The Promise - Robert Crais

First line: "The woman stood in the far corner of the dimly lit room, hiding in shadows like a fish in gray water."

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike join forces with Robert Crais' Suspect hero team of Scott James and Maggie for The Promise, which is packed with action and suspense, as well as love and devotion.

Cole is hired by Meryl Lawrence to find her colleague Amy Breslyn.  Breslyn took an abrupt leave of absence and just disappeared, vanished. According to Lawrence, Breslyn also walked off with over $400,000 from their company, and she wants to find her co-worker before the powers that be discover the missing money. Lawrence says she feels responsible because she believes Breslyn took off with a crooked mystery man she met online; She claims she pressured Breslyn into online dating after her son was killed overseas by a suicide bomber.

Lawrence encourages Cole to track down a young man named Thomas Lerner, a close friend of Breslyn's son. When Cole shows up at the address Lawrence gives him for Lerner, all hell breaks loose, but none of it connected to anyone named Thomas Lerner. What is at the house is a dead body and serious bomb munitions. Elvis Cole suddenly finds himself in the midst of a major crime investigation as well as his own missing person's case that is racking up more questions than answers. And when the heat rises, he calls in the reinforcements.

The Promise took a while to hit the bookstores, but now that it's here, I can say with certainty it was worth the wait.  This complex plot contains all the hallmarks of a great Crais novel: humor, social issues, passion, crack dialogue and top-notch characters. Relationships maintain a central focus of the series; Elvis and Joe's relationship continues to grow, but it takes more of a backseat role in The Promise, allowing Crais to explore Scott and Maggie's pack bonds further as well as Amy Breslyn's relationship with her son. Plus, it seems there may possibly be a new romantic connection blooming for the series.

In addition to the themes surrounding relationships, there is a strong idea of hidden identities. People aren't necessarily who they seem and situations aren't what they seem, which of course works to ramp up the suspense, but it also illustrates a depth of character for several people. One of those folks is Jon Stone. There aren't a lot of the familiar faces in this novel, but Jon Stone returns in arguably his best outing yet. If you didn't love Stone before The Promise, I dare you not to after this one.

And of course the title theme, promises. Promises carry a lot of weight and obligation with them. Those with the strongest character wield their promises carefully, honestly and unceasingly.

Crais has a history of wonderful female characters, but The Promise may include the cream of the crop. I was especially taken with Amy Breslyn's character.  She's described as "small, round, and dumpy...she'd never been a looker." Despite not having a stereotypical hero exterior, this smart, single mother stole the show for me. I don't expect to see her back in anything beyond a possible cameo but I sure wouldn't complain if she did reemerge in later books.

And of course Maggie. Crais' treatment of Maggie's role in The Promise is reverential. And it's his attention to the small details, like the green tennis ball, that make his depiction of her so superb. Early in the novel, Crais creates mirroring scenes of handler and dog experiencing PTSD dreams. In Maggie's dream, she experiences memories through scent and is haunted by the emotions those scents conjure up. Just as Scott cries out in his terror dreams, Maggie does too. Crais uses that opportunity to provide subtle background from Suspect, but it serves an even greater role in illustrating the strong devotion and connection Maggie has with her "pack."  Dog lovers should all appreciate the care Crais takes in his development of this magnificent character.

All around The Promise is a winner of a novel. I've said this before and I'll say it again, I love this series--Crais' writing in general--and if the quality continues to stay at this level, I don't mind the wait between books. I'm happy to savor the exceptional story, and enjoy the experience. It's much more filling than mounds of junk.

The Promise is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780399161490) from Putnam and as an unabridged audiobook (ISBN: 9781455853359), narrated by Luke Daniels and MacLeod Andrews (holy cow, power team) from Brilliance Audio.

   

  

Brush Back - Sara Paretsky

My review of Sara Paretsky's Brush Back first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers. I am posting it today with their permission. Hope you enjoy!

First line: "I didn't recognize him at first."

"I've lived my whole life in this city, and I know too much about how business gets done here," proclaims V.I. Warshawski in Sara Paretsky's Brush Back. The experience of both protagonist and author with Chicago's political, criminal and athletic landscapes make the seventeenth novel of Paretsky's P.I. crime series a thrillingly convincing addition to the genre.

