Tag: M. W. Craven Page 1 of 2

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

I did this back in January 2020, and need to do it 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. So I’m clearing the deck of everything from 2020-2022 that I haven’t made time for. 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.

How bad am I at keeping up with my To-Write-Titles? I put together the list of books for this post in January 2023. And am just now getting to it. I wish that was a joke.

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

Battle Ground
5 Stars
Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
I just can’t talk about this one yet. I need more time. (yeah, they’re fictional characters, but I’ve spent too long with them to not be reeling)
Desert Star
3.5 Stars
Desert Star by Michael Connelly
Loved it while reading it. But I have more and more questions about all of it the longer I think about it. Not Connelly’s best but well worth it
Dead Ground
5 Stars
Dead Ground by M. W. Craven
Not a typical Poe and Tilly case, just as good and gripping as the rest though.
The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas
3.5 Stars
The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas by Machado de Assis, Flora Thomson-DeVeaux (Translator)
A strange and somewhat humorous look at a ghost’s POV on his life. I want to read it a few more times to really get a handle on it. Heckuva read
Nightwing: Year One Deluxe Edition
5 Stars
Nightwing: Year One Deluxe Edition by Chuck Dixon
If there’s a better Nightwing writer out there, I’d like to see it. A great, great, great telling of his origin.
Mythos
3 Stars
Mythos by Stephen Fry
Drags a little. Wish he could pick a tone for his retellings/commentary on the classic stories. Still, it’s Stephen Fry talking—worth the time.
Heroes Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures
3.5 Stars
Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures by Stephen Fry
See above, but felt it dragged a bit more.
Teen Titans Beast Boy
3.5 Stars
Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia,
Gabriel Picolo (Penciller)

A solid, believable update of Gar Logan’s backstory. Very promising follow-up to the Raven book. Really impressed with Picolo.
Beast Boy Loves Raven
3 Stars
Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven by Kami Garcia,
Gabriel Picolo (Penciller)

Bring the two together and it’s even better. I’m curious about the overall story, but would read just them being awkward together. Like the art.
Missing Pieces
4 Stars
Missing Pieces: A Kings Lake Investigation by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackosn (Narrator)
The Murder Squad tackles a cold case and is as excellent as ever. I don’t know how to talk about this series w/o being redundant. I want more!
Junkyard War
3.5 Stars
Junkyard War by Faith Hunter, Khristine Hvam (Narrator)
This was utterly fine. A lot didn’t go the way I expected. But I’m still in this series for the long haul.
The Dime
4 Stars
The Dime by Kathleen Kent
One of the best first chapters ever. The rest is pretty good. Not sure I buy the motive for the murders, nor that I want to see what comes next.
City of Crime
3.5 Stars
Batman: City of Crime by David Lapham
If you buy (I can’t) Batman losing sight of his mission, this story about him recovering it is great. If you can’t…well, it’s pretty good.
Bluebird, Bluebird
5 Stars
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, J.D. Jackson (Narrator)
A stunning work of fiction. Words fail me. A deeply compromised Texas Ranger tries to solve a potential hate crime and keep his job.
Flynn (Audiobook)
5 Stars
Flynn by Gregory McDonald, Donald Corren (Narrator)
I expected the Fletch narrator for some reason, but Corren won me over in minutes. One of my favorite novels of all-time. Great audio version.
Son of Fletch
3.5 Stars
Son of Fletch by Gregory McDonald, Dan John Miller (Narrator)
Oh, I wanted to love this. But I just liked it. I’ll probably hear Miller in my head anytime I read Fletch in print.
Fletch Reflected
3 Stars
Fletch Reflected by Gregory McDonald, Dan John Miller (Narrator)
This is not the way the series should’ve ended. Some fantastic moments, but not sure it was worth it. Miller was solid as always.
Last Couple Standing
4 Stars
Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman
Norman’s best female characters (to date). Stupid premise, but it almost convinces me to like it by the end. Lots of great moments.
Weakness Is the Way
3.5 Stars
Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength by J.I. Packer
Packer’s great on 2 Corinthians and what Paul tells about weakness as a way of life for the Christian.
The Monster in the Hollows
3 Stars
The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson
I’m not sure I loved the way the story went in this one, but I grew to appreciate it. Characters are still great.
The Warden and the Wolf King
4 Stars
The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson
Whatever my misgivings about the last one, this was the right way to end the series. Just what I wanted (if mildly predictable)
Deathstroke: The Professional
3 Stars
Deathstroke, Vol. 1: The Professional by Christopher J. Priest
I prefer the version Wolfman and Perez initially told about his origin, but this ain’t a bad version. And I see why it was necessary. Good ’nuff
There Goes the Neighborhood
1 Star
There Goes The Neighborhood by S. Reed
I stopped working with a book tour company because they wouldn’t let me be honest about this book ever. So I won’t be. Loved ALL of it. <3<3<3<3
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods
3 Stars
Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan, Jesse Bernstein (Narrator)
If Percy Jackson edited D’Aulaires’s book you’d get this. A great way to introduce the myths to young readers. Bernstein is a spot-on Percy.
Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes
3.5 Stars
Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan, Jesse Bernstein (Narrator)
See above, but with heroes.
I Will Judge You
3 Stars
I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider
If someone looked into my brain, took all of my ideas and feelings, and improved them, you’d get this book. But only one-third as good as this.
All These Worlds
3.5 Stars
All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor, Ray Porter (Narrator)
Taylor and Porter are unbeatable together. This is funny (duh), and the grief and sadness are real. As is the anger. Is the ending too easy?
The Fellowship of the Ring
5 Stars
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator)
Serkis nails the narration (as you’d expect). Is there a better first book of a series in Fantasy?
The Two Towers
4 Stars
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator)
Serkis is tremendous here. This whole book is ridiculously good.
The Return of the King
5 Stars
The Return of the King by by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator)
One day the pacing on this won’t surprise me. The book gets better every time. Serkis was phenomenal.
Annihilation Aria
4 Stars
Annihilation Aria by Michael R. Underwood
Found family stars in this fun, space opera about archeologists fighting an empire.
The Cartel
5 Stars
The Cartel by Don Winslow
The best of the trilogy. Shocking. Moving. Gripping. All-too-real—if you told me this was non-fiction, I’d almost believe it. A true classic.

My Favorite Crime/Mystery/Detective/Thriller Fiction of 2023

2023 Favorite Crime Fiction
Finally, we’re at the end of my 2023 wrap-up. Thanks for sticking with me for so long! (assuming you have). I read 90 books I put in the category of “Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller” last year (and there are a couple of multi-genre novels that could beef that number up a bit), 30% of my reading last year. So I have to consider it apart from everything else when I put together my Favorites Lists, or just about everything else would get ignored. Even if I went with a Top 20 instead of a Favorite 10, maybe 2-3 books from the previous lists would’ve made it along with all of these.

I couldn’t whittle this list down further than 12. But since a couple of my lists last week were under 10, I figure that I’ve got a slot or two to spare. Once again, I’ll note that I limit my lists to things I read for the first time. Yes, there are some names on here that have been on a couple of these lately. And it wouldn’t surprise me to see some of these new names show up from time to time in the years to come.

(in alphabetical order by author)

The Last DanceThe Last Dance

by Mark Billingham

I really wish I had a post up about this book to pilfer from here. Detective Miller comes back to work after the murder of his wife to investigate a pair of murders. There’s no clear—rather, easily discoverable—connection between the two deaths other than proximity and coincidence. Neither explanation is good enough for the police. Miller has to adjust to a new partner, who really doesn’t understand (or appreciate) his eccentricities, his sense of humor, or undisguised antagonism toward their boss. The only thing more appealing to the twisty, multi-layered, mystery in this novel is Miller himself. His sense of humor, his questionable grasp of reality, and his unconventional approach to this (and presumably other) investigations are going to win several fans. This is the first Billingham novel I’ve read (after years of meaning to try), it will not be the last.

