Category: Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller Page 1 of 144

DETAILS:
Series: DI Tom Stonem, Book 1
Publisher: Harpernorth
Publication Date: October 29, 2024
Format: eBook
Length: 320 pg.
Read Date: December 11, 2024

A Quick Note

For reasons he’s probably detailed somewhere (and I likely read/heard and forgotten), Chris McDonald wrote this under the pen name Chris Frost (and who knows, McDonald might be a pen name, too). But as he’s not being covert about it (his Twitter account uses both names), I’m going to talk about them as if they’re the same person, because McDonald’s work informs the way I reacted to this.

What’s The Killer’s Christmas List About?

Previous drafts of this have been over-complicated as I explain too much and yet try to be spoiler-free, or they’ve been so bland as to be useless (“A new DI is assigned to a holiday-themed murder. Detecting ensues.”). So I’m going with the crutch of the Publisher’s description of this “anti-cosy Christmas” mystery:

In the picturesque village of Kibblesworth, DI Tom Stonem is dreaming of a quiet Christmas alone.

But in the shadow of the Angel of the North, a body lies waiting. The dead man is posed with a child’s Christmas list in his pocket, and the first mysterious item – 1. No angel – is crossed off.

When a second body is found – a woman, stabbed in the abdomen after her work Christmas do – Stonem is convinced there’s a grim connection between the crime scenes and the seemingly innocent list. 2. Red partee dress. Could this be a murderer’s twisted code?

As a blizzard rages in the Tyne & Wear countryside, the body count is snowballing. Can Stonem stop the killer before they get everyone on their Christmas list?

He’s So Good at This…

This is a minor thing, but Frost is so good at this (like McDonald, see A Wash of Black)—I can think of other examples, too, but few are as smooth as Frost/McDonald is. Stonem is really introduced to us as he arrives on the crime scene as his first day on the job in this station. So we get a blend of our introduction to him, the other officers, and the crime all at once.

The skeleton of the series is established, the kind of detective Stonem is, the identities and character of those he works with, and the kind of crimes we’re going to be seeing—both for the rest of this series and the rest of this novel. It’s so economical, so organic, and efficient that I can’t help but admire it. You start off with the whole world for DI Tom Stonem delivered in a chapter or two, rather than getting it in dribs and drabs like most people do. I have no problem with that approach—but when you see it done like this, it just seems so right.

The Flashbacks

We get regular flashbacks to someone’s childhood throughout the book—it’s a child who doesn’t have a lot in life, and a couple of parents who need financial help, and probably addiction treatment (and a lot more, too). It’s clearly connected to the killings the book focuses on. But, of course, just how it is connected is held back.

As a story-telling tool, I typically don’t like this approach.* It just seems mawkish, usually ungraceful, and I really dislike the way it’s generally used to give us insight into a killer (or someone associated with the crime) without identifiying the person, it just grates on me like nails on a chalkboard**. However, the way that Frost used it ended up really working for me, and was some of the more effective writing in the novel. Good on him.

* I say that, but I probably get sucked in regularly. But at least I don’t think I like this approach.
** Readers of a certain age should ask their parents. And maybe suggest an updated comparison for me to use.

Spoilerish thought, maybe skip this paragraph: This did not go the way that Frost seemed to be telegraphing—it may be that he had a better idea partway through and changed things, but it was probably (and it makes him seem cleverer) that he faked the reader out. A couple of times in the case of this reader. I’m so glad that he did—not just because I enjoy it when an author fakes me out without cheating, but because the way it ended up works so much better than where I thought he was going.

Just how Christmas-y is This?

Not very. Christmas plays a role in motive, and the thing is set in the days leading up to December 25th. But there’s not a very holiday feel to this. Some Christmas mysteries (even involving murder, kidnappings, serial killers, and other acts of violence) still give you a Christmas cheer vibe or something like that. There’s so little of that here as to make it negligible. The holiday is important to the plot, but not to the “vibe,” for lack of a better word.

Basically, read this one whenever you get around to it. You don’t need to sip on egg nog with Andy Williams playing in the background to appreciate it.

So, what did I think about The Killer’s Christmas List?

This is not Frost at his best, I’m sorry to say. Something about the prose felt clunky and occasionally overwritten—maybe Frost and his editor got in some strange groove and didn’t read as critically as they could’ve in the last passes. Was anything so bad that it took me out of the book? No. I winced a little and moved on. But it’s kind of a shame. Also…there were a couple of lines of investigation I just can’t imagine an experienced detective (or one who’s watched more than 3 episodes of Law & Order) didn’t take from the get-go. It didn’t hurt Stonem or his team, it just felt weird not to at least have them mentioned. And I grumbled about it to the book, which thankfully didn’t reply.

But whatever.

The plot though? Really good. Frost’s storytelling makes up for my quibbles—the way he develops the story, the momentum he gathers, and the twists were really nicely done. I’d sussed out the killer ahead of time (but I couldn’t have been wronger about motive)—and Frost convinced me I was wrong until he got to the reveal.

I liked Tom Stonem—he’s not as instantly compelling as Erkia Piper was, but it didn’t take too long for me to appreciate him, and I think in future books, I’ll end up liking him as much as, if not more, as Piper. And I’m really curious about where Frost intends to take him. Some of the rest of the team will be fun to hang out with, too. They’re not the typical detective team that I meet in British Police Procedurals (which frequently feel interchangeable between series).

The Killer’s Christmas List was a solid and quick read that was pretty satisfying. I’m looking forward to more of these.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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REPOST: The Legendary Mo Seto by A. Y. Chan: And Though She Be But Little, She Is Fierce

By HCNewton

On December 19, 2024

In Book Tour, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, YA/MG/Children's Books

The Legendary Mo Seto

by A. Y. Chan

DETAILS:
Series: The Legendary Mo Seto, #1
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Publication Date: June 4, 2024
Format: Hardcover
Length: 309 pg.
Read Date: August 8-10, 2024

What’s The Legendary Mo Seto About?

This is one of those books that I could easily tell you everything in my enthusiasm, but that’d take away the need for you to read the book—and Chan’s much more entertaining than I could be. So, I’ll try to keep it to the essentials.

Modesty (please call her Mo) Seto is a devoted student of taekwondo and has been competing—and dominating—in competitions for years. But a fellow student recently hit a growth spurt that passed Mo by and he has started to beat her in competitions. This is getting to her, it’s just not fair. After coming in second to him (again), she sees a call for open auditions for people in her age range for a role in an upcoming martial arts movie starring her favorite movie star/martial artist in the world.

Technically, Mo is too short for their requirements—the height issue again, will she ever just grow? She comes up with a cunning plan* to get into the auditions anyway with the help of her best friend and his grandfather posing as her guardian. Why a faux grandfather? There’s no way that her mother would allow her to do anything like this and her father is away on a sudden business trip and isn’t communicating with Mo or her mother the way he usually would.

* Slightly more elaborate than anything Clark Kent has tried, and just as believable. Just roll with it.

We follow Mo through the audition process—which starts to take on unexpected peril as the set becomes plagued by threats and unexpected problems—possibly caused by sabotage. Oh, yeah, and her classmate/rival is also going up for the part.

Can Mo get the part without the truth being discovered? Will Mo be disillusioned by seeing behind the Movie Magic? Will Mo’s dad start responding to her? And what’s up with this old book with a little-known martial arts form Mo just found in her basement? More importantly, can she use any of it to her advantage?

The BTS Stuff

Let’s get this out of the way: This is an MG Novel, not Cinéma vérité. There’s no way that the auditions can work the way portrayed in the novel—especially when it comes to kids. It is impossible that any of Mo’s antics and hijinks to get her into—much less stay in—the auditions would work. If you’re looking for accuracy and an honest look at making martial arts movies with actors under 18, look elsewhere.

That said, there’s enough of a flavor of Hollywood to all of this to work. The attitudes of the casting people—the shallowness of the initial assessments, the stress of the director, the attitude toward the fight choreographer/stunt professionals, and so on—really feel like what you expect. They’re entertaining enough that you really don’t care how realistic things might be, too—feeling about right is good enough.

For my money, the best part of this is watching Cody Kwok in action and how everyone reacts to him. Kwok is a Jackie Chan-esque figure (only younger). He’s known for doing his own stunts—many of which are just incredible—as well as not being tied down to any one genre (but making them all, eventually, about martial arts). Kwok, his entourage, and the film’s executives know what they’re doing when it comes to preserving his image and promoting it, and the auditioning kids (and media) see exactly what they’re supposed to. Chan does an excellent job portraying both that and showing the reader that the Superstar’s image might not really be the truth.

Characters Who Aren’t Mo

There’s a really strong cast of supporting characters who are as engaging as you want, I want to touch on just a few of them because it’d be too easy just to talk about Mo, and that’s not giving Chan’s work the credit it needs.

Mo’s rivals in the auditions are largely bullies when it comes to Mo (and some of the others), but they’re not all that bad. They’re just adolescent twerps who are probably covering up insecurities (well, a couple of them are entitled jerks who are on their way to being 80s movie villains)—the way they treat Mo is bad enough so you don’t make the mistake of liking them, can root for Mo against them, but you’re not going to worry about what they’ll do to her.

On the other hand, you get Mo’s friends who just make you like her more—if someone as cool as Nacho (real name, Ignacio) is her best friend, she must be pretty cool herself. And Nacho is cool—he’s supportive, understanding, artistic, and nerdy in all the ways that Mo isn’t. Mo’s a little too hyper-focused on herself at the moment, but Nacho gets it and is willing to wait for her.

His grandfather is a hoot. Gramps is an honorary grandparent to Mo, as well as Nacho’s actual grandfather. He’s recently widowed and lonely, but he hasn’t let it get him down—at least not in front of the kids. He’s a loving and goofy character who really comes through for Nacho and Mo—he’s the kind of grandfather I’d like to be.

One of the auditioners who befriends Mo is named Sanjay. I hope they find a way to bring him back for the rest of the books in the series. He’s apparently pretty good at karate and is as gregarious as the others are antagonistic. He’s one of those kids who cannot stop talking once he starts and is not self-aware enough to realize he’s doing it or how people react to him. He’d probably be pretty annoying in real life but as a comic relief character? He’s great.

Lastly—Mo’s parents. Parents in MG novels are so tricky to get right (I’ve often thought), and Chan gets it right. Not just the characters, but how they treat Mo—and how Mo sees them and how they treat her. Mo’s dad introduced her to taekwondo and Cody Kwok. He’s her biggest fan and source of encouragement—he also pushes her (generally) in the way she needs to keep going. When he’s not there, the impact on Mo’s confidence and emotions cannot be overstated.

Things are complicated with her mother. Mom comes close to being a stereotype, at least the way the narration describes her. But I’m not sure she is, essentially they don’t get each other—from Mo’s perspective, her Mom doesn’t like who Mo is. She doesn’t want a daughter into taekwondo (especially not to the near-obsessive level Mo is), but would rather she pursued something more acceptable, like dancing and Chinese immersion camp, a dainty academic superstar in the waiting. The reader will see that Mo’s not understanding her mother quite right, but there’s nothing malicious in it. It’s just a tricky mother/daughter dynamic (that appears to be starting to work itself out).

Mo Herself

In case I gave the wrong impression when I talked about Nacho, Mo is a cool person, but since we see the whole book from her point of view, it might seem biased. Mo is a confident, optimistic, go-getter. The fact that she’s probably not going to keep growing past her 4’9″ stature while everyone around her (especially Dax) is still growing, isn’t doing her esteem any favors. Her recent tournament loss is doing a number on her—she’s upset that Dax’s size puts her at a disadvantage and is ready to give up, but she’s also so determined that she just can’t. Chan portraying both competing impulses is a tricky proposition, but she pulls it off.

The chance to work with Kwok is the opportunity of a lifetime for Mo. She’s re-read his autobiography a few times (can quote portions of it), and has watched countless interviews—she knows him as well as anyone who hasn’t met him can (and as well as many people who have met him could). She’s such a superfan that it’s hard not to want to see a few Kwok movies yourself. When she describes one of his films, she always introduces it as “my favorite Cody Kwok movie”—it doesn’t matter which one she’s talking about. It’s a tiny touch, but I loved it. Her enthusiasm is infectious.

Actually, not just her enthusiasm for Kwok—but for everything. Her despondency is a little catching, too, and comes when it should. But her personality can’t stay down for long. She grows a lot over the course of the novel*—as she needs to, it’s the point of adolescence anyway. But she also has plenty of room to grow, and that’s easy to see, too. It’ll be fun watching that over the rest of the series.

* That’s growth in terms of character. Much to her chagrin, she’s as tall at the end of the summer as she was at the beginning.

So, what did I think about The Legendary Mo Seto?

I had about as much fun as is permitted by law while reading this.

Sure, it’s an MG book, so I’m a few decades older than the target audience. I guessed almost all of the big reveals (I think attentive MG readers will get most of them, too), I’m pretty sure I know how the next two books are going to go, and I rolled my eyes at some of the sillier aspects of the book. That’s not a problem with Chan’s writing—I think it means she hit her target. The fact that she was able to write for them while keeping an old guy like me entertained is to be commended.

This is a fast, engaging read that will entice readers from the jump and keep them turning pages (likely with a grin) almost as fast as Mo can dash around. Older readers will want to adopt Mo and Nacho as kid siblings (or false grandparents), and younger readers will want to be like Mo—and hang out with her friends. As good as the story and the writing are (and Chan’s subtle prose is deceptively easy)—readers are going to walk away from this book thinking primarily of this determined and brave girl, who will muster up whatever she has to in order to get a shot at her dreams.

I’m leaving things out that I should be saying, I know I am—but I can’t think of what they are at the moment. So be sure to see what other people on the Tour are saying. So let me just wrap up by saying that for the young or young-at-heart reader, this is a sure-fire win.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel) they provided.

Sizar by Susan Grossey: Another Trip through Cambridge’s Underbelly

By HCNewton

On December 9, 2024

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Sizar

by Susan Grossey

DETAILS:
Series: Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries, #2 
Publication Date: December 5, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 292 pg.
Read Date: December 2-3, 2024

What’s Sizar About?

A Cambridge student is found hanged, presumably by his own hand. But Master Vaughan calls on Hardiman to look into the circumstances of the suicide—what was it that drove this promising scholar to do this? It’s not long before another student is found dead—and this time it’s clear that someone killed him. This forces everyone to take another look at the hanging—was it self-harm?

Hardiman finds himself out of his depth again—but his determination and level thinking helps him to get at things that others miss or disregard. Soon, he’s looking into a gambling ring, the darker parts of student culture, and what may be a group of conspirators.

The Mystery

It didn’t take too much time to get a real handle on a motive for this. And not much more (or less) to suss out a really strong suspect. With that out of the way pretty quickly, you can focus on Hardiman and his world. How does he try to piece things together, what kind of evidence gets him moving the right way (and what detours does he take).

You also get to soak in the rest of the novel—the other plotlines, arcs, and characters. Grossey gives us a lot to focus on beyond the mystery in this book—and watching Haridman work through it all—false trails as well as the right moves—is better than trying to guess the solution.

Hardiman’s Personal Life

We get some more of the Book Club and library—and that bookstore owner really proves his worth as a friend. Who needs the Internet, apparently, as long as you have a friend who runs a Cambridge bookstore?

Actually, where the first book was largely focused on Hardiman’s day job as an Ostler as well as his investigation, this book focuses on his friends and other associates (while touching on his work a little, too).

It was great to see him like this—with friends, watching relationships develop, talking to the family of the officer he served with in the war—and so on. This aspect of the novel worked really well, it helped him become more than just a wounded vet with a need to expand his vocabulary. This humanized him and helped round him out. It was a good move, and made me like him more.

So, what did I think about Sizar?

The pacing of this is slow and methodical—a lot of that has to do with the era, they don’t have the need to rush that people at the end of the 20th Century/beginning of the 21st have. Also, communication works slowly across a city, or even further. Also, part of that is the slower pace that most (not all) British mystery novels take to investigations.

I understand it, but it bugged me a little. But that’s a personal failing, nothing wrong with the novel.

Even with the historical helps at the end, a lot of university/law enforcement structure makes me stumble (and I hate to take a break from the narrative to go look up facts), but it doesn’t take me out of the story, it’s just momentary “huh?” I’m getting better at is, thanks to the supplemental material Grossey gives. The evolution that these systems re going through at this point aren’t making things easier for me (or are they? I’m not sure).

The whodunit was a bit disappointing, and the why was pretty obvious—but how Hardiman solved things and resolved things, more than made up for that part. Really the procedural aspects are the bigger draws for most readers anyhow when it comes to procedurals. And none of what I said here addresses Grossey’s use of red herrings and twists, and both of those more than make up for what I might say is obvious or disappointing (and can make you doubt yourself a little bit)

Hardiman is a heckuva protagonist in a very interesting world—this is a unique series and one I heartily suggest you check out.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion.

3.5 Stars

PUB DAY SPOTLIGHT: Sizar by Susan Grossey

By HCNewton

On December 5, 2024

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

So I didn’t have time to get a full post up about this book (it will be positive!), but I didn’t want to let Publication Day go by without saying something. So here’s a little spotlight about this second in the cambridge Hardiman Mysteries.

Book Details:

Title: Sizar by Susan Grossey
Format: Kindle/Paperback
Length: 291 pg.
US Publication Date: December 5, 2024

About the Book:

In Cambridge in the late Regency, Gregory Hardiman is learning the ropes as a university constable. But his quiet life is about to be disrupted by the gentlemanly sport of horse-racing and the lengths people will go to to win…

In the spring of 1826, ex-soldier Gregory Hardiman is settling in to civilian life as an ostler and university constable in Cambridge. When an undergraduate is found hanged in his rooms at St Clement’s College, the Master asks Gregory to find out what could have driven the seemingly happy young man to take such a drastic step. A second death at the same college suggests something altogether more sinister, and Gregory sets out to discover whether a love of illegal gambling on horse races could lie at the heart of the tragedies.

In the second of the Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries, Gregory finds himself on shifting sands – torn between family ties in Spain and the possibility of new affections in Cambridge.

Book Links:

Apple Books ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Bookshop.org

About the Author:

For twenty-five years I ran my own anti-money laundering consultancy, which gave me almost limitless opportunity to write about my very favourite subject: money laundering. And the obsession with understanding the mechanics and motivations of financial crime has only grown. I have spent years haunting the streets of Regency London, in the company of magistrates’ constable Sam Plank. He is the narrator of my series of seven historical financial crime novels set in consecutive years in the 1820s – just before Victoria came to the throne, and in the policing period after the Bow Street Runners and before the Metropolitan Police. The fourth Sam Plank novel – “Portraits of Pretence” – was given the “Book of the Year 2017” award by influential book review website Discovering Diamonds. And the fifth – “Faith, Hope and Trickery” – was shortlisted for the Selfies Award 2019. My new series is the Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries, set in Cambridge in the 1820s and narrated by a university constable called Gregory Hardiman.

Author Links:

Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Website

PUB DAY SPOTLIGHT: Sizar by Susan Grossey

By HCNewton

On December 5, 2024

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Book Details:

Title: Sizar by Susan Grossey
Format: Kindle/Paperback
Length: 291 pg.
US Publication Date: December 5, 2024

About the Book:

In the second of the Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries, Gregory finds himself on shifting sands – torn between family ties in Spain and the possibility of new affections in Cambridge.

Book Links:

Apple Books ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Bookshop.org

About the Author:

Author Links:

Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Website

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman: Money Does the Funniest Things to People

By HCNewton

On December 2, 2024

In Fiction, Richard Osman, We Solve Murders

We Solve Murders

by Richard Osman

DETAILS:
Series: We Solve Murders, #1
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: September 17, 2024
Format: Hardcover
Length: 381
Read Date: November 29-30, 2024

“If someone does try to shoot me this week, do you have to dive in front of the bullet?”

“That’s the idea,” says Amy, without conviction. “Though that’s mainly in films.”

It’s hard to dive in front of a bullet, in Amy’s experience. They go very fast indeed.

Some Preliminary Thoughts

While I’m always (or almost always) happy for authors to branch out in new directions, to see if they can do something they haven’t before, I’m frequently trepidatious about actually following them. Particularly if all I know is series X and they’re trying something new.

There are authors I’ve come to later in their careers, where they’ve already tried a few things, or authors whose first handful of projects are so different from one another that you know that’s what you’re going to get—something new.

But when you (as a writer, anyway) are known for a series of cozy-adjacent mysteries featuring octogenarians set in one community, step away to try something featuring someone far younger, and with more action and a lot of globe-trotting, you can understand why some readers wouldn’t be sure about stepping out with you. I think it’s fair.

The prologue (which wasn’t called that, probably just so people wouldn’t skip it) was pretty good, and caught my attention. The first chapter was strong, and I enjoyed it. 1.5 pages into chapter two, and I was more than ready to sign on for the rest of the book and was officially okay with Osman taking a break from the Thursday Murder Club (I imagine he’s greatly relieved to hear that).

Steve Wheeler

Probably longer ago than I want to admit, Ken Levine had a great bit on his blog about Sorkin always having a Danny in his shows (I’m sure he wasn’t alone in this observation, but I only remember his). I wonder if Osman needs a Steve in the same way. It doesn’t matter at all. That’s just a thought that struck me partway through, and I can’t shake it off.

So, what’s the deal with this Steve? He’s a retired detective, and it seems like he was a pretty good one before he settled down in a small community with his wife to enjoy that retirement. His wife pushed him into starting a PI agency, “Steve Investigates.” He does small jobs—the occasional marital observance, finding lost pets, seeing who’s messing with trash bins—that sort of thing.

He kept up the agency after his wife’s death, and does a quick patrol of the town twice a day on his way to sit on her favorite bench to enjoy the view and talk to her. Then it’s off to the pub to talk to some friends before going home to watch TV and pet his cat.

He speaks to his son rarely since his wife’s death, but speaks to his daughter-in-law frequently, almost daily.

Amy Wheeler

Amy is that daughter-in-law. She works in close protection and security. She globe-trots to do so, but tries to call Steve daily (unless she’s prevented by work or immanent danger). She’s very much Charlie Fox, with a sense of humor—and a different kind of trauma growing up.

She’s good at what she does, she takes it very seriously. She’s traveling the world and enjoying it—and lives for the adrenaline.

Rosie D’Antonio

Rosie is…a lot. That’s her in a nutshell, really. She’s Amy’s current client, as the book opens. She’s a world-famous author, from a time when that would make someone very rich—and she’s enjoying a career resurgence. She’s the best-selling author in the world, actually—if you don’t count Lee Child.

She’s wealthy, she’s of an uncertain age (and likes it like that), with a lust for life (and men).

She recently erred when she based a character off a certain Russian oligarch and did a very poor job of disguising it—so he’s put a price on her head. Which is where she and Amy got together.

What’s We Solve Murders About Then?

Three clients of Amy’s agency have recently been murdered in similar, ghastly ways. These influencers have little in common (at least on the surface) other than that. One of those murders happens close enough to where Amy and Rosie are staying that Amy goes to investigate (and brings Rosie along to keep her safe until she can arrange for something else).

Things start getting dangerous then—shots are fired, more dead bodies appear, and it’s clear that Amy is the next target on the list. Rosie’s having a blast with this—as long as no one’s firing at her, anyway. But Amy is going to need help from someone she trusts who also has experience in solving murders. So she essentially forces Steve to come and help.

More shots are fired and other attempts are being made at killing Amy. Flights to all over the world are taken in quick succession. Secrets are uncovered. Rosie flirts with many men. And an appreciation of Van Halen comes in far handier than anyone would expect.*

* Words would fail me if I tried to express how much the Van Halen material made me smile.

The Tone/Approach

I hate to dwell on the comparisons between this and his other books, but it seems like something I should talk about. First, this is told in a series of close-third person narratives from multiple perspectives. There’s no first person anywhere, and everything is told in the same typeface. That’s notable (if you ask me, anyway.)

Second, this is more overtly comedic. Clearly, TMC is full of humor, but it’s more of the gentle character-based humor. This is full of funny moments, situations, and lines that are clearly meant to get a laugh or a grin. In my notes I called it jokey, but I’m not sure it goes that far (too often, anyway). I’d compare it to Evanovich/Goldberg’s Fox and O’Hare books, Goldberg’s Ian Ludlow books (but more restrained), or Duncan MacMaster’s mysteries. (all of which are compliments, I want to stress)

But Osman is still Osman and there are plenty of earnest, heart-string-tugging moments, too. Particularly with Steven—talking about his dead wife or even considering his lifestyle and what has led him to his very self-contained life. Amy isn’t that reflective of a character (if anything, she avoids it with action), so we don’t get much of that with her—although the way she avoids thinking gets us to a similar point with her.

So, what did I think about We Solve Murders?

Did my appreciation of the book vary much from the verdict I made in Chapter Two? Well, I ended up liking the novel more than I did back there. Does that count?

This was just so much fun—while I had my reservations and questions before starting, I also had high hopes. The end result was better than those.

Osman can do an action scene pretty well—and keep the comedy going. We don’t have anything particularly drawn out here, but there are bursts. And his ability to create a story with strong momentum and great twists is well-documented.

More importantly—Osman’s gift for characters really shines here. The supporting characters—criminals, witnesses, people the protagonists happen to encounter (whether for a handful of paragraphs or for several chapters), are just golden. To describe the best of them would be to deprive you of your chance to meet them. Once it was clear that Rosie wasn’t just going to be someone we met to establish Amy as a bodyguard, I wondered a little bit about her tagging along. But it didn’t take me too long to fully embrace the character, and now I’m looking forward to seeing her in the future.

I’m not sure that I should’ve made the comparison to Charlie Fox above—you really can think of this as a Charlie Fox book with laughs and be pretty dead on. Others might disagree, but I’ve had the comparison stuck in my head for a couple of hours now and can’t shake it.

I’m not 100% sure the final solution was honest, it felt a little like he cheated to get [redacted] to figure out that the Big Bad was [redacted]. The Big Bad’s accomplice, however, was obvious for longer than it should’ve been to get the characters to suss them out. So, on average, he did okay there. The red herrings were great, and made up for whatever issues I might have had with the solution (but really, give us one more chapter where [redacted] goes over the clues again in their mind or something—actually, just a paragraph before they say “I know who Big Bad is.”)

This was just so good, really. At this point, it’s not quite as good as Osman’s other work—primarily because nothing had the emotional weight that the gang at Cooper’s Chase (which is close enough to Steve’s home to provide hope of the characters brushing up against each other) seems to find in their adventures. But the potential is there for this series to equal it. And, really, considering the tone of this one, that kind of punch might have felt out of place or contrived.

Either way, I strongly recommend this to Osman’s readers or people who’ve never heard of the man/his books. You will have fun, and you will want more. I guarantee that for 99% of you.

4 1/2 Stars

Word and Spirit: Selected Writings in Biblical and Systematic Theology by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.:Righteous Gems

By HCNewton

On December 1, 2024

In Chronicles of Prydain, Constance Verity, Duncan MacMaster, Ian Rankin, John Rebus, Kitty Norville, Luca Veste, Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

I can’t put this one off any longer—if I could, I promise you I would (I’ve delayed it a few weeks already). I’m out of my league here, but I’ve got nothing else to write about. And I really need to write something about this.