When Warshawski's old flame Frank Guzzo shows up in her office asking for help exonerating his mother--newly released from prison after serving 25 years for beating her daughter to death--the seasoned private eye has serious reservations. This woman treated Warshawski's family viciously, and Warshawski believes Stella Guzzo is guilty of the crime for which she was convicted. But her history with Frank Guzzo motivates Warshawski's agreement to look into the case. What she uncovers leads her and her loved ones into the dark, dangerous underside of Chicago politics...and Wrigley Field.

Through three decades of V.I. Warshawski, Sara Paretsky has portrayed the strong, independent female authentically. In Warshawski's sixth decade of life--the character is now in her fifties--Paretsky continues to draw a determined, believable hero. She bleeds when she's assaulted, aches the day after and admits fear of a corrupt social system much larger and more powerful than she. But she also perseveres, "'You know how it is. I was jumping over a tall building and forgot that it takes me two bounds these days.'"

With Warshawski working to brush back the bad guys, Paretsky scores another hard-boiled winner sure to make the fans go wild.

Brush Back is available in hardcover from Putnam (9780399160578) and as an unabridged audio (9781501231315), narrated by Karen Peakes, from Brilliance Audio.

   

   

Loyalty - Ingrid Thoft

First line: "This was her punishment."

Ingrid Thoft has come on to the crime fiction scene in grand style with Loyalty. She introduces, Fina Ludlow, a fiesty new P.I. who battles to prove herself in a testosterone-rich environment. Her father and brothers are all lawyers in the family law practice. Fina is the company's in-house investigator. Typically her work revolves around the cases her family takes on, but when she's called in to investigate the disappearance of her sister-in-law, the stakes become much more personal.

As she follows the clues of the case, Fina finds herself in the hospital, an interrogation room and an ugly skeleton closet. Her "loyalty" will be tested like never before, and loyalty to one will ultimately mean disloyalty to another. Coming out of this case unscathed doesn't seem possible.

The only thing I don't like about Fina Ludlow is her ability to eat junk all the time and not need to work out 12 hours a day. She has charisma and flare. She may be a disappointment to her mother, but Fina is comfortable in her own skin; she doesn't need her mother's approval. Witty, smart and spirited, this is a character I'm going to look forward to seeing again.

Thoft has created a compelling plot around her dynamic P.I., weaving various elements in and out to keep the readers on their toes and turning pages.

As a debut, Loyalty isn't without some minor hiccups. The editing could have been a bit stronger, tightening up the narrative with things like the repeated focus on what characters were wearing in each scene or blocks of text describing the layout of a room. The dialogue is strong throughout the book but every once in awhile an awkward line pulls the reader out of the flow of the conversation. The fact that the dialogue is so good overall makes those awkward lines that much more blatant. But as a baseline measurement, Loyalty is going to give Thoft a high bar to maintain.

Loyalty is the beginning of what I anticipate will be a strong series in the crime fiction world. It will vie for a place on my favorite debut's list this year and I'm looking forward to more from Ingrid Thoft!

Loyalty is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0399162121) from Putnam. Loyalty is also available as a Penguin Audio unabridged audiobook download, narrated by Rebecca Soler.

Kinsey and Me - Sue Grafton

First line: (From the first short story "Between the Sheets") "I squinted at the woman sitting across the desk from me."

KINSEY AND ME is a collection of short fiction with a few additional non-fiction/commentary articles from Sue Grafton. The first section of the book is comprised of Kinsey Millhone short stories. These have a very Sherlock Holmesian style to them. A mystery is presented and Kinsey does some investigating and begins to formulate an idea of "whodunnit." Then she reveals the culprit and the clues that led to her conclusion.

In "Between the Sheets" a woman finds her lover dead in her young daughters bed, shot to death. (The young daughter is off with her father for visitation, don't worry, nothing hinky on that front!) Instead of going to the police, the woman visits Kinsey. When Kinsey returns to the scene of the crime, the body is gone along with the evidence. She has to figure out not only whodunnit but who-movedit and where.