4 1/2 Stars

The Bitter PastThe Bitter Past

by Bruce Borgos

My original post
A great mix of Cold War espionage and modern-day Police Procedural, with a Western twist. Borgos assembled a cast of characters that leap off the page, I felt like I’d been reading about Porter Beck and his deputies for years within just a chapter or two. There’s blood, intrigue, nuclear fall-out, wit, humor, a grisly opening, and a dramatic conclusion—and a whole lot of other stuff along the way. I don’t know if Borgos can do something just like this novel book again, but as long as Porter Beck and his team are around for whatever’s next, I want to see it.

4 1/2 Stars

All the Sinners BleedAll the Sinners Bleed

by S. A. Cosby

My original post
As the first black Sheriff of Charon County, Virginia, Titus Crown has a lot on his plate. He has to watch his every step to keep the political and social leaders of the small community from removing him from office while holding off demands from the local social activists to turn the tables on behalf of the over-policed minorities and give the white community a taste of that treatment. It’s not going well for him—one horrible day finds Titus investigating a terrible crime and uncovering something that nightmares are made of—serial killers working undetected in Charon County for years. Can Titus stop the killing while keeping Charon County from tearing itself apart?

Sparse, but rich, prose that further disproves the notion that genre can’t be the home of good writing. Cosby tackles hard issues—but really doesn’t try to solve them—he merely puts them on display for readers to acknowledge and wrestle with. It’s also just a cracking thriller that could be read as shallowly as you want and would keep you white-knuckled and racing to the final confrontation. Cosby’s one of the best in action now, and this solidifies that reputation.

5 Stars

Ozark DogsOzark Dogs

by Eli Cranor

My original post
Like the above, this can be read as a white-knuckle thriller, but it’s more. This is a revenge story, with almost no one involved really understanding what the instigating event really was or meant (this doesn’t stop anyone seeking vengeance, naturally). This is a book about consequences, the sins of the past being visited on the present, and about the price of devotion (to a person, idea, etc.). It’ll knock you out.

5 Stars

FearlessFearless

by M.W. Craven

My original post
Craven’s new series, featuring a U.S. Marshall who is incapable of feeling fear, is off to a dynamite start. This book just worked on every level—Koenig is a fertile character, well-designed to carry a series for quite a while. His assets are perfect for a Reacher/Peter Ash-type character. His flaws keep him from being invincible, and provide plenty of ways for him to be his own greatest adversary. His quirks (e.g., fixation on chocolate milkshakes, absorption of odd bits of trivia) round him out nicely. The reason he’s off the grid is better than being a Luddite/technophobe. Can he grow—and can the reader grow in their understanding of him? Sure. He can also believably regress and find develop new hindrances and weaknesses to work through or overcome. The action scenes were almost impossibly good.

5 Stars

Magpie MurdersMagpie Murders

by Anthony Horowitz, narrated by Samantha Bond, Allan Corduner

The death of a hugely best-selling author sends his editor on a hunt for the missing final pages to his final book. Alternatively, if she can figure out who the killer in the book was, they can at least salvage the book. But while she’s at it, she starts to think the author was murdered and maybe she can figure that out, too. A fictional murder and a real life one, that’s a pretty big task for an amatuer sleuth. What a fantastic book! The concept was great, the hook was gripping, the execution was dynamite, the narration was spot-on, the….the…ugh. I’m just listing superlatives at this point. Which is pretty much why I haven’t finished my post about it (despite starting 11 months ago)—words fail me. Just loved this.

5 Stars

Blackwater FallsBlackwater Falls

by Ausma Zehanat Khan

My original post
A probable racially and religiously motivated murder threatens to push heightened tensions over the edge between immigrant communities and local law enforcement. Enter the Community Response Unit—to hold the police accountable (if necessary), diffuse the situation (if at all possible), and get the answers everyone wants. Khan balances the social, personal, and investigative aspects of this novel with the skill of a seasoned professional. This is a great procedural in the way it embraces the defining traits and pushes them in new ways, it’s a great character study, a good commentary on several issues facing the country—and it’s a pretty solid mystery, too (can’t forget that).

4 1/2 Stars

The Last Devil to DieThe Last Devil to Die

by Richard Osman

My original post
Anyone who’s read me over the last couple of years had to expect that Osman would show up in this list—and here he is. The latest in the Thursday Murder Club series demonstrates all of the strengths of the previous novels at the same time—the humor, the heart, the cleverness of the characters, a twisty investigation, and humanity at its worst and best.

5 Stars

Mrs. Plansky's RevengeMrs. Plansky’s Revenge

by Spencer Quinn

My original post
I’m a huge fan of Quinn’s long-running series, but every time he steps away for a stand-alone, I find myself increasingly impressed with him. This is an implausible, but great story about an elderly woman who is duped by a Bail Scam, losing almost everything. But she has enough money—and more than enough nerve and moxie to fly to Romania to try and find the scammers and get her money back. It’s a revenge fantasy that many people will have had, taken on by a relatable character that you can’t help but root for. There’s plenty of heart to go around, and it’ll just leave you feeling good (as long as you don’t put it down while she’s being ripped off).

4 1/2 Stars

Scratching the FlintScratching the Flint

by Vern Smith

My original post
This is a gritty novel exploring the “the lowest common denominators of policing.” Our protagonists are detectives who seem intent on making their cases, on making arrests. But when push comes to shove, I’m not entirely convinced it’s about enforcing the law all the time with them—it’s getting a win, coming out on top over some of them. Taking place in early 2001, this book evokes the feel of the time—the sentiments toward reform in policing as well as in the treatment of women and minorities are clearly of their time (they’re also pretty relevant today, but we’d discuss them a little differently). This is a visceral, powerhouse read that will stay with you.

4 1/2 Stars

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for MurderersVera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

by Jesse Q. Sutanto

My original post
I need to think about this book a little to wash away the feeling of revisiting the last one off of me. There’s just so much to commend about this book—and so little to quibble with—that I still get excited about it months later. Vera Wong, the proprietor of a little-visited tea shop finds a dead man on her floor one day. Desperate for a change of pace, she decides that she’ll “help” the police with their investigation—eventually starting her own. How hard can it be? She’s watched plenty of procedurals, is smart, and (unlike Sherlock Holmes) is a suspicious Chinese mother. The murderer doesn’t stand a chance.

But then she turns her lead suspects into a found family of sorts. You don’t want any of these suspects to be guilty because the victim was a horrible guy and you want the suspects to become your new best friends. There’s a lot of sunshine and rainbows throughout this book, offsetting the murder, other crimes, loneliness, and despair. The murder mystery at the core of the novel is clever enough and worth the time—but this found family and the growth prompted in each member of it (including Vera) is what will make you a fan of it.

4 1/2 Stars

The Winter of Frankie MachineThe Winter of Frankie Machine

by Don Winslow

This is typical Winslow—stylish, winning, clever, and frequently violent. Frankie Machine is a retired hitman who finds himself as the target for a new generation of hitmen over something that happened years before. Frankie Machianno has to put his businesses on hold and return to his old life to keep his family safe—and to keep himself alive—while finding out exactly why someone wants him dead and convincing them (using whatever necessary means) to leave them all alone once and for all. It’s such a strong, fast-moving, ride that the pages melt away while you read.

4 1/2 Stars

PUB DAY REPOST: Fearless by M.W. Craven: I Didn’t Realize How Ominously “Proactive” Could Be Used in a Sentence

1. I don’t think I adequately expressed how good this book is below—it’s always a problem I have when I’m as enthusiastic about a book as I am about this one.
2. I typically post about a pre-publication book less than a month before publication, this is more than three months in advance. I just couldn’t wait that long to read it. See what I said about “enthusiastic” above.
3. Related to #1, I really don’t know if this is all that coherent–I get rambly when I’m this enthusiastic. I’m also not sure I rambled about the right things. You get what you pay for here.


FearlessFearless

by M.W. Craven

DETAILS:
Series: Ben Koenig, #X
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Format: ARC
Length: 405 pgs. 
Read Date: March 20-21, 2023

What’s Fearless About?

