Tag: 4 1/2 Stars Page 8 of 26

Double Take by Elizabeth Breck: It’s As If This PI Novel Was Customized For Me…

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On March 24, 2022

In Uncategorized

Double TakeDouble Take

by Elizabeth Breck

DETAILS:
Series: Madison Kelly, #2
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 11, 2021
Format: Hardcover
Length: 321 pg.
Read Date: March 21-22, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

Five days was an eternity with a missing person; forty-eight or even seventy-two hours was the cut-off for a good chance of finding the person alive. But five days was still something to work with. Madison could help bring another person safely home. Finding someone who was kidnapped or lost or just needed help to get home was so fulfilling, it was like having a life’s purpose she’d never known she’d been without.

What’s Double Take About?

Madison is approached by Travis, the desperate boyfriend of Barrett Brown, a reporter for an almost impossibly-small newspaper who’s been missing for five days. He’s afraid she’s been abducted, he’s afraid she’s being tortured or worse, and is about to die.

Madison is dealing with some medical issues and just finished a case that took her out of state, but how can she possibly leave this to the police (who don’t seem to believe that Barrett didn’t just ghost Travis)? So she jumps into action—retracing Barrett’s steps, figuring out what story she was working on—assuming that’s the reason she’s missing.

This leads Madison down a twisty path into a criminal conspiracy that she can only see the barest outlines of—and might end up leading her into grave danger.

While she’s searching, Madison has to deal with someone having her followed, the aforementioned medical issues, and a truly inconvenient spark of attraction between her and Travis. Who might not be the great boyfriend he gives the initial impression of being.

My Alma Mater

Chapter One takes place on the campus of the University of Idaho—so you know Breck gets extra points from me for that. Would’ve been an easy 5-Star read if the whole book had taken place there—or at least most of it.

But no, Madison has to go home to San Diego—sure, it’s hard to blame her, San Diego in October has got to be more pleasant—wrecking my hope for a PI novel on campus.

Madison’s Development

After the events of Anonymous, Madison’s picked up some notoriety—she’s become a go-to for missing persons. This is great, she’d been bemoaning how all she’d been doing was insurance work in Anonymous, and it wasn’t that fulfilling—but as we see in the above quotation, she’s finding satisfaction in her work. It’s also nice to see that she’s getting some attention, you frequently get the idea in P.I. fiction that the work is largely unseen.

Another departure from the norm is that Madison’s monetarily successful at the moment—the typical PI is scraping by. Not Madison—at least not now.

The focus on missing persons reminded me of Elvis Cole, just up the coast from Madison—but despite some wealthy clients, you don’t get the idea that he’s as successful. He definitely doesn’t seem to get the notoriety. So, I guess I have to update my one sentence description of Madison from being “Kinsey Millhone for today” to add “with an Elvis Cole twist.”

It’s good that she’s got money coming in, because this self-employed, and likely under-insured woman has medical bills. I wasn’t sure what to think of the discussion of Madison’s past cancer in the first book, but seeing it here, I’m seeing what Beck’s intention is and I like the way it gives the character another dimension and unconsciously (sometimes, anyway) shapes her actions.

Madison and Barrett

One of the ways you can see the appropriateness of the title is that from the first conversation with Travis, Madison starts noting all the coincidental parallels between what’s she’s told about Barrett and what she knows about herself. This can go one of two ways, typically—either this becomes a large hurdle for the protagonist doing their job, or it’s a motivator. This largely serves as a motivation—but it also causes a couple of problems for Madison—at most it’s a distraction occasionally.

It’s arguable that she gets invested pretty quickly because of the parallels, but not by much. Also, Breck finds a way to use this sense of them being so similar in both a positive and negative way for Madison—and then adds a new layer to this later in the book. It didn’t go the way I expected, fully, but I appreciated it.

So, what did I think about Double Take?

I was pretty enthusiastic about Anyonymous, and this cemented my initial impression of Breck and Madison. I was enjoying this the entire time, but toward the end, Beck shifts into high gear and…wow. It’s the kind of ending where you find yourself leaning forward as you read, because somehow that helps you get to what happens next faster; you don’t hear the music/people/animals around you; and your eyes move just too slowly. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating there, but woe betide anyone who attempted to distract me during the last quarter or so of the book.

This is a fast-paced book. The main action starts Monday evening and ends in the pre-dawn on Friday. In that time, Madison has to find a missing (hopefully still alive woman), figure out why she’s missing/abducted (which leads to a larger criminal act), deal with some personal (some of which should have been dealt with already) and medical issues—and maybe catch a wink or two of sleep. All that in a short amount of time helps explain a couple of the blunders she makes—but those help ground and humanize her, so who cares about them? Especially the way Breck uses those mistakes.

And, hey, she still quotes Nero Wolfe twice. University of Idaho and Wolfe quotations—it’s really like Elizabeth Breck wrote this for me. A delusional thought, I realize, but I like my delusions.

I do wish Breck had made it a little more difficult for the reader to see the things that Madison didn’t/couldn’t put together. I get why she did that, and it was probably the right move, but I still would’ve preferred to work a little harder. That’s the sole issue I have with Double Take, and who knows, any other day, I might have considered that a feature instead of a bug.

Even if you’re not me, if you’re a fan of P.I. novels, I don’t see how this novel/author/character/series doesn’t appeal to you. Madison’s tough, smart, lucky (and knows how important that is), and committed. Brisk and assured writing. A nice bit of sleuthing to find a pretty clever crime (committed by some people who really shouldn’t ever get into criminal activity—and some who seem born to it). My only regret is that I have to wait for the third book in this series to be published before I can dive in.

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, opinions are my own.

You’re Only Human by Kelly M. Kapic: The Reality and Comfort of Creaturely Finitude

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On March 13, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

You're Only HumanYou’re Only Human:
How Your Limits Reflect
God’s Design and Why
That’s Good News

by Kelly M. Kapic

DETAILS:
Publisher: Brazos Press
Publication Date: January 17, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 228
Read Date: January 23-30, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s You’re Only Human About?

Creaturely finitude is less an idea we discover than a reality we run into.

When we do run into this idea (as we all will), we frequently interpret that reality incorrectly—not recognizing that our limits, our finitude, as part of who we are as creatures (or forgetting that if we do recognize that). As such we can push against them in unhealthy ways, ignore them to our own peril, or see them as the result of sin, not the result of creation.