"Long Gone" is the second Kinsey short and in this case, Kinsey is hired to find out what happened to a man's wife. He's home with their young boys and there's no sign of the wife. When Kinsey visits her place of employment, she learns the wife made off with about $500,000 from her company. So Kinsey sets out to find exactly where the mother/wife is.

"The Parker Shotgun" finds Kinsey investigating the death of a reformed-drug-dealing-soon-to-father. The man's wife feels the cops have written the homicide off as a drug deal gone wrong and she wants his name cleared before their baby is born. He was killed with an expensive shotgun that had been given to him as a payment for drugs, and the gun is now nowhere to be found.

The fourth short featuring Kinsey is called "Non Sung Smoke." A young woman comes to Kinsey for help finding a guy she hooked up with the night before. Kinsey quickly finds the man, informs the young woman and the next day the man is on the front page of the newspaper. Dead.

A book club features into "Falling Off the Roof." When a man hires Kinsey to find out the truth about his brother's "accidental death" (he fell off the roof of his house), Kinsey winds up invited to the dead man's wife's book club, hoping to find the answer to more than the mystery in the book they are reading.

Shirese "Sis" Dunaway hires Kinsey in "A Poison That Leaves No Trace." Sis has just discovered that her estranged sister died. No one informed her that the sister was sick, and Sis thinks there's something fishy going on with her niece and the death of her sister.

"Full Circle" starts off with Kinsey witnessing a significant car accident that results in the death of a young girl. The girl's mother wants Kinsey to investigate after it's discovered that the girl died of a gunshot wound.

"A Little Missionary Work" was my favorite of the Kinsey shorts. She's hired by a famous actress when her actor husband is kidnapped. The kidnapping bears a striking resemblance to another recent kidnapping that ended in a man's murder.

The "Kinsey" section of the book ends with the short story "The Lying Game." While doing surveillance on a couple of brothers who were recently released from a murder charge on a technicality, Kinsey is discovered. To get herself out of the mess, she has to play the "lying game."

The Kinsey shorts echo other mystery plots that have played out through the ages. The content is not especially unique or special, but Kinsey fans will likely find this a satisfying fix while they wait for the next full-length adventure with the 32-year-old, female private investigator. (Kinsey impresses her age on the reader in each short. I found this rather amusing.)

The real gem of this book, however, comes in the end. First the Kinsey shorts are followed by a wonderful commentary from Grafton called "An Eye for an I: Justice, Morality, the Nature of the Hard-boiled Private Investigator,  and All that Existential Stuff." She discusses the evolution of the PI in crime fiction. This short piece is a must-read for all crime fiction fans.

The finale of the book is a series of short stories featuring an autobiographical character named Kit Blue. In an introduction to the section, Grafton says, "Kinsey Millhone is the person I might have been had I not married young and had children." She goes on to say, "If Kinsey Millhone is my alter ego, Kit Blue is simply a younger version of me." The stories featuring Kit are a glimpse of the life Grafton experienced growing up with alcoholic parents. This section of the book is raw, real and revealing. Sue Grafton swallows two jiggers of courage and lets the world in on her personal experience. You can't help but be moved.

KINSEY AND ME is available today in hardcover (ISBN: 9780399163838) from Putnam. There is also an unabridged audiobook version (ISBN: 9781611761573) from Penguin Audio narrated by Judy Kaye.

A Pair of Spellmans - on Audio

I don't do this very often, but in the interest of making sure they both are reviewed in a timely manner (the back-up of reviews right now is embarrassing), I'm going to do a joint review in this post. I recently listened to THE SPELLMANS STRIKE AGAIN and TRAIL OF THE SPELLMANS back to back, what a treat. Here are my reviews:

THE SPELLMANS STRIKE AGAIN

First lines: "Why???? we all asked when my father broke the news." (Note: this is the first line from Part 1; I skipped over the Prologue)

The fourth document of the Spellman files finds Isabel "Izzy" Spellman juggling a few cases for the family PI business. On her own, she's trying to find the dirt on Rick Harkey, an ex-cop and the Spellman's main competition.