I’m going to be vague and/or withholding a lot here because Ben Koenig/M.W. Craven will give you the details in a more satisfying manner than I will/can. So live with that—or go order the book. (the better option)

Ben Koenig used to be a U.S. Marshal. Well, he never resigned, so maybe he still is one. But he’s no-showed enough that he probably isn’t anymore. Before he went off-the-grid six years ago, he headed up the Special Operations Group—a task force that went after the worst of the worst on the Marshals’ caseload. They’re the kind of guys that Raylan Givens would call when things got over his head (or hat, I guess).

Koenig literally cannot feel fear—which is a great asset in a situation fraught with danger—it’s also a major problem. Fear keeps people from reckless and foolish moves. A move he might not have made if he’d hesitated a moment (but that he doesn’t regret) put him in a situation where he needed to disappear. No one is better at disappearing than someone who is great at tracking anyone.

But something has happened, and the Marshals have to go to extraordinary lengths to find him. The Director of the Marshals Service, Mitchell Burridge needs his help. Mitch was Ben’s mentor/friend/father figure, so he’d agree to pretty much anything. Mitch’s daughter went missing from her college some weeks ago, and no one has a lead on her—no police force, no Federal agency. Mitch asks Ben to bring his daughter home (at this point, probably her body, but no one admits that out loud). And as for those who took her? Well, that’s also best left unsaid. Ben will address that when it comes time.

As Mitch puts it, Ben’s an apex predator and there’s no one else who can do all of what needs to get done. He may be that, but he’s been acting more like prey for a long time so he makes a few stumbles along the way as he shakes the dust off. But it’s not too long before Koenig catches a scent and starts following it.

That’s an Unfortunate Name

There’s a figure mentioned pretty early on and then repeatedly throughout the book—it takes a while to know if he’s a victim of something, involved in the disappearance, tangentially connected to the abductors, a dupe, or a red herring—or something else entirely. But the name keeps coming up, and it threw me.

The name is Spencer Quinn. Spencer Quinn is also the pen name of Peter Abrahams. Readers of this blog will recognize that name as the author of one of my favorite PI series, The Chet and Bernie Mysteries, among other things. The name is distinctive enough that it jumps out at you—it took me out of the moment each time. In a way that Rob Parker, Pat Cornwall, or Tom Harris might not (or even the non-nickname versions of their names). Will this be a hiccup for anyone who isn’t a Quinn reader? Nope. Was it easy to get over? Yeah, but there’s the instinctual flash of name recognition throughout.

Craven had no idea he was doing this (as I’d assumed, although I’d theorized that he could be a major fan or a major detractor—depending on how things went with the character), although I have to confess I’m a little surprised that no editor stopped him along the way.

Still, it’s a cool name, you can’t blame a guy for wanting to use it. Just ask Peter Abrahams.

Michael Westen-Moments

The show Burn Notice would regularly feature the protagonist giving voice-over lessons on spycraft, weapons, strategy, etc. to the viewer, and that’s the name I inevitably give to moments in thrillers when the first-person narrator, or the protagonist’s thought process described by the third person narrator, breaks down the hero’s decision making, etc.

I love this stuff. Almost every thriller writer has to feed the reader this kind of thing because most of us don’t know how much pressure you have to exert on the trigger of Gun X to get it to fire, or why it’s important that the guy on the left is holding the knife the way he is so the hero knows he’s more dangerous than the larger guy on the right with the shotgun. Sometimes the protagonist—either through confidence (cockiness?) or to help intimidate the opposition—will deliver this in dialogue. I always appreciate the flair that gives.

Ben Koenig is great at this kind of thing. When he Michael Westons his way through the way he approaches a certain building in the final confrontation, why he picks the type of car he does to use on his mission, why he punches this guy the way he does, etc. the reader can actually believe they’ve been given some information they can use in their daily life. You know, the next time they need to drive a car into another state to locate the missing child of their old boss.

But my favorite Michael Westoning in this book—and the scene that hooked me—is early on when Koenig takes time to critique the group of deputies who came to bring him into custody for the way they went about it—location, timing, where the person with the shotgun was standing in relation to everyone else, etc. Sure, Koenig was the one being detained—but there was no doubt who was in control (and who could’ve made everyone’s day much, much worse had he wanted to).

Incidentally, it’s been too many years since I read the book, but you can’t tell me that this scene wasn’t a tip of the hat to Child’s Killing Floor—and a suggestion to the reader that this character is going to be their next Reacher (who is also good at Michael Westoning).

Who Wrote This Again?

I’m not going to try to claim that I’m an expert on M.W. Craven—but I’m fairly familiar with his work (I’ve read 6 of his 7 previously published novels—don’t ask me to explain the missing one). It’s easy to see that the Avison Fluke novels are written by the same author that gave us the Washington Poe novels. This makes sense, it’s fairly common amongst writers of multiple series—no one is surprised to learn that the Mickey Haller books are written by Bosch’s creator; the Sunny Randall and Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch series and the stand-alone Double Play are clearly the work of the Spenser writer; even if John Rebus wasn’t Malcolm Fox’s white whale, everyone could tell those series were written by the same man; and so on.

But Fearless? It probably took me less than 50 pages to stop thinking of this as ‘the new Craven’ book and ‘the first Koenig’ book. If Koenig shares any DNA with Fluke or Poe, it’d take 23andMe or Ancestry.com to figure it out. If you know nothing about Craven’s previous work, all you’ll see is someone writing a book in the mold of Jack Reacher and Peter Ash—with a little bit of Nick Mason and Nick Heller thrown in. Well, writing in that mold—and matching each series at their best.

So, what did I think about Fearless?

I think the past 5 years have demonstrated pretty clearly that I’m probably going to love whatever Craven writes—and now I know that’s true even if it doesn’t feel like a Craven book.

This just worked on every level—Koenig is a fertile character, well-designed to carry a series for quite a while. His assets are perfect for a Reacher/Peter Ash-type character. His flaws keep him from being invincible, and provide plenty of ways for him to be his own greatest adversary. His quirks (e.g., fixation on chocolate milkshakes, absorption of odd bits of trivia) round him out nicely. The reason he’s off the grid is better than being a Luddite/technophobe. Can he grow—and can the reader grow in their understanding of him? Sure. He can also believably regress and find develop new hindrances and weaknesses to work through or overcome.

The narrative voice that Craven uses here will suck in the reader and keep the pages turning between action scenes. The action scenes might as well be directed by John McTiernan, Shane Black, or Chad Stahelski. I don’t know how “realistic” they are, but I don’t think you have to suspend much disbelief. And they’re so fun, who cares?

The story could have been a little more intricate—just a tad. But given everything else that this book had to do—introduce Koenig, establish the series and his backstory, provide some good potential recurring characters—some things have to be sacrificed. Then again, I can point to several beloved and best-selling thrillers that aren’t as intricate as this one. So don’t take this point as anything but me being greedy.

I did have a quibble or two with the novel—it’s not perfect. But I hesitate to get into them as I read an ARC, and there’s still a chance for them to vanish before publication. Also, they’re pretty much at the straining at gnats level, and I try to avoid that. In the end, those quibbles only serve to underline how great the rest of it is.

This is clearly the first in a series (even if all the promotional materials didn’t call it that, you’d get that sense throughout—and the last five pages make it abundantly clear that there’s more to come. So I do think future books will have a slightly different flavor than this one—which could’ve very easily served as a standalone.

To put it simply, I loved every second I spent reading this, Fearless was the highlight of the month for me—and I expect that I’ll keep talking about it throughout the year—I can’t wait for it to get published here so that American audiences can meet Craven. Put your orders in now, folks, July will be here before you know it, and you don’t want to miss this.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Flatiron Books via NetGalley, and an ARC from Flatiron with an assist from the author in exchange for this post—thanks to all involved for this. Their providing it only influenced my opinion by giving me something to opine about—I raved about it of my own free will.


5 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.

Fearless by M.W. Craven: I Didn’t Realize How Ominously “Proactive” Could Be Used in a Sentence

1. I don’t think I adequately expressed how good this book is below—it’s always a problem I have when I’m as enthusiastic about a book as I am about this one.
2. I typically post about a pre-publication book less than a month before publication, this is more than three months in advance. I just couldn’t wait that long to read it. See what I said about “enthusiastic” above.
3. Related to #1, I really don’t know if this is all that coherent–I get rambly when I’m this enthusiastic. I’m also not sure I rambled about the right things. You get what you pay for here.


