Tuesday, September 04, 2018
Crime Watch: Bloody in Scotland: 2018 McIlvanney Prize shortlis...
Crime Watch: Bloody in Scotland: 2018 McIlvanney Prize shortlis...: Two past winners, the author of a 12-book series, and a Scottish author based half a world away have this morning been revealed ...
Review: Stay Hidden: A Novel by Paul Doiron
 |
| Large Print Hardback |
The Maine deer
hunting season has barely begun as Stay Hidden: A Novel by Paul Doiron
begins, and already there are two deaths. The deaths are not are not hunting accidents. The warden service refers to
them as what they are--- homicides.
The reason a person is dead is because the person, the shooter, maybe both made
a mistake that could have and should have been avoided.
Out on Maquoit
Island, Ariel Evans lies dead in the yard behind the house she was renting. For
Mike Bowditch, who was recently promoted to warden investigator four months
ago, this is his first hunting homicide case. At least the case should be
relatively easy one as the hunter involved has already confessed to firing the
shot that killed the woman as she stood hanging laundry in the backyard.
According to the constable on the island, the controversial author was hanging
white underwear on the clothesline and should have known she could be mistaken
for a white tailed deer running away. The flash of white caused by her hanging
of her underwear may have so mimicked the movement of a deer tail, the hunter
made a fatal mistake.
 |
| Hardback |
Sent out to the
island with Ronette Landry of the warden service and Steve Klesko of the Maine
State Police, the trio has plenty of work to do even if the case is as simple
as described. Upon arrival on the island they learn the hunter has
recounted. There are other problems as well making it very clear this is
not the simple open and shut case they had been led to believe before they
headed out to the island.
For one thing, the
controversial author, who recently wrote a book about living undercover with
the Nazis in Idaho, is living on the island as part of her research into the island’s
notorious hermit. Yet, the cottage she rented contains no evidenced that she is
a writer or working on any project. It does contain evidence of her recent
partying, something the locals have made clear she is well known among the
residents for, as well as other items that do not fit the impression one would
expect of her. Then there is the fact the next day the real Ariel Evans arrives
on the island determined to find out what her sister was doing and who killed
her.
Stay Hidden: A
Novel by Paul Doiron is a turning point novel for the character of Mike
Bowditch. In this mystery, Bowditch has a new job with increased scrutiny and
pressure, his long term relationship with Stacy has abruptly ended, and there
are other issues. He is a man with a lot of pressure, conflicted feelings about
many different things, and very little help or an island where the locals deal
with their own issues in their own way and don’t like outsiders. Especially law
enforcement types.
The latest book in the
series that began with The Poacher’s Son is another good
one. Stay
Hidden: A Novel is a read that, as they all do, quickly pulls the
reader into the natural beauty of the Maine landscape. Things are always
complicated in these books because of Bowditch’s past as well as the
complicated characters in both minor and major roles. Nobody in this series is
a generic placeholder character. Then there are the actual mysteries themselves
to solve. A series that can only be fully appreciated if read in order, Stay
Hidden: A Novel is another very good installment.
Stay Hidden: A Novel
Paul
Doiron
Center
Point Large Print
August 2018
ISBN#
978-1-68324-874-3
Large Print
Hardback (also available in audio, digital, and print formats)
478
Pages
$38.95
Material
supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Public Library.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2018
Monday, September 03, 2018
Mystery Fanfare: LABOR DAY & LABOR UNIONS IN CRIME FICTION
Mystery Fanfare: LABOR DAY & LABOR UNIONS IN CRIME FICTION: Another holiday, another list! Labor Day! I'm only aware of a few mysteries set during the Labor Day Holiday : Lee Harris&...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix: Reviewed by Christy Kris has always loved heavy metal. So much so that as a teen, she taught herself to play guitar ...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR for Septem...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR for Septem...: Bookish goings-on in Texas for the week of September 3-9, 2018: Special Events: Langdon Review Weekend , Granbury, September 5-8 30th ...
Aubrey Hamiliton Reviews: The Shadow Killer by Gail Bowen
Continuing my research into Canadian mysteries: No
survey of current Canadian crime fiction is complete without mentioning Gail
Bowen. She received the Derrick Murdoch Award from Crime Writers of Canada
in 2009 and the Grand Master Award in 2018. Gail Bowen writes the
Joanne Kilbourn amateur detective series set in Regina, Saskatchewan;
#18 was released this month. (I have seven of these books and I am slowly
working my way through them.) She also spun one of the supporting characters in
this series off into a set of four novellas called Rapid Reads geared toward
adults and teenagers.
Charlie D is the host of a popular late-night
radio talk show somewhere in Canada. For two hours every night he takes calls
from his listeners and offers advice on a specific theme. He and his producer
screen callers but they never really know what anyone is going to say on air.
It’s an auditory version of walking the tight wire without a net.
The
Shadow Killer (Orca Books, 2011) is #3 in the
series. It takes place on Father’s Day. Charlie has never had a good
relationship with his dad, who decides that this is the day they will
reconcile. Charlie is not so sure about it and is dreading their meeting. But
the show must go on. Amidst the calls and emails reminiscing about paternal
parents is a frightening email from a young man who is planning to kill not
only his father but his entire family, making this Father’s Day a memorable one.
Charlie and his producer frantically keep the banter lively on the radio show
while they try to maintain contact with the young man and bring in the police
to find him before it’s too late.
Within a short 90 pages or so Bowen establishes background,
characters, relationships, and suspense effectively. The plots are a little
light perhaps, but nothing more complicated could be resolved in a work of this
length. I enjoyed all four of these books and can recommend them to anyone
looking for a quick satisfying read. As usual with Canadian mysteries, I don’t
know why, they might be hard to find in local libraries.
·
Paperback: 112 pages
·
Publisher: Orca Book
Publishers; First Printing edition (September 1, 2011)
·
Language: English
·
ISBN-10: 1554698766
·
ISBN-13: 978-1554698769
Aubrey Hamilton ©2018
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on
Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, September 02, 2018
Still An Amazon Associate
Been awhile since I mentioned this, but I am an Amazon Associate.
So, every time you click through one of my links and buy something, I get a few
cents added to my account. I used to use those small funds to help purchase
medical supplies Sandi needed that were way cheaper on Amazon or pick up a book
or two to keep me sane. These days it is some medical stuff I need and the occasional
book.
By buying through one of my links, it does not cost you one
cent extra. I just get a few cents my way as a referral fee. So, if you are
inclined, please keep doing what you have been doing and buy through my links. It
was and still is very much appreciated.
Thank you.
Crime Watch: Rural Noir: small-town tales scoop Ngaio Marsh Awa...
Crime Watch: Rural Noir: small-town tales scoop Ngaio Marsh Awa...: Backcountry mystery outshone big city crime at WORD Christchurch Festival on Saturday evening as Alan Carter and Jennifer Lane ...
Saturday, September 01, 2018
Mystery Fanfare: NGAIO MARSH AWARD WINNERS 2018
Mystery Fanfare: NGAIO MARSH AWARD WINNERS 2018: The 2018 Ngaio Marsh Awards were presented last night in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Ngaio Marsh Award represents the very best in Ki...
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