Howdy,
Hopefully, with everything going on in the world, you've found time to read and study published works. I've been reading steadily, but no more than usual. Recently, it has been space operas and a thriller for me. Overall, these recent reads have been a mixed bag.
Typically, I enjoy Baldacci, especially his Will Robie novels. This is the third book I've read by Baldacci not featuring Mr. Robie, and it's the second book by Baldacci I didn't find pretty fantastic. The plot is fine, and so are the characters, but for some reason, I'm not sure what, the novel lacks the secret sauce that makes the Will Robie thrillers so thrilling. Maybe, it's because Will Robie is a genuinely great character for a thriller, much like Lucas Davenport and Jack Reacher. If you want to read a book by David Baldacci to study the craft of a thrill master, I suggest picking up a Will Robie novel.
Another entry in The Old Man's War Universe, this novel has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it fell short, at least, for me. I think the issue is that it started off not as a novel, but as a series of interconnected short stories (episodes?) released once a week over a period of time. This makes it feel episodic and I didn't get to spend much time with the characters I enjoyed. Still, it's Scalzi, the sparkling dialogue is witty, and by the end of the novel, I found myself eager to read the last installment in the series.
The latest installment of the Expanse is easily the best book of the bunch this month. I enjoyed the hell out of this one. It's right up there in the top three or so of this eight-book series. The crew of the Rosie is older, but they're still rebels with plenty of fight left in them. Without giving too much away, by the end of this book I absolutely adore what Corey does with the character Amos. Cleverly done. I suspect there are only one or two more books left in this series, and I can't wait to read them!