What Kapic sets out to do is to remind us that part of being a creature is having limits. When we remember that, we can live as we ought—in dependence on the God who made us that way. As he puts it,

Many of us fail to understand that our limitations are a gift from God, and therefore good. This produces in us the burden of trying to be something we are not and cannot be.

Particularity and Limits

Kapic reminds his readers that the doctrine of Creation shouldn’t just be limited to our understanding of Genesis 1-2, but to reflecting on the design, abilities, and limitations of humanity. These limitations would be in place regardless of our fallen state—sure, the fall twists those limitations—but they’re part of the original state.

In the first part of the book, Kapic lays out the theology necessary for this—and ties it to the Gospel, lest we get distracted from what matters most.

Healthy Dependence

The second part of the book talks about the creaturely dependence that flows from this—we aren’t capable of everything we need or want to accomplish, but He is. This is part of created humanity, and it takes on new meaning in Christ.

Tied to this idea of dependence is humility.

Humility consists in a recognition of (and a rejoicing in) the good limitations that God has given us; it is not a regrettable necessity, nor simply a later addition responding to sinful disorders. Even if there had never been a fall into sin, humility would still have the essential character of gratitude for our dependence on God and for his faithful supply of our need. Humility is built on the Creator/creature distinction; its response to sin emphasizes our further need for God to restore us to the fellowship that he always intended us to inhabit.

Kapic spends a lot of time drawing out the implications of this—in light of both Creation and Redemption.

Lament and Gratitude

We can express our humility and dependence in both our lament and our gratitude—this part of the application section of the book was probably the most rewarding to me. Kapic makes the case that they’re mirror concepts rooted in humility and dependence on our Creator and Redeemer, and both ought to be embraced by the believer.

So, what did I think about You’re Only Human?

It took me over a month to be mostly satisfied with what I wanted to say about this book—an example of creaturely finitude, come to think of it. I struggled over this—really wanting to get into all of his ideas and arguments. But that’s not what this blog is for (thankfully, or I’d be working on this post for another six months, minimum). I’ve trimmed this post a few times while putting it together, in fact, because I kept getting in the weeds.

You’re Only Human is the kind of book that I really don’t think I got a handle on after one read—I’m planning on a re-read this summer, in fact. I’ve got a general sense of it, but I want to return to it having a bird’s-eye view, so I can appreciate more of the details.

I don’t know if this is going to hit every reader like it did me—very likely it won’t—but this is just what I needed. Still, I think what Kapic has to say will resonate with and be helpful for many.

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, opinions are my own.

Robert B. Parker’s Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins: Atkins’ Farewell to Spenser Will Not Disappoint their Fans

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On January 24, 2022

In Ace Atkins, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Robert B. Parker, Spenser

Bye Bye BabyRobert B. Parker’s Bye Bye Baby

by Ace Atkins

DETAILS:
Series: Spenser, #50
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: January 11, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: January 19, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

Over the years, many things have changed about my profession. I no longer kept an actual landline on my desk. Since no one had called it since a little past the first of the millennium, I discontinued the service.

My superhuman ability to scroll through microfilm was no longer in demand. Almost anything I needed to look up, from old news stories, to criminal histories, to vehicle records, could be found online. Although I missed my visits to the Boston Public Library, I’d accepted the long, boring hours at my desk, thinking about how many old cases I could’ve solved with Google.

What’s Bye Bye Baby About?

Spenser’s hired by the campaign manager for a Congresswoman during her first re-election bid. Carolina Garcia-Ramirez, aka CGR, has had enemies since she first announced her candidacy (despite its reputation, Boston has a fair share of people antagonistic to a progressive woman politician—especially if she’s a minority), but lately, the threats are more specific and indicate inside information. Despite the Congresswoman’s resistance to the idea, Spenser joins her team as both a bodyguard and to investigate these threats.

Suspects range from any number of racist and alt-right groups, lone individuals, and someone related to the campaign of her opponent—the same man she unseated during the last primary.

It’s not long before Spenser runs into FBI agents, who have a different agenda regarding the Garcia-Ramirez. Spenser wants to stop whoever’s threatening her—as soon as possible. The FBI is more concerned with leveraging these threats into making a larger case against extremists in the region. They do agree, however, that the threats are real and the Congresswoman is in real danger.

The Hawk Storyline

In exchange for helping Spender on CGR-Duty, Hawk asks him to try to track down a woman from his past. Hawk rarely (that we see) asks Spenser for help with something in exchange for his services, so that was noteworthy in and of itself. But for him to ask for this kind of favor? Double strange.

Sadly, most of the developments in this story happen off-screen. And while there are plenty of surprises in it, because it’s so off-screen, it’s too easy to overlook what’s going on. (I honestly only remembered to write something about it just before I hit “Schedule” on this post)

Too Political?

There’s a lot of talk about Atkins making this too political (not the first time it’s been said about his Spenser novels). I can only imagine this was written by people who skipped a handful of Parker’s novels, primarily Looking for Rachel Wallace.

I say that not just because it was Parker at his (arguably) most political,* but this novel was clearly influenced by Looking for Rachel Wallace—I made note of the resemblance on page 18 (but I’d wondered about it before then), and it only became clearer as the book went on.

* Double Deuce, Thin Air, and Pale Kings and Princes jumped to mind as clearly political, too. If I let myself spend time thinking about it, I’d have no problem coming up with more.

Yes, Carolina Garcia-Ramirez/CGR, is obviously modeled on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez/AOC. The crimes planned and attempted have similarly obvious recent real-world parallels. But this is not a book that only partisans can enjoy, if they can put up with Spenser pushing back on the stances of his Republican client in The Widening Gyre*, they can put up with this. Come to think of it, The Widening Gyre is pretty important for the background to this book.

* Oh, look, another one!

Also, if taking a strong anti-racist stance is going to get someone who’s a fan of Hawk, Bobby Horse, Chollo, and Sixkill decrying the political stance. Maybe they haven’t been paying attention to the series.

Bye Bye, Atkins

“Have you found any suspects?” Susan said.

“Nope.”

“Got any leads?” she said.

“Zip.”

“Planning on doing more than just poking around and annoying people?”

“Why mess with a winning formula?”

