Category: A-F Page 1 of 15

Series A-F

Craig Johnson, The Osher Institute, and Tooth and Claw

Craig Johnson speaking at the Osher InstituteYesterday, 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).

the Cover of Tooth and Claw by Craig JohnsonHe 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*).

Craig Johnson speaking at the Osher Institute 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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PUB DAY REPOST: The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt: Andy Carpenter’s 30th Is as Satisfying as the 1st

Cover of The More the Terrier by David RosenfeltThe More the Terrier

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #29
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: October 5-7, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s The More the Terrier About?

The Carpenter family returns from a vacation to find that their house/dog-sitter has brought in a stray from the weather. Before they can take it to their rescue shelter to scan for a chip, his son, Ricky, recognizes the dog—he’s a little terrier that they’d fostered a few years ago, who’d gotten lost and found his way back to a place he knew.

Andy returns the dog, to find out that this was a bit of coincidental timing. The dog was adopted by a mother and son—the son attends a local college, and is in jail awaiting trial for killing a professor. His current lawyer is pressing him hard to take a deal, but BJ is resisting. Andy has a conversation with BJ and takes over the case—there’s something fishy about this lawyer and how he got involved in the case.

As one expects by now, the more that Andy looks at things, the more complex things appear. Soon, Andy and his team are up in their necks with experimental computer software, drug dealers, sexual assault (don’t worry, it’s not anywhere near graphic), and other sorts of criminal activity. This includes one of the biggest challenges (possibly the biggest) Marcus has faced in this series.

Marcus

At one point in this book, Andy and Marcus are having a conversation and in the middle of it, I stopped just to marvel at a totally normal conversation happening between the two without any wisecracks in the narration about finally understanding him or anything.

It was just strange. It’s good, I think I like it this way. But it’s taking some getting used to.

Marcus as a whole is losing some of his mystique, though. He’s becoming more human—which is a good (and a bad thing, I miss the superhero).

The Holiday-ness of It All

Since this is a “Christmas”/”Holiday”-themed release, I like to take a moment to talk about that aspect of the book. There’s barely any. If someone had told me that Rosenfelt had spent a day changing the Summer 2025 book into the Holiday 2024 release, it’d come out like this.

That said–it worked. We don’t need chapters upon chapters every year about Christmas, Laurie’s obsession with Christmas decorations and music, all the stuff about gifts, etc. If you’re a fan who reads every book, the allusion is enough. If you’re new to the series–or just not obsessive–there’s enough Holiday content to add flavor, to set the mood.

This is not a comment about quality or quantity. I’m good with either—it’s just an observation. Also, it’s hard to find something to talk about here at book #30.

Metaverse Overload?

So the Metaverse is a major component in this novel—it’s a place where the victim spends a lot of time, as well as several other characters in the book. There’s a lot of conversation about it, and so on.

Few things speak to the lead time between the submission of a manuscript and its publication as clearly as something like this. I verified my assumptions with the Gen Z and Millennial people in my family, and they all tell me that the Metaverse is just not as big as these characters made it seem (and people thought it would be a few years ago).

Does this hurt anything? Nope. It just made me roll my eyes.

So, what did I think about The More the Terrier?

Few things in my life are as certain as that I will have a good time with an Andy Carpenter book. The More the Terrier is no exception. We get to spend some time with some good friends, maybe make another friend or two (maybe just good acquaintances)—we get to see that Corey’s relationship is growing (we need another Team K-9 book!!).

The mystery is satisfying. The way that Andy and Co. solve it is, too. Andy’s narration is reliably entertaining and chuckle-inducing. The material about the dogs is great (the Sebastian jokes are something I’ve started to really look forward to). Andy’s courtroom antics are restrained here, but the trial is still the best part.

I really don’t know what else to say—this is a fun read. If you’ve never read an Andy Carpenter book, you’ll enjoy it–if you’ve read 1-29 of them, you know this is the case.

Rosenfelt’s books are like potato chips—once you start, you just can’t stop. Go ahead and open this bag.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press—thanks to both for this.


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.
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The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt: Andy Carpenter’s 30th Is as Satisfying as the 1st

Cover of The More the Terrier by David RosenfeltThe More the Terrier

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #29
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: October 5-7, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s The More the Terrier About?

The Carpenter family returns from a vacation to find that their house/dog-sitter has brought in a stray from the weather. Before they can take it to their rescue shelter to scan for a chip, his son, Ricky, recognizes the dog—he’s a little terrier that they’d fostered a few years ago, who’d gotten lost and found his way back to a place he knew.

Andy returns the dog, to find out that this was a bit of coincidental timing. The dog was adopted by a mother and son—the son attends a local college, and is in jail awaiting trial for killing a professor. His current lawyer is pressing him hard to take a deal, but BJ is resisting. Andy has a conversation with BJ and takes over the case—there’s something fishy about this lawyer and how he got involved in the case.

As one expects by now, the more that Andy looks at things, the more complex things appear. Soon, Andy and his team are up in their necks with experimental computer software, drug dealers, sexual assault (don’t worry, it’s not anywhere near graphic), and other sorts of criminal activity. This includes one of the biggest challenges (possibly the biggest) Marcus has faced in this series.

