Code of the Hills by Chris Offutt

First Sentence:  Janice drove slowly to avoid jostling the plastic container of food on the floor behind her seat.

Mick Harden, newly retired from the military, is back in Rocksalt, Kentucky.  While his sister, the town’s sheriff, is recovering from a gunshot wound, Mick, a former CID investigator, is deputized in order to solve the case on which she was working, and to find out who shot his sister.

CODE OF THE HILLS is the third in the series.  The first book of the series was wonderful and unique, and the second book was very good.  Sadly, this book falls off.  The plot meanders and just doesn’t have the same capacity to make one want to read it straight through.  One may find themselves somewhat ambiguous about the final resolution.  This book was good, but may not want to make one run out and buy the next book.

CODE OF THE HILLS (PolProc-Mick Harden-Kentucky-Contemp) – Good
Chris Offutt - 3rd in series
Grove Press, June 2023
Rating: Okay

Shutter by Ramona Emerson

First Sentence: Souls don’t scatter like the rest of the body.

Rita Todachene is a forensic photographer whose precise crime scene photographs have helped solve cases. She also sees and hears the ghosts of those who have died. While photographing a supposed suicide, the ghost of the victim latches on to Rita and won’t let go. Insisting she was murdered; the ghost demands Rita expose the killer who are members of a dangerous cartel.

The opening chapter is certainly not easy to read as the description of an accident scene is detailed and graphic. However, it is an extremely effective opening and introduction to a protagonist who is unusual and intriguing. Rita can see, and hear, the dead.

It is a very nice change to have Rita’s superior be highly competent and supportive. There is also a wonderful description of Albuquerque in winter.

The book seemed a mash-up of Maurizio de Giovanni whose protagonist sees the dead in the last moments of their lives, and whose books I love, and "The Saints of the Lost and Found" by T.M. (Toni McGee) Causey, particularly the scene in the hospital. The greatest irritant of this book was the constant alternating of time, and that Rita and her grandmother were constantly breaking into tears. Although grim, by far the best part of the book for me was the description of Rita taking the forensic photographs. The detail of that is something we've never seen, to my knowledge.

SHUTTER is a decent-enough book. Emerson’s characters are interesting, but I’ve rarely found two characters, Rita and her grandmother, who cry more often. The jumping back and forth of time periods became distracting, making the plot hard to follow. The ending came way too quickly and was predictable. Even so, it might be worth giving this author another try.

SHUTTER (PolProc-Rita Todacheene-New Mexico-Cont)
1st book – Ramona Emerson
Soho Crime, Aug 2, 2022, 313pp
RATING – Okay