Alas, that’s exactly what’s going to happen—the winning formula of Ace Atkins donning the Parker mantle for this series is no more, and Mike Lupica will be taking over.

Atkins is moving on so he can write some projects of his own that he doesn’t have time for while handling Spenser. That’s absolutely understandable, and I look forward to seeing what he’s going to do. But I’m going to miss him with these characters and series—I remember being about a quarter of the way through Lullaby and breathing a sigh of relief—not only was he as good as Parker, he was as good as Parker in his prime. I thought I’d be saying goodbye to a very old friend after Parker died, and Atkins let me hang on a little longer.

I’m a little worried about the series. Lupica’s doing a good job with Sunny Randall (his last one is forthcoming this year), and isn’t bad with the Jesse Stone books. But I doubt he’s going to be as good as Atkins with Spenser. I’m hoping to eat my words, though.

So, what did I think about Bye Bye Baby?

“You think these threats could be legitimate?”

“Maybe” [Wayne Cosgrove] said. “Hell, It only takes one person. It’s just a goddamn mess to see through all the noise and bluster these days. Everyone is angry. Everyone has an ax to grind. At least in the old days, a nut had to roll a sheet of paper into the typewriter or paste together some jumbled clippings from a magazine. But now all they have to do is use a dummy email account and be done.”

“The perils of sleuthing in the twenty-first century.”

It’s a little hard separating my feelings and thoughts about this book from Atkins’ entire run with this being his last, but I’m going to try.

I don’t think this was his strongest outing—nor was it his weakest—but it was as fun as you could want. Spenser’s wit was on full power, as was his gift for observation. The mid-novel fight scene was pretty good–as were the other action scenes. The campaign staff were believable and interesting—as was CGR (although her boyfriend got on my nerves, I think by design). A lot of that story was predictable, but Atkins told it well enough that you didn’t mind—there are only so many things you can do in a story about bodyguarding someone, after all. There were also plenty of unexpected things along the way, so even if the destination was clear all along, Atkins’s route to it wasn’t.

The only sour note for me was the investigation for Hawk—it felt like Atkins had a good idea at the beginning, and just didn’t have the time to develop it as he should’ve. I do wonder if he was just setting something up for Lupica. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me.

Atkins brought out all of the major characters from his run, and many from Parker’s, for one last ride—it was great to see them before the hand-off. Atkins even made one major character move (one might say it was overdue and something that Parker should’ve done).

This would work as a jumping-on point to the series—although I can’t imagine here in book 50 that there’s anyone who hasn’t tried the series but is considering it. But more importantly, it’s one for the fans written by a fellow fan, and that audience should be more than satisfied with it.

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, opinions are my own.

Mistletoe and Crime by Chris McDonald: Adam and Colin Get Called Back into Action

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On December 8, 2021

In Chris McDonald, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, The Stonebridge Mysteries

This is going up a bit later than intended because I cut out about 30-40% of what I’d written—you can only go on so long about a novella before you’re competing with the length of the material. Hopefully, it’s still coherent.

Mistletoe and Crime

Mistletoe and Crime

by Chris McDonald
Series: The Stonebridge Mysteries, #5

Kindle Edition, 115 pg.
Red Dog Press, 2021

Read: December 7, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

The Intervening Year

So, it’s been a year since The Case of the Missing Firefly. Colin and Adam have seemingly retired from the jobs they never really had. They haven’t been in the wrong place at the right time to stumble upon a corpse or haven’t been recruited by loved ones frustrated by the police’s inaction, so they’ve been able to focus on things like Adam’s business and relationship, Colin’s job, and their ongoing PlayStation FIFA rivalry.

We’re given a little nugget about part of the reason for their inactivity:

After a number of embarrassing blunders, there was an investigation into the Stonebridge police force, which resulted in them taking crimes in the town a bit more seriously. This meant that the kinds of miscarriages and oversights that Adam and he had looked into had reduced in number, rendering the amateur detective duo obsolete.

I think it’s charming that protests, marches, and scandal are what lead to changes/potential changes in policing in series like Goldberg’s Eve Ronin or Connelly’s Renée Ballard, in Stonebridge’s universe, it takes a couple of guys who’ve spent too much time watching Sherlock to get the police in line. Of course, this is also a town where the “bad side” is characterized by “vegan food stores and hippy clothing bazaars.” If I can’t move to Stars Hollow, CT, maybe I can emigrate to Stonebridge…

Thankfully, in the Real World, Chris McDonald had plans for the duo, so their retirement is short-lived:

What’s Mistletoe and Crime About?

After watching a cheesy Holiday Rom-Com at the theater (and, no, Adam, did not cry at the ending, thank you very much), Adam and Helena take a shortcut through an alley to get to the car. Along the way, they come across an obviously dead body. Adam’s well-documented queasiness around blood rears its head (not before his subconscious notices something is wrong) while Helena’s nurse-reflexes lead her to snap a quick picture of the scene and before jumping to ensure that the man doesn’t need assistance.

The police quickly decide the homeless man—a well-known Stonebridge fixture—was inebriated, slipped on the snowy ground, and died of the resulting injury.

A man approaches Adam and Colin soon after this asking the duo to look into the death—his testimony isn’t unimpeachable, but it’s enough to move them into looking into things. The man’s claim is buttressed by the photo Helena took which shows a footprint suggesting that someone left the scene after the man was on the ground. So we’re off to the races…

The Boys Are Growing Up

In the year away, Adam and Colin have continued to mature. The impression I had during The Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello was that these two would be the stereotypical 20-somethings who still lived with their mothers, jumping from entry-level gig to entry-level gig for quite a while (even if Colin seemed on the cusp of leaving that description behind when we meet him). But almost immediately, McDonald used their success as a catalyst for personal growth. One advantage of having them take a year off is that we can see the result of twelve months of incremental growth.

After a year away, Adam’s business has established itself pretty well. He’s doing well enough that at this time of year when there’s not a lawn to be cared for, he’s able to not have to worry about money. His relationship is going well enough that he and Colin don’t spend that much time together, and most of their gaming is done online.

Colin’s doing very well at his job and has been acting as a manager. He’s realizing that it’s time he finds a good relationship and is looking.

So, what did I think about Mistletoe and Crime?

