Tag: The Frame Up

I’m even behind on my catch-ups…this summer really did a number on my organization. Let’s see if I can get some of it back. Again, I want to remind the reader that the point of these quick-takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.

The Frame-Up

by Gwenda Bond, read by Shannon McManus (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication Date: February 13, 2024
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 11 hrs., 3 min.
Read Date: May 4-6, 2026

This was a solid heist novel with just a dash of magic thrown in. Honestly, I’m not sure the magic was necessary—Bond has enough going on with the dash of romance, the family drama (increased by a “can’t go home again” story arc), and the art heist.

But throwing in the magic just kicked everything up a half a notch, if not a full notch. So I’m not complaining–I’m just trying to say that the criminal found family of it all was enough.

This is my second novel by Bond—and it’s enough to make sure that I’ll take a second look at other books by her.

The Terminal List

by Jack Carr, read by Ray Porter

DETAILS:
Series: The Terminal List, #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 12 hrs., 24 min.
Read Date: May 7-11, 2026

Ugh. How did this get so popular? I’m not really that willing to spend time on talking about it. I can’t think of a single moment that I enjoyed–even Ray Porter couldn’t save it. I kept listening to see if it climbed up out of the horrible pit to make it to “extraordinarily mediocre.” Also, because I wanted to be able to tell someone that I gave it a full try.

Both are choices I regret. Cookie-cutter action from a Gary Sue super-soldier. Completely uninspired and derivative. And there are how many sequels???

The Arkadians

by Lloyd Alexander, read by Words Take Wing Repertory Co

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication Date: November 9, 2010
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 5 hrs., 49 min. 
Read Date: May 18-19, 2026

I feel disloyal to my grade-school self in giving a Lloyd Alexander book a “meh.” But this one pretty much deserved it. Alexander’s playing around with Greek myths fell pretty flat for me, I didn’t connect with the characters, the story (especially the results for each character) was predictable, and the whole thing felt written by a formula. I did find some scenes amusing and/or effective, but I doubt I’ll return to this one again and again. (I probably will give it one more chance down the road, just to be sure it wasn’t my mood)

Booked

by Alison Gaylin

DETAILS:
Series: Sunny Randall, #13
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Format: Hardcover
Length: 320 pg.
Read Date: May 25, 2026

This was entirely too quick to read–but I find that’s a thing with Gaylin’s Sunny book–she just gets in the groove and you’re rocketing through the thing. I really liked what she did with the recurring characters here, especially Blake. I’ve given up hope of a decent Richie storyline, but I didn’t mind this one. As far as the latest Malanie Joan drama–this might be my favorite use of her. The mysteries involved were pretty well executed, and I bought the way that Sunny finally uncovered the link that tied it all together. I’d seen the link (or something very much like it) coming for several chapters, but wasn’t sure Gaylin would pull off Sunny’s discovery. I think I’ve learned now to trust her. No Sunny Randall book has ever blown me away–but Gaylin makes me happy to see the series continuing and delivers a satisfying read every time.

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism

by Amanda Montel, read by Ann Marie Gideon

DETAILS:
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: June 15, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs., 21 min.
Read Date: May 21-26, 2026

This was truly disappointing—the subtitle made me think it would be one thing, and while the text would occasionally tip that way, it didn’t stick with it. Honestly, you should go read what Kathy @ 746 Books had to say about it. She captured my ideas better than I could.

Unread:
A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) to Read on TikTok

by Oliver James

DETAILS:
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Publication Date: February 24, 2026
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 10 min. 
Read Date: May 26-27, 2026

James’ achievement—as well as his openness about the life experiences that got him to this point—should be celebrated. Seriously, I’m impressed and would love to sit and chat with him about it.
Everyone should be upset at the education system that failed him—and almost certainly fails many others like him every year.
There’s a lot to commend about this book.
This is not good book. There’s too much redundancy that feels like it was included to make an arbitrary word count. The timeline is a bit muddy, and would’ve been better to follow had it been presented linearly. If it were a series of blog posts, or a book half the length, I wouldn’t have complained.
To reiterate: this is a criticism of the book, not of the author, what he’s doing or how he’s doing it.

Starship Troopers

by Robert A. Heinlein

DETAILS:
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: June 27, 2006
Format: Paperback
Length: 288 May 25-27, 2026

There’s a lot to like in this—there’s a lot to be disappointed in, too. I was pretty much in until the big battle scene. But after that? It all fell short after that. Heinlein clearly had things he wanted to say about the role of a citizen, the role of the military, war, and so on—and he used this book to say them through various mouthpieces. Sadly, most of what we got was talk, theory, just ideas, unlike similar books that put the talk into action (albeit fictional, it’s more than just haverings).

