Category: Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller Page 137 of 153

Hardcover, 271 pg.
Viking Adult, 2006
Read: Feb. 11-13, 2014

Granted, I took too long to get back to this series, so it’s possible that my memory is more of the TV show than The Cold Dish, but I think I remember it well enough to say that Death Without Company has a more enjoyable, casual feel throughout than its predecessor did.

Which isn’t to say this is a laugh riot, or silly — Johnson is no Evanovich. But the atmosphere of the book, the relationships between Vic, the Ferg, Henry, Cady and Walt are effortless, they feel like coworkers and friends. So even when the bodies start to pile up, the external pressures mount, and answers are in short supply, there’s an ease to things that make the book more entertaining than it could’ve been. Even as Sheriff, Walt still comes across as deferential and secondary to his former boss Lucian Connally (though he doesn’t hesitate to put his foot down when necessary).

When Lucian tells Walt in no uncertain terms that a death in the retirement home he lives in is not from natural causes, he has to investigate. Even if he’s not entirely convinced. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that Lucian’s right — otherwise, we wouldn’t have a novel to read. Which takes Walt on a journey through the the murky history of both one of Walt’s oldest friends and the area he calls home — this time with a different minority group as the focus (though the Rez and its inhabitants are always lurking around in the background).

There’s a new romantic interest in these pages — as well as a couple of new deputies for Absaroka County (the particular skill set of one of these is a bit too deus ex machina-y for my tastes, but he’s so likable, who cares?). Throw in the kind of snow storm you can only get in rural Wyoming (or areas like it) and some brushes with Indian spirituality, and you get a distinctive kind of mystery novel, making the adventures of Walt Longmire and his cohorts the kind of story you can get nowhere else. It won’t take me as long to come back to this series next time.

I had no idea where to fit this into the review, but I thought Walt’s observation deserved to be repeated — due to its wisdom as well as the way it’s phrased:

Everything to do with women is foolish, and, therefore, absolutely essential.

—–

3.5 Stars

Dusted Off: The Drop by Michael Connelly

By HCNewton

On March 3, 2014

In Authors, Fiction, Harry Bosch, Michael Connelly, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Drop

by Michael Connelly
Series: Harry Bosch, #17

Paperback, 448 pg.
Grand Central Publishing, 2012
Read: Jun. 23-25, 2012

How does he do it? How does someone as accomplished as Connelly continually top himself? Equaling himself would be a tough act (and not one he always pulls off), but topping himself? Inhuman.

This was gripping (duh). This was harrowing (duh). The suspense was there, the intrigue was thick (duh). What was shown about the human condition should cause anyone to reflect (duh). All of that is par for the course for Connelly and Harry Bosch.

But this one…the depravity, Harry’s reaction to it–not just the bad guys, but the politics surrounding the cases…hit harder than normal. You can really feel for Bosch in this one, you can curse his mistakes (and even the right things he did that don’t feel so right), but the closing chapters carry a kind of emotional weight that Bosch novels normally don’t.

This is Connelly at his best. Looking forward to the next time he tops himself.

—–

5 Stars

Dusted Off: The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson

By HCNewton

On February 24, 2014

In Authors, Craig Johnson, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Walt Longmire

The Cold Dish

by Craig Johnson
Series: Walt Longmire, #1

Paperback, 400 pg.
Penguin Books, 2006
Read: June 28-30, 2012

It’s hard to believe this is a first novel. I love it when that happens. Johnson is assured in his writing, he knows his characters and their world, there’s no mistaking that.

It’s not a fast-paced tale by any means–Johnson saunters through his prose like Longmire would through the world. That doesn’t mean it’s not gripping, though. It’s lush with detail, as scenic and expansive as the Wyoming country it takes place in.

I figured out whodunit pretty quickly, but it took a while to get the why. The journey to the why was compelling, interesting and well worth the time. Looking forward to the next installment.

—–

4 Stars

Hide by Lisa Gardner

By HCNewton

On February 21, 2014

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

Hide

by Lisa Gardner
Hardcover, 313 pg.
Bantam, 2007
Read: Dec. 21, 2013

D. D. Warren is back for her second adventure, and second time being overshadowed by supporting character, Bobby Dodge. They’re reunited by a crime scene that’s decades old and contains multiple bodies of little girls — the chamber they’re found in is worthy of Thomas Harris or Val McDermid, and will immediately grab the reader’s attention (or turn them off to the book straightaway).