No surprise here—I liked it. I liked it a lot. The first thing I did yesterday was to download it so I could spend my spare time in Stonebridge—which made for a perfectly entertaining day.

In addition to the typical Stonebridge fun, McDonald takes full advantage of the seasonal setting. There are any number of nice little holiday touches and jokes, for example: have we known the mayor’s name before? If not, it’s the perfect subtle joke. If we have had it before, I’ve fallen into the classic English major blunder of reading too much into things.

But more than just for fun, McDonald is able to tap into the spirit of the season—families and friends coming together for festive fun, the general bonhomie brought on by the traditions, not to mention the consumer-madness too-often seen in department stores.

This is the fifth novella in this series that I’ve talked about this year—I don’t have a fresh way to express my appreciation of them. It’d help me as a blogger if McDonald would stumble a couple of times with this series so that I’d have the opportunity to talk about him returning to form after wondering if the magic was gone. But no, he has to be consistently good so that I sound like a broken record.

A clever mystery, characters that display a good amount of development, situations that are appropriately amusing/sweet/tense, and the kind of prose that welcomes you in and makes you feel at home. In other words, a cozy—a well-written and executed one.

As is to be expected, McDonald delivers, you’re missing out if you don’t join in the fun (this would be a fine jumping-on point, I should add—but go back to the beginning while you’re at it)!

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, opinions are my own.

PUB DAY REPOST: Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition by Nick Kolakowski: A Supersized Fast, Fun, and Bullet-Ridden Adventure

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On November 29, 2021

In Fiction, Love & Bullets Hookups, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nick Kolakowski

Be sure to check out the Q&A with the author fromlast week!

Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition

Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition

by Nick Kolakowski
Series: Love & Bullets

eARC, 300 pg.
Shotgun Honey, 2021

Read: November 8-12, 2021

A Little Background

Regular readers of this blog should recognize the name Nick Kolakowski, a couple of years ago I talked about a trilogy of novellas he wrote: A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps, Slaughterhouse Blues, and Main Bad Guy. Next week, these novellas, along with some additional material to tie them together and add a little something extra, are being published as one novel (you can read a bit about the circumstances behind that in the Q&A we did).

What’s Love & Bullets About?

Bill’s a con artist, a hustler with a hint of tech-savvy (and the sense to employ someone savvier) who has gotten comfortable doing small-time work for the Rockaway Mob. An encounter with a similar grifter delivers a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters his reality and he decides to get out of the business and retire somewhere far away. After he helps himself to a sizeable amount of money from the Mob.

Unsure of his girlfriend’s intentions or loyalty, he doesn’t tell her or bring her along. This is an understandable move, but also a bad move, because she’s an assassin for the Rockaway Mob and one of the few that is sent after him. Fiona’s in a forgiving mood when she catches up to him (probably helped by the fact that she’s fairly incapacitated at the time and can listen to him). The two of them extricate Bill from some trouble that he stumbled into in Oklahoma on the way to the southern border, take care of a couple of other Rockaway employees, and head to Central America for a quieter life.

Which absolutely doesn’t work for long—they find themselves indebted to another criminal organization and the Rockaway Mob isn’t done with them, either. So we get to travel with them as they narrowly escape death in Nicaragua, slip away from a garotte (or worse) in Havana, and get into a much more hazardous situation or five back in New York.

The Rockaway Mob

Every named character, with one exception, in this book is a criminal (the overwhelming majority of unnamed characters, too). So you really can’t say something about “bad guys”*—it’s protagonists and antagonists, and maybe an ally or two.

* Difficult, but not impossible, the third novella was called Main Bad Guy, after all—although there are a couple of candidates for that title.

The main antagonists for Bill and Fiona are the Rockaway Mob. The Rockaway Mob is a wholly modern take on organized crime. There’s no family history, no tie to an ethnic/national origin overseas, nothing that Scorsese or Coppola would make a movie about. Instead, they’re a conglomeration of shady businessmen (and an academic) who started working together and then turned things up to 11.

A handful of hitmen are brought in by the Rockaway Mob to take care of Bill (and, later, Fiona)—some are more colorful than others (and at least three of them could make great main antagonists in any number of PI/Police Procedural novels). But all of them pale to the academic who finds himself leading the Mob (at least as far as we see), he goes by The Dean.

He’s an annoying, pretentious, fastidious man with the kind of vocabulary that people notice. Nothing about him suggests criminal—of any variety, much less an organized crime head. But when you see him with his temper flaring, when he’s pushed to the limit? Well, there’s a beast under all that civilization…I could easily read more about The Dean at the drop of a hat.

The New Material

Not unlike Boyd Crowder when they decided to turn Justified into a series, someone who was killed in the original story has their fate changed in the new material. Also like Boyd Crowder, keeping them alive and running around made the whole thing a lot more interesting.

It’s a little tricky to describe, without spoiling something for new—or old—readers. But I had a suspicion about who survived—and was very happy when I discovered I was right. I’d really started to enjoy the character when they’d been killed, and getting to see them in action some more was a real treat.

It’s hard to describe the new arc for that character—it’s not really a redemption arc (although it’s adjacent to one). It gets to show them in a slightly different light than we saw originally, but the effects from the events surrounding their initial appearance definitely leave their toll on their psyche, if not their health.

I loved the new material—I wouldn’t have minded a little more, but I didn’t need it to be satisfied. It fit perfectly into this world but was so unlike the original material that it felt even fresher than it was. Definitely worth reading the new edition just for it (but really, the whole thing in one package is justification enough)

Reading the Megabomb Version

It’s been years since I read the original trilogy—January of 2019—so my memory for the details is a little hazy. Sure, most of it came back right away—but I will admit to checking with my hard copies of the originals to see if I’d forgotten something if was new or not a couple of times.

But without the pressure of wondering what was going to happen to Bill and Fiona, I was able to soak in some of the other details that I’d just glanced at before. This was as rewarding as I’d hoped—particularly with the second novella’s material, I didn’t initially rate it as highly as the other parts and I think that was a mistake.

The important thing to take away from the rereading process (at least for me) is that it totally holds up to a re-read.

So, what did I think about Love & Bullets?

