Three new reads reviewed — a music biography, a thriller, and an inspiring true story of recovery and endurance
Elvis and the Colonel
Greg McDonald and Marshall Terrill
$69.00
MacMillan Publishers
Reviewed by Steve Atkinson
Authors Greg McDonald and Marshall Terrill revisit the complicated relationship between Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker. The research looks solid and the stories are entertaining, but the book occasionally feels too eager to soften Parker’s reputation. While it touches on the Colonel’s tight control over Elvis’s career and finances, it never digs quite deeply enough into the damage that may have caused. Still, Presley fans will find plenty to keep the pages turning and that’s all that matters baby.
Jack Reacher:
Exit Strategy
Lee Child and Andrew Child
$38.00
Penguin Random House
Reviewed by Steve Atkinson
This read delivers exactly what longtime Reacher readers expect: blunt violence, conspiracy, short sentences, and a body count that climbs with military efficiency. Lee and Andrew Child keep the formula moving at a fast clip, although by now the series can feel less like a thriller and more like a franchise running on muscle memory. Reacher remains entertainingly unstoppable, even if the suspense occasionally disappears the moment he walks into a room. Still, fans probably wouldn’t want it any other way.
The Desert Swimmer
Brendan Culeen with Paul Mitchell
$37.99
Allen & Unwin
Reviewed by Lisa Potter
From the isolation of an outback sheep station to the brutal waters of the English Channel, Brendan Cullen’s story is one of grit and recovery. Battling severe depression, he turns to open-water swimming and sets himself an extraordinary goal – one that ultimately helps save him. Raw and inspiring, it’s a powerful reminder of what facing challenges head-on can achieve.
