Review: The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt

Mick Hardin, an agent in the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), is back home in the Kentucky hills as The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt begins. Home on leave with a family problem that is not going to get fixed by drinking himself to sleep each night, he is at his grandfather’s place. That makes it easy for his sister, the new sheriff, to find him.

 

Mike knows that Linda did not come out in full uniform, in the county vehicle, and waited around while he pulled himself together to face the new day, to pay a social call. He knows she wants something, and that whatever it is, it has to be important. She does and it is important.

 

She has a three-day old murder to solve. The big shots that run things don’t like having a female sheriff and are angling to use the murder to get rid of her. The investigation is going nowhere. Normally when somebody is killed in the local area, everybody pretty much knows who did it and why. Not in this case as the murder was not a drug killing, a vendetta, or a property dispute.

 

Veronica “Nonnie” Johnson was a 43-year-old widow who everybody liked. She wasn’t dealing drugs or using them. She wasn’t mixed up with bad people. She was doing everything right, it seems, and yet somebody killed her and threw her down a nearby hillside like she was a bag of trash.

 

Sheriff Linda Hardin wants Mick to act as an unofficial investigator. He has the skills thanks to being ARMY CID. He is good at his job. He also knows the people of Eldridge County better than she does. Here it matters who your kinfolk is and who you know. Mick Hardin knows a lot of people as well as how to navigate the land where addresses and roads are not always marked. The good Sherriff is well aware that folks will talk to her brother when they never would say a word to her or any other cop. The work might also force him to lay off the booze and address the marital problem at hand.

 

Many folks prove her assessment correct as Mick starts investigating while dealing with his own demons and personal problems in The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt.

 

Written in a sparse style in terms of dialogue and description, the author keeps sentences short while painting a vivid and intense picture of the land and its people. Some authors have the talent to clearly appreciate the land and its people. Tricia Fields does with the Big Bend region of Texas. Steven F. Havill does with southeastern New Mexico. Chris Offutt clearly does with Eastern Kentucky.

 

Part mystery and part crime fiction read, things get complicated and yet are simple as everything boils down to the concept of betrayal. Perceived or actual, the idea of betrayal drives nearly everything in this complex and very enjoyable read.

 

The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt is a bit different than most such books you will read. It is also highly recommended.

 

For another take on the book, make sure to read Lesa Holstine’s review.

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4ifN5Gk

 

My reading copy came from my childhood library that looks radically different these days, the Audelia Branch, of the Dallas Public Library System. Then again, so do I. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2021

Lesa's Book Critiques: CAJUN KISS OF DEATH BY ELLEN BYRON

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Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained by Colin Dickey

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The Reading Room: A Scone of Contention (Key West Food Critic Mysteries #11) by Lucy Burdette: Reading Room Review

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In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday for 8/9/2021

 In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday for 8/9/2021

The Practicing Writer: Markets & Jobs for Writers for 8/9/2021

 The Practicing Writer: Markets & Jobs for Writers for 8/9/2021

Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: January Window by Philip Kerr

Philip Kerr (1956-2018) was the creator of 14 Bernie Gunther historical mysteries. Written between 1988 and 2018, the series about a private investigator in Nazi Berlin won awards and critical acclaim for quality of plotting, writing, and research.   

Not so well known is the fact that Kerr was a huge fan of the London Arsenal professional football team, soccer in the U.S. So much so that he created a fictional competitor football team named London City and gave it a coach named Scott Manson, a former footballer who featured in three books about the team. In the first one, January Window (Head of Zeus, 2014), the sport is deeply immersed in the January window, the period in which new players are added to team rosters. Money and contracts are waved about with abandon as prime players are sought to bolster a team’s chances at the playoffs.

