minnesota – Book Journey

A Good Family by Matt Goldman

Published on May 26, 2026May 26, 2026 by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

Does anyone else just crave a good read? Found it. ~Sheila

Katie Kuhlmann’has it all. She lives in a wonderful Country Club neighborhood with close friends close by, a text away from taking a walk, grabbing a coffee, or even going skiing. She has a great job working as a food scientist for General Mills. She has two great kids who are fun and good-natured. And a hard-working husband she adores.
Or…
She did.

Her husband Jack has become… distracted. And honestly – weird. He disappears to the basement to work on spreadsheets for his business and disappears from the kids entirely, and they can’t find him. Talking to him doesn’t work; he claims job stress and then disappears again – literally.

It’s the most bizarre thing.

Things just get stranger when Adam “Bagman” Ross, a guy both Katie and Jack knew from college, shows up on their doorsteps, hoping to be able to stay. Jack is quick to say yes while Katie is unnerved by soemone who they had not kept in touch with now living close to their children.

Things continue to unravel for the Kuhlmanns as Katie works to keep up appearances with her neighborhood friends and not let on that she suspects Jack is lying to her, and creating a wall between them that Katie does not have the energy – or honestly, the want- to tear down.

I’m going to be honest here. Picking up a BOOK this time of year is unusual for me. Not that I don’t try – but a book usually is carried from one location to the other…. outdoors to the patio, indoors to the recliner, to the nightstand… and rarely gets opened.
I mean well…

This time of year I am mostly audio-something I can listen to while I garden, mow the lawn, bake bread, cook, clean….

BUT… something happened here. I bought this book at the recent Words By The Water Event in Brainerd, MN, where Matt Goldman was one of the authors speaking. We have had him before, and he is delightful, and it was fun to hang out with him after the event with the other authors and catch up a bit. I had read Matt before with my book club years ago, but the book was more traditional thriller than this more psychological one.

This book – called to me, sitting in a pile of other unread books… I just wanted to pick it up… and when I did… I didn’t want to put it down.

Matt’s characters jumped off the page. Katie was someone I wanted to hang out with…. and the friends circles of who really was a friend and who really was not – as well as where the $%#$&*! did Jack keep disappearing to, kept me turning the pages.

I dug in over this past weekend and stayed up until midnight last night to finish. Whatever magic beans were in this book – it worked.

And now… another of his books is calling to me…. stay tuned

Rated: 4 out of 5
Read Author Before: yes
Read Author Again: Yes!
Where Read: Home

Bookclub Worthy: yes – it’s twisty enough to bring up good conversation.

Leveling up for Bookclub – Food in the book includes hot chocolate, pizza, going out for drinks (Mistletoe Manhattan anyone?), and of course Katie works for General Mills…. Breakfast for Book Club? 😛

Have fun!

Lying Close by Frank Weber

Published on October 2, 2020 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

I love to explore different genres! You never know what you may find, and as in this case… you sometimes find a diamond and are richer by doing so. ~Sheila

In Weber’s latest creation, Lying Close takes you through my back yard of rural Minnesota. Toss in a crime with a smorgasbord of intriguing characters, an accident, a break in and a missing child, and you have a book that will keep you talking about it long after you turn the last page.

Seriously. Find a cozy chair, your favorite snack and beverage and settle it.

Lying Close is the 4th novel by Weber that features his Investigator protagonist, Jon Frederick – however do not let that be a deterrent. You can pick up any one of the book as a read alone (but trust me if you read one, there is a strong possibility you will want to read them all). The smattering of recurring characters are realistic with flaws and baggage and the new ones you meet fit right into that same vein.

I enjoy reading books that take me a different direction from where thought I was going. It’s refreshing to find a read that breaks out of the cookie cutter mold – and that is what I found here. Weber has a way of pulling from actual current events and weaves them in the pages in such a way you will feel that you are a witness on the scene. This is truly a gift.

I hope you take the time to read Lying Close and if you do, I would love to know what you thought. Always up for discussing here, or if you are in my corner of Minnesota, lets do coffee.

Frank Weber is a forensic psychologist who has completed assessments for homicide, sexual assault, and domestic abuse cases. His work has ranged from assessing murderers chained to the cement floor in the basement of a prison and assessing psychopaths to providing therapy for wealthy professionals who’ve engaged in multiple affairs. He has testified as an expert witness in numerous sexual assault and homicide cases, written seven different treatment workbooks, and in 2015 published a training series for psychologists which has been accredited by the MN Board of Psychology. He has received the President’s Award from the Minnesota Correctional Association for his forensic work, and recently received an award for excellence in his clinical work. Frank Weber has used his unique understanding of how predator’s think, victim trauma, and actual court cases to create a thrilling mystery.

Morning Meanderings… Some Days Minnesota… Some Days…

Published on February 23, 2018 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Mmm hmmm. That pic is of me this morning… pre everything (make up, shower… well, not pre coffee).

I was up yesterday over 20 hours between my 4 am making the Donuts at The Center, to working all day, a road trip to one of the venues I work with, creating a package for a friend who just had cancer surgery, another meeting and then a dinner meet up with friends. I came home and spent an hour on the phone and then watched The Tudors too long… trying to stay awake for the moment when they take away Anne Boleyn. Finally gave up… that will have to wait for another day. Sorry Anne.

Then… I woke up to this….

Yeah.. Not sure how much snow dumped on Brainerd between yesterday evening and this morning… but always the optimist I tried to approach it as any Minnesota Girl worthy of the title would do: