NEWPORT, MI to MEMPHIS, TN: 708 miles
Tuesday July 7th, I arrived at the shipper at 3:30pm which happened to be the last consignee making my life a lot easier. I left at 4:30pm and went across the street for dinner at the Fifth Wheel Diner which has truck parking. The delivery was scheduled for Thursday morning so there was no rush. I drove an hour and shut it down for the night at 7:00pm. While hanging out at the truck stop I got a nice shot of a pretty sunset.
Wednesday July 8th, I started my day at 9:30am with the pre-trip inspection of the truck and drove nine-and-half hours until reaching the Pilot at Hurricane Mills, one of my customary overnight spots. The ride was mostly uneventful but there was some traffic along the way and once it started raining the inevitable car accident. I shut it down for the night at 8:00pm EST and went across the street to the Log Cabin Restaurant for a nice dinner.
Thursday July 9th, I started my day at 6:30am EST with the pre-trip inspection of the truck then drove two-and-half hours to the consignee where I arrived at 9:30am ahead of my 10:00am scheduled delivery.
BOOK REVIEW: The Last Seat by Jenifer Ruff (2026), THRILLER – RATING (****)
A psychological thriller with interwoven twists that bring the suspense level to a high intensity. A strong FMC is always a plus.
ER Nurse Haley James is taking the commuter train in Chicago to visit her mom who lives in the suburbs. She is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. Haley decided to take the train because her car is old and unreliable. She recently separated from her husband of four years and cannot use his newer car. A man jumps on the train, shoots a random passenger and runs away in the chaos. Haley’s ER training kicks in and she manages to keep the woman alive until EMT personnel arrive at the scene.
Haley becomes an overnight sensation as videos taken of the incident go viral. However, Haley prefers anonymity as now her dark secrets of a turbulent past may come to haunt her. The question is whether the incident was a random act of violence or was the attack deliberate? If so, who was the target and why? There are an important group of secondary characters and somehow there are connections among many of them.
Overall very entertaining with a surprising ending that puts all the loose pieces together.