Additionally, she's been tasked with tracking down a script that was supposedly co-written by a couple who subsequently broke up. The young man wants to make sure his ex-girlfriend isn't trying to sell the script on her own and leave him high and dry. This case involves much garbology.

Izzy is also looking into a missing person's case. For this job, she recruits her friend Len to go "undercover" and act as a butler. Len, an unemployed actor, decides to employ a bit of method acting that doesn't sit well with his partner, Christopher.

Meanwhile, Isabel's younger sister Rae is doing an internship with Maggie, a lawyer who is dating their older brother David. Are you keeping up with this? I hope so, because Rae becomes obsessed with her internship tasks. Maggie is deciding on a pro bono case to accept and Rae is helping her comb through files. When they decide on a case, Rae goes all out and suddenly everyone is wearing "Free Schmidt" t-shirts.

And all of this is taking place while in the Spellman house: Isabel is being blackmailed by her mother who doesn't want her to date the Irish bartender, fixtures in the house are disappearing (door knobs, light fixtures, etc.), and David is seeing a strange woman in the middle of the day.

If that seems like a lot for one book, I can assure you I had no trouble keeping up with anything through Christina Moore's narration for Recorded Books. She handled various dialects seamlessly and the footnotes--for those unfamiliar with the Spellman Files, there are footnotes--are included in a fashion that provides their content but is not disruptive to the flow of the story.

Lisa Lutz infuses her characters with life. They are hilarious without being insultingly stupid. They are also compassionate and complex. There are a lot of events that take place, but there are also a lot of layers. Moore is attuned to those aspects of the book, and the distinct characteristics of each player in this story comes through loud and clear.

THE SPELLMANS STRIKE AGAIN made a 6+ hour long drive fly by and I didn't even mind Chicago traffic because I spent most of the time laughing. But be careful because Lutz may provoke you to cry as well.

TRAIL OF THE SPELLMANS

First line: "For reasons that will forever remain a mystery, my sister scheduled the client meeting at the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library--specifically, the government section, which is low traffic, offering privacy for a new client intake." (Again, I'm skipping over the very beginning and starting at Part 1)

Document Five advances a bit from the end of Document Four. Rae is a college student, David and Maggie are parents, and Demetrius "D"--a man Isabel helped free from death row--is working for Spellman Investigations.

Spellman Investigations is hopping with business. Walter Perkins is a math professor with a bit of an OCD problem. He hires the firm to check in on his apartment, whenever he thinks he may have left something turned on, plugged in or unlocked.

Then a slew of distrustful family members hire the Spellmans: first there is the case of the college student. Her parents hire the firm to follow the young woman to make sure she isn't getting into trouble. Then there's Adam Cooper who has hired the firm to follow his sister. And finally there's Margaret Slayter who has hired the firm to follow her husband. It's a trio of suspecting family members.

And speaking of family, Grammy Spellman moves into the Spellman household, provoking Isabel's mother Olivia to take up a plethora of "hobbies" that get her out of the house. And Henry, Isabel's significant other, gets an extended visit from his mother, Gerty. Needless to say, both new family members stir up their fair share of trouble. Meanwhile under suspicious circumstances, David evicts Rae who had been living with him and Maggie. Isabel can't figure out why, but she's determined to solve that case as well.

Lisa Lutz hasn't lost a thing with the Spellmans. Each book is better than the one before. THE SPELLMANS STRIKE AGAIN was a hard book to top, but TRAIL OF THE SPELLMANS may have done just that.

As with all of the Spellman books, Lutz creates a wide array of colorful characters, mocking stereotypes and peeling back layers. Demetrius is one of the best characters I've experienced this year. His addition to the series is brilliant.

Lutz has an uncanny knack with dialogue. Regardless of the character she's depicting, the dialogue is spot on and flows naturally and almost always hysterically. Again Christina Moore narrates the unabridged audiobook, and her appreciation of Lutz's dialogue is evident in her delivery.  Moore obviously understands each character's unique persona and switches from one to the other with what sounds like effortlessness.

