Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger

 

First Sentence:  It’s after the lunch rush, and the man at the window orders a Sam’s Special, large fries, and a chocolate shake, a pretty standard request.

Henry Meloux, an ancient Ojibway healer, has had visions of his own death.  Dolores Morriseau has come to Henry for solace and advice.  Cork O’Connor’s wife, and Henry’s niece, Rainy, agree to assist Henry and Dolores. All is well until three men, one of whom tricked Cork into leading them to Henry’s, show up intent on killing Dolores.  The only choice Henry has is to lead the two women into the woods and head for the Boundary Waters to keep the three of them safe.  Anton Morriseau, Dolores’ brother-in-law, hunter, and cop with the Leech Lake Tribal Police, arrives and proves to Cork the man claiming to be related to Dolores is an imposter. He and Cork head off to find Henry, Dolores, and Rainy, not knowing the danger they will all be in.

There is a prologue, but it works, providing the perspective of one of the principal characters.  The story is told in present tense from three points of view with the transitions indicated by the chapter heading. This prevents any confusion on the part of the reader.

Krueger has created an excellent ensemble of characters in Cork, Rainy, and Henry. Cork’s son, Stephen, and Rainy’s nephew, Daniel, also play a significant role. However, none of them are perfect and Cork’s realization of a failure is one that can be felt and understood. 

One can’t help but admire Henry’s philosophy toward death—“He understands his death is an experience neither to fear nor to welcome.  It is simply a place toward which he has been walking since the moment of his birth.” I was also taken by Henry always referring to the Native Indians as “The People,” which conveys dignity and rightfulness. There are no weak characters here, all the supporting characters are significant to the story and well-defined.

What is particularly interesting about this book is the character LaLoup, the tracker hired by the villain, and witnessing the change he undergoes as the story unfolds.  This is a character one hopes may return in future books.

There is a mysterious message saying “Kill Catie” which adds to the complexity of the plot. It’s not unusual to have a story focused on the hunted and the hunters.  Krueger takes it one step further by adding another layer, and then the weather on top of it all, making it particularly exciting. Kruger’s writing is visual due to his strong sense of place, and ability to convey emotions.  Any time both the protagonists and the villains are up against a deadline, the tension and suspense are heightened.  In this case, each side knows they will experience serious consequences if they fail.

Krueger is a wonderful writer and reading the Author Notes is strongly recommended. Although this book can be read as a standalone, reading the entire series is a special treat. 

FOX CREEK is an excellent and exciting read. This is not a book one will put down and come back to later. The theme is timely and important. The characters are excellent.  In a review by John Purcell, he noted—"Cork is the center, but Henry is the heart.” I couldn’t have put it better.  The ending is reassuring, but only if we pay attention. There are some good lessons to be learned. 

FOX CREEK (PI- Cork O’Connor-Boundary Waters, MN-Contemp)
William Kent Krueger – 19^th in series
Atria Books, Aug 2022, 400 pp.
RATING: Ex / A+

Shifty's Boys by Chris Offutt

First Sentence:  At age eight, Albin decided to be a race-car driver when he grew up.

Mick Hardin’s life isn’t going well.  He is on medical leave from the Army CID, dealing with the end of his marriage, and living in his late mother’s house now owned by his sister, Linda, who is running for re-election as the sheriff of Rocksalt. Things are even worse for Barney Kissick, known as “Fuckin’ Barney,” a known drug dealer who was found shot to death in the parking lot of Western Auto.  At Mick’s last conversation with Shifty Kissick, Barney’s mother, they were both armed. Now she wants him to find Barney’s killer.

Offutt’s descriptions often have a lyrical quality to them—“There was a palpable energy in the hills from the trees still in flower, the opening leaves of softwoods, and the infant animals.” 

The book is built on strong, yet very human, characters.  Mick is recovering from an IED injury and dealing with the betrayal of his soon-to-be ex-wife, trying to get off a dependency on drugs and alcohol to dull his pain.  Linda wants to prove herself as sheriff by winning the election even if it means rescuing a dog from a tree. Deputy Johnny Boy Tolliver may have a weak stomach and a fear of ghosts, but he loves his job and is observant, organized, and resourceful. Shifty Kissick wants to know who killed her son.  He may have been a drug dealer, but he was her first boy, although not the first she has lost or will lose.  

Mick is a wonderfully atypical protagonist.  From his experience in the military, he knows the value of life—“Fuckin’ Barney got shot down like a dog.  The guy might kill somebody else.  There’s never just one.  If I can stop it, I will. I had enough of people dying to last a lifetime.”  Even Linda, is aware of it—“Despite being capable of violence, he operated from a base of compassion that surprised her.” Even his stature is unexpected—“Shorter than everyone, including Linda, he exuded a sense of restrained power.”

There are wonderful idioms that reflect the speech of the region, such as describing someone as—“Keen as a briar.  Crazy as a soup sandwich.” 

 SHIFTY’S BOYS is darker, and more violent than Offutt’s first book “The Killing Hills.” Of Mitch, Offutt writes--“He’d become what he despised—a retribution killer.” However, it’s a very good read with great characters, and excellent dialogue, including thought-provoking, backcountry wisdom.  “He wondered how often people tried to convince themselves that homicide was acceptable in service to the greater good.” This seems to be a common theme these days and an interesting one to ponder.

 
SHIFTY’S BOYS (Noir-Mick Hardin-Rocksalt, Kentucky-Contemp)
by Chris Offutt – 2^nd in series
Grove Press, Jun 2022, 282 pp.
RATING:  VG+/A

 

Three Pines: The television series

IIPMO - LJ's Review: "THREE PINES, an Amazon Prime television series based on the books by Louise Penny.

From the opening scene where we see Gamache reprimand a young officer, to where he gives the indigenous family a ride home, Alfred Molina is excellent as Gamache, capturing his compassion, his sense of justice, and later, his occasional humor. His face is expressive, often conveying more emotion than could words.