I walked away dissatisfied. I know I open myself up to ridicule, mockery, and disdain for that—but that’s how it is. Others who’ve clearly been influenced by this novel have done a better job with it (e.g., Scalzi, Hurley, Card).

After the Fall

by Edward Ashton, read by John Pirhalla

DETAILS:
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: February 24, 2026
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 56 min.
Read Date: May 28-29, 2026

Maybe because of Ashton’s reputation, I went into this with expectations that were too high. Because I felt like I should enjoy what I was hearing more than I did throughout the whole book–and there’s no reason for me to think like that. It was a solid premise, and Ashton (and Pirhalla) did a good job in executing it. But the whole time I kept thinking, “he’s about to knock my socks off in the next development/chapter/scene,” and that never happened. There’s a lot to praise here, but it never made the jump from “pretty good.” And since I came in expecting more and didn’t get it, the book felt like a letdown. I don’t think I’m being fair to the book, but…

Remington Platypus

by Steve Nash

DETAILS:
Publisher: Northodox Press
Publication Date: July 31, 2025
Format: eBook
Length: 362 pg.
Read Date: May 28-30, 2026

I really thought I’d written a full post about this, and I’m rather annoyed to find out that it doesn’t exist.

This is a fairly-standard, but well-executed, Police novel about a grizzled detective who does what it takes to get the job done—sort of a Harry Bosch figure. Although he’s on better terms with his superior and some of his colleagues. He’s taking on a drug supplier and goes too far, resulting in him being transferred to a small town, his hometown, where he struggles to fit in—except for the few who remember him. There he encounters some crimes that lead him right back into investigating the same supplier. And things get ugly from there.

But here’s the thing—all the creatures are animals. Animals who have formed a parallel society to humans, complete with schools, police services, and drug gangs. There are some animals who haven’t taken this civilization thing to heart—and remain wild and without speech, higher thoughts. We’ve seen a lot like this before, but not like this.

Combining these two tried-and-true story types is just brilliant. You make these people instead of animals and most of the novel works just fine. You take out the crime element and just leave the inter-animal conflicts in and it’d be a pretty cool story. The mashup of the two elevates this to something else. The only comparison that jumps to mind is the comic Fables [VERIFY THE NAME HOB] combining crime fiction and fairy tales.

Raven was raving about this last year, and it’s easy to see why. You need to check out their post.

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

My Favorite 2018 (Fictional) Dogs

By HCNewton

On January 3, 2019

In Dogs, Fantasy, Fiction, Harry Dresden, IQ/Isaiah Quintabe, Iron Druid Chronicles, Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nicholas/Nick Petrie, YA/MG/Children's Books

In one of the lightest moments of Robert B. Parker’s Valediction (just before one of the darker), Spenser describes his reservation about the first two Star Wars movies: “No horses . . . I don’t like a movie without horses.” After watching Return of the Jedi, he comments that it was a silly movie, but “Horses would have saved it.” Which makes me wonder what he’d have thought about The Last Jedi. Horses aren’t my thing, it’s dogs. I’m not quite as bad as Spenser is about them — I like books without dogs. But occasionally a good dog would save a book for me — or make a good book even better. I got to thinking about this a few weeks back when I realized just how many books I’d read last year that featured great dogs — and then I counted those books and couldn’t believe it. I tried to stick to 10 (because that’s de rigueur), but I failed. I also tried to leave it with books that I read for the first time in 2018 — but I couldn’t cut two of my re-reads.

So, here are my favorite dogs from 2018 — they added something to their novels that made me like them more, usually they played big roles in the books (but not always).

(in alphabetical order by author)