Another one of Lutz's strengths is her imagery, which is very noticeable in an audiobook, since there aren't even words to visualize as the story moves along. From the M&M tree (watered by kool-aid) to the nursery school Columbo to bananas, Lutz will have you looking at everything in a brand new light.

As I mentioned with THE SPELLMANS STRIKE AGAIN, this isn't a book that's insultingly stupid. The humor is smart and rich. The plot is layered with meaning and emotion. The characters exude complexity. I keep hoping they'll move in next door to me. The Spellmans remind readers that dysfunctional IS normal, and the more we can laugh at ourselves, the healthier we all will be.

The one drawback to the audio in this case is that you can't fully experience the fully-illustrated (albeit black and white) children's book that appears in the TRAIL OF THE SPELLMANS. 


THE SPELLMANS STRIKE AGAIN is available in trade paperback (ISBN: 9781416593416) from Simon and Schuster. TRAIL OF THE SPELLMANS is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9781451608120), also from Simon and Schuster. The unabridged audio of both books can be downloaded from Audible, iTunes or Simon & Schuster Audio.

ROBERT B PARKER'S LULLABY - Ace Atkins

My review of LULLABY first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers, and I am reprinting it here with their permission. 

First line: "I spotted the girl even before she knocked on my door."

The first Spenser novel penned by someone other than Robert B. Parker will undoubtedly face a high level of scrutiny. Ace Atkins’ Lullaby will stand up to any level.

The woman who walks into private investigator Spenser’s office is fourteen-year-old Mattie Sullivan looking to set the record straight on her mother’s murder four years earlier. Mattie is convinced the wrong man was convicted, but the combination of Mattie’s age, her mother’s history of drug addition and prostitution, as well as the evidence against the convicted man all cause the police to turn a deaf ear. Spenser listens and soon finds himself embroiled in the dark element of Boston no one’s willing to talk about.

Atkins has proven himself an exceptionally talented writer through his own works, including his most recent Quinn Colson series; Lullaby verifies he’s only shown a fraction of his abilities to date. Taking the essence of all that made Spenser an iconic figure in the P.I. genre, Atkins adds an arresting new chapter in the wisecracking, food-loving, former boxer’s biography.

The dialogue follows in the vein of Parker: sharp, witty, engaging. Relationship dynamics will pull readers into more than just the plot, they will pull readers into the lives of the characters. And Atkins remains true to all of Parker’s characters including Spenser’s regular supporting cast: Susan, Rita, Hawk and Quirk.

Especially impressive is Atkins’ sense of Boston. Unlike Parker, Atkins is not a native, but that doesn’t impair his ability to give it as much life as one of the characters.

Taking on the challenge of continuing the much-loved Spenser series is a daunting task. Ace Atkins responds with a knock-out punch in round one. Parker would most definitely approve.


Extra note: I don't know that 250 (or in my wordy case 280) words can do justice to how wonderful I felt this book was. I was skeptical, and Atkins won me over on page one. The dialogue is simply priceless - reflecting character, expressing humor, evoking emotion:

"You think Broz did the shooting in Dorchester?" I asked.
"Yep," Hawk said. "Course, he didn't pull the trigger. You think Gerry knows one end of the gun from the other?"
"Probably not."
"Leaves us with Red and Moon."
"Bad guys," I said.
"We been up against much badder," Hawk said. "Those boys still minor-league."
"And Jack Flynn?"
"Jack Flynn is on the thug all-star team."

And Atkins doesn't include a dialogue tag in every line. The interaction between characters should be a textbook lesson. It's art. Whether you're a long-time Spenser fan or you haven't ever picked up one of the books, you'll enjoy Lullaby. Don't miss this one!

Robert B. Parker's Lullaby is available in hardcover from Putnam (ISBN: 9780399158032) and on audio from Random House Audio (ISBN: 9780307987730), narrated by long-time series narrator, Joe Mantegna.

THE FALLEN - Jassy Mackenzie

My review of Jassy Mackenzie's THE FALLEN appeared in the April 20th edition of Shelf Awareness for Readers. I am reprinting it here with their permission.