The casting of the Three Pines residents is excellent, and the inclusion of Tantoo Cardinal's character is one I can see Louise incorporating into a future book. I did always envision Jean-Guy as somewhat younger and clean-shaven, but I can deal with that.

The story of the missing indigenous women is an important part of Canada's sad story that needs to be told. I appreciated that the principal photography occurred between August and early December of 2021. No fake winter here. The winter scenes made one feel the cold.

This is no Cabot Cove. The story had a darkness to it as befits a murder investigation. The inclusion of the bluejay and Gamache's dreams only enhanced the atmosphere and seriousness of the plot. And serious it is with significant hits to the heart.

THREE PINES, Season 1 has eight episodes and is a series I highly recommend. Not only am I looking forward to the next 6 episodes, but very much hope for Seasons 2, 3, 4, ...

THREE PINES Produced by Left Bank Pictures

Released December 1, 2022 Rating: Ex

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

First Sentence:  “Oh, merde.

Going to the past can be painful and dangerous.  It is there where Chief Inspector Gamache and Agent Jean-Guy Beauvoir first meet during the case of two children so emotionally damaged they may have murdered their own mother, Clotilde Arsenault.  The older sister, Fiona, is sent to prison, while the brother, Sam, is deemed too young to be tried. Returning to the present, Gamache and his wife, Raine-Marie, take in a now-released Fiona and facilitated her enrollment in the École Polytechnique, from which she is now graduating along with Harriet, bookshop owner and ex-psychologist, Myrna Lander. Natalie Provost, a survivor of the Montreal Massacre where 14 were killed and 13 were wounded, all women, is receiving a special award.  Sam showing up at the graduation and is planning to stay in Three Pines, is an unwelcome surprise to Gamache, who never trusted the young man. 

Myrna and her partner, Billy, are thinking of moving from above the bookshop.  Instead, it is suggested they break through to an attic room that had been bricked off by Billy’s ancestor and about which he’d only recently learned upon receiving a letter dated 1862. In the room, they find a trove of unusual objects, some of which had been stolen from Gabi and Olivier’s bistro, and an enormous painting. The painting looks to be “The Paston Treasure,” better known as A World of Curiosities, painted in the 1800s and housed in the U.K.  But oddly, the painting in Three Pines is a copy filled with modern objects.  Also in the room is something long sought by Raine-Marie; a grimoire, a textbook of magic, inscribed with the name Anne Lamarque, a woman who’d been banished as a witch. After the death of the woman who sent the letter to Billy, Gamache brings in Agent Ameila Choquet to set up an Incident Room in Three Pines in order to learn how all these pieces fit together, and how they lead to a serial killer Gamache arrested years before.

Never has this reviewer written such a long synopsis.  Never has Penny written such a book where this long a synopsis was needed.  This is not a bad thing.

Penny paints wonderfully visual pictures and is such a lyrical writer.  She imbues some of her characters with depth, wisdom and poetry, while others are as basic and ordinary as people often are.  “While he’d [Gamache] become an explorer of human emotions, Jean-Guy Beauvoir was the hunter.” Penny also incorporates an informal, yet complete, cast of characters within the story.  The reader learns new things about the characters, which keeps them developing and expanding.  Ruth, the eclectic poet, provides humor, as well as wisdom and history essential to the plot, while Clara’s information about the painting is fascinating.

The interspersion of literary quotes and poems adds so much to the book.  They may inject humor, but they may also connote other emotions, melancholy, sorrow, or a warning. It’s not unusual for the reader to spend time looking up the source material for some of the quotes. 

It’s hard not to have favorite characters.  One may be the brilliant and fascinating character of Amelia Choquet with her complex history.  She is described by Myrna as—"If Ruth and a trash compactor had a child,…”  Her use of three particular lines at the end of the book is incredibly powerful.

There can’t be a story in Three Pines that doesn’t include food. While the meals may be simpler than in some previous books, still one is tempted by chilled pea soup, grilled Gruyère and sweet onion sandwiches; salmon, fresh-cut asparagus, baby potatoes, and green salad with vinaigrette; charbroiled steak with chimichurri sauce and frites; and wild mushroom ravioli with sage brown butter.

The story is the most complex Penny has written to date. It begins by jumping back and forth in time yet is easy enough to follow.  One must pay attention to the characters and their relationships. There is a lot to this plot that can’t be exposed in a review. It isn’t a book to stop and start but is best read by becoming completely absorbed in the story.

A WORLD OF CURIOSITIES is a story of family, love, and forgiveness while being filled with misdirection and red herrings at every turn, even though the clues are there.  Even though one instinctively knows, at least hopes, everything will be alright, the suspense is such that the end may engender tears of relief. The reader is so invested in the characters, one experiences their pain, fear, and anger, but also their love.  This is one of the most suspenseful books Penny has written and one that must have required a tremendous amount of research.  It may also be one of her best. 

       
A WORLD OF CURIOSITIES (Susp-Chief Insp. Armand Gamache-Three Pines, Canada-Contemp)
Louise Penny – 18^th in series
Minotaur Books, Nov 2022, 384 pp.
RATING:  Ex/A+ 

The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt

First Sentence:  The old man walked the hill with a long stick, pushing aside mayapple and horseweed, seeking ginseng.

Combat veteran Mick Hardin is now with the Army Criminal Investigation, Division.  Currently home on leave, he needs to resolve issues with his pregnant wife, but his leave time is running out. His sister, Linda, is the newly appointed sheriff the town’s Mayor wants to be fired.  With a murder case on Linda’s hands, and an inexperienced deputy, she turns to Mick for help.