FearlessFearless

by M.W. Craven

DETAILS:
Series: Ben Koenig, #X
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Format: ARC
Length: 405 pgs. 
Read Date: March 20-21, 2023

What’s Fearless About?

I’m going to be vague and/or withholding a lot here because Ben Koenig/M.W. Craven will give you the details in a more satisfying manner than I will/can. So live with that—or go order the book. (the better option)

Ben Koenig used to be a U.S. Marshal. Well, he never resigned, so maybe he still is one. But he’s no-showed enough that he probably isn’t anymore. Before he went off-the-grid six years ago, he headed up the Special Operations Group—a task force that went after the worst of the worst on the Marshals’ caseload. They’re the kind of guys that Raylan Givens would call when things got over his head (or hat, I guess).

Koenig literally cannot feel fear—which is a great asset in a situation fraught with danger—it’s also a major problem. Fear keeps people from reckless and foolish moves. A move he might not have made if he’d hesitated a moment (but that he doesn’t regret) put him in a situation where he needed to disappear. No one is better at disappearing than someone who is great at tracking anyone.

But something has happened, and the Marshals have to go to extraordinary lengths to find him. The Director of the Marshals Service, Mitchell Burridge needs his help. Mitch was Ben’s mentor/friend/father figure, so he’d agree to pretty much anything. Mitch’s daughter went missing from her college some weeks ago, and no one has a lead on her—no police force, no Federal agency. Mitch asks Ben to bring his daughter home (at this point, probably her body, but no one admits that out loud). And as for those who took her? Well, that’s also best left unsaid. Ben will address that when it comes time.

As Mitch puts it, Ben’s an apex predator and there’s no one else who can do all of what needs to get done. He may be that, but he’s been acting more like prey for a long time so he makes a few stumbles along the way as he shakes the dust off. But it’s not too long before Koenig catches a scent and starts following it.

That’s an Unfortunate Name

There’s a figure mentioned pretty early on and then repeatedly throughout the book—it takes a while to know if he’s a victim of something, involved in the disappearance, tangentially connected to the abductors, a dupe, or a red herring—or something else entirely. But the name keeps coming up, and it threw me.

The name is Spencer Quinn. Spencer Quinn is also the pen name of Peter Abrahams. Readers of this blog will recognize that name as the author of one of my favorite PI series, The Chet and Bernie Mysteries, among other things. The name is distinctive enough that it jumps out at you—it took me out of the moment each time. In a way that Rob Parker, Pat Cornwall, or Tom Harris might not (or even the non-nickname versions of their names). Will this be a hiccup for anyone who isn’t a Quinn reader? Nope. Was it easy to get over? Yeah, but there’s the instinctual flash of name recognition throughout.

Craven had no idea he was doing this (as I’d assumed, although I’d theorized that he could be a major fan or a major detractor—depending on how things went with the character), although I have to confess I’m a little surprised that no editor stopped him along the way.

Still, it’s a cool name, you can’t blame a guy for wanting to use it. Just ask Peter Abrahams.

Michael Westen-Moments

The show Burn Notice would regularly feature the protagonist giving voice-over lessons on spycraft, weapons, strategy, etc. to the viewer, and that’s the name I inevitably give to moments in thrillers when the first-person narrator, or the protagonist’s thought process described by the third person narrator, breaks down the hero’s decision making, etc.

I love this stuff. Almost every thriller writer has to feed the reader this kind of thing because most of us don’t know how much pressure you have to exert on the trigger of Gun X to get it to fire, or why it’s important that the guy on the left is holding the knife the way he is so the hero knows he’s more dangerous than the larger guy on the right with the shotgun. Sometimes the protagonist—either through confidence (cockiness?) or to help intimidate the opposition—will deliver this in dialogue. I always appreciate the flair that gives.

Ben Koenig is great at this kind of thing. When he Michael Westons his way through the way he approaches a certain building in the final confrontation, why he picks the type of car he does to use on his mission, why he punches this guy the way he does, etc. the reader can actually believe they’ve been given some information they can use in their daily life. You know, the next time they need to drive a car into another state to locate the missing child of their old boss.

But my favorite Michael Westoning in this book—and the scene that hooked me—is early on when Koenig takes time to critique the group of deputies who came to bring him into custody for the way they went about it—location, timing, where the person with the shotgun was standing in relation to everyone else, etc. Sure, Koenig was the one being detained—but there was no doubt who was in control (and who could’ve made everyone’s day much, much worse had he wanted to).

Incidentally, it’s been too many years since I read the book, but you can’t tell me that this scene wasn’t a tip of the hat to Child’s Killing Floor—and a suggestion to the reader that this character is going to be their next Reacher (who is also good at Michael Westoning).

Who Wrote This Again?

I’m not going to try to claim that I’m an expert on M.W. Craven—but I’m fairly familiar with his work (I’ve read 6 of his 7 previously published novels—don’t ask me to explain the missing one). It’s easy to see that the Avison Fluke novels are written by the same author that gave us the Washington Poe novels. This makes sense, it’s fairly common amongst writers of multiple series—no one is surprised to learn that the Mickey Haller books are written by Bosch’s creator; the Sunny Randall and Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch series and the stand-alone Double Play are clearly the work of the Spenser writer; even if John Rebus wasn’t Malcolm Fox’s white whale, everyone could tell those series were written by the same man; and so on.

But Fearless? It probably took me less than 50 pages to stop thinking of this as ‘the new Craven’ book and ‘the first Koenig’ book. If Koenig shares any DNA with Fluke or Poe, it’d take 23andMe or Ancestry.com to figure it out. If you know nothing about Craven’s previous work, all you’ll see is someone writing a book in the mold of Jack Reacher and Peter Ash—with a little bit of Nick Mason and Nick Heller thrown in. Well, writing in that mold—and matching each series at their best.

So, what did I think about Fearless?

I think the past 5 years have demonstrated pretty clearly that I’m probably going to love whatever Craven writes—and now I know that’s true even if it doesn’t feel like a Craven book.

This just worked on every level—Koenig is a fertile character, well-designed to carry a series for quite a while. His assets are perfect for a Reacher/Peter Ash-type character. His flaws keep him from being invincible, and provide plenty of ways for him to be his own greatest adversary. His quirks (e.g., fixation on chocolate milkshakes, absorption of odd bits of trivia) round him out nicely. The reason he’s off the grid is better than being a Luddite/technophobe. Can he grow—and can the reader grow in their understanding of him? Sure. He can also believably regress and find develop new hindrances and weaknesses to work through or overcome.

The narrative voice that Craven uses here will suck in the reader and keep the pages turning between action scenes. The action scenes might as well be directed by John McTiernan, Shane Black, or Chad Stahelski. I don’t know how “realistic” they are, but I don’t think you have to suspend much disbelief. And they’re so fun, who cares?

The story could have been a little more intricate—just a tad. But given everything else that this book had to do—introduce Koenig, establish the series and his backstory, provide some good potential recurring characters—some things have to be sacrificed. Then again, I can point to several beloved and best-selling thrillers that aren’t as intricate as this one. So don’t take this point as anything but me being greedy.

I did have a quibble or two with the novel—it’s not perfect. But I hesitate to get into them as I read an ARC, and there’s still a chance for them to vanish before publication. Also, they’re pretty much at the straining at gnats level, and I try to avoid that. In the end, those quibbles only serve to underline how great the rest of it is.

This is clearly the first in a series (even if all the promotional materials didn’t call it that, you’d get that sense throughout—and the last five pages make it abundantly clear that there’s more to come. So I do think future books will have a slightly different flavor than this one—which could’ve very easily served as a standalone.