Marcus

At one point in this book, Andy and Marcus are having a conversation and in the middle of it, I stopped just to marvel at a totally normal conversation happening between the two without any wisecracks in the narration about finally understanding him or anything.

It was just strange. It’s good, I think I like it this way. But it’s taking some getting used to.

Marcus as a whole is losing some of his mystique, though. He’s becoming more human—which is a good (and a bad thing, I miss the superhero).

The Holiday-ness of It All

Since this is a “Christmas”/”Holiday”-themed release, I like to take a moment to talk about that aspect of the book. There’s barely any. If someone had told me that Rosenfelt had spent a day changing the Summer 2025 book into the Holiday 2024 release, it’d come out like this.

That said–it worked. We don’t need chapters upon chapters every year about Christmas, Laurie’s obsession with Christmas decorations and music, all the stuff about gifts, etc. If you’re a fan who reads every book, the allusion is enough. If you’re new to the series–or just not obsessive–there’s enough Holiday content to add flavor, to set the mood.

This is not a comment about quality or quantity. I’m good with either—it’s just an observation. Also, it’s hard to find something to talk about here at book #30.

Metaverse Overload?

So the Metaverse is a major component in this novel—it’s a place where the victim spends a lot of time, as well as several other characters in the book. There’s a lot of conversation about it, and so on.

Few things speak to the lead time between the submission of a manuscript and its publication as clearly as something like this. I verified my assumptions with the Gen Z and Millennial people in my family, and they all tell me that the Metaverse is just not as big as these characters made it seem (and people thought it would be a few years ago).

Does this hurt anything? Nope. It just made me roll my eyes.

So, what did I think about The More the Terrier?

Few things in my life are as certain as that I will have a good time with an Andy Carpenter book. The More the Terrier is no exception. We get to spend some time with some good friends, maybe make another friend or two (maybe just good acquaintances)—we get to see that Corey’s relationship is growing (we need another Team K-9 book!!).

The mystery is satisfying. The way that Andy and Co. solve it is, too. Andy’s narration is reliably entertaining and chuckle-inducing. The material about the dogs is great (the Sebastian jokes are something I’ve started to really look forward to). Andy’s courtroom antics are restrained here, but the trial is still the best part.

I really don’t know what else to say—this is a fun read. If you’ve never read an Andy Carpenter book, you’ll enjoy it–if you’ve read 1-29 of them, you know this is the case.

Rosenfelt’s books are like potato chips—once you start, you just can’t stop. Go ahead and open this bag.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press—thanks to both for this.


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.
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PUB DAY REPOST: A Farewell to Arfs by Spencer Quinn: The World Breaks Every One, Except Maybe Chet

Cover to A Farewell to Arfs by Spencer QuinnA Farewell to Arfs

by Spencer Quinn

DETAILS:
Series: Chet and Bernie, #15
Publisher: Forge
Publication Date: August 6, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: July 24-27, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s A Farewell to Arfs About?

We start off this book with Bernie and Chet finishing a case for the Sonoran Museum of Art (an institution we learned about a couple of books ago), and with things looking up—and money in Bernie’s pocket—this is a pretty happy way to start things.

But soon after that, Chet overhears a phone call that their neighbor, Mr. Parsons, is having—and the reader knows things are going bad for him. Bernie learns the next day that Mr. Parsons has been the victim of a phone scam and is wiped out. Bernie starts looking into it—and into the Parsons’ ex-con of a son. It looks like he may have turned his life around, and is helping other former inmates adjust to the outside world and to stay on the right path. But is that what’s really going on?

If Billy Parsons isn’t involved—who is? And is there any chance that Bernie can get back any of the Parsons’ money?

Charlie and Esmé

Bernie’s son, Charlie, has been a consistent pleasure in the series—particularly because of Chet’s devotion to him. But adding his best friend, Esmé, in the last couple of books has made the character much more enjoyable for me.

I really enjoy their dynamic, for those familiar with Syfy’s Resident Alien show, it’s similar to the dynamic of Sahar and Max, only Esmé has a little more patience with Charlie than Sahar does with Max.

Even better, we get to meet Esmé’s father in this book—who seems like a good guy for Bernie to talk to in general—he has no knowledge of Bernie’s past, he’s not involved with policing, investigations, or anything like that. Just a friendly guy—who happens to be smart and (coincidentally) involved in an area that Bernie needs help understanding for the case. I enjoyed their conversation and hope we get more in the future.

(still, I do like the way that Charlier got to shine a little brighter this time than he usually does)

Bernie’s Past

Whoa. I did not expect any of what we learned about Bernie’s father in this book. Frankly, I didn’t think we’d ever learn anything about him—we barely know anything about his mother (and I’m okay with that based on Chet’s descriptions). But all of a sudden, there’s a lot about Harry Little being talked about.

It works—don’t get me wrong—and now I want to know more about Harry, his relationship with Bernie, and what was going on with him in general. We don’t get that (now?), but we get a glimpse of the man that was a presence in Bernie’s life until his early death. And that’s not nothing.