There’s nothing better than discovering an author one has not read previously and immediately get drawn in by the author’s voice and the characters.  Offutt starts off with a chapter of wonderful description and ends with an eyebrow-raising revelation.  Along the way, Hardin uses wonderful imagery—“The vulnerable always died early.  Death begat death…”

Each character is strong and important to the story.  One appreciates Hardin’s approach of ---“I don’t want nobody else to get killed, …I had enough of it overseas.  If I can stop it, I will.” Mick isn’t a character who goes in hard unless it’s warranted.  His scene with Mullin’s mule and the front porch is delightful.  Whereas the interaction between Mick and his wife, and his subsequent action, is raw, yet Hardin truly captures Mick’s emotions. 

Mick’s sister, Linda, holds her own in the story—“There never was a body in Eldridge County that most folks didn’t already know who did it.  Usually a neighbor, a family, or drugs. … This is different.” Deputy Johnny Boy Tolliver, who gets car sick and believes ghosts exist but only in certain environments, is a particular favorite.

There is an underlying theme of family and love, even if that love is misguided.  Offutt shows that even though a family may not have much, the strength of that love can determine certain choices, and not always in a positive way. 

It can become a bit confusing keeping track of some of the characters who have both proper names and nicknames, yet Offutt fleshes out each character making them real people.

Some may not care for the way Offutt portrays the people of Kentucky, but it’s important to remember he is depicting one region, and not even all the people of that region.  While set in Appalachia, the book could have been set in almost any state with a concentration of people who live in the backcountry.  Still, the author ensures that the dignity of the people is reflected in their wisdom and philosophy on life.  Mick shares—“…one of his grandfather’s lessons.  Searching interfered with the ability to find. … At night don’t look for an animal trail, just walk where the trees aren’t.  See shapes and colors, not the thing itself.”  

THE KILLING HILLS is a book that is unexpected in the very best way.  The characters, dialogue, and descriptions are excellent. That’s not to say there isn’t violence; there is. Even so, Offutt is an author one may wish to follow.

THE KILLING HILLS (Noir-Mick Hardin-Rocksalt, Kentucky-Contemp)
Chris Offutt – 1^st in series
Grove Press, June 15, 2001, 240 pp.
RATING: Ex/A+

  

Do No Harm by Robert Pobi

First Sentence:  Dr. Jennifer Delmonico was approaching the second tower, which translated to somewhere around seventeen minutes at her usual pace.

Lucas Page is a polymath, astrophysicist, professor, husband, father, and ex-FBI agent.  During a gala with his wife Erin, a surgeon, a video is played memorializing all the doctors who died by suicide or falls in the past year. Page begins to see a pattern in the deaths and contacts the FBI. Page, and Special Agent Alice Whitaker, with whom he’s worked before, are joined by NYPD Detective Russo in finding a link between the deaths.

It’s not uncommon to have a protagonist with scars or injuries, but Page surpasses them all. He has a wealth of scars, a prosthetic arm and leg, and a glass eye.  But his brain is very much intact and always working. 

The book is, initially, very enjoyable. There is an interesting protagonist, although a lot of characters, excellent dialogue, humor, and the author conveyed emotion very well.  However, one becomes tired of hearing about Page’s injuries and prosthetics. 

Pobi’s descriptions are great until one becomes annoyed with his use of 15 words where six would have sufficed, and it takes these brilliant people two-thirds of the book to finally realize the motive the reader may have figured out a long time past.  At that point, one starts to look to see how far they’ve read, and how much is left.  That’s when it becomes obvious that the author desperately needs an editor.  The book should have been 332, not 432 pages long.  More is not always better.

An interesting anomaly is when, in talking about a plastic ghost gun made with a 3-D printer, the characters note that the plastic is an “Ender product and they sold somewhere around three hundred thousand pounds last year.”  Considering the book is set in New York City, and all the characters are American, one wonders how that crept in.  There is also a scene with a gunshot wound where the Page’s actions make no sense at all and even the most inexperienced person would have known what to do.

The writing is repetitive at times and needed a stronger proofreader. This would have helped the book overall. There are a couple very good twists and red herrings, which are appreciated.  However, although it is an amusing trope, cars don’t really catch fire and blow up that easily.  On the other hand, one might envy Whitacre’s driving ability, as long as she’s not driving your car. 

DO NO HARM is a quick read; it’s fast-paced, it’s violent, it’s funny, has interesting characters, and great descriptions—although sometimes they go on far too long.  Overall, it’s a pretty good read; more than an airplane read certainly, but it really did need tightening up. 

 
DO NO HARM (NoirThriller-Lucas Page- NYC-Contemp)
Robert Pobi – 3^rd in series
Minotaur Books, Aug 2022, 432 pp.
Rating: G+/B+

Cold Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff

First Sentence:  The moon is high, spilling icy light through the pine branches.

Cara Lindstrom has been caught and is awaiting trial.  When the prosecution’s witness goes missing, the case falls apart and Cara is released.  Agent Matthew Roarke is a man who is seriously conflicted and is obsessed by Cara.  He knows her history and her motive; she saved his life.  But he can’t ignore the fact that she has killed, no matter the reason.  Now there are more deaths.  The style is that of Cara, but could be copycat killings committed by Jade, a young prostitute.

There is no getting around how powerful is this book, and extremely hard to rate.  Should one be appalled by Cara, Jade and their actions?  Or does one support the fact that “justice” almost always fails women, especially these women?

Cara is a strong, unique character.  She is clever, yet ruthless. The more one learns of her past, the more one empathizes with her. Yet, one has a hard time justifying her actions.  Having Cara’s cousin, Erin, in the story adds a more sympathetic aspect to Cara.

 It raises the question of whether some people simply commit bad acts or whether some are truly Evil—" Whether It was a separate, independent force or just a word for the evil that human beings do, Roarke didn't know. He only knew that evil was real. It was evil.” 

Sokoloff’s anger at the justice system—“Other countries prohibited the overseeing of female prisoners by male guards, but US laws put its incarcerated women in constant physical jeopardy in the name of equal opportunity employment.”-- and how badly young victims of sexual exploitation are ignored leaps off every page, and rightfully so.  She addresses the hard issues of prostitution and human trafficking, as well as the challenges FBI agents have trying to fight those crimes. She raises a very hard question of legality versus morality.