Jade de Jong’s biggest problem on her scuba diving holiday in St. Lucia is her fear of the water—until her boyfriend, police superintendent David Patel shows up with devastating news. As if learning David intends to return to his wife isn’t bad enough, Jade’s scuba instructor is brutally murdered and both Jade and David find themselves pulled into a complex murder investigation full of corruption and bizarre twists.

In Mackenzie’s third Jade de Jong novel, she highlights a wide range of contrast in her homeland. She builds suspense through crime-riddled Johannesburg, greed, and corruption that leads Jade to question, “Was there anybody in the South African police service who didn’t have a price?” Likewise she beckons readers to the beautiful beaches of St. Lucia that are worth risking life and limb to protect. She offers characters willing to go to great lengths for what they believe. That delicate balance of good and bad mirrors the symbolic sunrise and it continues to provide the reader with hope.

The true gem of Mackenzie’s novel is the electrifying plot. The pace is constantly swift, right up to the last page. Mackenzine throws in the appropriate clues throughout the course of the novel, avoiding the author cheat at the conclusion but still maintaining a high level of suspense and mystery. Some minor plot details, such as police neglecting to take a cell phone after frisking a suspect, may leave some readers a little quizzical but the pace will quickly jerk readers’ focus back to the story.

The conclusion of this novel may divide readers into a love or hate category, but you can count this reviewer among the former!

THE FALLEN is available in hardcover from Soho Press (ISBN: 978161695065) and on audio, narrated by Justine Eyre from AudioGo.

MURDER AT THE LANTERNE ROUGE - Cara Black

First line: "Too small for a bomb, Aimée Leduc thought, nudging with her high-heeled toe at the tiny red box on the cold landing outside Leduc Detective's office."

Aimée Leduc is back in Cara Black's twelfth installment to her series set in Paris, France. This time, the female investigator is more motivated than ever. Her business partner, René, is determined to find and protect his girlfriend, Meize, when she disappears and a man is found dead, shrinkwrapped and carrying a picture of Meizi in his wallet.

Aimée has had misgivings about Meize and how quickly René has attached himself to her. So when she disappears, Aimée is not so sure she's innocent. René, on the other hand, will hear nothing about the possibilities of her involvement in the murder. But as Aimée begins investigating she finds herself in the middle of far more than a dead man in shrinkwrap, and it may even lead  her to the one person she longs to find more than anyone - her mother.

Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is chock full of fascinating science that blends the past with the present, but it's also full of fascinating characters. The science focuses on the stain glass of ancient church windows, but the real color comes in the form of Black's characters. Aimée is a fashioniesta, as much as she can be - her bank account is a regular concern - but she loves sales. And she drives around on a pink Vespa. René is a dwarf and often Aimée's voice of reason. Meanwhile the third member of Leduc Detective Agency, Saj, keeps everyone's chi balanced.

Black weaves several plot lines together to keep the pace of the novel moving and constantly building suspense. Her obvious research into the scientific areas of fiber optics, stain glass, and the Knights Templar, works to make a complex concept understandable and thoroughly enjoyable for the layman. The movement of the novel is also physical as Aimée and René make their way around various part of Paris - especially Chinatown, bringing the geographic locations to life on the page.

Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is a solid P.I. novel with an unusual P.I. Black has put a unique twist on her approach to the genre and it works well.

Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is available from Soho Press in hardcover (ISBN: 978161695061) and from AudioGo on audio (ISBN: 9781609987718). 

My review of Dana Stabenow's Restless in the Grave appeared last month in Shelf Awareness for Readers. I am reposting it here with their permission. If you do not already receive Shelf Awareness for Readers, you can sign up through the widget in my right-hand column.

First line: "They kept it simple."

In Dana Stabenow’s nineteenth Kate Shugak novel, Restless in the Grave, the Aleut private investigator joins forces with Stabenow’s other series protagonist, Alaska state trooper Liam Campbell, as an airplane accident leaves a prominent businessman dead, and a fight between Campbell’s wife and the victim has the town wondering if the accident was truly an accident. At Campbell’s request, Shugak goes undercover to expose the truth—and clear his wife—only to find an unfathomable evil no one expected.