To put it simply, I loved every second I spent reading this, Fearless was the highlight of the month for me—and I expect that I’ll keep talking about it throughout the year—I can’t wait for it to get published here so that American audiences can meet Craven. Put your orders in now, folks, July will be here before you know it, and you don’t want to miss this.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Flatiron Books via NetGalley, and an ARC from Flatiron with an assist from the author in exchange for this post—thanks to all involved for this. Their providing it only influenced my opinion by giving me something to opine about—I raved about it of my own free will.


5 Stars

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

My Favorite Crime/Mystery/Detective/Thriller Fiction of 2022

2022 Favorite Crime Fiction
I read 114 books I put in the category of “Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller” last year (and there are a couple of multi-genre novels that could beef that number up a bit), so I have to consider it apart from everything else when I put together my Favorites Lists, or just about everything else would get ignored. Even if I went with a Top 15-20 instead of a Favorite 10, maybe 2-3 books from the previous lists would’ve made it along with all of these.

I had a hard time writing up this post—not because I had a hard time picking the list this year (thankfully). Partially because I’m tired of doing these little snippets at this point in the week, but mostly because I want to write a thousand words or so on each one (and probably spend time re-reading huge chunks of each of these books in order to do that properly), so keeping myself to a paragraph or so is really difficult. I ended up borrowing liberally from things I’ve written here and elsewhere just to make sure this list was able to be posted before Feb. 26th.

Once again, I’ll note that I limit my lists to things I read for the first time. I’d be willing to guarantee anyone reading this page will enjoy at least 6 of these (which six will vary from reader to reader, however). I’m tempted to say that all the listed books are guaranteed for everyone, but people’s tastes are too varied, so I’ll hedge my bet. Try these, and you’ll be glad you did.

(in alphabetical order by author)

Bye Bye BabyRobert B. Parker’s Bye Bye Baby

by Ace Atkins

My original post
It’s really no surprise that Atkins’ final Spenser novel makes this list—Spenser is one of my all-time favorites, and the decade that Atkins spent at the helm included several of the best novels in this long-running series (this is the 50th novel!!). He also helped legions of fans deal with Parker’s death by doing such a capable job. This book evokes some of Parker’s best early novels while remaining wholly original and compelling—true to both authors. It’s a great way for Atkins to go out.

4 1/2 Stars

Double TakeDouble Take

by Elizabeth Breck

My original post
In my original post, I said that it felt like Breck wrote this novel for me—I’m not that delusional, but it resonated with me in so many ways that she might as well have. Madison Kelly was one of my favorite discoveries of 2021 and her sophomore adventure solidified my impression of her. 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). Featuring 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.

4 1/2 Stars

Racing the LightRacing the Light

by Robert Crais

My original post
We leave one of my newest PI obsessions to go back to one of my oldest—Elvis Cole. This is the best use of this character in years, and I loved every second of it. Like the best Cole novels, it starts as a missing persons case before turning into something far more complicated and deadly. But Cole is able to keep his focus on the victim (while finding justice for the wrongs he encounters). Joe Pike doesn’t get as much “screen time” as he has been lately, which makes every second that he’s around so much more effective—he owns one of the best moments of the book (and barely does anything in it). Racing the Light will no doubt be considered one of the pivotal moments in the series and I can’t wait to see what comes after this point.

5 Stars

The BotanistThe Botanist

by M.W. Craven

My original post
The last note I made on this novel was, “the last 30 pages made me happier than almost anything else this year.” And thinking back on those pages right now still makes me almost giddy. While Poe and Tilly are vital to the novel—ultimately, this novel is about the secondary characters—victims, suspects, and the killers. The primary case is brilliant on every front—the method of murder, the way that the method is finally discerned by the good guys, and then the way the case is closed? It’s all a thing of beauty (in the dark, warped way that Crime Fiction is to fans of the genre). I’m on the verge of babbling now, so I’m going to leave this and move on to the next novel on the list.

5 Stars

Don't Know ToughDon’t Know Tough

by Eli Cranor

My original post
I was blown away by this novel. I read it in May and I’m not convinced I’ve wholly recovered. It’s a story about faith, family, and (American) football. I can’t tell you which is more important to any character in this novel at any point (but I’d lean toward the latter for just about all of them). The prose is gorgeous and visceral, the story is intense and heart-breaking–it’s about a high school coach and a star player trying to keep their heads above water in the middle of a murder they’re both connected to. I can easily sound like I’m over-hyping this, so I’m not going to go on the way I want to. I’ll simply say that Cranor’s work is just gut-wrenching, beautiful, and powerful. And not to be missed.

5 Stars

MovielandMovieland

by Lee Goldberg

My original post
This series started off strong and keeps getting stronger. The overall arc of the series is a rookie detective (who got promoted earlier than she should have) learning how to be a good, maybe great, detective. Eve Ronin makes mistakes, she learns from many of them, but her instincts are on point and she eventually gets her criminals. If she can learn to do it without burning every bridge in sight and unintentionally antagonizing everyone she works with, she’ll get there faster. This is likely the last case her partner will work and he gives it everything he’s got—while imparting every bit of hard-earned wisdom to her as he can—and boy howdy, does he shine here. This is likely the best thing by Goldberg that I’ve read—and I’ve been a fan for a long time.

4 1/2 Stars

ReconstructionReconstruction

by Mick Herron

My original post
Dead Lions by Herron would’ve been on this list, but I don’t let myself use one author more than once, so the spot goes to Reconstruction. Possibly because I spent far more time with this than I do with most books on a first read. Herron got everything right with this book. None of the primary characters are who you think they are at the beginning—most are far worse people than you think (including the ones you have a bad impression of—they’re even worse than you imagine). Which doesn’t stop them all from being some of the best designed and executed characters you’ll run into. The plot is like an onion (or a parfait, to appease Donkey)—you keep peeling back layer after layer after layer until the very end—and each layer is practically perfect and delicious (making it more like a parfait, now that I use that word). The narration is sneakily hilarious and dark. One of my earliest reads of the year and it set the bar high for the next 11 months.

5 Stars

The Self-Made Widow The Self-Made Widow

by Fabian Nicieza

My original post
The premise of this sequel is fantastic—what’s a detective to do when they know who the killer is, but they’re not sure how or why the murder was committed. In fact, in the beginning, Andi’s the only one sure the victim was murdered at all. Kenny takes some time out from the documentary he’s making about the events of the previous novel to help Andi out (and hopefully to get another book, documentary, whatever out of it all). Andi’s up against someone as smart as her this time, and it’s going to take more than just Kenny’s help to crack the case. Told in Nicieza’s fantastic style this is a sure-fire winner.

5 Stars

The Bullet That MissedThe Bullet That Missed

by Richard Osman

My original post
This third book in The Thursday Murder Club series is about two things—the new case the Club decides to look into (mostly so Joyce can meet some local TV personalities) and fallout from the last book–on multiple fronts. As much as I enjoy this series for the lightness and joy it brings—the looming danger that arises as a side effect of their recent success was great. By all means, let’s let things get serious. Elizabeth’s husband, Stephen, steals this novel, however. He shines brighter than ever—and is in worse shape than ever before. This series is ultimately about grief and living in its shadow—that shadow seems larger than ever, and it’s just going to get bigger.

5 Stars

Family BusinessFamily Business

by S. J. Rozan

My original post
This was the first novel I read in 2022, and it stuck with me throughout the year. I was shocked—and very pleased—by the actions of a long-term character. The narration was as good as Rozan has ever given us. Once again, Rozan takes us into the depths of Chinatown’s Organized Crime and does so in a way that no one expects. Lydia’s at her cleverest when it comes to solving the crime here—even if she might not be that wise when she reveals it. The relationship between Lydia and Bill has taken on new depths, and remains one of the best relationships in detective fiction. Family Business just made me happy from beginning to end.

4 Stars

I want to mention really briefly the books that almost made the list—tied for 11th, I guess you’d say. (fatigue and trying to keep this list from getting too long prevents me from just making my Favorites list long enough to contain them—preventing Reader Fatigue is more important than my own).
bullet Hell of a Mess by Nick Kolakowski
bullet Roses for the Dead by Chris McDonald (the other two parts of this trilogy could easily be substituted for this one)
bullet Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild
bullet Jacked, edited by Vern Smith
bullet Killer Story by Matt Witten
(links will take you to my original posts about them)

The Botanist by M. W. Craven: Nothing is Without Poison

The BotanistThe Botanist

by M.W. Craven

DETAILS:
Series: Washington Poe, #5
Publisher: Constable
Publication Date: June 2, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 429
Read Date: July 5-6, 2022

Poe nodded. ‘I hate locked room mysteries,’ he said.