Roarke is critically important.  When asked what he wants from Cara, he responds “I want to understand her. … She believes in some…supernatural force.  A living evil.” He represents “the system,” but one with a conscience that is destroying him.  How does one blindly support the law when the law doesn’t support the weak? Sokoloff does a wonderful job portraying his internal conflict.

COLD MOON is the third book in this unusual, and unforgettable six-book series that does need to be read in order.  It’s not a casual read, but one that grips the reader.  Sokoloff is very good at creating tension, but one should be warned:  There is graphic violence.

COLD MOON (PolProc-Agent Matthew Roarke-California-Contemp)
by Alexandra Sokoloff – 3^rd in series
Thomas & Mercer, Jul 2015, 388 pp.
RATING:  VG/A-

Fires of Edo by Susan Spann

First Sentence:  FIRE!

Samurai Hiro and the Portuguese priest, Father Mateo, who Hiro has been assigned to protect, have arrived in Edo to warn their fellow spies to return to Kyoto since their lives are in danger. A fire sends them to assist the fire brigade, headed by Daisuke, a fellow member of Iga Ryu who bullied Hiro when they were children.  This is the third recent fire, yet this one reveals the partially dismembered body of yet another samurai. A bookshop owner and his apprentice are arrested and may die unless Hiro and Father Mateo can save them, the guild, and even their own lives which are now at risk.

What a wonderful look at 16th Century Japan, its villages, and its technique for fighting fires.  But this was no gentle time.  Spann makes clear how harsh feudal life, and law, could be.

Hiro and Father Mateo Ávila de Santos, along with their delightful housekeeper Ana, and her cat Gato, are characters one enjoys spending time with, as well as they do with one another.  As usual, it is best to start this series at the beginning to understand the character development.  Part of the intrigue is in following their travels to the Portuguese colony at Yokoseura where Father Mateo can be kept safe until Japan names a new shogun, a matter fraught with danger and spies from rival sides.  Yet it is in their travels that they find themselves embroiled in murder and great danger.

One can’t set a book set in Japan without talking about the food—“Paper-thin slices of fresh sashimi rested on delicate, palm-sized dishes glazed the color of autumn leaves.  Nearby, a pair of whole grilled fish sat side by side on a rectangular, black-glazed plate.  Coils of pale, fragrant steam rose from the covered soup bowl and the heaping of rice on the far lacquered tray.  Beside the rice, two tiny plates of bite-sized tsukemono rounded out the meal.”

But it’s the mystery, and the characters involved that keep the pages turning.  You have Daisuke, commander of the fire brigade, and Hiro’s long-time adversary Hanzō, a famous ninja commander and leader of the Iga ryu, and Hiyoshi who is politically ambitious and wants to be the new head of the fire brigade. One wishes the Cast of Characters was at the beginning of the book, rather than the end. 

FIRES OF EDO is suspenseful, with plenty of twists and a very dramatic climax. It is educational as Spann includes actual historical figures.  It’s a quick, engrossing read and a very good addition to the series. 

FIRES OF EDO
HistMys/Hiro Hattori/Fr.Mateo-Japan-1566
by Susan Spann – 8^th in series
Seventh Street Books, Feb 2022, 265 pp.
RATING: VG+/A  

Death on a Galician Shore by Domingo Villar

First Sentence:  Inspector Leo Caldas got out of a taxi and, stepping over the large puddles on the pavement, entered the hospital.

DI Leo Caldas is called out to a small fishing village to sign off on the supposed suicide of Justo Castelo, a local sailor.  But something doesn’t add up; a suicide doesn’t have bound wrists.  The more Caldas and Rafael Estevez, his second, investigate, the more complex the case becomes as a decade-old shipwreck and two disappearances add to the mystery. 

There is nothing better than reading a book set in a location unfamiliar to the reader.  It’s nice when we’re taken to a small community of hard-working people yet can see commonalities with people everywhere.

Caldas, and his second Estevez, are fascinating protagonists.  Caldas is observant, logical, and gets terribly carsick. He is local to the area and hosts a radio program where people air their complaints, almost none of which he can resolve—“After the seventh call, he tallied the score:  City police seven, Leo nil.” It’s nice having his father and grandfather as part of the story. Even the absent wife contributes to who Caldas is.  Estevez is not local, much rougher around the edges, and just doesn’t understand Caldas or the people of the area. He’s continually having to be kept in check by Caldas.

Estevez can be a little hard to take, but Caldas manages him well. Between Caldas always being asked if he is the one on the radio, and Estevez always being told he's not from around there, there's just enough mild humor to take the edge off.

The description of the food, simple food, may leave one hungry—“Soup from the fridge, made with slab bacon, beef broth, turnip tops, broad beans, and potatoes.”  The excellent descriptions of the book's settings create a strong sense of place as Caldas gets to know the people in this fishing village.

The plot is well constructed with well-drawn characters.  The more Caldas digs, the more he finds that secrets from the past have determined the present.

DEATH ON A GALICIAN SHORE is a very well-done detective story. There’s no use of technology here, just basic police work.  One thing keeps building on the other with plenty of red herrings and a very good twist toward the end. This is an author worth reading.


DEATH ON A GALICIAN SHORE (PolProc-DI Leo Caldas-No. Spain-Contemp
by Domingo Villar - 2^nd in series
Abacus Reprint Edition, May 2012, 384 pp.
RATING:  VG/A-

Even the Darkest Night by Javier Carces

First Sentence:  Melchor is still in his office, simmering on the low flame of his own impatience waiting for the night shift to end, when the phone rings.