I struggled the first time around, and I’m struggling now to capture the feel of this book. When I wrote about, Main Bad Guy, I said, “This is the literary equivalent of a Martin McDonagh film (when he’s in a more playful mood)—or, if that doesn’t work for you, think Fargo meets Tarantino, but not as long-winded.” Which isn’t bad (and I’d forgotten I mentioned McDonagh, which is really apt)—this time I’m going to add that it has a Shane Black, but more violent, feel. Maybe if you average the two comments—and throw in what I said about the first novella “think Edgar Wright action scenes, but more lethal.”

Even as the 300-page Megabomb it is now, this is a fast-moving thrill ride. It’s funny. It has occasional moments of sweetness (very transient). The story and characters are visceral—you can see the action, you can practically hear Bill’s quips and feel Fiona’s patience evaporating at them (while she does love him for them). It will get a much-beloved (or much-disparaged) band’s music stuck in your head during one fight scene. Really, it covers almost all the senses—and given where they spend a lot of time, you’ll be glad it leaves the other two out.

Has Kolakowski written novels/stories that are technically better? Probably. Has he written something with greater entertainment value? Nope. Love & Bullets is just a blast from the opening lines through to the final image. Be sure you don’t miss it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the novel from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion, and I thank him for that, but it did not affect my opinion of this work.

4 1/2 Stars

Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition by Nick Kolakowski: A Supersized Fast, Fun, and Bullet-Ridden Adventure

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On November 23, 2021

In Fiction, Love & Bullets Hookups, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nick Kolakowski

I somehow unpublished this last night—so here’s a fresh copy…

Be sure to check out the Q&A with the author

Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition

Love & Bullets: Megabomb Edition

by Nick Kolakowski
Series: Love & Bullets

eARC, 300 pg.
Shotgun Honey, 2021

Read: November 8-12, 2021

A Little Background

Regular readers of this blog should recognize the name Nick Kolakowski, a couple of years ago I talked about a trilogy of novellas he wrote: A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps, Slaughterhouse Blues, and Main Bad Guy. Next week, these novellas, along with some additional material to tie them together and add a little something extra, are being published as one novel (you can read a bit about the circumstances behind that in the Q&A we did).

What’s Love & Bullets About?

Bill’s a con artist, a hustler with a hint of tech-savvy (and the sense to employ someone savvier) who has gotten comfortable doing small-time work for the Rockaway Mob. An encounter with a similar grifter delivers a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters his reality and he decides to get out of the business and retire somewhere far away. After he helps himself to a sizeable amount of money from the Mob.

Unsure of his girlfriend’s intentions or loyalty, he doesn’t tell her or bring her along. This is an understandable move, but also a bad move, because she’s an assassin for the Rockaway Mob and one of the few that is sent after him. Fiona’s in a forgiving mood when she catches up to him (probably helped by the fact that she’s fairly incapacitated at the time and can listen to him). The two of them extricate Bill from some trouble that he stumbled into in Oklahoma on the way to the southern border, take care of a couple of other Rockaway employees, and head to Central America for a quieter life.

Which absolutely doesn’t work for long—they find themselves indebted to another criminal organization and the Rockaway Mob isn’t done with them, either. So we get to travel with them as they narrowly escape death in Nicaragua, slip away from a garotte (or worse) in Havana, and get into a much more hazardous situation or five back in New York.

The Rockaway Mob

Every named character, with one exception, in this book is a criminal (the overwhelming majority of unnamed characters, too). So you really can’t say something about “bad guys”*—it’s protagonists and antagonists, and maybe an ally or two.

* Difficult, but not impossible, the third novella was called Main Bad Guy, after all—although there are a couple of candidates for that title.

The main antagonists for Bill and Fiona are the Rockaway Mob. The Rockaway Mob is a wholly modern take on organized crime. There’s no family history, no tie to an ethnic/national origin overseas, nothing that Scorsese or Coppola would make a movie about. Instead, they’re a conglomeration of shady businessmen (and an academic) who started working together and then turned things up to 11.

A handful of hitmen are brought in by the Rockaway Mob to take care of Bill (and, later, Fiona)—some are more colorful than others (and at least three of them could make great main antagonists in any number of PI/Police Procedural novels). But all of them pale to the academic who finds himself leading the Mob (at least as far as we see), he goes by The Dean.

He’s an annoying, pretentious, fastidious man with the kind of vocabulary that people notice. Nothing about him suggests criminal—of any variety, much less an organized crime head. But when you see him with his temper flaring, when he’s pushed to the limit? Well, there’s a beast under all that civilization…I could easily read more about The Dean at the drop of a hat.

The New Material

Not unlike Boyd Crowder when they decided to turn Justified into a series, someone who was killed in the original story has their fate changed in the new material. Also like Boyd Crowder, keeping them alive and running around made the whole thing a lot more interesting.

It’s a little tricky to describe, without spoiling something for new—or old—readers. But I had a suspicion about who survived—and was very happy when I discovered I was right. I’d really started to enjoy the character when they’d been killed, and getting to see them in action some more was a real treat.

It’s hard to describe the new arc for that character—it’s not really a redemption arc (although it’s adjacent to one). It gets to show them in a slightly different light than we saw originally, but the effects from the events surrounding their initial appearance definitely leave their toll on their psyche, if not their health.

I loved the new material—I wouldn’t have minded a little more, but I didn’t need it to be satisfied. It fit perfectly into this world but was so unlike the original material that it felt even fresher than it was. Definitely worth reading the new edition just for it (but really, the whole thing in one package is justification enough)

Reading the Megabomb Version

It’s been years since I read the original trilogy—January of 2019—so my memory for the details is a little hazy. Sure, most of it came back right away—but I will admit to checking with my hard copies of the originals to see if I’d forgotten something if was new or not a couple of times.

But without the pressure of wondering what was going to happen to Bill and Fiona, I was able to soak in some of the other details that I’d just glanced at before. This was as rewarding as I’d hoped—particularly with the second novella’s material, I didn’t initially rate it as highly as the other parts and I think that was a mistake.

The important thing to take away from the rereading process (at least for me) is that it totally holds up to a re-read.

So, what did I think about Love & Bullets?

I struggled the first time around, and I’m struggling now to capture the feel of this book. When I wrote about, Main Bad Guy, I said, “This is the literary equivalent of a Martin McDonagh film (when he’s in a more playful mood)—or, if that doesn’t work for you, think Fargo meets Tarantino, but not as long-winded.” Which isn’t bad (and I’d forgotten I mentioned McDonagh, which is really apt)—this time I’m going to add that it has a Shane Black, but more violent, feel. Maybe if you average the two comments—and throw in what I said about the first novella “think Edgar Wright action scenes, but more lethal.”