Stabenow weaves a complex mystery, with each chapter bringing a new discovery, a new layer, a new suspect. The constant plot development sustains the momentum throughout the novel, with the strongest push coming in the final quarter. Stabenow's characters—including a “ninja demon,” his bar owner girlfriend and Mutt, Kate’s half-wolf, half-husky sidekick—are colorful and humorous, even if they aren’t always entirely believable. In exchange for giving the author a little latitude with reality, though, readers get plenty of entertainment as well as food for thought.

A cameo appearance from someone in Shugak’s past leaves a few loose ends untied and hints at what’s to come in future installments of the series. Additionally, the natural fit that Shugak and Campbell have in this novel suggests this isn’t the last time their paths will cross.

As one would expect with the nineteenth book in a series, there is obvious history working its way into the characters and plot, but a lack of knowledge in either the Shugak or Campbell series should not deter readers from enjoying Restless in the Grave.

Restless in the Grave is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780312559137) from Minotaur Books and on audio (ISBN: 9781427214836)  from Macmillan Audio, narrated by Marguerite Gavin.

BOCA DAZE - Steven Forman

First Line: "The Japanese war flag...sixteen red rays bursting from a rising sun in a field of white...flew over the coral island of Tarawa."

In the third novel of the Boca Knights series, Eddie Perlmutter finds himself investigating illegal pill mills, the death of a homeless man and a financial scammer. His reputation - both as the "Boca Knight" and as a former Boston police detective - helps open doors and make things happen. But his reputation can do nothing to smooth the way with his biggest challenge - erectile dysfunction (I really never thought I'd be typing that into a book review, but hey, this genre is full of surprises). Eddie faces some of the most heartless villains and those close to him could be prime targets.

While BOCA DAZE is the third book in Steven Forman's series, this is my first dance with Eddie Perlmutter. It wasn't difficult to pick up the third book, but I'm sure I'd understand some secondary elements better had I read the first two books before this one. Regardless BOCA DAZE was an entertaining reading experience.

Forman's humor is a stand-out quality for BOCA DAZE. He's rather daringly chosen a retirement-age hero, and he mocks everything stereotypical about the Florida retirement community: from driving to bed times to pastimes. His characters are quirky and spunky and endearing. Eddie Perlmutter doesn't fancy himself a super hero. Rather he's an average retired police detective who wants to help make the world he lives in a better place. He fights for the underdog; you don't have to be ravishingly handsome or unbelievably strong to win the hearts of readers when you're standing up for those who can't stand up for themselves.

Forman's depiction of the homeless is well crafted. The care he takes in extracting the humanity of Bailey adds an extra depth to the overall plot. But he also doesn't treat her with kid gloves. Bailey doesn't escape the target of Forman's humor, nor does Forman excuse her from her own responsibilities. Instead, he shows the whole person and readers can't help but cheer her on right alongside Eddie.

BOCA DAZE is a careful blend of comedy and serious current issues. The humor doesn't downplay  the severity of homelessness, pill mills, theft, etc. Instead it balances out the range of emotions the reader will experience in the pages of the book. A serious look at a world that still has a glimmer of hope shining through. Through Eddie Perlmutter readers are reminded that we can find heroes in the most unlikely places and in the most unlikely skins. Like Jerry Small readers will find themselves unable to resist the urge to "aid and abet an idiot" because Eddie is irresistible.

BOCA DAZE is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780765328762) from Forge.

TAKEN - Robert Crais

First line: "Jack Berman wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, Krista Morales, and watched his breath fog in the cold desert air."

In Robert Crais' fifteenth book of the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series (18th book overall), he dives head first into the timely subject of illegal immigration. But instead of attacking this subject in the way we're most accustomed, he examines it at a new angle.

Bajadores are criminals who feed on other criminals. Coyotes help guide the immigrants across American borders, often for astronomical sums of money - astronomical to the people asking for their help anyway. These are mostly poor, destitute immigrants looking for a better way of life. They'll sacrifice whatever they possibly can. The bajadores attack the coyotes when they are leading their groups to safety. They kill the coyotes, kidnap the immigrants and hold them for ransom until their families can no longer pay. Then they kill the immigrants. Jack and Krista, a first generation Hispanic-American, inadvertently find themselves in the midst of one of these kidnappings. Corralled up with the immigrants, the bajadores haul off the young couple to be ransomed to their families.