Melchor, convicted of working for a Colombian drug cartel, when to prison as a teenager.  While there, he read “Les Misérables,” and it changed his life. After his mother was murdered, he decided to become a cop. Now the murder of a wealthy local man and his wife will change his life again.

Was Cercas trying to write a philosophical, literary novel, or a police procedural?  If the former, the effect was pretentious and overblown.  If the latter, the story was filled with every cliché one could imagine and those, too, felt exaggerated and overused.    I am normally not one to skim a book, but I did this one.  

EVEN THE DARKEST NIGHT contains too much personal history, unnecessary descriptions of people and their environment, and overall exposition.  Peel that away and there are about 100 pages of a good story.  Sadly, I found myself not really caring.  However, for a really good police procedural/mystery set in Spain, I recommend “Water Blue Eyes” by Domingo Villar. 

EVEN THE DARKEST NIGHT (PolProd-Melchor-Terra Alta, Catalonia, Spain-Contemp)
Javier Cercas – 1st in series
Knopf, Jun 2022, 353 pages
Rating: Okay/C

The Botanist by M.W. Craven

First Sentence:  There were bastard trees and there were wait-awhile trees and there was a building that didn’t exist. 

Pathologist Estelle Boyle’s father has been fatally shot, twice in the head.  Traces of gunpowder are on Estelle's hands and her footprints are the only ones leading into the house where her father is found. Estelle is arrested, and all she will say is “Tell Washington Poe.” In the meantime, someone the press has named “The Botanist” is sending poems and pressed flowers to celebrities prior to their deaths. Despite the security measures taken to protect them, the killer succeeds in his goal. It’s up to Washington Poe and the Serious Crimes Unit to stop the killer, as well as prove Estelle’s innocence.  

The first four books by Craven were a complete treat, making anticipation high at the beginning of “The Botanist.”  The promise of a locked room mystery, and the hope that Craven was moving away from another serial killer plot, created the expectation of something new and exciting.  Instead, he took what could have been a clever, intriguing story, placed the most interesting character in jail, and went back to his formula.  Very disappointing.

Washington Poe, a supposedly brilliant detective, now comes off as arrogant, insolent, and a bit of a bore.  Tilly Bradshaw, a fascinating character and true genius, was mainly off-stage with her talents underutilized.  The solution to the locked-room puzzle was both over-the-top and obvious.  It was something Tilly should have been able to solve in minutes. 

Should one decide to proceed with the serial killer theme, the best ones create empathy for the victims and even sometimes the killer.  But here, the author fails. Even with the threat that unknown innocents may die, one instinctively knows it won’t happen, so any sense of real danger is lost. Sadly, the one scene which was, one supposes, intended to be clever, mimics a scene from “The Thomas Crown Affair.” 

When starting a new book, one hopes for something original, creative, and compelling, not a rehash of things done before, whether by the same author or someone else. Calling the opening a prologue or chapter one doesn’t matter.  It is still an unnecessary, irrelevant device and information one quickly forgets. 

THE BOTANIST might have been interesting were the reader a science/biology nerd.  Instead, it was at least 100 pages too long, with an Agatha Christie pronouncement that jumped between two time periods--are we not done with the device of time jumping?--and little tension.  Every author has an off-book.  This was Craven’s. Here’s hoping his next book is shorter, tighter, and something original.

THE BOTANIST (Susp-Poe/Tilly-UK-Contemp)
M.W. Craven – 5th book in series
Constable, 2022, 433 pages
Rating:  Poor/D

Her Child's Cry by S.A. Dunphry

First Sentence:  ‘Between 2015 and 2019 a total of one hundred children were abducted in Ireland, one third of whom were taken within the Dublin Metropolitan Area.’

Ten days.  That is all the time the police have to rescue Rosie Blake.  Rosie is a child with cancer who was stolen from the hospital.  She can only survive ten days without her medication.  The police find the suspect quickly, except he is dead; murdered and Rosie still is missing. It is up to criminal behaviorist Jessie Boyle and her team to find Rosie in time before Jessie dies too.

Doesn't everyone love a good race-against-the-clock mystery? Dunphy creates a setup that is tense and effective and encourages the reader to keep going. To end the opening section with a single-sentence portent—“That would come later.”—is both unnecessary and lazy. There was no need to add an extra push.

Dunphy’s principal characters are interesting and fully developed.  You know who they are and how they fit together, giving you bits of their personalities. He knows how and when to interject humor, both in his dialogue and in the situations he describes.  

 It is unfortunate when the author begins with a plot for a compelling mystery but decides to veer off down a strange path.  The plot becomes overly complicated, filled with extraneous historical information, and unnecessary portents, of which there are many. The story gets lost due to a lack of focus. The folklore is interesting, but it overshadows the strength of the plot rather than adding to it. 

Dunphy has the talent to write a superb mystery, if that’s his goal, or to write a fascinating book of magic and folklore, or a history of Ireland. Unfortunately, combining the three became messy and convoluted.   

HER CHILD’S CRY is the third book in the Boyle/Keneally series.  One hopes an author learns and grows with each book.  Sadly, that is not the case here. 

HER CHILD'S CRY  (PolProc-Boyle/Keneally-Ireland-Contemp)
S.A. Dunphy– 3rd book in series
Bookouture, Apr 2022, 343 pp.
Rating:  Okay/C

Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg

First Sentence:  The northern stretch of Mulholland Highway ended in a T intersection with Mulholland Drive.

Deputy Eve Ronin has experienced a meteoric rise in her career.  She is the youngest female homicide detective in the LA County Sheriff's Department history. With that comes the resentment of her colleagues, including her partner, Det. Duncan Pavone, who is about to retire. Now Eve is the team leader in a case with a missing mother, two children, and their dog from a house where there is plenty of blood evidence, but not a single body.

One can always depend on Lee Goldberg for quick, wry humor—"they could be mistaken for a father and daughter who liked to carry Glocks."—and the occasional bit of wisdom—"Let me give you some advice. …when ship happens to you, it isn't always personal."