The team manager João Zarco is a colorful character, also a former football player and well-known for his larger-than-life persona. For him to disappear on the day of a major game was unheard of. When his body is found later that day in an isolated part of the stadium, the football world was staggered. He appeared to have been beaten to death. Questions of motive and of access to the stadium preoccupy the police, which narrows their focus to Zarco’s business associates. The team owner, a Russian named Viktor Sokolnikov, is worried about the general fishing expedition that seems underway in the guise of a police investigation. His own business affairs won’t necessarily bear official scrutiny. He offers Scott the temporary manager position with a substantial increase in pay and the proviso of making it permanent if he can locate Zarco’s killer and forestall a close review of Sokolnikov’s activities.

This story is a riveting read, even though I did not understand the football jargon and most of the English pop culture allusions were useless on a native Hoosier like me. Some I understood by context, some I ignored, and some I looked up. Real-life football professional teams and players are mixed with fictional ones. I caught a couple of inside jokes and I expect there are others. The plot resolution is deviously contrived and well hidden in a flurry of misdirection. Highly recommended, especially for football (soccer) fans.

·         Publisher: ‎ Head of Zeus (January 1, 2014)

·         Language: ‎ English

·         ISBN-10: ‎ 1784081531

·         ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1784081539

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2021

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

Dru's Book Musings: Week of August 8, 2021

 Dru's Book Musings: Week of August 8, 2021

Some Of Us Never Stopped

 

Lesa's Book Critiques: HAVE YOU HEARD? WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER’S NORTHWEST ANGLE

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The Rap Sheet: Bouchercon’s Fallback Plans

 The Rap Sheet: Bouchercon’s Fallback Plans

MWASW Zoom Today

 Big time thank you to the people in charge of MWASW for having me via Zoom to speak on reviews and reviewing. It was a honor and a privilege to take center stage today. I hope I was helpful and informative. 

KRL This Week Update for 8/7/2021

Up in KRL this morning reviews and giveaways of another fun group of mysteries for your summer reading-"A Fatal Footnote": A Open Book Mystery by Margaret Loudon, "Beauty Expos Are Murder": A Poppy McAllister Mystery by Libby Klein, "Death of an Irish Mummy": The Dublin Driver Mystery by Catie Murphy, and "Draw and Order": A Paint & Shine Mystery by Cheryl Hollon https://kingsriverlife.com/08/07/august-mystery-catchup/

We also have a review and giveaway of "The Keepers" by Jeffrey B. Burton, along with an interesting guest post by Jeffrey about their adopted dog Milo https://kingsriverlife.com/08/07/the-keepers-by-jeffrey-b-burton/

And a review and giveaway of "Salted Caramel Sorcery" by H.Y. Hanna https://kingsriverlife.com/08/07/salted-caramel-by-h-y-hanna/

And reviews of 2 Acorn TV shows-"Whitsable Pearl" and "Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mystery" https://kingsriverlife.com/08/07/acorntv-streaming-a-pair-of-aces-whitstable-pearl-ms-fishers-modern-murder-mystery/

Up during the week we had another special midweek guest post this one by mystery author Lida Sideris about a fun picture book she wrote called "The Cookie Eating Fire Dog" you can also enter to win a copy of the book https://kingsriverlife.com/08/04/the-cookie-eating-fire-dog-by-lida-sideris/

Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of "Two Wicked Desserts" by Lynn Cahoon https://www.krlnews.com/2021/08/two-wicked-desserts-by-lynn-cahoon.html

And is a review and giveaway of "Death on the Night of Lost Lizards" by Julia Buckley https://www.krlnews.com/2021/08/death-on-night-of-lost-lizards-by-julia.html

Happy reading,

Lorie

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Crimes in Cabin B: Case Closed, vol. 78 by Gosho Aoyama

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Lesa's Book Critiques: DUST TO DUST BY AUDREY KEOWN

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SleuthSayers: What the Characters Do by John Floyd

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Scott's Take: An Affinity For Steel by Sam Sykes (The Aeons Gate Trilogy)

An Affinity For Steel by Sam Sykes collects The Aeons Gate Trilogy which includes the three titles Tome Of The Undergates, Black Halo, and the third book, The Skybound Sea. It also includes a very short preview of the first book in a series that spins off and is titled The City Stained Red.

