Gone by Randy Wayne White

It's been a long while since I've read a Doc Ford book, so I can't adequately compare White's previous novels to this one, but I do recall enjoying the Doc Ford series. Sadly, I'm not impressed with his attempt at a female protagonist.

I never felt that he truly got inside the mind of a woman. He wanted her tough, but sexy and she came off flighty instead. The lesbian tangents were completely unnecessary and is more male fantasy than the true thoughts that occupy a woman's mind. Not sure if White is trying to compete with Fifty Shades, but he doesn't need even the illusion of smut in his books.

There was an erratic feel to the book due to the oft abrupt end in the action of lead characters which would be recapped through flashbacks to clue the reader in to what they had missed. It lead to a very disjointed read with the reader always wondering what they missed and how they missed it (I often was flipping back through the book to try to find what I missed only to discover that Hannah would have a flashback in a couple more pages to fill me in.)

While the ending provided some nail biting drama, it sadly wasn't enough to make the entire book an enjoyable read.

"1867, Canada - As winter tightens its grip on the isolated settlement of Dove River, a man is brutally murdered and a 17-year old boy disappears. Tracks leaving the dead man's cabin head north towards the forest and the tundra beyond. In the wake of such violence, people are drawn to the township - journalists, Hudson's Bay Company men, trappers, traders - but do they want to solve the crime, or exploit it? One-by-one the assembled searchers set out from Dove River, pursuing the tracks across a desolate landscape home only to wild animals, madmen and fugitives, variously seeking a murderer, a son, two sisters missing for 17 years, a forgotten Native American culture, and a fortune in stolen furs before the snows settle and cover the tracks of the past for good"
  Good read, enjoyed the writing style and the bit of intrigue.

Chet and Bernie are a team. Bernie is a private investigator and Chet is his dog. Chet is also the narrator of the book.  In this second book of the series, Chet gets a look inside the world of dog shows  and  loses Bernie for a while.
 " That meant no one had a clue, so there was no point even thinking about it. I'm the type who can stop thinking about something in a flash, so I did"  Quote from Chet.

Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo

A book I picked up in Sanibel, intending to read and contemplate while on the beach.  Years later I finally start the beach read in beautiful Sint Maarten.  A humorous book, which quietly slips in "moments of enlightenment".  There was no "AHA!" moment in the book for me, but I think it will stick with me for some time as I do try to live more simply, more peacefully and more intentionally.