Edgar from The Puppet Show by M. W. Craven (my post about the book) — Edgar has a pretty small role in the book, really. But there’s something about him that made me like Washington Poe a little more — and he made Tilly Bradshaw pretty happy, and that makes Edgar a winner in my book.
Kenji from Smoke Eaters by Sean Grigsby (my post about the book) — The moment that Grigsby introduced Kenji to the novel, it locked in my appreciation for it. I’m not sure I can explain it, but the added detail of robot dogs — at once a trivial notion, and yet it says so much about the culture Cole Brannigan lives in. Also, he was a pretty fun dog.
Rutherford from The TV Detective by Simon Hall (my post about the book) — Dan Groves’ German Shepherd is a great character. He provides Dan with companionship, a sounding board, a reason to leave the house — a way to bond with the ladies. Dan just felt more like a real person with Rutherford in his life. Yeah, he’s never integral to the plot (at least in the first two books of the series), but the books wouldn’t work quite as well without him.
Oberon from Scourged by Kevin Hearne (my post about the book) — Everyone’s favorite Irish Wolfhound doesn’t get to do much in this book, because Atticus is so focused on keeping him safe (as he should be). But when he’s “on screen,” he makes it count. He brings almost all of the laughs and has one of the best ideas in the novel.
Mouse from Brief Cases by Jim Butcher (my post about the book) — From the moment we read, “My name is Mouse and I am a Good Dog. Everyone says so,” a good novella becomes a great one. As the series has progressed, Mouse consistently (and increasingly) steals scenes from his friend, Harry Dresden, and anyone else who might be around. But here where we get a story (in part) from his perspective, Mouse takes the scene stealing to a whole new level. He’s brave, he’s wise, he’s scary, he’s loyal — he’s a very good dog.
Ruffin from Wrecked by Joe Ide (my post about the book) — Without Isaiah Quintabe’s dog opening up conversation between IQ and Grace, most of this book wouldn’t have happened — so it’s good for Grace’s sake that Ruffin was around. And that case is made even more from the way that Ruffin is a support for Grace. He also is a fantastic guard dog and saves lives. His presence is a great addition to this book.
Dog from An Obvious Fact by Craig Johnson (my post about the book) — I might have been able to talk myself into ignoring re-reads if I hadn’t listened to this audiobook (or any of the series, come to think of it) last year — or if Dog had been around in last year’s novel. Dog’s a looming presence, sometimes comic relief (or at least a mood-lightener), sometimes a force of nature. Dog probably gets to do more for Walt in this book — he helps Walt capture some, he attacks others, just being around acts as a deterrent for many who’d want to make things rough on Walt. Walt couldn’t ask for a better partner.
Trogdor from The Frame-Up by Meghan Scott Molin (my post about the book) — Honestly, Trogdor probably has the least impact on the book than any of the dogs on this list. But, come on, a Corgi names Trodgor? The idea is cute enough to justify inclusion here. He’s a good pet, a fitting companion for MG — not unlike Dan’s Rutherford. He just adds a little something to the mix that helps ground and flesh-out his human companion.
Mingus from The Drifter by Nicholas Petrie (my post about the book) — Like Trogdor, a great name. Like Mouse and Dog, a great weapon. He’s really a combination of the two of them (just lacking Mouse’s magical nature). He’s vital in many different ways to the plot and the safety of those we readers care about. Petrie made a good move when he added this beast of a dog to the novel.
Chet from Dog On It by Spencer Quinn (my posts about Chet) — If I couldn’t cut Dog, I couldn’t cut Chet. Listening to this audiobook (my 4th or 5th time through the novel, I believe) reminded me how much I love and miss Chet — and how eager I am for his return this year. This Police Academy reject is almost as good a detective as his partner, Bernie, is. Chet will make you laugh, he’ll warm your heart, he’ll make you want a dog of your own (actually, all of these dogs will)
Zoey from Deck the Hounds by David Rosenfelt (my post about the book) — how do I not invoke Tara when discussing an Andy Carpenter book? Good question. It’s Zoey that brings Andy into the story, it’s Zoey that helps Don to cope with his own issues, it’s Zoey that defends Don and saves him (in many ways). Sure, Tara’s the best dog in New Jersey, but Zoey comes close to challenging her status in this book.
Lopside from Voyage of the Dogs by Greg van Eekhout (my post about the book) — It almost feels like cheating to bring in a dog from a novel about dogs — conversely, it’s hard to limit it to just one dog from this book. But Lopside the Barkonaut would demand a place here if he was the only dog among a bunch of humans — or if he was surrounded by more dogs. He’s brave, he’s self-sacrificing, he’s a hero. He’ll charm you and get you to rooting for these abandoned canines in record time.

The Frame-Up by Meghan Scott Molin: Likeable Characters, Strong Mystery, & Geeky Fun Combine for a Winning Debut

By HCNewton

On December 3, 2018

In 2018 First Reads Challenge, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Frame-Up

by Meghan Scott Molin
Series: The Golden Arrow Mysteries, #1

eARC, 304 pg.
47North, 2018
Read: November 28 – 29, 2018

There are some posts I’m not sure how to start. Introductions are probably the hardest part for me (I say this today, tomorrow I’ll be struggling with a conclusion). I thought about starting this post this way:

the Dahlia Moss books, but want something less sit-com and more dramedy
the Kirby Baxter books, but wish that Molly was the star?
Seanan McGuire’s Antimony Price, but wish you didn’t have to put up with the cryptozoology?
and/or
the Castle pilot episode

…then this is the book for you!

But that just seemed frivolous. So I abandoned it.

A chance encounter in a slow-moving coffee shop line and an overheard offhand remark leads to LAPD Narcotics Detective Matteo Kildaire consulting comic book writer Michael-Grace (call her “MG”) Martin about an unusual crime. A couple of drug dealers had been tied together and left for the police, a photo printed in the newspaper (or at least an online version of it) reminded MG of one of her favorite comic book panels when she saw it — a panel from a comic in the Eighties. It turns out that there are additional reasons to tie the crime scene to that particular comic, and the detective could use some help. He’s clueless about this kind of thing and is desperate to get any kind of line on the vigilante responsible.