Feelings, Nothing More than Feelings

So, all the stuff about Harry Little added some emotional weight to the novel. But we didn’t need any of it—I’m not objecting, don’t get me wrong—but the last thing this book needed was more going on emotionally.

There’s some drama between Bernie and Weatherly. Bernie’s found a new way to botch things up with a woman—no real surprise there. The only plus is that it is a new way—he’s not repeating mistakes he made with Leda or Suzie. Maybe there’s some growth there—but it’s not Bernie at his best.

Related to that are some real dark moments for Bernie—we’ve seen hints of things like this from him before. But I don’t think it was ever this pronounced. Bernie is not always a good guy, he’s not only a white knight—there’s a noir character in him, battling to come out. And Bernie’s control slips early on in the novel and he has to reckon with the fallout.

But that’s not all. The Parsons have been aging and declining in health for a few books now, and for them to get wiped out like this—and then whatever that may or may not say about their son? There’s just no way to read this without your heartstrings being tugged. Scratch that—they’re yanked.

I don’t want to be unclear here (he says after probably giving the wrong impression). This is still a Chet and Bernie book like fourteen that have come before. Chet’s still irrepressible, he’s still an unreliable narrator obsessed with Bernie, food, smells, putting his teeth on perps, and snacks. He will make you laugh, and you will enjoy Bernie tracking down clues and the rest. But, like the better installments of this series, there’s a lot more going on than Chet’s antics—and Quinn makes sure that the depth is there.

So, what did I think about A Farewell to Arfs?

I admit that I was hoping for a criminal named Mike Craven to show up—to get back at Craven’s accidental use of Quinn’s name in last year’s Fearless. But it’s probably too soon for that—maybe in the next couple of years?

Once I saw what Mr. Parsons was doing on the phone, I muttered to myself (and texted a friend) that “Quinn’s getting all the mileage he can out of the research he did for Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge.” More power to him, obviously, but it did feel a little like a re-run. Thankfully, the story went in a very different direction—as I assumed it would, but still. In fact, while this might have been the result of the same research, the nature of the phone scam was different enough to shut me up.

I’m not sure that Weatherly handled things as well as she could’ve, but I’m not bothered by an imperfect character—she can be as flawed as Bernie. But that was the only hitch I found in this book or the events in it.

I really appreciated the depth we see of Bernie’s character, an angle or two that we haven’t spent that much time looking at before—we get to focus on. There’s more to him than being a decent PI with a lousy approach to finances. And if how he treats the Parsons doesn’t make your heart melt a little, you weren’t paying attention.

We get the usual chuckles (including Chet giving the reader a good idea about what he thinks about legalized marijuana), a good story, all the feels I described above (and more), and some good action scenes. What more is there to ask for?

Nothing that I can think of.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Tor Publishing Group via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.


4 1/2 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.
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A Farewell to Arfs by Spencer Quinn: The World Breaks Every One, Except Maybe Chet

Cover to A Farewell to Arfs by Spencer QuinnA Farewell to Arfs

by Spencer Quinn

DETAILS:
Series: Chet and Bernie, #15
Publisher: Forge
Publication Date: August 6, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: July 24-27, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s A Farewell to Arfs About?

We start off this book with Bernie and Chet finishing a case for the Sonoran Museum of Art (an institution we learned about a couple of books ago), and with things looking up—and money in Bernie’s pocket—this is a pretty happy way to start things.

But soon after that, Chet overhears a phone call that their neighbor, Mr. Parsons, is having—and the reader knows things are going bad for him. Bernie learns the next day that Mr. Parsons has been the victim of a phone scam and is wiped out. Bernie starts looking into it—and into the Parsons’ ex-con of a son. It looks like he may have turned his life around, and is helping other former inmates adjust to the outside world and to stay on the right path. But is that what’s really going on?

If Billy Parsons isn’t involved—who is? And is there any chance that Bernie can get back any of the Parsons’ money?

Charlie and Esmé

Bernie’s son, Charlie, has been a consistent pleasure in the series—particularly because of Chet’s devotion to him. But adding his best friend, Esmé, in the last couple of books has made the character much more enjoyable for me.

I really enjoy their dynamic, for those familiar with Syfy’s Resident Alien show, it’s similar to the dynamic of Sahar and Max, only Esmé has a little more patience with Charlie than Sahar does with Max.

Even better, we get to meet Esmé’s father in this book—who seems like a good guy for Bernie to talk to in general—he has no knowledge of Bernie’s past, he’s not involved with policing, investigations, or anything like that. Just a friendly guy—who happens to be smart and (coincidentally) involved in an area that Bernie needs help understanding for the case. I enjoyed their conversation and hope we get more in the future.

(still, I do like the way that Charlier got to shine a little brighter this time than he usually does)

Bernie’s Past

Whoa. I did not expect any of what we learned about Bernie’s father in this book. Frankly, I didn’t think we’d ever learn anything about him—we barely know anything about his mother (and I’m okay with that based on Chet’s descriptions). But all of a sudden, there’s a lot about Harry Little being talked about.