Even as the 300-page Megabomb it is now, this is a fast-moving thrill ride. It’s funny. It has occasional moments of sweetness (very transient). The story and characters are visceral—you can see the action, you can practically hear Bill’s quips and feel Fiona’s patience evaporating at them (while she does love him for them). It will get a much-beloved (or much-disparaged) band’s music stuck in your head during one fight scene. Really, it covers almost all the senses—and given where they spend a lot of time, you’ll be glad it leaves the other two out.

Has Kolakowski written novels/stories that are technically better? Probably. Has he written something with greater entertainment value? Nope. Love & Bullets is just a blast from the opening lines through to the final image. Be sure you don’t miss it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the novel from the author in exchange for this post and my honest opinion, and I thank him for that, but it did not affect my opinion of this work.

4 1/2 Stars

The Ninja Betrayed by Tori Eldridge: Trouble in Hong Kong

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On November 15, 2021

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

The Ninja Betrayed

The Ninja Betrayed

by Tori Eldridge
Series: Lily Wong, #3

Paperback, 313 pg.
Agora Books, 2021

Read: October 7, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s The Ninja Betrayed About?

Hot on the heels of their trip to L.A., Lily’s grandfather summons her mother to Hong Kong for a board meeting where it looks like her mother’s future will be decided (and it doesn’t look like a bright future). Lily comes along with her mother for emotional support and to spend some time with her grandparents. The fact that her love interest, Daniel Kwok, is in the city on business doesn’t hurt either.

As things start to look grim for her mother, Lily’s spider-sense goes off and she starts looking into things. She has to learn a little about international finance and corporate politics (dicey in the first place, but worse when family is added in) in order to make sense of things—and it gets more complicated when someone attacks her when she’s at the home of a family friend.

Lily has to balance her under-the-radar investigation, dating, family obligations, and tourism (and a little extra-curricular fun, see below)—what could go wrong?

Protests and Peril

Pro-democracy protests are common at the time of the visit—and Lily notices how the police are treating the protesters—at times goading them into a riot, or reacting more violently than a situation calls for (or a combination of the two). Her grandparents, and others of similar age/social standing, have a very different take on the protests than those who are closer to Lily’s age.

Because romance and financial intrigue aren’t enough to occupy her mind, Lily gets involved in a little more trouble. Her grandfather’s driver, Mr. Tam strikes up a friendship with Lily—she helps him extract his daughter from a couple of heavy situations related to the protests.

Both Mr. Tam’s relationship with Lily and her escapades near the protests are the most fun part of the novel—they’re the closest this book gets to being an action movie. But it’s more than that—there’s something about these scenes where Lily is more herself, she’s not trying to say and do the right things around her grandfather’s business (or for her mother), she’s not trying to figure out the right things to say and do with Daniel—it’s the closest to her being the L.A. version of Lily—no airs, just trying to keep a young woman out of trouble.

This’ll Even Warm the Cockles of Your Heart

I sank lower and snuggled my face against my mother’s heart, clutching her waist as she rocked me like a child. What childish woes used to bring me to such despair? A broken toy? A stubbed toe? An injured bird? I’d had no idea about the true meaning of pain. Nor had my mother.

“I can’t lose you, Lily.”

“I know, Ma.”

The emotional stresses Lily and her mother are under—from family, her mother’s professional circumstances, and the physical peril that Lily is in and has survived since their arrival in Hong Kong (some of which her mother is aware of for a change) brings them to a breaking point—and brings them closer than we’ve ever seen them. By a long way. Possibly closer than they’ve been since the death of her sister. Knowing her mother, possibly ever.

I’m assuming that once everyone is back in L.A., things will return to how they were before Hong Kong—or at least close to it. But this warming of the relationship (however temporary it may be) was really great to see and adds depth and nuance to both characters. I’ve really been intrigued by the Wong family dynamic throughout this series and this just made the whole thing better.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot?

There was a moment near the end (that’s as specific as I’m going to get) where Eldrige literally caused me to yell, “WHAT?” at the book. I didn’t drop the book, but I may have bobbled it a bit. It was something I absolutely didn’t see coming, yet was completely believable.

And I’ve probably said too much about it. I could easily do at least another two paragraphs, though.

So, what did I think about The Ninja Betrayed?

This was almost a one-sitting read for me, and I was gripped throughout. Due to an appointment, I had to set it aside with only 30 pages left to go, and it took me about eight hours to get back to it—talk about torture.

This is Eldridge’s best so far—in terms of action, suspense, emotional weight, complexity—and sheer entertainment value. Lily’s brain is almost as important as her fighting skills this time—it was almost possible for Lily to save the day without having to exercise any of her martial arts. Almost—fans might want character growth and development, but we want to see Lily do her thing.

There’s a lot of strong character growth and development, some new layers to the relationships in Lily’s life—a worrying development with a character back in L.A.—and a heckuva secret is revealed. There’s almost nothing to complain about here and a lot to relish.

I can’t wait to see what happens next—the last chapter doesn’t really end on a cliff-hanger, but it sure propels the reader toward the opening pages of the next Lily Wong adventure.

Go read 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, opinions are my own.

Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg: Starts Off with a Bang and Doesn’t Let Up

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On October 28, 2021

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

Gated Prey

Gated Prey

by Lee Goldberg
Series: Eve Ronin, #3

Kindle Edition, 255 pg.
Thomas & Mercer, 2021

Read: October 26-27, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“The people who live in these places think the gates protect them from all the crime and misery that’s out there, but it doesn’t. It just locks them in with it.”

“You think whatever happened came from within the gates?”

“I don’t know where it came from, that’s your job. But I’m sure there’s as much evil inside these gates as there is outside of them. Maybe more.”

What’s Gated Prey About?

LASD Detectives Eve Ronain and Duncan Pavone are in the midst of a sting operation when the novel opens—to trap a home invasion team, the pair are pretending to be a well-moneyed couple who’d make pretty easy marks to lure the team in. They go out daily to shop a little—making sure to flash a lot of cash—and then go back to their McMansion in a gated community to wait. Duncan’s loving the excuse to sit around all day and watch movies, while it’s driving Eve crazy to not be active.