Goldberg creates an interesting collection of characters.  Eve is perfectly portrayed as one who is young and ambitious, but a bit in over her head.  Her partner, Duncan, is the seen-it-call cop who is counting the days to retirement but is willing to mentor his young partner.  In some ways, he's the most interesting character of the lot.  Eve's mother is the classic Hollywood want-to-be-but-never-made it figure who just can't imagine anyone not wanting to be an actor. While she may have been intended as comic relief, she ends up being more annoying than anything.

It’s disappointing of an author when the investigator’s case is weak and based on assumptions.  Goldberg did just that. Ronin tries to make the case fit the suspect rather than looking further.  Rather than making the character seem fallible, it diminishes the reader’s ability to identify with the character.

It's easy to see Goldberg's background as a scriptwriter.  There are too many coincidences and an over-the-top plot, but the pacing and dialogue are well done, keep the story moving, and the reader involved.    

LOST HILLS is a good, quick read. It is a perfect airplane book.

LOST HILLS (PolProc-Deputy Eve Ronin-Los Angeles-Contemp)
Lee Goldberg – 1^st in series
Thomas & Mercer, Jan 2020, 240 pp.
Rating:  G+/B+

Fall Guy by Archer Mayor

First Sentence: Joe Gunther crested the hill overlooking a small cluster of flashing, multihued vehicles below.

Special Agent Joe Gunther, head of the VBI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation), and his team are confronted with a case that initially seems straightforward. An expensive car with New Hampshire plates, reported stolen by Lemuel Shaw, is found in Vermont near the scene of two burglaries. In the trunk is the body of the suspected burglar, Don Kalfus. Evidence suggests he was killed in New Hampshire. Also in the trunk are several stolen cell phones, one containing child porn, and another which belonged to a boy who disappeared years ago. The VBI team follows the clues as the body count continues to rise.

Rather than a prologue, Mayor begins with a description that is both dramatic and evocative. His literary style is always a pleasure to read--”…specialist teams delicately work around one another like dancers of a minuet…” The author is thorough in his description of the activity which occurs at a crime scene and explains how multi-jurisdictional teams can work together cooperatively and without grandstanding. There are a lot of acronyms used, but each is quickly explained.

Mayor has developed a cast of central characters that are always a pleasure to rejoin, especially as we’ve seen them grow and develop with the series. They are a cohesive unit, knowing how each works while trusting and supporting one another with occasional flashes of humor.

The investigative team runs through the details of the case and offer theories providing the realism one hopes for in a police procedural; they follow the clues rather than making an assumption of guilt and fitting the clues to that assumption. Willie, who has been with Joe and the VBI from the beginning, is the one, occasional, maverick among the group, sometimes taking someone else with him—Willy…“I want to tail ‘em.”… “Sniper-style,” Lester suggested neutrally…”Without authorization, without backup, and without pay, if I’m reading this right.” Willy’s enthusiasm was unaffected. “Yup. Sounds like fun, don’t it?”

Child kidnapping, sex trafficking, and kiddy porn are exceedingly difficult subjects. Mayor handles it with great sensitivity and understanding for the victims. In thinking about the child’s interview with social services, Joe had—"been caught by the metaphor of each victim becoming traumatically transformed into conjoined twins, one destined to lug around the corpse of the other until death.”

FALL GUY is a police procedural that begins as burglary and murder, develops to include at least two cold cases of missing children, a suspicious death, an abused child, spousal abuse, and a life-threatening situation no one could have predicted. Even then, it’s all topped off with a very unexpected case of, “but wait, there’s more.” Once again, Archer Mayor has come through with a first-rate read.

FALL GUY (PolProc-Joe Gunther-Vermont/New Hampshire-Contemp)
Archer Mayor – 33rd in series
Minotaur Books, Sept 2022, 304 pp.
Rating: VG+ / A

 

The Blood Covenant by Chris Nickson

First Sentence: His footsteps rang and echoed off the walls.

Thief-taker Simon Westow remembers the years of punishment and torture he'd received as a child working in the mill, a prisoner of the workhouse. When his friend, Dr. Hey, has him read the report of two young boys who died at the hand of a mill overseer, it brings Simon back to those memories. A man is pulled from the river with his throat slit and one hand removed. Simon and his assistant Jane are drawn into a dark and dangerous case of fighting for justice against the town's most powerful and wealthy men.

The strength of Nickson's book, and his series, are the characters. Simon may be tough, but it's Simon's wife Rosie, and his assistant Jane, who truly stand out. One doesn't know how realistic they'd have been for the time, but they are wonderful here. Jane, the most dimensional of all the characters, while being someone truly terrifying—small reminders of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce, but far more dangerous—also shows great compassion and love. Jane's relationship with Mrs. Shields, the elderly lady with whom she lives, and her growth at the end, is heartwarming.

The story moves between Simon and Jane. Rather than disruptive, as this style can be, it is seamless under Nickson's pen as there is no disruption of time.

The depiction of the period is stark. This isn't the charm of drawing rooms and balls. This shows the realities of the beginnings of industrialization, child labor, and poverty—"…a desperately poor area…a court where the piss and shit settled ankle deep. No clean air, everything coated in grime and soot…nothing was ever going to stay clean for more than five minutes around here." 

This was a time when a breath of sickness could decimate one's life; when thief-takers took the cases in which the authorities weren't interested and when "justice" was harsh and unmerciful, and when the rich and powerful were in control—"It's never going to change until the laws gives them no option. Even then, they'll try to find a way around it. The rich will grow richer and the poor will stay desperate."

Beyond the harshness, the author includes an element of thoughtfulness—"All the dead. What has happened to their souls? He wondered. Where had they gone? Heaven? Hell? Or was there nothing at all?" One can tell that Nickson, who lives in Leeds, has done thorough research on his city and the time.