 

This series is based on the premise that a group of adventurers, all misfits (always misfits because rational people never do these sorts of things) seek to retrieve a tome that can be used to access heaven or hell. Having been hired to get the book and thus get paid very well, they just have to find it and bring it back to their client. Of course, that means they have to fight various demons and many other folks along the way. They also have to prevent a demon queen from rising out of the ocean and turning everyone into frog people. One really does not want to become part of the frog people.

 

The team consists of the swordsman (Lenk), the archer (a Shict who is basically some sort of cross between a monkey and an Elf), a barbarian (a six-foot-tall dragon man—and is exactly what it sounds like), a wizard, a priestess, and a rogue. Featuring plenty of action and humor, this series was quite good.

 

It did seem unnecessary long at times and repetitive at points. It also suffers from the problem that a lot of the drama in the series could have been avoided if people just talked to each other. This book features a lot of POV changes, so, at times, it can be unclear whose perspective the read has jumped into since the author choose not to make things clear for the reader. All the characters have a unique way of talking and thinking so usually one can figure it out on the fly, but it is a distracting issue.

 

This series is primarily built on the themes of faith, the price of memory, what is your purpose, where do you belong, and what does it mean to be part of a people. The villains range from sympathetic to absolute monsters in this engaging read. This is adult read with plenty of violence and lots of death.

 

Overall, I enjoyed the series despite the above noted flaws. Humor is major part of the book and that humor may not strike every adult reader as funny. An Affinity For Steel by Sam Sykes is a massive book of 1472 pages so it is a lengthy read. 

 

An Affinity For Steel (The Aeons Gate Trilogy)

Sam Sykes

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/sam-sykes/

Orbit Books (Hachette Book Group)

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sam-sykes/an-affinity-for-steel/9780316309639/

June 2016

ISBN# 978-0-316-30963-9

Paperback (available in eBook format)

1472 Pages

 

 

My copy came from the Central or Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System. 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2021

Writer Beware®: The Blog: Scam Alert: Silver Ink Literary Agency / Editors Press and Media / Global Review Press

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Lesa's Book Critiques: WINNERS AND A DARK GIVEAWAY

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Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides:   Reviewed by Abby Mariana has always enjoyed working as a group therapist. She knows she has the knowledge, patience, and mindset fo...

Happiness Is A Book: FRIDAY’S FORGOTTEN BOOK: WHAT A BODY! BY ALAN GREEN

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Patti Abbott: FFB: BOOK LUST, Nancy Pearl

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The Rap Sheet: Bullet Points: Casting a Wide ’Net Edition for 8/6/2021

 The Rap Sheet: Bullet Points: Casting a Wide ’Net Edition for 8/6/2021

FFB Review: Masters Of Noir: Volume One Reviewed by Barry Ergang

From the massive archive…

 

MASTERS OF NOIR: Volume One (2010) 

Reviewed by Barry Ergang

 

The first in a series of electronic collections of stories that—I’m guessing about this because original publication credits aren’t supplied—initially appeared in pulp magazines such as Manhunt and Pursuit from the 1950s, Masters of Noir features stories by authors who remain well-known today and others who were notable in that era from their magazine and paperback original works.

 

The book opens with a police procedural by Jonathan Craig in which detectives Dave Emory and his partner Walt Nelson have a major conundrum to deal with. The young woman was killed in an apartment in the shabby rooming house, but about her it’s “Identity Unknown.” There’s nothing in the apartment or among her personal effects to tell them who she is. Until they can do that, they have no chance of finding her killer.

 

Wealthy and prominent almost beyond imagining from his investments, the recently deceased  Walter Harrison was a ruthless charmer who almost invariably got what he wanted. So what drove him to suicide? Chester Duncan, who had known him since their college days, came to despise  him with good reason but pretended to remain his friend. He relates to another friend, Inspector Early, how he engineered Harrison’s downfall once Harrison saw “The Girl Behind the Hedge.” This story by Mickey Spillane is utterly different in approach and tone from those in the hardboiled novels he’s famous for, and ends with a nifty little surprise twist.