The LASD has tried traditional investigational methods, but they just haven’t worked—no one can figure out how the team is getting past the security gates, much less who they are, and how they select their targets.

The trap works and the LASD chalks it up as a win. But Eve’s uncomfortable with the number of questions (and possible accomplices) that remain about it. Also, there are indications that Eve still has enemies within the department—and they might have prevented backup that Eve and Duncan needed from acting to keep them safe.

That’s not the only crime Eve and Duncan encounter behind the protective gates—while trying to close the home invasion case, the pair pick up another assignment. It’s not covered in the publisher’s description, and I’m not sure how to talk about it without giving away too much. So let’s just say that it will underscore that “Maybe more” from my opening quotation.

Eve Off-the-Clock

“You’re doing it again,” Duncan said.

“Doing what?”

“Obsessing over your case to the point of exhaustion. You need a life and some sleep. You can’t physically, mentally, or emotionally sustain being relentless.” “

I’m only doing it now because we’ve got a ticking clock on this one.”

“You’ve done it on every case we’ve had.”

“You make it seem like years. We’ve only been working together for a few months. It hasn’t been that long.”

But like Duncan, readers know if the two had been working together longer, she’d be doing the same thing. This is not a good way to live—it’s not healthy, and if Eve doesn’t learn how to take her foot off the gas, she’s going to burn out or make some big mistakes—likely both. But this is the kind of character I love reading about. Yes, I do hope that she learns how to balance things a bit—for the sake of character development, I think it’d be interesting. But until she does? I’m going to love watching her burn herself out.

Eve spends so much time working over the course of the novel that there’s almost no time for anything but her work. We do get to see most of Eve’s family, but very briefly—and the most we see is of her sister, thanks to Lisa’s work in the ER. I’d have liked a bit more time with her, she humanizes Eve, but that’s not always possible in every book.

Conversely, I thought it was good to have a scaled-down presence of Eve’s mom (especially with Eve’s agent being able to carry the water of “supporting character annoyingly-fixated on the superficial”). I find Jen an amusing and important part of the series, but man, a little of her goes a long way.

Duncan “Dunkin’ Donuts” Pavone

I’m not sure if I should use the nickname in that section header, I’m not sure if Goldberg used it this time. But, eh, I like it. I made so many notes while reading that were variations of “love this character.”

While he remains the wise and largely-comic-relief figure he’s been, there’s a darkness to Duncan we haven’t really seen before, expressed in a couple of different ways. There’s a certain invulnerability that his fast-approaching retirement date gives him that allows him to give this side a free rein—Duncan notes repeatedly that his career is over, he has nothing to lose. I really wouldn’t want him as an enemy (not that I want any, I have to say, but really not him).

We also get some insight into his reason for retirement—one of those things I hadn’t questioned. He was introduced to us in Lost Hills as being on the verge of retirement, and that’s just how I’ve thought about him. But now I want to know more about what got him to this point.

She’s Still Learning

Eve’s only been a homicide detective for a few months, and she still has a lot to learn. Not just the lessons that Duncan’s trying to teach her about overworking and getting along with colleagues.

But she’s still learning how to be a detective—she doesn’t know basic routines and procedures. She embarrasses herself in front of a morgue attendant and in an autopsy—nothing horrible, just the kind of stumbling people make when they’re new at something. Some of what she does within the Sheriff’s department is a little more than embarrassing—and will likely come back to haunt her, but again, that’s realistic growing pains.

It’s not often that we get to see this kind of thing in police procedurals—especially with the central/titular character. And this approach is a treat.

So, what did I think about Gated Prey?

“…I just got lucky.”

Duncan leaned against the wall and looked at her. “It isn’t luck, Eve. It’s instinct. You’re a natural at this. What you haven’t learned yet is how to do it without making enemies.”

I’ve gone on too long at this point—and there’s so much that I still wanted to talk about: the ongoing role of the media (both news and entertainment) in Eve’s life and career—not to mention at least one fellow detective; the politics within and outside the LASD and how that impacts their investigation; personnel changes within the Department; and racial and economic prejudices that the security gates seem to magnify.

Also, while Duncan (especially) and Eve have always seemed to have some fun meals—there are three references to food that almost induced a between-meal DoorDash order on my part. Don’t read this on an empty stomach, folks.

Great characters all around, a couple of gripping cases, and a breakneck pace—all par for the course for this series. If you haven’t jumped on the Eve Ronin train—now’s the time. I literally organized my reading schedule the last couple of weeks so that I could start this as soon as it was delivered to my Kindle, and it was worth it. You want to get your hands—and eyes*—on this, readers.

* Or ears, come to think of it, Nicol Zanzarella does a great job with the audiobook narrations for these books.

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, opinions are my own.

Tear It Down by Nick Petrie: Things Get Rough for Peter in the Home of the Blues

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On October 15, 2021

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nicholas/Nick Petrie, Peter Ash

Tear It Down

Tear It Down

by Nick Petrie
Series: Peter Ash, #4

Hardcover, 368 pg.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2019

Read: October 9-11, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

Outside, the air was thick and threatening rain. Spring in Tennessee. Peter strode across the wide concrete apron toward the road.

Go to Memphis, June had said. Eat some barbecue, listen to music, have some fun.

So far there had been no barbecue and no music.

Was it wrong that he might be having fun?

What’s Tear It Down About?

Peter’s been recuperating and rehabbing from his injuries from Light It Up at June’s—he’s about as recovered as he can be and is spending his time doing some upkeep and repairs on some of the buildings. But being in one place for so long is getting to him. He doesn’t see it, but June does.

June has a friend, Nadine, in Memphis. She’s a photographer who’s done a few tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, embedded with various groups. She’s back home in Memphis and has recently purchased a house at auction. Since then, she’s been harassed and could use some help. So June sends Peter off to lend a hand.

The morning before he arrives at Nadine’s, someone had driven a dump truck through the front of her house and then ran off. The truck is still there, which is what’s keeping some of the walls from falling. Clearly, he’s got his work cut out for him.

The work gets complicated the next day when Peter’s carjacked. No, really. A teenager with a pistol sticks Peter up, stealing his truck (with all his tools, food, and weapons) in the back. Peter likely could’ve stopped him, but chooses to let the kid get away with it for some pretty good reasons.