Soon after the news hits the press, a young woman comes forward claiming that they’ve misidentified one of the girls, as she’s the actual Annabelle Granger. The tale she tells convinces the detectives (mostly), and provides fuel for their investigation. I won’t get into Annabelle’s story — it’s worth checking out the novel just for it — but it’s at once totally believable and preposterous.

Dodge and Warren face many obstacles along their way — both from the past and present. And following the crooked path to the killer — and Annabelle’s real history — is more complicated and dangerous than anyone would expect. Including crossing paths with Catherine Rose Gagnon (from the previous volume, Alone). The last couple of chapters will keep you turning the pages as quickly as you can.

This is twisted, creepy, disturbing, suspenseful, and not very predictable (although I realized who the bad guy was a long time before the Warren or Dodge did). While I don’t know that it excels in any of these areas, it delivers what it promises. In short, it’s a good read. I’ll be back, and not just to see if Warren ever gets the prime narrative spot in her eponymous series.

—–

3 Stars

The Bat by Joe Nesbø

By HCNewton

On February 14, 2014

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

The Bat

by Jo Nesbø
Paperback, 369 pg.
Random House, 2012
Read: Dec. 28, 2013

Um. Really? This is the international publishing sensation that has so many people (including non-mystery readers)? Is it just that Nesbø is profiting from being as Scandinavian as Stieg Larsson? I don’t get it.

While I wouldn’t call this anything special, The Bat is a perfectly adequate book about your typical dysfunctional cop with substance abuse issues and internal demons working a tough case, falling for someone who knew the victim, letting said substances and demons mess things up, before cracking the case at great personal cost. I know that seems spoilery, but it’s not — the writing’s on the wall within a couple of chapters.

It was a pleasant enough way to pass a few hours, and I’ll probably pick up one or to more in the series, just to see if I get the fuss. But if you’re wondering if you should read The Bat, I’d shrug and point you to a handful of other works. Go ahead and read it, but don’t make it a priority.

I really am curious — has anyone read further on? Do they improve? What nugget of greatness did I miss?

—–

3 Stars

Mandarin Plaid by S. J. Rozan

By HCNewton

On February 13, 2014

In Authors, Fiction, Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, S. J. Rozan

Mandarin Plaid

by S.J. Rozan
Series: Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, #3

Mass Market Paperback, 275 pg.
St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 1997
Read: Feb. 10, 2014

As much as I enjoyed Concourse, Mandarin Plaid reminded me of the problems I had with it — namely, it didn’t have enough Lydia Chin. We’re back to Lydia as narrator, and her carrying a lot more of the investigative and sleuthing burden. Which leads to a more interesting and satisfying read.

Once again, it’s one of Lydia’s brothers that brings her the client — and then tries to get her off the case — which starts off pretty simply, Lydia making a money drop to retrieve some stolen property. Lydia’s Chinatown connections prove invaluable to her sussing things out when the ransom drop doesn’t go according to plan.

Not that her partner, Bill Smith doesn’t bring connections to the table — he has a long history with the NYPD in general, and the NYPD detective they cross paths with. Whereas Lydia’s connections provide assistance and (mostly) useful information; Smith’s bring them grief and harassment from the NYPD.

Things move along at a good clip, Lydia’s voice is just as strong and self-assured. The case itself was pretty interesting and tricky enough to satisfy the whodunit reader. Rozan faked me out a couple of times, and in the end, when I was wrong, I could take it, because she laid the groundwork for what was really going on.

I think I’m in this series for the long-haul.

—–

3.5 Stars

Hell Hole by Chris Grabenstein

By HCNewton

On February 11, 2014

In Authors, Chris Grabenstein, F-J, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Hell Hole

by Chris Grabenstein
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published July 22nd 2008 by Minotaur Books
Read: Feb. 9, 2014

The fourth Ceepak/Boyle Mystery was a pleasant change of pace, while keeping the essence of the series intact. When he’s not patrolling with Ceepak, Danny Boyle is mentoring a spunky new part-time summer officer, Samantha Starky. The two respond to a noise complaint — a group of soldiers between Iraq deployments, celebrating a bit too loudly. While Boyle and Starky are convincing them to quiet down, their Sergeant gets a call, he needs to go identify a body in a nearby town — apparently one of the team has committed suicide. Danny’s not going to let anyone this drunk drive, so they take him to the scene. Here’s where things get going.