 

Jeff MacCauley “sweated in the Tampico oil fields for more than three years, socking it away a little at a time,” but now a tinhorn crook named Carrera has stolen the ten thousand dollars MacCauley saved to finally get himself out of Mexico. Carrera has the money, but MacCauley has “Carrera’s Woman.” Or does she have him? Evan Hunter wrote under a number of pen names, the most famous, of course, being Ed McBain. This story is one he wrote as Richard Marsten.

 

The LAPD have dubbed the serial killer the “Butcher.” When private detective Shell Scott, after making a grisly discovery, learns that the victim is a young woman he knew, he does some investigating of his own with the approval of his friend, Homicide Captain Phil Samson, in one of Richard S. Prather’s darker stories.

 

The unnamed woman knows she’s beautiful, not only from her reflection in a mirror, but also “by the eyes of the hungry men, the eyes that she felt rather than saw upon her everywhere she went.” This evening she’s in a bar, waiting to see which of the three men whose eyes are upon her will make the move. Will it be Mr. Dark Suit, Mr. Baldy, or Mr. Bright-Eyes? And will he or she “Look Death in the Eye” in this Lawrence Block gem?

 

Dell Harper is a cantankerous, impatient, blustering, self-absorbed man, but he’s agreed to go on a picnic with his wife Julia and their three-year-old daughter Linda “On a Sunday Afternoon.” What none of them expects to contend with is a pack of juvenile delinquents in this taut tale by Gil Brewer.

 

In Frank Kane’s novelette that’s overloaded with cigarette lightings, poured drinks, and tugged lower lips, private detective Johnny Liddell has two gunshot deaths to contend with:  his client’s and his assigned operative’s. The operative, Tate Morrow, was on hand to bodyguard the client. The local homicide lieutenant investigating the case is sure Liddell is the guilty party, but Liddell knows it’s a “Frame” and sets out to prove it and bring the real killer to justice.

 

Maintaining objectivity while investigating John Ambler’s murder isn’t Detective Gus Taylor’s long suit. He’s certain Holly Laird is the guilty party, and behaving brutally toward her and her boyfriend is as natural as breathing for him. Why? Because Holly reminds him of Martha, the woman he loved who deserted him for another man. Holly, in fact, could be Martha’s “Double” in this novelette by Bruno Fischer.

 

If Grandfather would only die already, Tony Wren and his cousin Cindy would inherit the money to fulfill Cindy’s dream of  living the good life in Acapulco. But Grandfather remains healthy and active despite his age, so unless they want to wait for him to die of natural causes, there’s only one solution. They’re pretty certain they’ve gotten away with it until the phone rings and the apparently voyeuristic neighbor Evan Lane enters their lives in Fletcher Flora’s “As I Lie Dead.”

 

Although it’s arguable as to whether all of these stories actually fit traditional definitions of noir fiction—two feature  private eyes and one is a police procedural, all told from the viewpoints of their heroes—they should nevertheless satisfy fans of hard-edged, fast-moving tales. Definitely recommended.

 

Barry Ergang ©2015, 2021 

Derringer Award-winner Barry Ergang’s written work has appeared in numerous publications, print and electronic. Some of it is available at Amazon and at SmashwordsA. His website is http://www.writetrack.yolasite.com/.

In Reference To Murder: Mystery Melange for 8/5/2021

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Lesa's Book Critiques: WHAT ARE YOU READING?

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The Rap Sheet: Singing the Bouchercon Blues

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Mystery Fanfare: NEW ORLEANS BOUCHERCON NEWS!

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Review: Fallen: A Kate Burkholder Novel by Linda Castillo

 

Painters Mill, Ohio, Police Chief Kate Burkholder has responded to a lot of crime scenes. The one at room 9 of the Willlowdell Motel as Fallen: A Kate Burkholder Novel by Linda Castillo begins is one of the worst she has ever seen in her career. From the carnage, it is clear that the woman was savagery beaten to death. It was some sort of frenzied or overkill attack. Rachel Schwartz’s final moments were horrific.