What’s The Botanist About?

There’s little that mystery readers/watchers enjoy more than a locked-room mystery, but you can understand why someone who actually has to solve mysteries for a living isn’t quite a fan.

And that’s not good for him because there are two cases in this book involving locked room mysteries—one Poe and Tilly are assigned to, one they take because they’re asked (and would take on even if they weren’t).

It occurs to me that I should probably define the term I keep using, just to be careful. Last year, Gigi Pandian (no slouch when it comes to locked-room mysteries) provided one on CrimeReads:

Locked-room mystery: A crime has been committed in a room or other location that’s been sealed from the inside, with no way out. An example is a dead man found inside a windowless room that’s been sealed from the inside, dead from a gunshot wound that people outside the room heard fired, yet inside the room there’s no gun and no way for the culprit to have escaped. Thus a locked room is only part of the equation; the key is that the situation appears impossible.

And Poe has two cases to work through. Should be easy, right?

Case #2 (Chronologically, Anyway)

Back in 2020, when I posted about The Curator, I said: “I know it’d be pushing things to have [Estelle Doyle] play a larger role in these books than she does, but the few scenes we have with her are just not enough to satisfy.” I’m so glad to be wrong—Doyle does play that larger role here, and it’s as good as I’d hoped it’d be.

Doyle, I should probably say, is a forensic Pathologist—one of the best around. She’s Poe’s go-to person any time he had questions about something wet and organic.” She shamelessly and aggressively flirts with him, going out of her way to make him uncomfortable—we’re told that “Poe was terrified and bewitched in equal measure.” Some things never change—in 2018’s Black Summer, Poe thinks she’s “incredibly sexy and utterly terrifying.”

And she’s been arrested for her father’s murder. Her comment to the police? “Tell Washington Poe.” That’s all she has to say to get Poe on the case, subverting the work that the DCI (and the rest of the Northumbria police) have done on the case.

There’s no evidence that anyone but Estelle or her father was in the house the day he was shot. There’s also no gun. Is it any wonder that Poe hates locked room mysteries?

Case #1

So the case that DS Washington Poe is supposed to be working on is hunting down a poisoner that the press has dubbed The Botanist.

His victims are high-profile figures, generally in the news for less than admirable activities/views (a racist political analyst, etc.). He mails them a poem and a pressed flower, and then they die a few days later. It doesn’t matter what precautions they take, how involved the police are, how secure their living space is…they die. It’s that simple.

Because these are notorious figures, The Botanist quickly develops a fan base—people are celebrating him, making him into a folk hero of sorts. There’s a lot of pressure on Poe and the other detectives working the case to put an end to his career before he inspires copycats/disciples. The dynamic of a large degree of public sympathy for the killer is a new angle for this series, and I really appreciated it.

A Quick Word About Tilly

I’ve been anticipating what Poe might need next and I have a program running. It’s called RipplePlace and I expect the results in approximately ninety seconds.’

‘And what’s that?’

‘It’s a search and merge algorithm, sorting key data into lexicographical order,’ Bradshaw explained, explaining nothing.

And with that she left the room. Doyle looked at the empty doorway in amusement. ‘I think she may be my favourite person ever,’ she said.

Poe nodded. ‘You understand any of that?’ he asked.

‘Not a word.’

Tilly Bradshaw isn’t as prominent in this novel as readers are used to—and really couldn’t be, because of all the other characters running around, and the way that the story had to be paced. But even when she wasn’t “on camera” (if you will), she was a presence—people were sharing some tidbit about her, using something she’d dug up, etc.

And when she was “on camera”? It was gold. She’d pull off some sort of wizardry with tech, get some sort of data put together in a way no one else would, or would say/do something to make you grin (at least). She really is a great character. It’s hard to disagree with Doyle, she just might be my favorite.

So, what did I think about The Botanist?

Poe had seen people die before. Too many times. Perceived wisdom was that police officers became desensitised to death, but he wasn’t sure it was true. It certainly wasn’t for him. The dead stayed with him. Haunted his dreams and occupied his waking thoughts. They were the soundtrack to his life and the day he couldn’t hear them would be the day he handed in his warrant card. Poe needed to live among the dead. It was how he protected the living.

One of my favorite days the last few summers have been the day the new Washington Poe/Tilly Bradshaw book arrives—topped only by the day I get to start it. This year has been no exception—I finished it five days ago, and am still riding the high.

Time with these characters is like walking into Cheers—you know everyone, you enjoy their company, the only thing you don’t know is what escapade they’re in the middle of. Sure, Sam and the gang were never on the hunt for a serial killer,* but you get my point. Craven takes some of the relationships in new directions here, brings in some new figures, and generally keeps them from being stale—but Poe, Tilly, Flynn, and Doyle are who we’ve come to know and love(?) over the last four novels.

* Or did they? I don’t know—they got into some strange areas there in Season 11.

The cases were just great. Estelle’s case was on the easy side for the reader to suss out (and I was close to right on the motive, as right as Poe was)—but that didn’t make it any less satisfying to read. And the reveal (and the events that led to it) were pulled off so well that I’m not going to complain a bit.

The solution to The Botanist case, on the other hand, was brilliant. I don’t want to say more than that so I don’t tip off anyone, but when the pieces started fitting together enough that you could see the solution coming? I had to stop for a minute to laugh at how perfect it was—but it’s one thing to figure out how the killer’s doing something, it’s a whole nother thing to catch him. Craven’s ending was fantastic—when I was finished, I wrote my last note: “the last 30 pages made me happier than almost anything else this year.”

For me, one of the best parts was how much of this book is dependent on characters other than our protagonists. Absolutely, the cases don’t get solved without Poe and Tilly—their investigations, research, bold moves, etc. are essential. But the secondary characters are are who provide the brilliance, the plans, and the insights that stop the Botanist and set up the dynamite conclusion. The day isn’t saved without our hero, but Poe doesn’t save the day. Fans of the series aren’t going to mind it because of the way that Craven has constructed this universe—he’s set up the other characters to be the kind of people that operate at Poe’s level (if not beyond it), so by all means, let them shine. Also, it makes the whole series more grounded, more believable if it’s not always Washington Poe who solves everything.

Clearly, I loved this. I strongly recommend it—and everything Craven’s written. Now it’s time for me to start waiting for my favorite day of the summer of 2023.


5 Stars

The Cutting Season by M. W. Craven: A Fast, Satisfying Read in this Dynamite Series

The Cutting SeasonThe Cutting Season

by M.W. Craven

DETAILS:
Series: Washington Poe, #3.5
Publisher: Constable
Publication Date: April 14, 2022
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 105 pages
Read Date: April 15-16, 2022

What’s The Cutting Season About?

In lieu of writing a synopsis, how about the first four paragraphs?

It started with an old lady.

An old lady who had stepped in front of a train.

There were gangsters and bent cops and a contract killer called the Pale Man, but they were not as important as the old lady. And neither was the dead good man who turned out to be a dead bad man.

In the years that followed, some people would forget about the old lady. They would forget that, if it was not for her, none of this would have happened. Nobody would have been murdered. Nobody would have dangled from a meat hook in a cold warehouse. Nobody would have called in the Pale Man.

There you go—there’s murder, there’s drama in a warehouse, there’s a man known by a title, and a dead woman. There’s your hook. Add in a detective from the National Crime agency—Washington Poe, who’s called in to help with the murder investigation (although he usually investigates serial killers)—and his friend/colleague who is a wizard with tech—Tilly Bradshaw—and you’ve got yourself the makings of a great thriller.

Quick Reads

The Cutting Season was one of eight novellas published this year as part of The Reading Agency’s Quick Reads program.