It works—don’t get me wrong—and now I want to know more about Harry, his relationship with Bernie, and what was going on with him in general. We don’t get that (now?), but we get a glimpse of the man that was a presence in Bernie’s life until his early death. And that’s not nothing.

Feelings, Nothing More than Feelings

So, all the stuff about Harry Little added some emotional weight to the novel. But we didn’t need any of it—I’m not objecting, don’t get me wrong—but the last thing this book needed was more going on emotionally.

There’s some drama between Bernie and Weatherly. Bernie’s found a new way to botch things up with a woman—no real surprise there. The only plus is that it is a new way—he’s not repeating mistakes he made with Leda or Suzie. Maybe there’s some growth there—but it’s not Bernie at his best.

Related to that are some real dark moments for Bernie—we’ve seen hints of things like this from him before. But I don’t think it was ever this pronounced. Bernie is not always a good guy, he’s not only a white knight—there’s a noir character in him, battling to come out. And Bernie’s control slips early on in the novel and he has to reckon with the fallout.

But that’s not all. The Parsons have been aging and declining in health for a few books now, and for them to get wiped out like this—and then whatever that may or may not say about their son? There’s just no way to read this without your heartstrings being tugged. Scratch that—they’re yanked.

I don’t want to be unclear here (he says after probably giving the wrong impression). This is still a Chet and Bernie book like fourteen that have come before. Chet’s still irrepressible, he’s still an unreliable narrator obsessed with Bernie, food, smells, putting his teeth on perps, and snacks. He will make you laugh, and you will enjoy Bernie tracking down clues and the rest. But, like the better installments of this series, there’s a lot more going on than Chet’s antics—and Quinn makes sure that the depth is there.

So, what did I think about A Farewell to Arfs?

I admit that I was hoping for a criminal named Mike Craven to show up—to get back at Craven’s accidental use of Quinn’s name in last year’s Fearless. But it’s probably too soon for that—maybe in the next couple of years?

Once I saw what Mr. Parsons was doing on the phone, I muttered to myself (and texted a friend) that “Quinn’s getting all the mileage he can out of the research he did for Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge.” More power to him, obviously, but it did feel a little like a re-run. Thankfully, the story went in a very different direction—as I assumed it would, but still. In fact, while this might have been the result of the same research, the nature of the phone scam was different enough to shut me up.

I’m not sure that Weatherly handled things as well as she could’ve, but I’m not bothered by an imperfect character—she can be as flawed as Bernie. But that was the only hitch I found in this book or the events in it.

I really appreciated the depth we see of Bernie’s character, an angle or two that we haven’t spent that much time looking at before—we get to focus on. There’s more to him than being a decent PI with a lousy approach to finances. And if how he treats the Parsons doesn’t make your heart melt a little, you weren’t paying attention.

We get the usual chuckles (including Chet giving the reader a good idea about what he thinks about legalized marijuana), a good story, all the feels I described above (and more), and some good action scenes. What more is there to ask for?

Nothing that I can think of.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Tor Publishing Group via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.


4 1/2 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.
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PUB DAY REPOST: Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt: Understanding Marcus

Cover for Dog Day Afternoon by David RosenfeltDog Day Afternoon

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #29
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 2, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: June 20-21, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s Dog Day Afternoon About?

Overall, I’m not sure that the body count in this book is that much higher than in other books in this series—but the way it opens is very different. The instigating crime feels like something straight out of a mass-shooter video your HR people make you watch annually (assuming your workplace is similar to mine, I guess)—it’s cold, calculated, with a casual disregard for human life we don’t often see in this series. (Andy says something similar at one or two points).

So you’re left wondering—how does Andy get roped into representing the accused? (although many readers are going to read that scene and pick out the places the defense is going to take advantage of). This is where Marcus comes in.

Andy learned about this earlier, but we readers learn about this now—Marcus mentors young people in his neighborhood who have had a rough time of it and have run afoul of the law in the past. They need some help, some guidance, and some favors—Marcus provides this.

He also helps a couple of those he mentors to adopt a dog from the Tara Foundation. One of these two is accused of the crime—Marcus comes to Andy for help, and he gets it. That Willie also vouches for the accused helps—there’s no chance that Willie agrees to let one of their dogs go to someone capable of this crime.

That’s not evidence he can introduce in court, but it’s compelling for Andy. Now he just needs to find something that will be compelling in court.

Marcus

Marcus can’t become too well-rounded of a character—we need him in the shadows, doing things that defy belief. But we can learn more about him than we have prior to this.

We see that he can have attachments to people other than Laurie (and by extension, Andy). We see just how far he’s willing to go to help someone.

I was interested in this book because I’ve enjoyed almost every one of its predecessors enough that I don’t bother to see what they’re about before I add them to the TBR list. But once I noted that this one featured Marcus like that—my excitement grew. I love watching the character at work, and to see him in a different situation than we’re used to made my day. Also, we got just what the doctor ordered from a Marcus-centric book.

So, what did I think about Dog Day Afternoon?

I cannot believe that I’ve read 29 books in this series (plus a few in a spin-off). Twenty-nine. That’s just insane. Now, am I going to say that they’re all as fresh as they were in 2002 when Open and Shut came out? Of course not. But they have their moments when they feel that way.

