Route: Tampa, FL to Hazelton, PA: 1,213 miles (1,129 loaded + 84 deadhead)
Another heavy load listed on the BOL as 43,614lbs. Fortunately I was DOT legal on total weight and per axle. Originally I thought the delivery was for Tuesday at noon and that was impossible as it’s a 20 hour drive plus 10 hour break so earliest would be 15:00. My DM than clarified that delivery was for Wednesday 10/15 at noon, so I could have a more casual pace and sleep at my go-to places. I drove nine hours the first two days each and two hours on the delivery date. The first night I slept at the Petro in Florence, SC, which has ample parking and an Iron Skillet restaurant. I toyed with the idea of spending the night in Savannah, GA, but unfortunately it did not fit the schedule. The second night I aimed for 83 Diner in York, PA that has parking for trucks with a unique pay-for-parking scheme. A purchase of $20 or more of food then the $15 truck parking fee is waived. The food is great too.
BOOK REVIEW (1): Murder in Tuscany by T.A. Williams (2022), FICTION – RATING (*** 1/2)
I was between three stars because there’s a lot of flaws in the plot and four stars because it was entertaining and original.
The host of a writer’s retreat in murdered. There’s 15 suspects and all have good alibis. The lingering questions: who, why and why then? The first quarter of the book is setting the table of who’s who. It takes a while to know everyone but that’s better than other books that do it so quickly that it’s utterly confusing.
The first two annoying things is that some characters are ignored after the beginning for most of the rest of the book and that’s the flaw of having so many characters. The second annoying thing is the continuous mention of the protagonist’s ex-wife. It was cute at the beginning and gave depth to the character but then it became annoying.
The big flaw is introducing new elements toward the end that solve the crime. The author could have introduced them earlier without giving away who-done-it. Another issue are the huge oversights by the investigators while meticulously following other leads. Instead focussing so much on one apparently innocent suspect which was a clear indication that they were guilty.
There was an attempt to incorporate food into the narrative but did not accomplish the goal.
BOOK REVIEW (2): The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (2021), FICTION – RATING (****)
Original. The premise is hard to accept but it’s fiction and not too far off the mark. Definitely established to create more drama.
Sometimes the pace slows down too much and the back-and-forth between present and past can be confusing or annoying but it’s trying to maintain the suspense and achieves it. Good twists throughout though many are improbable or counterintuitive, but it’s fiction.
Well written with vivid imagery, good dialogue and descriptions of Austin, TX; NYC and Sausalito. The main characters are likable and relatable. Core of the story is parenthood love.
Overall entertaining with a Hollywood happy ending.