THE BLOOD COVENANT is a hard, violent book with excellent suspense set in a hard, violent time. After all, as Nickson says in his worth-reading Afterword: "History is cruel." However, the book is honest and the principal characters are sympathetic and compelling.

THE BLOOD COVENANT (HistMys-Simon Westow/Jane-Leeds, England-1823)
Chris Nickson – 4th in series
Severn House, Mar 2022, 224 pp.
Rating: VG+/A

Fierce Poison by Will Thomas

First Sentence:  Scotland Yard is of the opinion that we at the Barker and Llewelyn Agency are barking mad.

Private Enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn have had a wide assortment of cases. This is something new. Roland Fitzhugh, a Member of Parliament, was rebuffed by the police over his claim that someone was trying to kill him.  Entering the office of Barker and Llewelyn, he falls to the floor, dead. Baker feels obligated to find the killer and more deaths follow.  The threat becomes personal and enters Barker’s house.  Can the Agency uncover the killer in time?

Because Thomas writes from the point of view of young Thomas Llewelyn provides an intimacy to the story and an introspection. At times, Llewelyn's observations also provide an element of humor—"Later, I found out I'd got it all wrong.  There's more than porridge in the old Llewelyn noggin."

The opening of the book is both clever and interesting. It’s well done that we meet the ensemble of policemen in very short order and understand their rankings. Sergeant Kirkwood quickly becomes one’s favorite. By the police not believing Fitzhugh, it moves the crime to its critical location, establishes the rank of the victim, and creates an important historical link.  An interesting factual tidbit is that in those times, members of parliament had originally been barristers.

Thomas cleverly establishes Llewellyn as one who is trying to be the practical Welshman and look after the business side by questioning spending time on a case for which they won’t get paid, while Barker is looking at the moral side of feeling obligated to a man who asked for their help before he died. That Thomas includes Llewelyn’s introspection adds depth and humanity to the character.  Adding actual historic characters and events, such as William Gladstone introducing a bill for universal health care and rearranging the country into smaller, self-government districts, called town councils on which women would be allowed to serve.  And who doesn’t love the inclusions of Shakespeare?

An ensemble cast, when done well, gives a sense of depth and realism.  No one operates in the vacuum, either professionally or personally.  Thomas surrounds his protagonists with police contacts, their co-workers, household members, employees, friends, and Llewellyn’s wife Rebecca. 

Despite this being the thirteenth book in the series, Thomas hasn’t allowed the characters to stagnate.  Instead, they have developed, grown, and their lives have changed.  This keeps them real, interesting and gives them greater depth with each book.

Thomas demonstrates the way a book should be done with a case that grows threat by threat, victim by victim.  The reader doesn’t know the identity or the killer, nor for a while, even who is the actual intended victim. When the killer is revealed, one is caught off guard, yet delighted by the character who uncovers the truth. Thomas doesn’t resort to the overused devices of prologues or portents.  What exposition there is, and it’s not much, isn’t there to expand the page count, but to provide historical clarity. 

FIERCE POISON is 292 pages of mystery and intrigue with a very clever plot.  An excellent final chapter plays with one’s emotions and leaves one anxious for the next book.

FIERCE POISON 
HistMys-Barker/Llewelyn-England-1893
Will Thomas – 13th in series
Minotaur Books, Apr 2022, 292 pp.
Rating:  VG+/A

Shadows Reel by C.J. Box

First Sentence: Lorne Trumley had called dispatch to report a dead moose on his ranch.

Game Warden Joe Pickett goes to the scene where allegedly a moose has been burned. Instead, he finds the tortured and burned body of a local fishing guide. Librarian Marybeth Pickett receives an anonymous package containing the photo album of a former Nazi officer. The Pickett's friend, falconer Nate Romanowski, is tracking the man who attacked his family and stole his falcons. "This won't end well."

It is challenging when an author whose entire catalogue of books one has loved writes one that is painful to read, and not in a literary sense. All the elements one normally loves are missing. What happened to the warm, supportive relationship between Joe and his wife, Marybeth? Where is the subtle humor that has been a trademark of Box's writing?

Political viewpoints seem to be the theme de jour, and certainly, not everyone will agree with various points of view. However, a writer is usually expected to maintain some objectivity or, at the very least, do their research. Box missed both these marks by an extremely wide margin. The author's usual high-quality storytelling is painfully absent. The crass, sexist descriptions of the woman in the bar would embarrass pulp fiction authors of the 1940s.

SHADOWS REEL could have been a good book with an intriguing plot, particularly as related to the photo album. Unfortunately, there was so much about this book that was cringeworthy, it wasn't worth spending the time to finish. The only bright spot was the Pickett daughters. The worst part is that it causes one to question even reading the next book.

SHADOWS REEL (LicInves-Joe Pickett-Wyoming-Contemp) - DNF
C.J. Box – 22nd in series
G.P. Putnam's Sons / Mar 2022 / 368 pp.

Lost Graves by S.A. Dunphy

First Sentence: A small boy stood in the clearing amid the oak and hazel trees and stared at the macabre object his dog had just excavated from the soil of the forest floor, gripping the animal's collar to restrain it from tearing the severed human hand apart.

Joe Keenan and his young son Finbar are Travellers who've made camp for the night when Finbar comes across a corpse. Joe is arrested, but members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Jesse Boyle, criminal behaviorist, DS Seamus Keneally, and historian and computer genius Terri Kehoe, don't believe Joe is guilty. Joe Keenan is and is hesitant about helping the investigation as he is on the run from a group of Travellers threatening to kill him. More bodies are found, some dating back 20 years. Locals blame the deaths on a vampire, the Abhartach. 

What an excellent opening. One is drawn immediately into the story and the characters. Even the chapter headings are evocative.