* According to my logs, I read it in 2011—I’ve been with these characters for 13 years. Mind-boggling.

So, Rosenfelt has his work cut out for him to do something to keep the audience engaged. Over the last few books, he’s worked on deepening the relationship between Andy and Marcus, which has been nice. This book takes a big step forward in that. I don’t know that we’re going to see much more than this anytime soon—you need to preserve some of Marcus’ mystique to keep him nearly-superhuman in Andy’s (and the reader’s) eyes. Similarly, we readers can know Hawk a little better than when Spenser first ran into him in Promised Land—but not too much.

So, we’d better enjoy what we get here, right?

And naturally, that’s really easy. Other fun bonuses—Andy getting along with the prosecutor. Cory clearly being annoyed with Sam Willis wanting to get in on the action. Even some of the Andy and Tara interactions felt a little different (not unusually so, and not negatively). There was also the attempt of a law firm to hire the most reluctant lawyer in the world—that did bring a smile to my face.

There’s a good mix of the tried and true Andy bits, fun material with our old friends, a clever mystery, a new side of Marcus, and Rosenfelt’s trademark zippy prose. It’s easy to see why this series has gone on as long as it has—and may it continue to do so.

Can you hop on here? Absolutely—and you’ll have the fun bonus of a healthy backlist to work your way through once you get done with this one.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.


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.
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Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt: Understanding Marcus

Cover for Dog Day Afternoon by David RosenfeltDog Day Afternoon

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #29
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 2, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: June 20-21, 2024
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s Dog Day Afternoon About?

Overall, I’m not sure that the body count in this book is that much higher than in other books in this series—but the way it opens is very different. The instigating crime feels like something straight out of a mass-shooter video your HR people make you watch annually (assuming your workplace is similar to mine, I guess)—it’s cold, calculated, with a casual disregard for human life we don’t often see in this series. (Andy says something similar at one or two points).

So you’re left wondering—how does Andy get roped into representing the accused? (although many readers are going to read that scene and pick out the places the defense is going to take advantage of). This is where Marcus comes in.

Andy learned about this earlier, but we readers learn about this now—Marcus mentors young people in his neighborhood who have had a rough time of it and have run afoul of the law in the past. They need some help, some guidance, and some favors—Marcus provides this.

He also helps a couple of those he mentors to adopt a dog from the Tara Foundation. One of these two is accused of the crime—Marcus comes to Andy for help, and he gets it. That Willie also vouches for the accused helps—there’s no chance that Willie agrees to let one of their dogs go to someone capable of this crime.

That’s not evidence he can introduce in court, but it’s compelling for Andy. Now he just needs to find something that will be compelling in court.

Marcus

Marcus can’t become too well-rounded of a character—we need him in the shadows, doing things that defy belief. But we can learn more about him than we have prior to this.

We see that he can have attachments to people other than Laurie (and by extension, Andy). We see just how far he’s willing to go to help someone.

I was interested in this book because I’ve enjoyed almost every one of its predecessors enough that I don’t bother to see what they’re about before I add them to the TBR list. But once I noted that this one featured Marcus like that—my excitement grew. I love watching the character at work, and to see him in a different situation than we’re used to made my day. Also, we got just what the doctor ordered from a Marcus-centric book.

So, what did I think about Dog Day Afternoon?

I cannot believe that I’ve read 29 books in this series (plus a few in a spin-off). Twenty-nine. That’s just insane. Now, am I going to say that they’re all as fresh as they were in 2002 when Open and Shut came out? Of course not. But they have their moments when they feel that way.

* According to my logs, I read it in 2011—I’ve been with these characters for 13 years. Mind-boggling.

So, Rosenfelt has his work cut out for him to do something to keep the audience engaged. Over the last few books, he’s worked on deepening the relationship between Andy and Marcus, which has been nice. This book takes a big step forward in that. I don’t know that we’re going to see much more than this anytime soon—you need to preserve some of Marcus’ mystique to keep him nearly-superhuman in Andy’s (and the reader’s) eyes. Similarly, we readers can know Hawk a little better than when Spenser first ran into him in Promised Land—but not too much.

So, we’d better enjoy what we get here, right?

And naturally, that’s really easy. Other fun bonuses—Andy getting along with the prosecutor. Cory clearly being annoyed with Sam Willis wanting to get in on the action. Even some of the Andy and Tara interactions felt a little different (not unusually so, and not negatively). There was also the attempt of a law firm to hire the most reluctant lawyer in the world—that did bring a smile to my face.

There’s a good mix of the tried and true Andy bits, fun material with our old friends, a clever mystery, a new side of Marcus, and Rosenfelt’s trademark zippy prose. It’s easy to see why this series has gone on as long as it has—and may it continue to do so.

Can you hop on here? Absolutely—and you’ll have the fun bonus of a healthy backlist to work your way through once you get done with this one.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.


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.
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BLOGIVERSARY REPOST: Pros and Cons: A Short Story by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

To commemorate the 11th Blogiversary of The Irresponsible Reader, I’m reposting the first six books (or, I guess, stories) I blogged about this week. This post got me my first comment here—from Goldberg himself! I did go on to love the series (at least until Goldberg moved on), so the first thing I predicted came true.