Word and Spirit:
Selected Writings in Biblical and Systematic Theology

by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.; edited by David B. Garner & Guy Prentiss Waters

DETAILS:
Publisher: Westminster Seminary Press 
Publication Date: December 1, 2023
Format: Hardcover
Length: 723 pg.
Read Date: January 7, 2024-September 22, 2024

The word atonement does not occur in Paul’s writings.’ But no concern is more central for him than the meaning of the death of Christ, the church’s perennial concern in its doctrine of the atonement. What does Christ’s death achieve? How is it effective for the salvation of sinners? This chapter considers Paul’s answers to such questions with an eye to the issue of continuity between Paul’s teaching and later church doctrine. How faithful to the apostle is subsequent Christian understanding of the atonement?

Contemporary Pauline scholarship is marked by a fairly widespread consensus that in its dominant and most influential expressions, traditional atonement theology departs from Paul in at least two substantial ways. First, it fails to recognize, or at least do justice to, the Christus Victor theme in Paul, that Christ’s death destroys actual slavery to sin and its consequences in the sinner. Second, its notion of the cross as penal substitution, particularly as it has been developed beginning with the Reformation, is foreign to Paul.? In my view, the first of these critiques contains some measure of truth; however, the second is wrong. As a fair generalization, historic Christianity, including Protestant orthodoxy, is weak in not recognizing adequately Paul’s teaching that the cross destroys sin in the sinner as a corrupting and enslaving power, but modern historical-critical scholarship is defective for not dealing adequately with his teaching that the cross removes the guilt and just punishment of sin.

What’s Word and Spirit About?

According to the Publisher,

Few Reformed theologians have exerted the influence in both the church and the academy that Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. has, shaping the theology and spiritual formation of generations of pastors and teachers. Until now, his most significant published works have been inaccessible to most theological readers, published in academic journals, denominational newsletters, and out of print festschrifts and essay collections. A decade in the making, Word & Spirit gathers Gaffin’s finest works of biblical and systematic theology and arranges them in a singular, organic whole that presents Gaffin’s thought and work as comprehensively and clearly as it ever has been. More than 40 essays, articles, and tracts have been compiled, including “The Usefulness of the Cross”, No Adam, No Gospel, “A Cessationist View,” and “The Work of Christ Applied”. This collection is a must-have for any student of theology.

There’s really not much else to say. It’s broken down into five sections, and I’d be tempted to say that each section was the most valuable/useful (well, at least 2-5, but maybe if I spent some time re-reading part 1, I’d reconsider that). Let’s take a quick look at each:

Hermeneutics, Biblical Theology, and Systematic Theology

This is ten articles spread out over 170+ pages, covering the basics of Biblical Theology, how it can and should interact with Systematic Theology (and vice versa).

There’s some repetition of ideas (this will be a common thread throughout each section), which makes sense as these were written as individual pieces, not as part of a book, and Gaffin’s position and ideas about these things have remained static/build on each other.

It’s vital to understand him and his work—and just good to have a handle on these ideas regardless.

Theology of Hebrews and Paul

Most of these seven articles encapsulate (and expand on) the ideas from In the Fullness of Time: An Introduction to the Biblical Theology of Acts and Paul, a book I raved about a couple of years ago. But there are teachings and texts he didn’t address there, that he does here.

This section was so rich, so helpful—the chapters “‘The Obedience of Faith’: Some Reflections on the Rationale for Romans,” “Atonement in the Pauline Corpus: ‘The Scandal of the Cross,'” “and “The Priesthood of Christ: A Servant in the Sanctuary”—were good enough that I almost re-read them immediately (and I probably should’ve).

The first article in this section, The Usefulness of the Cross is available as a PDF Free Chapter Download from the publisher, take advantage of this.

Scripture, Epistemology, and Anthropology

The first three of these six chapters might have been the most mind-stretching for me (they won’t be for everyone), and were very rewarding.

The final three were the easiest for me—and the most repetitive in the book. They focus on Biblical anthropology (as in teaching on the nature of man), focusing on the historicity and nature of Adam. I’ve read at least “No Adam, No Gospel” before—it was published as a booklet a few years ago, and I think I read the previous chapter, the Translator’s Foreword to Adam in the New Testament as well. And I didn’t mind one bit re-reading it/them. Still helpful.

Pneumatology

These seven chapters could be (should be, if you ask me) be reworked into one book. Gaffin shines in these studies—and going back to his By Faith, Not By Sight and Resurrection and Redemption, these teachings are where he’s historically helped me the most. And that streak continues here.

Reformed theologians often (and wrongly) get the reputation for not talking about the Spirit as much as other traditions, and—even worse—are considered to ignore Him. Gaffin makes it clear that everything about Reformed Theology is based on the work of the Spirit in believers’ lives and helps us understand just what that means—both theologically and practically.

The Law of God, Soteriology, and Eschatology

This section pretty much covers “everything that couldn’t fit above.” Again, I’ve read a few of these before in other publications/stand-alone works. But I don’t care.

The chapters on eschatology are gold.

The chapters on Justification and Calvin are even better—the way he talks about Calvin’s view of the relationship of Sanctification and Justification (and the way he presents the two in The Instittues even in the organization of them) is so important for us all to heed. Particularly as he roots them both in Union in Christ—as is every benefit that the believer enjoys in this life and in the resurrection.

So, what did I think about Word and Spirit?