Matteo is concerned for various and sundry reasons that MG and her coworkers at Genius Comics might be a target for trouble (and/or responsible for it). MG is intrigued by the entire thing (and the fact that an incredibly hunky detective is talking to her about it doesn’t hurt, even if he is the Muggle-ist Muggle around) — actual crimes being committed around town by someone very inspired by the comics that shaped her early geekness?

Now, Matteo doesn’t want word to get out about a. MG consulting for him; b. the close eye Genius Comics employees are being watched with; c. really anything about the vigilante. So he poses as someone MG’s dating, without really consulting her on it. Spending time with her in social settings allows him to investigate her coworkers and friends — although he really seems interested in getting to know her better.

MG’s dealing with several things in her own life — she’s up for a big promotion at work; her side project of designing costumes (for cosplay, and her friend Lawrence’s drag queen act) is dangerously close to turning into something more than a hobby; and somehow she has to work in a fake relationship (without tipping off the true nature of things to her roommate or Lawrence).

The chemistry between the two main characters is fantastic — Matteo comes across as a very nice guy, the kind of person you’d like to think every detective is — driven, honest, kind. MG’s the kind of person I’d like to hang out with — creative, funny, geeky (although her LOTR views means we won’t be best friends). When you put the two of them together they work really well — on a detective/consultant basis, or as a couple. It’s obvious from at least Chapter 2 that the sparks are there, so I don’t feel too bad talking about this — but they do keep it pretty professional. Mostly. Whether they’re being professional, or they’re in one of their more personal moments, these two are a great pair.

Now while the pair are getting to know each other, the crimes associated with the comics continue to pile up, get more serious and start to involve significant damage and danger to human life. Other than Matteo, the police and the FBI aren’t that convinced that MG can really help them. And at least one of her friends becomes a person of interest in the investigation. These two things spur MG to do some independent investigating in addition to her consulting. Which goes about as well as you might think for a comic book writer/would-be fashion designer starring in a comedic novel.

And it is funny. MG is a great narrator — honest about herself and her foibles; snarky about the foibles (and strengths) of those around her; clever, witty and her narration is chock-full of geek-culture references. Molin tends to over-explain some of MG’s references. You don’t need to tell me that “Winter is coming,” is a Jon Snow line. You can just say it and everyone will know you’re talking about Game of Thrones (or Death and Boobies, as MG prefers). I don’t remember noticing that later on, I either got used to it or Molin course-corrected. Either way, it’s not a major problem.

The story is strong, the culture around Genius Comics is interesting (and rings true), the secondary and tertiary characters are fun — it’s a very satisfying debut novel. I do think that MG’s roommate and coworkers could’ve been developed a bit more. At least we could’ve spent more time with them, not much, just a little (except the roommate, we could’ve had more time with him — but that seemed intentional). But that’s about my strongest criticism, come to think of it. There are some scenes that are just fantastic — Matteo watching the original Star Wars trilogy with MG and her coworkers for the first time is magic. There’s a moment in the last chapter that’s a little better, too (but I won’t spoil anything). Molin can tell a good story and capture small elements well.

I started this by joking around about the kind of people that’ll like this book — but seriously, there’s something about this that’ll appeal to most. Just thinking of friends/family/workplace proximity associates who read novels — I can’t think of one who wouldn’t find something in this to enjoy. My mother would like the interplay between the characters (particularly between MG and Lawrence) and the story, even if she didn’t get most of the fandom references; my buddy Paul would like MG’s spirit, the mystery, and Matteo; Nicole would dig the mystery, MG, and the fandoms (even if she doesn’t share them, she’ll get it), MG’s design work, too; I’ve got another friend who’d like the mystery but would roll his eyes at some of the relationship stuff; Rosie would get a kick out of it all, especially MG’s voice — and so on. Okay, to be honest, I can think of one reader I know who wouldn’t like it — between the subject matter, the voice, the crime story — it’d be beneath her (unless Molin gets interviewed by NPR, then she’d be a big fan). My point is — there’s at least a little something here for everyone to get into, if you don’t let any of the particulars of the setting or character get in the way.

Sure, I liked Dahlia Moss/Kirby Baxter/Antimony Price/Castle without any of the conditions that I started things off with — so this was definitely in my wheelhouse. But more importantly, it was a fun story well told, with charming characters that you want to spend time with. If I’m reading Molin’s tweets correctly, we’re looking at at least a trilogy with these people — I’m all in for that, I’m very interested to see where she takes the story and the characters. I fully expect that I’m not going to be alone in my appreciation for The Frame Up.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from 47North via Little Bird Publicity and NetGalley in exchange for this post — thanks to all for this great read.

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