 

Many years ago, Kate Burkholder babysat Rachel and her brothers and sisters. She has not seen or spoken to Rachel in years as Rachel had left town long before Kate Burkholder came back home to be the police chief. Now it is her duty to lead an investigation into the murder that stirs up their shared past and much more.

 

Fallen: A Kate Burkholder Novel is an intense and deeply moving read. Linda Castillo again brings readers home to Painters Mill, Ohio, and its environs. Where there are differences in culture and religion, the past never stays buried. A complicated and multi layered read, this is one of those books that you just have to read.

 

Highly Recommended. 

 

For another take on the book, make sure you read Lesa Holstine’s review.

 

Fallen: A Kate Burkholder Novel

Linda Castillo

https://www.lindacastillo.com/about_linda.html

Minotaur Books (Macmillan Publishers)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250142948

ISBN#: 978-1-250-14292-4

Hardback (available in eBook and audio)

320 Pages

 

 

My copy came by way of the Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2021

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

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Bouchercon 2021 POSTPONED to 2025

In effect, it has been cancelled and rescheduled to 2025. This is according to a number of posts on social media. There is no official word on the website at the time of this posting. 

I am not surprised. They had no choice.

Lesa's Book Critiques: THE READING LIST BY SARA NISHA ADAMS

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Beneath the Stains of Time: A Talent for War (1989) by Jack McDevitt

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Short Story Wednesday Review: Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue #9

Black Cat Mystery Magazine #9 opens with a brief word from Editor Michael Bracken and then moves on to the stories. First up is Stacy Woodson with “Last Rites” where Colonel Wilson and a few of his unit were lucky enough to survive an ambush. Several were killed. The survivors have suffered significant physical and mental injuries. Thanks to Nurse Lucy and Doc Taylor, they all should be on the mend and headed home soon.

 

Victor Connelly has a plan in “The Jericho Train” by John M. Floyd. He knows the train schedule having grown up on the massive Connelly ranch. He has built quite an empire. The arrival of the train is one small cog in a major plan to change his life for the better. It is going to be a long ten minutes until the train arrives at the station.

 

Peter Shirkey also has a plan in “Coral Cove” by B. A. Paul. Painting the traffic barricades is just one small part of the plan. Being the handyman and more for the Bungalows of Briny Breeze gives him skills and opportunity.

 

“The Alley” by Ann Aptaker revolves around Howard Vickers and Louie Sharp. For Howard Vickers, the timing is what is a bit of a surprise. He knew Louie Sharp was going to come for him sooner or later. Apparently, it is now in a cold, dark, and wet alley. The man known as the “Angel of Death” is edging his way steadily closer.

 

It is 1935 and the town population of Granbury, Texas, has turned out to see “Sonny Goodman and His Orchestral All-Stars.” The band entertains for twenty-five cent a head several nights a week as they tour the southwest. They do not make very much off of ticket sales so they have to supplement that income in other ways as explained in “Sonny’s Encore” by Editor Michael Bracken.

 

It is the middle of March in 1978 as “Switch Bait” by Cynthia Ward begins. Bethany and Chase Hayes plan to make their displeasure with Billy Bolduc known in a public way. Boulduc is not getting how things are done in the lobster business and needs another lesson.

 

Professor Arnold Pugmire pulled off the perfect murder in “Becoming Zero” by James. A. Hearn. With the wealthy Texas oil man dead, now Pugmire can woo the man’s wife, Amanda. Things are now finally going to be right with Amanda as his. The money is nice, but having Amanda as far more than a plutonic friend will be far nicer.

 

“The Mmurder of Jonathan Greystone” by Barry Fulton follows where the play is the thing. The play was also the scene of the murder of Jonathan Greystone. That event resulted in the subsequent incarceration of a fellow actor, Tony Lancaster, for the murder. There were other ramifications of the murder as well.