Quick Reads provide a route into reading that prioritises great story telling and adult-focused content while ensuring the books are written in an accessible and easy to read style. The books are written by some of the most popular authors in the UK – including Andy McNab, Jojo Moyes, Anne Cleeves, Ian Rankin and Benjamin Zephaniah – so they can be a brilliant entry point to new genres, authors as well as the spark to reignite or build up the joy of reading.

The Quick Reads programme has collaborated with over 30 publishers to produce a total of 135 titles since 2006 (many still available to borrow from your public library or buy from The Reading Agency’s bookshop) with over 5 million copies distributed and over 6 million library loans.

That just sounds fantastic, doesn’t it?

So, what did I think about The Cutting Season?

This is a novella—short, sweet, to the point. Well, not that sweet—there’s a lot of dead people and threats to health and well-being. So it’s short and to the point. Think of it as a Washington Poe/Tilly Bradshaw novel in espresso form.

It’s got everything you want—a disturbing killing, Poe’s antics, Tilly saving the day—and as a nice bonus, there’s a chapter at the beginning where Poe is enjoying himself at the office with co-workers, so we get to see there’s more to him than just the single-visioned man we see when he’s on the case (a great way to introduce Poe and Tilly to new readers).

Given the streamlined way this story had to be told to fit, there weren’t any twists or nuance—for a 105-page novella, I’m fine with that. I think this’d work well to introduce Poe and Tilly to a reader who hasn’t done much in the genre before—and I could definitely see this convincing someone who really doesn’t read novels to give one in the series a shot.

As is to be expected from a M.W. Craven work, I strongly recommend this. I had a blast reading it, you will, too.


4 Stars

My Favorite Crime/Mystery/Detective/Thriller Fiction of 2021

Finally, we’re at the end of my 2021 wrap-up, it feels like I’ve been at this for a month. I really need to get faster at this.
2021 Favorite Crime Fiction
38% of what I read last year falls into the category of “Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller,” so I have to consider it apart from everything else when I put together my Best-Of Lists, or just about everything else would get ignored. Even if I went with a Top 15-20 instead of a Favorite 10, maybe 2-3 books from the previous lists would’ve made it along with all of these (and a couple that just missed this list).

Once again, I’ll note that I limit my lists to things I read for the first time. I’d be willing to guarantee anyone reading this page will enjoy at least 6 of these (which six will vary from reader to reader, however). I’m tempted to say that all the listed books are guaranteed for everyone, but people’s tastes are too varied, so I’ll hedge my bet. Try these, and you’ll be glad you did.

(in alphabetical order by author)

Born in a Burial GownBorn in a Burial Gown

by M. W. Craven

My original post
Should I just start calling this list An M. W. Craven Novel and 9 Others I Loved Last Year? This just narrowly beat out the latest Poe/Tilly for this spot. This novel introduces a very damaged detective trying to prove that he deserves to be where he is (and his team does, too). DI Fluke is a great character—well, they all are. The prose just sings, the novel’s well-paced and cleverly put together. The killer, the motive, the victim, the reveals (both in the way they were handled and what was revealed), the fairly satisfying (by design) ending, the sweet and then very satisfying denouement—and anything else I didn’t mention—it’s all just as good as you could hope for.

5 Stars

Gated PreyGated Prey

by Lee Goldberg

My original post
It was only after I narrowed down this list that I realized that Eve Ronin showed up on last year’s list, too. I clearly have a thing for this series. Eve is still learning how to be a detective while making headlines by being involved in high-profile cases. This book mixes observations about celebrity culture, a couple of great mysteries, continued problems in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Eve (once again) failing to balance work and life (or at least work and health). Rookie detectives aren’t the typical focus of a series, but really should be (at least if this series is any indication)

4 1/2 Stars

The AppealThe Appeal

by Janice Hallett

My original post
The reader is on the same level with the characters who are trying to solve things in this epistolary mystery—we get to read the evidence at the same time as the trainee lawyers that we focus on do. That alone makes this an inventive read. Then Hallett adds in a fantastic cast of characters involved in a small town’s local community theater and a crowd-funding effort for a small child’s cancer treatment. You start out knowing something criminal happened, and gradually start to figure out what the crime was and how it involves those characters. It’s a truly inventive way to tell this kind of story and a great story. It’s the kind of book that’s easy to overhype as you talk about it, so I’m shutting up now.

5 Stars

August SnowAugust Snow

by Stephen Mack Jones

My original post
Readers here know that one of my greatest weaknesses is a good P.I. novel, and “discovering” August Snow was just a treat for me. There’s something about this book—one of those ineffable things that just sang to me—that reminded me of the first time I read a Dennis Lehane Kenzie and Gennaro book, or Joe Ide’s I.Q., or Crais’ Elvis Cole. There’s something just so right—so absolutely classic P.I. and incredibly fresh about the voice—that I felt at home.

From an atypical beginning with the prospective client that ends up without anyone being hired, through the morass of financial crimes and murder, to the explosive ending—with the increasing sense of dread and apprehension of an ensuring emotional gut-punch—August Snow is a fantastic series debut, that would be an equally fantastic tenth novel in a series. It’s fantastic, period.

5 Stars

Love & Bullets: Megabomb EditionLove & Bullets: Megabomb Edition

by Nick Kolakowski

My original post
This is technically a violation of my “only new to me” books, Kolakowski took his three Love and Bullets novellas and added a little new material to turn them into a novel. I found the experience different enough reading them as a novel, that I’m going with it. It’s just a blast to read. I had fun with every novel on this list, but for sheer entertainment value, I think this one tops the rest.

Love & Bullets 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.

4 1/2 Stars

The Jigsaw ManThe Jigsaw Man

by Nadine Matheson

My original post
DI Anjelica Henley is your typical detective so focused on the job that everything else in their life is a tertiary concern at best, she makes horrible choices in her personal life, and seems to make enemies wherever she goes. One such enemy is a serial killer she put away some time ago, but then new bodies start showing up that look like the work of that killer. Did she put the wrong man away? Is this a copycat? Or something worse? The Jigsaw Man is a dark, unsettling read—there are two pages toward the end that may be the most disturbing pages I’ve ever read. And yet…there’s something very appealing about the novel—it’s gripping and compelling, it’s also entertaining. The pacing was perfect. The characters were well-drawn and felt fresh. It’s the kind of book that makes you ignore responsibilities–and possibly food and hygiene–or at least want to until you finish.

5 Stars

The Curious Dispatch of Daniel CostelloThe Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello

by Chris McDonald

My original post
(really this spot belongs to all Series: The Stonebridge Mysteries, but we’ll use this as a synecdoche (or did I mean metonym? I’m can’t remember)). I’ve been calling this a Cozy for People Who Don’t Like Cozies. It’s about a pair of guys in their twenties, trying to figure out their lives. They’ve spent too much time watching Sherlock and the like, and when one of them discovers a dead body at a wedding they’re attending, they take it upon themselves to solve the murder. Which leads to them doing that again in a few months—and again, and again. They really don’t have any business doing this kind of thing, but it turns out that they have a knack for it. This novella (and those that follow) is a quick burst of fun—a witty whodunit with a couple of unlikely amateurs on the case.

4 Stars

Suburban DicksSuburban Dicks

by Fabian Nicieza

My original post
A disgraced journalist struggling to find some sort of professional redemption (not to mention a better paycheck) and a pregnant mother of four (who gave up her lifelong dream of being an FBI profiler to raise a family) pair up to investigate their suburb’s first murder in decades because the police department just isn’t up for it (assuming they’re not too crooked to do the job right). You get a great mix of dark comedy, social commentary, and clever mystery as the pair unearth secrets that have been buried for generations on their way to solve the murder of a gas station attendant. From the great opening scene to the fantastic last line (probably the best I read last year), and all points between, this was easily one of my top reads of the year.