Jessie Boyle, Seamus Keneally, and Terri Kehoe make a great team. Jessie's observations and analysis are interesting to follow, Seamus' ability to eat constantly without ever getting a drop on himself and Terri's computer expertise bring the characters to life. One has become accustomed to investigative teams being able to find whatever information they want via computer. It is a nice change to have someone acknowledge GIGO—Garbage In, Garbage Out—the unreliability of data.

In this second book of the series, once again the author falls victim to over-plotting. While the folklore is interesting, it somewhat overwhelms the story, as does the serial-killer trope. There is an attempt to introduce a sense of the paranormal with the idea of the Abhartach, a vampire-like creature, but one never quite buys into it, and links to the seemingly omniscient character of Uruz from the previous book "Bring Her Home" leaves one wondering as to the point.

Dunphy excels at suspense. He creates a true spine-chilling creepiness that makes one catch their breath. Although he is guilty of overkill, he maintains a degree of logic in the plot. What was effective was the inclusion of case notes of a former detective. This added veracity to the story, as did information on the psychology of the Travelling people. They are a group on which there is rarely a focus. The epilogue is nicely done, while a major weakness is the use of completely unnecessary portents.

LOST GRAVES is a good, fast read. The thing that really holds it together is the principal characters. Dunphy falls into the category of a guilty pleasure read, and that's not a bad thing. While this second book is a step forward, a much stronger editor is to be desired. Even so, the books are ripping reads and the next is already in the queue.

LOST GRAVES (PolProc- Boyle/Keneally/Kehoe-Ireland-Contemp) – G+
Dunphy, S.A. – 2nd in series
Bookouture, Jan 2022, 356 pp.

Bring Her Home by S.A. Dunphy

First Sentence: I left his body where I knew it would be found, nestled gently in the tidal mud of the Thames in the shadow of the Tate Modern in Southwark.

A man known only by the Celtic rune Uruz or ᚢ, murders the former professional and personal partner of criminal behaviorist Jessie Boyle and is now stalking her. After retiring from London's Metropolitan Police, Jessie returns home to Ireland. Her friend, Dawn Wilson, newly appointed Police Commissioner of Ireland, calls in an old debt.

Penelope (Penny) O’Dwyerhe, the daughter of Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) is gone. The kidnapper threatens to kill her unless the police find her first. They have twelve days. Serial killer Frederick Morgan, imprisoned for life, claims he has the information needed to save Penny, but Jessie is the only one with whom he will negotiate. As Boyle and her team investigate, they learn there is much more to Penny than first thought, and that she is not the only woman who has gone missing.

There are a lot of threads and characters in this story. There is much to like, and Dunphy's voice galvanizes the reader to continue reading. But there are several things that, upon reflection, cause one to pause.

The book, in some ways, feels introductory, a prologue to the upcoming series while clearly being a story in and of itself. One is introduced to every character, including the secondary ones, with each given a separate chapter detailing their background. As opposed to interfering with the story, the characters are brought to life with even the bad guys given full dimensionality and shades of gray. However, one may wonder at the necessity of this and how many of these characters will reappear in the future.

The principal police characters: Jessie Boyle, Detective Seamus Keneally, genealogist and IT tech Terri Kehoe, and Dawn Wilson are an interesting, diverse team, each with strengths and weaknesses. They contrast and complement each other and are characters one wants to know. When at risk, the tension is palpable as one doesn't want any harm to come to them.

The story includes quite a bit of ancient folklore and references to Celtic artifacts. While germane to the plot, this slows the pace and can lead to confusion with the number of characters who spiral off the person who fashions himself after the folklore character of Uruz or ᚢ. One already knows he will be back.

BRING HER HOME is an exciting read with great characters, occasional good humor, and powerful suspense. The book would have benefited from stronger editing. Even with a satisfactory ending, once one thinks about it, it causes curiosity about the fate of several characters. Book two awaits. It will be interesting to see how things progress.


BRING HER HOME (PolProc-Boyle/Keneally/Kehoe-Ireland-Contemp) – Good/B
Dunphy, S.A. – 1st in series
Bookouture, Aug 2021, 346 pp.

The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions by Kerry Greenwood

Opening: Dear Reader, Thank you very much for buying this book (and if you haven't bought it yet, please do so—I have cats to feed…

Only Kerry Greenwood could make an "Apologia" as interesting and delightful to read as the actual stories.  I do recommend readers start with there, and not skip "On Phryne Fisher" which is the author's introduction. From there, one jumps into the wonderful world of 17 wonderful short stories. There is also a very helpful Glossary at the end.

It is known that short stories are the hardest to write, yet Greenwood does it delightfully well.  Still, one always has favorites.

- "Hotel Splendide," a case of a missing husband and a missing hotel room, starts off with the perfect amount of information as to Phryne's background, her style, her ability to take charge, and her enviable sangfroid.
- "The Body in the Library" pairs Phryne and DI Jack Robinson and a not-so-pious reverend.
- "Death Shall be Dead" includes DI Jack Robinson and a dog. How can one resist that? and
- "The Bells of St. Paul's" begins with a tea at the Windsor that leaves one salivating and includes a message in the bells.

One rather wishes a few of the stories were expanded into novellas. A couple of them would make wonderful full-length novels.

For readers new to Phryne, this is an excellent way to experience her and her world. A slight criticism is there is not a lot of introduction to the secondary characters, and the settings and the times at which the stories occur jump around a bit which can be confusing.  However, for those who already love Phryne, there is still the overwhelming desire to be her when one grows up. 

THE LADY WITH THE GUN ASKS THE QUESTIONS is a treat. Some stories were published previously, some have been reworked slightly, and four are brand new. They are piquant, thoroughly entertaining, and not overly complicated. One may read one, a few, or all of them at a sitting as reading them may have the effect of potato chips; one just isn't enough.

THE LADY WITH THE GUN ASKS THE QUESTIONS (SS-Phryne Fisher-Australia-1920s) EX
Greenwood, Kerry – Short Story Collection
Poisoned Pen Press, May 2022, 272 pp.