The justification of God’s elect is unshakably secure because, in a sentence, Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Despite the way it is often read, this is not, at least in the first place, a proof text for Christ’s divine immutability, that as God he is unchanging, though that attribute is surely in the background (see, for instance, 1:10—12).” Rather, it is most likely an affirmation of his unwavering fidelity, his abiding reliability as high priest—in his once-for-all sacrifice in the past on earth and in his ongoing present and future (cf. 7:25) intercession in heaven. That is as good a note as any to bring these reflections to a close. “Jesus Christ—the same yesterday, today and forever.” This, first and finally, is what Christians need to know about their justification when they consider Christ as their priest, not only in his state of humiliation but also in his state of exaltation.

Outside of the Foreword, Introduction, and Brief Biography (Appendix A), none of this is particularly easy reading. Nor quick. But all of it is accessible—for the depth he gets into at points, this is much more approachable than On Classical Trinitarianism (to mention a recent example).

This is probably the most personally beneficial read I’ve had in the last couple of years—sitting down with Gaffin for 30-50 minutes every week has been a great discipline and a great boon.

I should probably have more to say than that, but I can’t think of what else to say that’s not just a restatement of this: this is a fantastic book—with insights, teachings, and reminders of the things that are vital for every believer.

Highly recommended.

5 Stars
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Tooth and Claw by Craig Johnson: Even in The Arctic, Nature’s Red

By HCNewton

On November 29, 2024

In Craig Johnson, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, S-Z, Walt Longmire

Tooth and Claw

by Craig Johnson

DETAILS:
Series: Walt Longmire, #.5
Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Format: Hardcover
Length: 189 pg.
Read Date: November 28, 2024

What’s Tooth and Claw About?

After his time with the Marines is over, Walt needs to get away from people, society, anything that makes him think of Vietnam and what he witnessed there. He also wants to get away from what he knows–and what fits that description better than Alaska? He takes a job working security on an oil field, replacing someone who’d killed himself.

He also finds himself drinking. A lot. There’s not much to do when he’s not on the job—and you get the impression he can do a lot of it with a little bit of a buzz on.

We encounter Walt in this state as Henry comes up to visit–he’s concerned about what Walt’s doing to himself (as is Walt’s former fiance, Martha). Henry shows up at the end of December, when there are very few hours of daylight each day up by the Arctic Circle.

Henry’s a little bored, truth be told, so when Walt finds the opportunity to take him along on a quick research trip to help keep a scientist safe they go.

The day trip doesn’t go the way they expect (naturally). Instead, the friends find danger, a blizzard, a large polar bear (even by polar bear standards), a ghost ship, and some garden-variety human evil.

So, what did I think about Tooth and Claw?

This quick novella was fine. Walt and Henry against nature—weather and animal—isn’t exactly new territory, but Alaska isn’t what we’re used to seeing from them. It makes Wyoming look crowded. It’s a bit more extreme than we’re used to for them.

Add in a bunch of people we don’t know and a ship out of legend, and you’ve got something even better. There’s a potential supernatural element here–and the story works either way you approach that element.

It’s not a perfect read. The criminal activity seemed a bit perfunctory—and really didn’t add much to the novella, I might have appreciated the novella more without it. I don’t know that Johnson sold Walt’s drinking as being as much of a problem as Henry and a couple of others made it out to be.

But for what it is—a quick thrill-ride and a look at young-Walt, it’s good. There are some entertaining moments, it’s good to see these two in another environment. There’s at least one character I’d like to run into again.

It’s not a must-read for Longmire fans or the best introduction to the characters—but it’ll please longtime fans and should whet the appetites of new readers for the full novels. That’s good enough, right?

3 Stars

Bullet Points about Spook Street by Mick Herron: All the Exciting Stuff Happens Around River

By HCNewton

On November 29, 2024

In Fiction, Mick Herron, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Slough House

Spook Street

by Mick Herron

DETAILS:
Series: Slough House,  #4
Publisher: Soho    Crime
Publication Date: December 12, 2017
Format: Paperback
Length: 307 pg.
Read Date: October 18-29, 2024

“You want me to issue a shoot-to-kill order.”

“Well there’s no point shooting to wound. People would only get hurt.”

What’s the Back Cover of Spook Street Say?

What happens when an old spook loses his mind? Does the Service have a retirement home for those who know too many secrets but don’t remember they’re secret? Or does someone take care of the senile spy for good? These are the paranoid concerns of David Cartwright, a Cold War-era operative and one-time head of MI5 who is sliding into dementia, and questions his grandson, River, must figure out answers to now that the spy who raised him has started to forget to wear pants.

But River, himself an agent at Slough House, MI5’s outpost for disgraced spies, has other things to worry about. A bomb has detonated in the middle of a busy shopping center and killed forty innocent civilians. The “slow horses” of Slough House must figure out who is behind this act of terror before the situation escalates.

Things I’m Not Going to Develop into Paragraphs:

(I just don’t have the time or energy)
bullet Louisa makes a friend! A non-Slough House friend, it should be stressed. Which is great—and will hopefully help her deal with the events of Dead Lions. Sure, I pretty much like everything about Louisa, but this worked really well.
bullet This: “What happens when an old spook loses his mind? Does the Service have a retirement home for those who know too many secrets but don’t remember they’re secret?” Yeah, it could be phrased a bit more skillfully, but really—what is done in these situations (I have to assume more and more of these happen all the time)
bullet This book is really all about the power behind the throne. Sure, all the attention is on the leader (of whatever), but being the guy behind them—almost all of the power, but with almost none of the accountability or scrutiny, you can get a lot done. And you can direct the person at the top with just the right kind of pressure or incentive.
bullet Yes, the “Slow Horses” are, by design (of both Herron and MI-5) disposable, and impermanent. But some are pretty much irreplaceable, as the poor woman who is brought in to fill Catherine Standish’s shoes learns.
bullet Everything we learned about David Cartwright and his activities seems realistic. It’s chilling and troubling in so many ways. He deserves to be called OB. Or just B.
bullet Back to the impermanent idea. Herron shows us that he’s in the same league as authors like George R.R. Martin when it comes to the mortality of characters. I both admire that and am angered by it.
bullet Roderick Ho…what can I say about him? At the beginning of the book, I couldn’t believe what I was reading about him—it was far more hard to believe than any of the outlandish things we’ve seen Jackson Lamb’s team encounter. By the end, it all made sense. And I might have felt pity for the guy (although he makes it hard)
bullet Herron’s prose is so delicious. It’s mirthful without actually being funny (and only occasionally jokey). It’s so well crafted, it’s…I can’t put it into words. I just love reading him.