I spent the better part of an hour writing a different review this morning — it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be, but I’d worked on it a lot. And then I lost it. One stupid, wrong and mostly stupid click of the mouse and …poof. Didn’t have time to try to recreate it, but wanted to post something new today. And hey, I just purchased the Evanovich/Goldberg short story, Pros and Cons. Perfect! That’d fit the bill. Right? well…

—–

Pros and Cons: A Short Story (O'Hare and Fox, #0.5)Pros and Cons: A Short Story by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Series: Fox and O’Hare, #0.5
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’ve been eagerly awaiting The Heist since it was first announced — I’m a big fan of both Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, so when this short story prequel was released I couldn’t resist.

I probably should have found the will power. This, at best, was not bad. Amusing at times, but most of the humor felt forced. Even then, the humor was overly broad most of the time. Worse than that, the story was chock-full of exposition dumps that are almost worthy of Dan Brown.

That said, I’ve read almost 30 books by these two over the years and have no doubt that the novels are going to be better. The primary characters — Agent O’Hare and scoundrel Fox, are promising and chock-full of potential. Sure, I’m a little less enthused about The Heist than I was yesterday, but I’ll get over that once it’s in my hot little hands.

Short version: Skip this tease, come back for the real thing.

Another Girl (Audiobook) by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson: A Different Focus Keeps The Series Fresh

Another GirlAnother Girl

by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: A Kings Lake Investigation, #4
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: January 23, 2024
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 38 min.
Read Date: February 13-15, 2024

What’s Another Girl About?

Serena Butler is loaned out to do some plainclothes intelligence gathering in a nearby city. She misses a check-in with her handler, right after saying something tantalizing about making some new friends. This galvanizes her team back at King’s Lake and her DCI pushes her weight and rank around to get involved in the investigation into her disappearance–and the drugs investigation Butler was helping with.

At the same time, there’s an apparent hit and run for the Murder Squad to look in back at home–and while they do their due diligence with that, their concern for one of their own clearly has captured their attention (also, an absent pathologist means a delayed autopsy, so they can only do so much).

A Change of Focus

Initially, DCI Cara Freeman and DC Serena Butler carried most of this book–although DI Tom Green gets a lot more focus than he’s ever received before. And that was just great, I always liked him, but I wanted to see him get to shine a bit. Freeman and Butler are a great pairing and really establish this as a different kind of entry in this series.

Yes, when Waters shows up roughly mid-way through the book, he ends up getting a lot of the focus, as we’re used to. Still, the narrative really does take advantage of Waters’ absence and explores the team and uses the multiple POVs to a greater advantage than Grainger has in the past. I don’t want Waters to get pushed to the background on a regular basis–but man, I really appreciated this.

But this is Serena’s book, really. We start with her assignment hitting a bump in the road and we finish by it going deeper than she was ready for. But throughout, we get to learn a lot more about this character that’s been around for twelve books and really takes on new life and a greater depth. She’s been a favorite of mine from early on in her first appearance–and I like her more now that I understand her better. Honestly, if she got her own spin-off series in the future, I’d be game, or just for more books like this. (a book that uses Green more would also be welcome, but given the way his character typically operates, I’m not sure that’s possible).

DC’s Shadow

DC Smith (it still feels strange to call him David) has always loomed large over these King’s Lake books, but it seemed to me that it was a little larger this time than it had been since Songbird (but it’s not like I keep statistics or anything). He’s either mentioned in conversation (by people on all sides of the law) or thought of by Chris and Serena–who will remember some advice/guidance he gave them–which allows Granger to slip in a line or two using his DC voice–and I’m always going to be in favor of that.

Which, I guess, brings us to:

A Word About the Narration

This is an audiobook, so I need to talk about the narration. But as I keep saying, I don’t know what to say about Gildart Jackson’s work on this series that I haven’t said umpteen times.

When his voice starts coming out of my phone, my mind instantly settles in for a good time. There’s a calmness that he evokes in me almost instantly (note: it’s not his voice, I rarely felt calm during the Alex Verus books). He catches the humor, the tension, the camaraderie, the…I don’t know, the spirit of these books. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, I’m not picking these up in print (although, I know at least one non-audiobook person who says they’re great in print), I have to have Jackson’s voice.

So, what did I think about Another Girl?

Grainger doesn’t frequently put his King’s Lake characters in peril (I thought about listing exceptions to that rule, but I won’t–but the point stands), this series is about typical investigations. But when he does, he does it effectively. And boy howdy, he does so here. I haven’t been this concerned for the fate of a Grainger character since A Private Investigation‘s close.

But more than just the danger aspect, watching Serena deal with the pressures of working undercover (especially as she initially wasn’t supposed to go as deep as she ended up) was so well done. Equally well done was watching her team fret about her when they couldn’t contact her and weren’t sure what was going on.

The hit-and-run story never got the time I initially expected, but the way that Grainger worked it into the overall storyline was his typical well-done work. He was able to weave it into the drugs story and show how it is about much more than drugs.