5 Stars

Dead SecretDead Secret

by Noelle Holten

My original post
Like Eve Ronin (above), DC Maggie Jamieson, is driving herself to exhaustion. She’s just that driven. This book features Maggie and the rest of the team on the hunt for a killer and trying to find (hopefully in time) their missing DCI, which means no downtime for Maggie or anyone else. You’ve got a pretty grizzly beating death to start off with and then you the police’s natural inclination to focus all resources on the missing DCI. Just those two storylines would be enough. But then Holten throws in a third storyline—a person in desperate need of help, a survivor of (as far as anyone can tell) of domestic violence—a reminder that policing isn’t about arrests, it isn’t about only maintaining social order—it’s about people like this woman who showed at Lucy’s front door, it’s protecting and serving the public. This is the kind of thing that both (fictional and real) civilians and the (fictional and real) police need to be reminded of, and here it elevates the rest of the novel by its presence.

4 1/2 Stars

The Thursday Murder ClubThe Thursday Murder Club

by Richard Osman

My original post
What can I possibly say about this that hasn’t been said before? This book is just great—it’s about a group of friends in a retirement community who spend a few hours a week looking over police cold cases (one of the group is a retired police officer, and these are her files) and then a murder happens in their community. They trade in their cold cases for this very warm one right away. I can’t think of a thing about this novel I didn’t like—it was touching, amusing, honest about the circumstances that these characters found themselves in, but life-affirming, too. There’s a lot of profundity mixed in with the amusement—and a clever mystery, to boot! This is not one to pass up.

5 Stars

Born in a Burial Gown by M. W. Craven: Before Washington Poe, There was Avison Fluke.

Born in a Burial Gown

Born in a Burial Gown

by M. W. Craven
Series: Avison Fluke, #1

Paperback, 331 pg.
Constable, 2020 (revised and updated edition)

Read: March 12-16, 2021

Find out how the victim lived and you’ll find out how they died.

Here We Go Again

You may be asking yourself, is this just another instance of The Irresponsible Reader raving about a book by M. W. Craven? Yup. This is the fourth novel that I’ve read (of the five published to date), and I’m not sure there’s another acceptable response to his books.

What’s Born in a Burial Gown About?

I have no idea if that sentiment about how the victim lived would be shared by actual detectives, but it works pretty well for Detective Inspector Avison Fluke and his team—which is why Fluke keeps repeating it.

In this particular case, a homeless drug-addict sees someone burying a golf bag at the construction site that he’s using as a temporary shelter. He leaves a note for the construction manager and bugs out. When Fluke and the other police arrive, they find a woman in a golf bag, buried in a way that will soon be covered by the construction. If it hadn’t been for the unexpected witness, no one would even know there’d been a body left there.

What’s worse, she has no identification on her. Then during the autopsy, it’s discovered that she’s had major cosmetic surgery to the extent that it’s impossible to know what she really looked like. So, no ID, no reliable way to describe her to anyone who knows her, nothing to tie her to a residence or employer. Before the team can really figure out who killed her, they have to figure out who she was. Put in the terms of Fluke’s motto—they have to find out how she lived to find out who she was so they can find out how she died. No easy task.

Throw in mounting pressures from some of the things in Fluke’s life—and you have a ticking time clock on this beyond the need to close the case quickly. And almost everything they learn about this woman makes the rest of the investigation more difficult.

Meet Avison Fluke

Some detectives tried to keep things impersonal so they could maintain objectivity. For Fluke, it was the opposite. He worked at his best when he made a personal connection with the victim.

She’d been tossed away like garbage, he thought. He could feel the anger building in his stomach.

I assumed going in that I was going to like Fluke, but you never know, do you? Often a new character from an author you love just doesn’t work. But on page 16, Fluke gets a belligerent and grumbling construction manager to stop his ranting and help out by lying to him and saying they could be out of his hair and let construction resume in “maybe an hour.” Right then, I knew that I was going to like this guy.

Like your typical Detective Protagonist, Fluke has issues. Not that long ago, he was undergoing aggressive treatment for a rare form of cancer, which has taken its toll on his health and vigor. Still, he’s back to work (for his own sanity, if nothing else), even if he had to cut a corner or two to get there. The city is on the verge of kicking him out of his freshly-built house because he cut a corner to get it built. He and his Detective Chief Inspector don’t get along and don’t seem to respect each other much. Professional Standards are sniffing around him. Oh, and early on in this book, his girlfriend dumps him.

Okay, that last one isn’t an issue, it’s a blessing, really.

So, what’s on the plus side? He’s smart. He’s determined. He has a team of loyal detectives—whose skills are frequently underestimated. Fluke’s approach to interviewing suspects is pretty interesting, and I wonder how well it works in reality. As a fictional character, Craven has taken all of what I’ve enumerated, a few things I forgot to list, mixed it together, and uses it to fuel his deeply personal need to find the killer—to take that connection that he made and dodge all the obstacles that are thrown at him so he can find a target for that anger. He’s just fun to read, too. Something about the chemical reaction that Craven produces from the mixture of these elements just makes Fluke an entertaining character.

Also, he has heterochromia. Which is an odd thing to give a character. If this were SF or Fantasy, you could pretend that’s a sign of X ability. Or in a visual medium, I could see doing something like that to make an impression. But in print, I’m not sure I see the point, it doesn’t seem to be all that helpful in creating a character. Craven gets some interesting use out of it, so what do I know?

And We Shouldn’t Forget Fluke’s Team

Like any good procedural, the investigative team is vital to get right. Craven does that for sure. There’s DS Towler, Fluke’s right-hand man and close friend—he’s a little on the wild and violent side, but seems to be careful about that and uses it safely. There’s the computer expert who’s on an UK/China exchange program—brilliant and has a very strange hobby. Also, the Ph.D. student working on forensic entomology—who is vital to making a couple of early deductions (you don’t introduce a forensic entomologist and not make them pivotal). And several more, and you get an efficient and effective team—great for police work, and just quirky enough to be great for entertainment.

Throw in Fluke’s doctor and a few other people in his personal life and…it’s a perfectly winning cast.

So, what did I think about Born in a Burial Gown?

‘She was born in a burial gown,’ he said.

He didn’t expand and Fluke didn’t need him to. He was right. It was a term he’d heard once or twice in the Marines, referring to who seemed to have a death wish. Someone who relished doing the things other people were terrified of. They were the first through the door and the last one to take cover. They appeared fearless, even reckless. And maybe they were.

Born in a burial gown seems to apply to many of the characters in this novel, not just the victim. Fluke, certainly; the killer, too; at least one of the suspects seems to fit the bill, too—even Fluke’s task force, collectively speaking, seems to fit this. This quotation comes pretty late in the novel, but once I read it, the ways that this applies to so made the book’s title resonate, and helped me think about the characters and some of their actions.

In case there was much confusion after the first paragraph. I just loved this book. The prose just sings, the novel’s well-paced and cleverly put together. The characters (major and minor), the killer, the motive, the victim, the reveals (both in the way they were handled and what was revealed), the fairly satisfying (by design) ending, the sweet and then very satisfying denouement—and anything else I didn’t mention—it’s all just as good as you could hope for.

I’m clearly just a raving Craven fanboy at this point, so let me just leave it like this—go buy this. Go buy anything you see his name on—you won’t be disappointed. Born in a Burial Gown is my favorite read of the year*, and I bet it’ll rank pretty high for everyone who reads it.

* So far, anyway, it’s early enough in the year that I figure a few new upcoming releases—including Craven’s—will make a case for that spot.

One last note—if you happen to have a contact in the US publishing industry, get him a deal over here, so I don’t have to pay so much for shipping, will you?


5 Stars

The Friday 56 for 3/12/21: Born in a Burial Gown by M. W. Craven

The Friday 56This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
The Friday 56 Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
The Friday 56 Find a snippet, short and sweet.
The Friday 56 Post it

from page 56 of:
Born in a Burial Gown

Born in a Burial Gown by M. W. Craven

Two minutes later, Fluke had a doctor trying to stick a cannula in the back of his hand. ‘The first two attempts missed.

Fluke hated cannulas. Doctors always struggled to find veins, legacy of his treatment. On the odd occasion he was having blood taken by someone who wasn’t familiar with his medical history, he always ended up giving an explanation. The most common reason for poor veins was intravenous drug use and Fluke felt compelled to tell them his condition was due to chemotherapy, not heroin.

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