Among many hobbies that people enjoy are picking up a good book!  The problem is picking the right book.  "A Good Book" is a very subjective thing, since people's interests are so varied.  Some prefer sci-fi, some like a good murder mystery, others like a good romance or historical novel, while others prefer non-fiction.  Here you will find some interesting titles complete with Dick's reviews.  Then it's up to you to decide!

It's also our intention to make this section as interactive as possible for your reading enjoyment.  If you have a book you wish Dick to review or you have a review, click here to submit your suggestions to our webmaster.

About Dick:

Born and raised in Northeast Minneapolis,  Dick Solem went to Edison High for 2 years and transferred to Osseo High in Osseo, MN.

After graduating from high school, Dick went to the University of Minnesota.  Married right after graduating from the U, Dick and his new bride, Colleen, traveled to San Antonio, Texas to begin a 3 year tour of duty with the U.S. Air Force.  After a stint in Japan, Dick left the Air Force.  He and his wife returned to Minnesota where he started a 25 year career in the Life Insurance industry.  During that time, his family grew. His 3 children all have had successful careers.  After retiring from the Life Insurance industry, Dick assisted in establishing a successful advertising agency in the Twin Cities Metro area. 
 
Besides being an avid reader, Dick has spent a lifetime as a collector.  For the past 25 years, he's had a "love affair" with English Toby Jugs and his collection presently has over 450 pieces.

Dick's Featured Review: 
The Black Box by Michael Connelly

“The Black Box” by Michael Connelly gets off slowly for the 1^st third of the book and then gets up and running with a good story and a smashing ending.  We can say it’s another well written crime novel by a well recognized author.  Connelly’s Harry Bosch character is well drawn as a tough, independent S.O.B. who fights for doing the right thing even if it goes against the grain of those who count, regarding his career.  Politics is not his forte.

In 1992 Los Angels exploded into a city-wide riot that stunned the world.  A young free-lance writer named Anneka Jaspersen flew to the city to cover the riot, and was found dead in a dark alley, by members of the National Guard.  Harry Bosch was the investigating officer for the LA police.  Because of the unreal violence of the riot the police could do no more than a cursory investigation before the basic facts were filed. 

Twenty years later, approaching the riot anniversary, Harry gets the job of following up with an investigation of the still open, unsolved case.  He believed every case had what he compared to an airlines “black box”; a piece of evidence etc. that brought a complete and final understanding of all factors that led to a solutions.  With that in mind, his search begins.  Harry goes his own way despite obstructions from superiors who are trying to foce him to early “Drop” retirement (see my earlier review of “The Drop”).  From LA to Kuwait, the evidence follows the activities and purpose behind Jespersen’s travel to LA.  What was she looking for??  Despite early missteps in direction, it becomes clear that her death was more than just another riot death. 

Good story.  It takes a while to get down to the nitty gritty , but it’s worth every written word.  This is Connelly’s 25^th book.  As with many good authors, he is a former newspaper reporter.  Enjoy!!
 

Click Here To View The Archive Of Dick's Past Book Reviews Here.