it was played constantly.

I didn’t know that Tom Petty and Heartbreakers played with Bob Dylan.

I didn’t know that Campbell was in the sessions with The Traveling Wilbury’s.  Even that story was told; Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty.

I didn’t know Campbell co-wrote some songs for Don Henley.

Overall, I really enjoyed it.  I am glad, though, this book didn’t drag on forever like some musician memoirs I have read.

Michael Bennett books 1 through 17 – by James Patterson

So, I finished reading all the Michael Bennett books, and enjoyed them.  Although, about halfway through, I almost stopped completely because I was tired of reading about bad things happening in New York City.  But, I trudged on.  Even though, I knew Bennett would solve the cases, how he got there was the whole point of reading the books.  I like Bennett as he is a great father to 10 adopted children, husband, grandson, and the best homicide detective in the NYPD.  I am excited to read more books and see what he and his wife, Mary Catherine are up to as well as his kids.  Each of his kids could easily have their own books!  

One thing I wished in the Michael Bennett books is that he would meet up with Alex Cross!  In Robert Parker’s Jesse Stone, Spenser, and Sunny Randall books, they are in the same time frame and characters from each cross over.  I like that.  

I think I am going to try the Woman’s Murder Club by Patterson next, but I have a few books ahead of it for now.  

Magic in the Air: The Myth, the Mystery, and the Soul of the Slam Dunk – by Mike Sielski

I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. But, that didn’t happen as I tried a few times to read it and just couldn’t get my mindset into it.

A few days ago, though, I needed a break from the Michael Bennett books I have been reading and wanted a good sports book. So, I tried one final time for this one, and I really enjoyed it.

To me, it was more of a history of the dunk and some of the key players who were known for dunking. Those key players also had a brief summary of their careers.

Of course, there was Wilt Chamberlain, Dr. J, Michael Jordan, David Thompson, Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, Brent Barry, Earl Manigault, Connie Hawkins, Vince Carter, and more but there were also a lot of unknown names to me like Bob Kurland, Joe Fortenberry, and Duane Hillman. Sielski also mentioned some of the female dunkers.

Also discussed was the movie, White Men Can’t Jump.

I didn’t realize that the dunk got banned in college basketball from 1967 to 1976, primarily because of how dominate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was.

Michael Bennett, books 2 through 7 – by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

So far, I am really enjoying this series.   I started it on February 11th, and have been reading them pretty quickly.  My next question is should I read Patterson’s Private series next or the Women’s Murder Club?  I will let you know that I prefer memoirs, but this genre is starting to pull me in and that is fine.  I like the action and the fact that sometimes in the evenings, I want to keep reading  as I want to know what happens.  But at some point, I do have to stop and close my eyes for sleep.  

The only thing I don’t like and it also goes for all the Alex Cross books is you know what the outcome is going to be, just how they get there is different.

Bennett is one of the best police officers in the NYPD, he is a dedicated family man (he has 10 adopted kids, his grandfather, and an au pair named Mary Catherine), and the ladies all like him.    

For book 7, Burn, Bennett worked two cases at the same time as well.  He even got a date in with Mary Catherine and he surprised her in Ireland as she had to bury her mother.  In real life, I wonder who Bennett and Mary Catherine would be; maybe George Clooney and Rose McGowan.  

I am not planning on reviewing  all the books in series,  but will definitely review the last one.  

Step on a Crack (Michael Bennett, #1) – by James Patterson

I have read all the Alex Cross books by James Patterson, and was looking for another similar series of books, and I came across Michael Bennett also by James Patterson. Both are cops; Cross in DC and Bennett in NYPD.

Bennett and his wife, Maeve, have 10 adopted children. We learn early on that she has cancer and is dying. At this same time, Bennett is called away to work on a hostage situation at the funeral of a former First Lady where a lot of high-profile celebrities are in attendance. Bennett does have the help from Seamus, his grandfather as well as an Au Pair named Mary Catherine who arrives during this time. Mary Catherine was recommended by Maeve’s mother, and Bennett had no clue about it. But, he accepted the help.

It was action packed and I enjoyed it. I am already on book number 2.

Nothin’ Comes Easy: The Life of Rodney Dangerfield – by Michael Seth Starr

I got this book from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. Now, I knew of comedy and his characters from CaddyShack and Back to School, but I knew nothing else.

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