First, the sloppy CSI from Ceepak and Boyle’s first major case is on the scene; and there’s something about what he’s seeing that doesn’t set right with Danny. This being the 21st century, he uses his phone to snap a few pictures so he can think about it. When that doesn’t do the trick, he shows the pictures to Ceepak — who not only shares Danny’s sentiment, he can point to what was wrong in the pictures. No longer a suicide, yet out of their jurisdiction, the two have to get creative to find a way to solve this murder (while never wavering from Ceepak’s rigid code of honor and honesty).

Naturally, things aren’t that easy — there are distractions, celebrities, a US Sentator/Presumptive GOP Presidential candidate, local thieves — and some major drama on the personal front for Ceepak. There’s more to Sea Haven’s best cop than his Boy Scout attitude, his military past and devotion to Law & Order, and we get a healthy helping of that now.

Yes, yes, yes there are a few thing in retrospect that bother me: our heroes don’t have as many roadblocks to investigating a crime outside their jurisdiction that the should, and the external assistance that came along at the end was just a leeeetle too easy. But in the moment, Grabenstein sold it. And that’s what counts.

Hell Hole does feature one of the scariest sentences I’ve ever read: “They make an awesome tofustrami sandwich.” Seriously? Tofustrami is a thing?

As fun add these boss are, we see real evil on them. We see a deep kind of evil here — and the seeds are planted for a truly dark next adventure. Hell Hole has your standard Grabenstein balance of comedy and drama, serious and light, heart and suspense. Things strike closer to home than usual for our characters this time, and that just makes everything better.

—–

4 Stars

Unnatural Selection by Aaron J. Elkins

By HCNewton

On February 7, 2014

In Aaron Elkins, Fiction, Gideon Oliver, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Unnatural Selection

by Aaron Elkins
Hardcover, 288 pg.
Berkley Hardcover, 2006
Read: Dec. 26-27, 2014

So Gideon and Julie are off to the Scilly Isles in the UK for Julie to attend an ecology conference. While she’s busy talking about ways to save the world, Gideon plans on some sightseeing, hanging out in a museum doing some volunteer work, enjoying life.

But, no surprise here, Gideon stumbles onto a bone that doesn’t belong there. And we’re off to the races with the Skeleton Detective.

Elkins doesn’t come up with an excuse for Mr. and Mrs. Lau to come along to Julie’s conference, but thankfully, there are a couple of British policemen to fill his skeptical-then-fawning shoes. Which is not a knock on everyone’s favorite FBI Agent, it’s his role in the books, I get that. I enjoy him, even when the role gets tired. Anyway, the local constabulary are a fun pair.

Elkins clearly did some research on cadaver (et cetera) dogs, and he was eager to share it. Yeah, it was info-dumpy, which generally turns me off. But, Elkins made his dog expert pretty entertaining — and hey, it was about dogs. Ended up enjoying those bits.

Amusing characters, interesting puzzle, a new location, and Elkins’ writing is always enjoyable — put that all together for a thoroughly entertaining book. This wasn’t the greatest mystery I’ve read, or even the best of this series, but it was fun. That’s good enough.

—–

3 Stars

Split Second by David Baldacci

By HCNewton

On February 6, 2014

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

Split Second

by David Baldacci
Series: King & Maxwell, #1

Hardcover, 416 pages
Published August 31st 2003 by Warner Books
Read: Jan. 21-22, 2014

This is the pilot novel for the King and Maxwell series. It reads so much like a TV pilot that I almost have to think of it that way — introducing our characters, learning their back-stories, how they get together as a team, and set off on a new set of adventures. It might as well have an image of Stephen J. Cannell tearing a page out of his typewriter at the end.

Sean King is a former Secret Service Agent, turned lawyer when the presidential candidate he was guarding was assassinated right next to him. Eight years later, Michelle Maxwell is guarding another candidate, who’s kidnapped from under her nose. With the clock on her career winding down, Maxwell throws herself into the search — as well as looking for help and guidance from the one former agent who’d understand what she’s going through.

There’s an okay chemistry between the characters — it looks briefly like romance would be in the air, but they turn from that pretty quickly. Maxwell and King settle into an burgeoning friendship as they search for the candidate, sift through lies, rumors, half-truths, and conspiracies that have been building for decades leading up to the kidnapping.

I won’t say I was grabbed by the plot at any point — and actually, I found most of the crimes in question to be pretty far-fetched. But it was good enough (just) to keep me turning the pages. Sometimes, that’s enough.