This tied this particular novel into something we first saw in On Eden Street and will likely show up for at least one more novel. Which isn’t to say that this novel isn’t largely a stand-alone like the rest, but there’s something that will tie it to further books.

I think I’ve rambled enough–possibly too much. I had a great time with this one, and as always I strongly encourage you to give this one a try. It would serve as a fine jumping-on point to the series (like every book so far), but if you have the time and means, I’d suggest starting at the beginning. Or somewhere. Just start with Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson, and the detectives in and around King’s Lake Central.


4 Stars

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Clearing the Deck III: Tweet-length thoughts about books I can’t find time to write about

I did this last month to catch up up to 2023, but the backlog I’d accrued last year was too big for me. So here we go again. This doesn’t get me totally cuaght up, but it’s close enough. Hopefully it’ll be years before I have to resort to this again.

I frequently mention how looming Mt. TBR is getting for me, but what’s worse is my “To Write About” pile, I know I’m never going to catch up with that properly and it bugs me to no end. But in the interest of something being better than nothing, a dash of realism, and a heavy dose of self-care, I’m cutting myself some slack. This was painful to do, I was looking forward to writing about most of these, and I have so much that I want to say. But I’m just not going to get to them—and other books are starting to pile up, too. So, in 144 characters or less, here’s me cutting myself some slack.

(Click on the cover for an official site with more info)