 

Temptation and desperation are a combined powerful force and such is the case for the postal clerk in “You Gotta Be In It!” by Elliot Capon. The clerk has the means, motive, and the opportunity. Getting away with it is doable if things work out as planned.

 

“The You-Don’t-Know-The Half-Of-Dearie-Blues: An Alexander Brass Mystery” by Michael Kurland comes next. It is early 1936 and anything and everything involving the New York World Syndicate is off limits to Alexander Brass, Gloria, and the narrator. An editorial dispute has escalated into the trio being banned from the newspaper property because Brass thinks Dr. Weld is not guilty of murder. Banning him means they now have the freedom to chase the story and prove it.

 

The fighter Charley Robertson was getting treatment post fight when Mr. John Massey and his group barged into his dressing room beneath Madison Square Garden. Massey bought his contract and is now his manage in “A Fighter By His Trade” by Graham Powell. His new manager is going to change his training schedule and a lot more.

 

The issue closes with “Smelling Like A Rose” by Gil Brewer. In this classic reprint, Mr. Vince Helman is doing everything he can to keep it together. The woman is the next cottage is certainly no help with that.

 

Black Cat Mystery Magazine #9 is another all around solidly good issue. The tales, past and present, often share a common theme where the plan does not work as expected. In rare cases, the plan worked out as ultimately intended thus proving the idea that crime can pay and pay very well. As on expects with this publication, the tales selected are good ones and are well worth your time to read.

 

I bought the eBook copy of the issue back in January 2021 to read and review.  

Kevin R. Tipple ©2021

MWA: New Books and Short Stories by MWA Members--August 2021

 MWA: New Books and Short Stories by MWA Members--August 2021

Writer Beware®: The Blog: An Important Message for Writer Beware Email Subscribers

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Lesa's Book Critiques: THE FORBIDDEN BY HEATHER GRAHAM

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The Reading Room: A Gingerbread House by Catriona McPherson: Reading Room Review

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Bitter Tea and Mystery: Gordon McAlpine: Woman with a Blue Pencil

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Review: Dead By Dawn: A Novel by Paul Doiron

Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch had a plan for the day as Dead By Dawn: A Novel by Paul Doiron begins. The plan is a vet visit for Shadow. The hybrid wolf/dog needs a vet visit as he continues to recover from recent events. Bowditch may also have to relocate Shadow from the acre and a half enclosure on Bowditch’s property as the new neighbors are upset that Shadow lives across the river from them. The new folks have a history of suing folks so Bowditch may need to find a new safe place for Shadow.

 

While in the area to see the vet, Investigator Bowditch can address a complaint from Mariette Chamberlain. Four years ago, her father-in-law, Professor Eben Chamberlin, died in the Androscoggin River. The investigators at the time, including those of the Maine Game warden Service, put it down as accidental. Mariette Chamberlain firmly believes the professor was murdered.

 

After seeing the vet with Shadow, it is on to meeting with Marc Rivard who was in charge of finding Eben Chamberlain. Rivard and Bowditch have a complicated history, including the fact that Bowditch played a major role in his removal from the service, so neither man is looking forward to the meeting. That meeting foreshadows what is to come as Mike Bowditch starts investigating the Chamberlain case and, within hours, injured and fighting to stay alive.

 

Dead by Dawn: A Novel is split between flashbacks and current time. Part of the tale is current as he fights to stay alive after crashing into the frozen and ice-covered Androscoggin River. A river that is lethal no matter what time of year. Not only is the river and the aftereffects of water immersion a major threat there is a shooter determined to finish the job.

 

The flashbacks are in alternating chapters and detail how the day had been going until the crash. Each flashback chapter is slightly forward in time as it details Bowditch’s thoughts and actions as he dealt with personal matters and worked the case by way of interviewing numerous people.

 

The result is a tale that slowly goes forward as it spends far more time in the preceding hours before he got himself in a life and death situation with few resources and no backup. A predicament that Bowditch manages to escape deadly consequences again and again by way of his training, inner fortitude, and with the occasional help of Shadow.