Like with many TV pilots, it’s hard to tell what the rest of the series is going to be like, but I liked this enough to try the next one. I just hope it’s a little more grounded.

—–

3 Stars

Screwed by Eoin Colfer

By HCNewton

On February 4, 2014

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

Screwed

by Eoin Colfer
Hardcover, 304 pg.
Overlook Hardcover, 2013
Read: Jan. 27-31, 2014

I saw that the sequel to Colfer’s Plugged was out, and I had a dim recollection that I enjoyed Plugged (and can look up my rating on Goodreads), but I can’t remember a lick of it. Which bothered me, but I figure it’ll come back to me with some work — so I put a reserve on it at the library. When I went to pick it up, I still couldn’t remember anything about its predecessor, which still bugged me. I read the jacket copy — doesn’t help, and now it’s driving me crazy. I read the first two pages — nothing. But at the bottom of the second page I read:

And those eyes? Big and blue, rimmed with way too much eyeliner. Men have climbed into hollow wooden horses for eyes like that.

With lines like that, who cares what I remembered? This is a great read, so much fun, and laugh out loud funny when you’re not horrified by the violence. Colfer writes like a Don Winslow who hasn’t slept in a week thanks to existing on a truly inhuman amount of energy drinks.

It’s not long after that observation that the tide starts to turn for Daniel McEvoy, our narrator. The two-bit gangster he angered in Plugged has decided on a way for McEvoy to start to make things right between them. Sure, it’s probably just a set-up, but what choice does he have? Especially with his best friend and the owner of those eyes serving as handy targets.

Before he gets the chance to figure out just what’s going on, Daniel stumbles across his long-lost aunt (in the middle of a decades-long bender), his grandfather’s fourth (or so, I don’t remember exactly) wife, a young wanna-be wiseguy, the wanna-be’s actual wiseguy henchman, the would-be gangster, a couple of corrupt policemen, a masked assassin, a killer lightning bolt, a car at the bottom of the river, and a few other obstacles. Daniel deals with each of these with a combination of world-weary cynicism, gallows humor, an unexpected romanticism with a trace of optimism and lethal force. The latter is really what carries the day, obviously, but it’s the rest that makes reading his exploits worth it — and darn enjoyable.

For example, towards the end of the book, Daniel makes this aside:

The Key to staying alive until you die is to not get yourself killed.
I saved this nugget till close to the end on account of how bleeding obvious it reads, which might bring on a little gnashing of teeth. But to most people not getting yourself killed involves nothing more than just doing what you’re already doing and maybe cutting down on mayonnaise, which is more or less liquid fat.

All Daniel wants to do is hang out with his friends, make some money with the casino/bar he and a partner are opening, and maybe, juuuust maybe pursue a romance. When describing some of the jokes he and his friend are making rather than deal with the harsh reality of their situation, he says

. . . Zeb and I spend a lot of our free time, as two single middle-aged bucks, watching TV. How cool and edgy is that? Most of our references are pop culture and our favorites at the moment are old episodes of the egregiously canceled shows Terriers and Deadwood.

Colfer buys himself and extra half-star or more for name-dropping Terriers and complaining about its cancellation — twice!!*

When you boil things down in the end, Daniel McEvoy is a basically decent man who’s seen and done things that no one should. Which prepares him (possibly makes him seek out) more of the same now. Which doesn’t change the fact that he’s really a good Irish man who likes telling a story and loves to play with language — even if the story (and his life) end up being hyper-violent and he has a propensity for letting his metaphors run out of control. Grab Plugged for context if you want, but definitely grab Screwed and buckle-in for a fun ride.

One more quotation that doesn’t fit anywhere, but made me chuckle enough to copy it down:

[I]f you want to see teenagers crap themselves laughing, try explaining what a pager used to be. You tell ’em about cassette tapes and they think you’re only a lying, old Depends-wearing motherfucker.
The following is a transcript of a conversation I had with Jason’s nephew:
Me: The songs were pressed onto a long tape. Six songs per side, then you turned it over.
Nephew: Turned what over?
Me: The tape in the machine, but you had to be careful or the machine would eat the tape and you’d have to straighten it out with a pencil.
Nephew: Fuck off, Gandalf. You’re making this shit up.

—–

^* Not entirely true. It was my plan early on, but the book turned out to be too good to require that.

—–

4 1/2 Stars