If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?
3.5 Stars
If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating by Alan Alda
Not sure how helpful this was–but it was quite entertaining & interesting. Hours of Alda’s narration–it almost doesn’t matter what he said.
The Librarian of Crooked Lane
3 Stars
The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer, read by: Marian Hussey
Great idea. Okay (ish) execution. Had to push myself to keep going more than once.
The Bittlemores
4 Stars
The Bittlemores by Jann Arden
So strange at times. The ending made all of the “why am I bothering” parts worth it. Capital Q-quirky and emotionally effective. Give it a try.
Things My Son Needs to Know about the World
3.5 Stars
Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman, read by: Santino Fontana
Hilarious and touching. Backman seems more down-to-earth than expected–a great writer & a relatable dad. Should give this to my grandkid’s dad.
That Old Cloak and Dagger Routine
3 Stars
That Old Cloak and Dagger Routine by Anne Louise Bannon
Ummm…a cozy and fairly self-consciously chaste spy novel. Who knew that was possible? Wasn’t wowed, but intrigued enough to read more.
The Deal Goes Down
3.5 Stars
The Deal Goes Down by Larry Beinhart
A compelling, self-aware, action read. Really dug it, but not sure I’m 100% into the story’s wrap-up, but the denouement helped.
Endangered
3 Stars
Endangered by C.J.Box, read by: David Chandler
Ehhhh…I liked this, I think. I’m not sure what to say about it (hence the months of silence from me, I guess)
Strong Female Character
3 Stars
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
Funny and helpful look at one woman coming to terms with an ASD diagnosis, and how she got to it.
Hammered
3 Stars
Hammered by Lindsay Buroker, read by: Vivienne Leheny
Good world, great protagonist/narrator. Decent introductory novel. I’ll be back for more.
Vampire Weekend
4 Stars
Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen
Heckuva read. Words have failed me for a year with this one. The premise, execution, characters, plot–all typical Chen greatness.
Spider-Man’s Bad Connection
3 Stars
Spider-Man’s Bad Connection by Preeti Chhibber
Not as good as book 1, but filled with everything I liked about it. Seemed more concerned about setting up the series arc than this book’s plot.
Blue Like Me
3.5 Stars
Blue Like Me by Aaron Philip Clark, read by: Preston Butler III
The mystery/police aspect of this series is great. The personal life material is less so. This author/narrator combo makes it worthwhile.
Once Upon a Tome
3 Stars
Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work in an antiquarian bookshop or if you like quietly charming people talk about unusual occupations…
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
3.5 Stars
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, read by: Scott Brick
So sweet, so heartwarming, so charming. This novel about booksellers in love–and Firkney’s adorable daughter–will steal your heart.
Killing Me
4 Stars
Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon
Great take on vigilante serial killers. Great turns and twists.
Teen Titans: Robin
3 Stars
Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia, Art by: Gabriel Picolo
Not the best in the series, but Garcia’s take on these characters is good enough to overcome that. I just wish these came out faster.
Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation
2 Stars
Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs, read by: Emily Woo Zeller
The problem with an impossibly smart characters is that the creators behind them aren’t that smart. The results are disappointing.
Evil Valley
3 Stars
Evil Valley by Simon Hall
I like this series, I like the characters…didn’t think this was up to the author’s standards. Some great scenes and a compelling killer.
Summer Hours at the Robbers Library
2 1/2 Stars
Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern, read by: Josh Bloomberg, Dara Rosenberg, Allyson Ryan
Meandering. The major reveal was a major letdown. It was just intriguing enough to keep me listening, but I wish it hadn’t been.
The Stench of Honolulu
2 Stars
The Stench of Honolulu: A Tropical Adventure by Jack Handey
What a waste of time (mine and the authors) and talent.
Pieces of Eight
3.5 Stars
Pieces of Eight by Peter Hartog
I <3 this universe. I think this case was weaker, but the character moments, growth, and magic were so great that it didn't matter. I need more.
Posthumous Education
3 Stars
Posthumous Education by Drew Hayes, read by: Kirby Heyborne
Good to be back in Fred’s world. Not the best collection of episodes for the Vampire Accountant, but pleasant enough.
The Last Ranger
3 Stars
The Last Ranger by Peter Heller, read by: Mark Deakins
Feels like a CJ Box standalone that he abandoned because he couldn’t come up with an ending. Heller couldn’t either, but called it good anyway.
The Door-to-Door Bookstore
3 Stars
The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn, read by: Raphael Corkhill, translated by Melody Shaw
Schmaltzy but pure-of-heart. One central character’s motivation makes no sense. Ignoring that, it’s a sweet celebration of books/readers.
Murder Your Employer
3.5 Stars
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes, read by: Simon Vance, Neil Patrick Harris
Possibly too clever for its own good. I vacillated between reveling in it and utter disdain. It’s a mixed-bag that won me over in the end.
Fixit
4 Stars
Fixit by Joe Ide
IQ and Dodson are back and better than ever. Who needs to say more than that?
Thornhedge
3 Stars
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, read by: Jennifer Blom
Great prose in service of a solid modern take on Cinderella.
Flood and Fury
4 Stars
Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God by Matthew J. Lynch
Helpful work on Divine Violence (how to think of it, how not to think of it or avoid the idea, either) and about the conquest of Canaan.
But Have You Read the Book?
2 1/2 Stars
But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films by Kristen Lopez
How can a book with this premise be so dull? And snobbish, too.
The Chinese Groove
2 1/2 Stars
The Chinese Groove by Kathryn Ma, read by: James Chen
Great characters, an okay story, but the payoff wasn’t there. The ending was bad enough to make me wish I hadn’t spent the time.
Noirville
4 Stars
Noirville: Tales From The Dark Side by Chris McVeigh
15 of the best short stories I’ve ever read. This is how Crime Fiction should always be.
Grand Theft Astro
3 Stars
Grand Theft Astro by Scott Meyer, read by: Elizabeth Evans
The Stainless Steel Rat with a contemporary twist. Meyer is capable of better, but I had enough fun (not sure I’m sold on the ending)
The Eternity Fund
3.5 Stars
The Eternity Fund by Liz Monument
Dynamite dystopian adventure. Worth the $ just for the worldbuilding. The story and characters were even better–I’d relish a sequel.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
4 Stars
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley, read by: Hillary Huber
It took me a long time to decide what this book was really about, but I enjoyed the trip. The destination was okay, too.
The Raven Thief
3 Stars
The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian
See what I said about Spider-Man’s Bad Connection.
Killers of a Certain Age
3.5 Stars
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, read by: Jane Oppenheimer, Christina Delaine
Who doesn’t enjoy an octogenarian assassin? Who doesn’t love female assassins? A group of them out for revenge? Sure-fire fun.
Vanished
3 Stars
Vanished by Kat Richardson, read by: Mia Brown
Good story, but felt underwhelmed by it all. I think it was me and my timing. not Richardson. I need to get back on this horse.
She-Hulk: Jen Again
3 Stars
She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Jen, Again by Rainbow Rowell
A real winner from Rowell. I knew I should’ve started reading this series earlier. Good art, interesting arcs, & some real smiles were induced.
How to Examine a Wolverine
3 Stars
How to Examine a Wolverine: More Tales from the Accidental Veterinarian by Philipp Schott, read by: Geet Arora
A fun Veterinarian Memoir, with a lot of heart. James Herriot with more laughs and technology.
The Green Ember
3 Stars
The Green Ember by S.D. Smith, read by: Zach Franzen
Maybe too much like Wingfeather Saga, but with rabbits instead of humans. Still, a good fantasy for the MG crowd.
Don't Hang Up
3.5 Stars
Don’t Hang Up by Benjamin Stevenson, read by: Luke Arnold, Sybilla Budd
I can’t do better than Mike Finn did. Go read what he said. It’s why I listened.
How I Won a Nobel Prize
2 1/2 Stars
How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto, read by: Lauren Fortgang
Some good writing, but squandered for…I’m not sure really.
The Marlow Murder Club
3 Stars
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood, read by: Nicolette McKenzie
Decent cozy with an intriguing cast of oddball slueths.
Questland
3.5 Stars
Questland by Carrie Vaughn
Jurassic Park for RPG, SF, Fantasy, etc. fans. Been a Vaughn fan for years, but don’t know that I’ve had this much fun with one of her novels.
All Systems Red
3 Stars
All Systems Red by Martha Wells, read by: Kevin R. Free
Oh, wow. I understand all the fuss over this series. I shouldn’t have slept on this–or the sequels like I have.
Self Help
3 Stars
Self Help by Ben H. Winters, read by: Wil Wheaton, Ron Perlman
Cool concept. Great cast. Entertaining but not-entirely satisfying result. Worth the time. But not much more.

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