So now, he has to try to stop further attacks on Nadine, help her rebuild the house that she’s determined not to leave, and get his truck back. Oh, and immediately following the carjacking, Peter offended the drug lord who runs most of the crime in that part of Memphis—but you’ll want to read all that for yourself.

A Man Called Lewis

Lewis decides that Peter needs help (with a little input from June) and shows up just when things are getting hairy.

If I’ve noticed it before, I don’t remember—but Lewis here is essentially Robert B. Parker’s Hawk. There’s one conversation between Lewis and Peter that could’ve been lifted straight from a Hawk and Spenser conversation by Parker/Atkins, too.

It works, too, don’t get me wrong. I am kicking myself a little for not having seen it before, but I don’t think it was as strong—maybe that’s because of the themes/circumstances in this book that it stands out so much.

So, what did I think about Tear It Down?

There’s a significant racial component to the events and circumstances of this book. This added a little depth to the novel, it’s about more than people trying to get money and power, as is usual for these books. Sure, there’s money and power at the root of a lot of what’s going on here—but there’s a degree of hate that wasn’t around either.

There are also two characters who are just trying to survive in a world that seems hostile—and increasingly so—to them. They just need a break, a chance to do something, but it’s taken from them at every turn. The question for them is what they do in these circumstances—and what the results of their choices will be for those around them.

There is a significant toll on those who just happen to be near Peter and Lewis when things get ugly between them and those who are harassing Nadine. Peter notices this and it bothers him—it’s one thing in war for there to be collateral damage, but there was no reason for anyone injured (or worse) here to be in danger. It will be interesting to see if this experience has an impact on how he deals with things in the future.

This one had it all—great action, a compelling story, some good social commentary, and some time with characters I’m really growing attached to. Nick Petrie and Peter Ash continue to be a winning combination.

4 1/2 Stars

2021 Library Love Challenge

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, opinions are my own.

PUB DAY REPOST: True Dead by Faith Hunter: Playing the Long Game

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On September 14, 2021

In Faith Hunter, Fiction, Jane Yellowrock/Soulwood, Urban Fantasy

True Dead Banner

True Dead

True Dead

by Faith Hunter
Series: Jane Yellowrock, #14

eARC, 384 pg.
Ace, 2021

Read: August 30-September 1, 2021

What’s True Dead About?

Jane and the rest of the Yellowrock Clan are headed for New Orleans after a little excitement near her new home. There are two things that bring her to her old hunting grounds and her “freebie house.”

The first is a new, looming threat to her as Dark Queen, Master of New Orleans, and pretty much every Mithran in North America—at least those who are her loyal subjects. It’s a threat that has roots in ancient vampires, magic that Jane hasn’t encountered before, and possibly a tie to the “liver eaters” of the Cherokees. It’s going to take more than a couple of sliver stakes, shotgun blasts, and a wicked grin to take care of things.

The second reason to head for New Orleans is much more pleasant—almost as elaborate, it should be added. Jane’s strengths are best displayed in combat, figuring out what supernatural threat is out there, and that sort of thing. But social events, diplomatic moves, and things like that? Not what anyone thinks of when they think Jane Yellowrock. For good reason. Thankfully, she now has a staff.

While dealing with new supernatural forces set against her and the big social event, something more immediate is plaguing Jane. She’s unable to control her shifts—she’ll wake as the cat, or in half-shifted form. She won’t be able to change back when she wants to—and Beast isn’t doing much better with it than Jane is.

All in all, Jane’s got her hands (or paws) full.

Beast

Beast gets some great moments—possibly better than Jane. She has her own agenda at points and is keeping secrets still.

I feel like I should have more to say about Beast here, but I really don’t. Mostly because I wouldn’t be able to avoid spoilers. Also, I’m not sure when I’d shut up.

Simply put, she’s a delight.

Leo’s Long Game

Over the course of the book, Jane learns some things, pieces together a few more, and makes a couple of good guesses about what she calls Leo’s long game. What she comes up with helps her—and the reader—to see her arrival in New Orleans and most of what she’s done in various situations for Leo in a new light.

It’s not as drastic as some other UF series have been when the chief protagonist learns that changes their understanding of pivotal moments in the series—but it is pretty significant. You won’t be able to think of the series and Jane’s adventures in quite the same way again—you’ll have a richer, more nuanced idea.

I’m so glad she did that.

So, what did I think about True Dead?

This thing started off with a bang—a killer first chapter that had everything a Yellowrock fan would want. When I saw the heading reading “Chapter 2,” I stopped cold. How had she fit all that into a chapter? I seriously thought I was wrapping up Chapter 3 at that point. Sure, Hunter’s chapters tend to be longer than many of the things I read, but anyway you cut it—Chapter 1 gets things rolling in a big way.

It didn’t stop from there—the hits keep coming, Jane’s sharper than she’s been in a couple of books. Not that I’m complaining about the books, but Jane’s been going through a lot lately—and now that’s fairly settled. She’s adjusted (at least more adjusted) to her new role and position. So now when trouble is on the horizon, she can throw herself at it.

And, boy howdy, does she. There are a few scenes that feel like vintage Jane—sure, given her new status she ends up dealing with things in a very non-vintage way. Long-time fans will enjoy seeing Old School Jane.

But New School Jane has more than a few surprises up her sleeve, and as fun, as it is to take a nostalgic look at how Jane dealt with problems, it’s more fun to see the way Jane deals with them now.

True Dead felt like a gift to the reader—not just because we get to see Jane tooling around New Orleans again with a vamp killer in hand, but because of everything else. The new challenges are great—and watching all the members of Clan Yellowrock rise to them is just as great. There’s a lot of joy, some sweetness, a little romance (and a little of the stuff that accompanies romance), we get to see some old friends–including a couple of pleasant surprises. And there are some very unpleasant surprises, too. Like every good writer of a long-running series, Hunter knows how to put her readers through the emotional wringer.

What it sets up for book 15? Ohh boy, I already can’t wait.

In the meantime, get your copy of True Dead as soon as you can. If you’ve read this far in this post and don’t know Jane Yellowrock? Fix that and thank me later.


My thanks to Let’s Talk! Promotions for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the book via NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group) they provided.

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