 

Set a few days before Christmas, the read is very much focused on Bowditch and his fight for life. Because of this, there is very little presence of Charley, Orca, and the numerous other folks who have always populated this every enjoyable series. They are very much missed in a read that also serves as a possible turning point in the series.

 

Dead By Dawn: A Novel is a suspense style read with some mystery present. There are a couple of mysteries at work, professionally and personally, but this is a read that is primarily a fight for survival. While a good book, it is not a great one. It also is a departure from what the reader normally expects in this series. Instead, the read here has much in common with the end of season television cliffhanger where the hero is in danger and yet viewers know that the series was renewed months earlier so there is no question that he will survive. Even when the situation is so dire a mere mortal would not. The only question is how.

 

 

Dead by Dawn: A Novel

Paul Doiron

http://www.pauldoiron.com

Minotaur Books (Macmillan Publishers)

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250235107

ISBN# 978-1-250-23510-7

Hardback (available in audio and eBook formats)

304 Pages

 

 

My reading copy came from the Polk-Wisdom Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2021

The Thrilling Detective: The Private Eye Writers Bulletin Board

 The Thrilling Detective: The Private Eye Writers Bulletin Board

Lesa's Book Critiques: IF THE SHOE FITS BY JULIE MURPHY

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Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas

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Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Ice Cold Heart by P. J. Tracy

P. J. Tracy was the pseudonym of mother and daughter writing duo P. J. and Traci Lambrecht. They created the Monkeewrench team, a group of crack cyber and software professionals led by Grace MacBride in the Twin Cities. The first book in the series, Monkeewrench (Putnam, 2003), won the 2004 Anthony for best first novel. They wrote seven more books about the Monkeewrench gang and their growing involvement with the Minneapolis police before P. J.'s passing in December 2016. So far, the series has won Anthony, Barry, Gumshoe, and Minnesota Book awards. Traci continues to write, producing two more books about the Monkeewrench crew and beginning a new series set in Los Angles introducing LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan.

Ice Cold Heart (Crooked Lane Books, 2019) is the 10^th and latest story about the Monkeewrench software experts. I was interested to note that the team has transitioned from focusing on game software, their occupation in the first book, to cybercrime and digital forensics. It’s a pleasure to see technical IT details gotten right. Having some background in this area, it is annoying to read largely inaccurate descriptions of hacking teenagers. Grace MacBride has progressed, too, now married to Minneapolis detective Leo Magozzi and the mother of their daughter Elizabeth. She no longer jumps at the slightest sound and surrounds herself with over-the-top security measures.

The lull in MPD’s homicide workload ends when Kelly Ramage’s tortured and manacled body is found in an empty house. As gruesome as the crime is, worse follows when Magozzi learns it’s identical to a murder that happened in California a year before. Both are linked to exhibits by avant garde artist Rado, whose work is considered by some to be genius and some to be pornographic. Other threads woven around the search for what may be a serial killer are Monkeewrench’s current assignment to plug the holes in cryptocurrency software that allowed the theft of millions of dollars and an ICE investigator’s hunt for war criminals from the 1990s Yugoslavian conflict.

As always, a visit with the Monkeewrench team is an intense experience. A chilling set of crimes conveyed in a complex entwining of story lines that come together in the end for a satisfactory conclusion. I am a little afraid this might be the last of the Monkeewrench tales; there are definite indicators of wrapping up character arcs. I can understand Tracy’s interest in branching out into new territory but I am always sorry to see original and fully realized fictional worlds archived. The door is not completely closed so I will hope to see a new adventure featuring Grace, Annie, Harley and Roadrunner with Leo and Gino again. Library Journal starred review.

 

·         Publisher: ‎ Crooked Lane Books (September 10, 2019)

·         Language: ‎ English

·         Hardcover: ‎ 320 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎ 1643851322

·         ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1643851327

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4g9Nbz3

  

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2021 

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

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