They were south of the river, half a mile from the Thames, near one of those busy junctions which rely on the self-preservation instincts of the drivers using it; ether a shining example of new-age civic theory, or an old-fashioned failure of town planning. On one of its corners sat a church; on another, earth-moving monsters re-enacted the Battle of the Bulge behind hoardings which shivered with each impact. A tube station squatted on a third, its familiar brick-and-tile facade more than usually grubby in the drizzle. There was a lot of construction work nearby, buildings wrapped in plastic sheeting, some of it gaudily muralled with visions of a bright new future: the gleaming glass, the pristine paving, the straight white lines of premises yet-to-be. Meanwhile, the surviving shops were the usual array of bookmakers, convenience stores and coffee bars, many of them crouching behind scaffolding, and some of them book-ending alleyways which would be either dead-ends where wheelie-bins congregated, or short-cuts to the labyrinth of darker streets beyond. Once upon a time Charles Dickens wandered this area, doubtless taking notes. Nowadays the local citizenry’s stories were recorded by closed-circuit TV, which had less time for sentimental endings.

So, what did I think about Spook Street?

Once again, I couldn’t stop asking myself why I am so behind in reading these? Why do I take breaks of months and months between them? Everything about this series is great.

I’m just happy the whole time I’m reading one of these books—despite the fact that the events are harrowing, the characters are generally despicable, and what the books suggest about humanity and Western security services (UK’s in particular, but I can only imagine they function pretty similarly to the rest) doesn’t fill one with optimism or confidence.

Spook Street is a solid winner from the horrible incident the book started with to the closing comforting paragraphs and all points in between. Herron planted more seeds than is typical for future installments—and I can’t decide which I want to see first (on second thought, I want to see the Roddy Ho stuff come back to haunt him/Slough House as soon as is humanly possible).

If you’re not reading these books—at my snail-like pace or at a rational pace—you are missing out.

4 1/2 Stars

Craig Johnson, The Osher Institute, and Tooth and Claw

By HCNewton

On November 22, 2024

In Andy Carpenter, Charlie & Rose Investigate, Craig Johnson, Fiona Griffiths, Harry Bingham, Iron Druid Chronicles, Jo Perry, Kevin Hearne, M. T. Miller, Miscellany, News/Misc., Walt Longmire

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of seeing Craig Johnson for the third time 7 years. I’m starting to feel like a stalker, or a groupie, or…I dunno, I can’t come up with the third things for that list. Anyway, I’m not either of those–or the other one, either. I only see him when he comes to the Treasure Valley and I see an advtisement. Really.

This time, he came to Boise to do a presentation for students of The Osher Institute–a lifelong learning program that seems like a great idea (I’ve heard a few people talk about it before). Thankfully, they opened it for non-students, too–for a small fee that included the price of his new novella, Tooth and Claw (which he signed afterward, too).

He talked a little about the oddly extended process in getting the novella written (by his standards, anyway), the style/influence that was behind this one, and a little bit about the story (maybe too much, almost certainly more than I’ll put in my eventual post about it). He also told a nice little story about the history of the SS Baychimo, a ghost ship that would appear every 10 years or so up in Alaska. I assume that I’m not the only one who had to go home and read more about it later after hearing his recounting.

Then he went into an extended Q&A time for the rest of the hour–I’ve heard a couple of the anecdotes he used before, but he used them to answer different questions, so that was a nice touch. But this wasn’t like the other Q&As I’ve seen him do before–this was a fairly mixed audience. There were plenty of Johnson fans, and plenty of people who’d watched the Longmire show, too. But there were a decent number of people who hadn’t read him at all before (1 person read The Cold Dish in the last couple of weeks). This led to some great questions from people who just wanted to talk about writing, the process of publishing, and then the recommended way to read the books (his wife insists they be read in chronological order, he maintains you can grab them in any order*).

Whether he was just talking about his upcoming book, answering a question about his process, talking about the ages of his characters, what he wrote before Walt Longmire got him a publication deal, a storyline that didn’t turn out the way he planned, or even a problem someone had with the Netflix adaptation, Johnson knows how to engage with an audience. I hope he doesn’t do this anytime soon, but if he quit writing and just toured the country telling stories about the books, his life, or just fun things he learned about history–I’d see him as often as possible and I think he be able to stay as active as he wanted. I don’t know if he’s always been able to work an audience the way he does, or if he grew into it (I think the former based on what he says about his family’s knack for storytelling), but there’s no denying that you walk away from a Craig Johnson appearance fully entertained. If you get the opportunity, take it.

And, of course, he brought that same charm and ability to connect to the autograph line–his lines don’t move that quickly. Once you get to the front, you understand why. He takes enough time so that fans new and old get a little of his attention, which no one is going to complain about.

I was also treated by a friend to a great meal at a nearby Mexican restaurant after we got our books signed. That’s not the point of this piece. I just can’t help thinking of it a day later.

*It’s good to see that even your writing heroes can be wrong.

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