Krista's mother initially thinks her daughter is pulling a prank on her, but when the situation seems like more than a prank, she does what few families in this situation dare to do, she goes in search of help. Having read a newspaper article about the "World's Greatest Detective," she calls on Elvis Cole. But the situation escalates when Elvis also finds himself captured by the bajadores. Joe Pike and mercenary pal, Jon Stone, race time and an intricate network of deceit to find Elvis before the bajadores kill him and move on.

TAKEN is an emotionally charged novel; I've come to expect nothing less from Crais. While Crais avoids the gratuitous gore that others might use to evoke a reaction in the reader, he also doesn't sugar coat the horrors. His approach is far more effective in that it strikes the readers' hearts instead of their gag reflexes. To experience the utter disregard for human life and the disdain for fellow man leaves scars on your soul. There is no doubt that the sociopaths of TAKEN are the stuff true nightmares of made of.

Crais' continuing theme of family is once again strong in TAKEN. The most obvious illustration is the bajadores abuse of strong family ties. The non-traditional family form is seen in Jack's relationship with his guardian. And a highly symbolic car-washing scenes reinforce the bonds between Elvis and Joe. While family ties leave people vulnerable, they also infuse those same people with extraordinary determination.

Stone's return to the fold is most welcome. Crais continues to flush out his character, making him a more integral part of the Cole/Pike world. And his humor lightens the heaviness of the subject matter. I, for one, hope to see more of Stone in the future and wouldn't mind Stone taking the reins of his own book.

The one element of TAKEN that I wrestled with and mulled over for quite awhile was the sequencing. Crais plots this novel out of time sequence, dancing back and forth to before and after Elvis is abducted. I found it distracting at times, thinking something didn't fit correctly in the sequence and trying to go back and confirm. But after thinking about my reactions to this approach, I realized it also left me in a discombobulated state: not being sure of time or place. And that mimicked the state the captives experienced being locked in rooms with no view to the outside world, no grasp on time or place. So in the end, I think that technique achieved its goal.

TAKEN illustrates everything that is exceptional about Robert Crais' writing. If after four years of my touting his skill you still have not experienced Crais. Now is the time. If you're a Craisie like me, TAKEN will not disappoint.

TAKEN is available tomorrow from Putnam in hardcover (ISBN: 9780399158278) and from Brilliance Audio, narrated by Luke Daniels, on audiobook (ISBN: 9781423375654).

V is for Vengeance - Sue Grafton

This review appeared in Tuesday's Shelf Awareness for Readers and is appearing now with permission from the folks at Shelf Awareness.

First line: "Phillip Lanahan drove to Vegas in his 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, a snappy little red car his parents had given him two months before, when he graduated from Princeton."


In her twenty-second outing with P.I. Kinsey Milhone, Sue Grafton brings back all the quirky, loveable characteristics of her protagonist while ramping up the intensity of Kinsey’s experiences.

There are few authors who can open a novel with a gruesome murder and flawlessly transition to her heroine shopping for underwear without losing credibility, but that’s precisely the way Grafton begins V is for Vengeance. And in Kinsey’s world, even shopping for underwear can’t be easy. She observes a woman shoplifting and notifies the store employee. When the shoplifter is arrested and then apparently commits suicide, Kinsey finds herself investigating the woman’s death on behalf of her fiancé. As hidden details of the woman’s life are uncovered, Kinsey comes face-to-face with her own mortality and discovers her work on this investigation may very well be a threat to her own life.

Grafton’s Alphabet Series is a rare series that continues to show momentum after more than 20 books. V is for Vengeance is entertaining, while still making your heart race with a thriller’s anticipation. Kinsey Milhone remains a unique protagonist in the P.I. genre, while Grafton continues to surround her with dimensional supporting characters and antagonists. Readers can’t help but invest in the entire cast, turning pages swiftly to reveal their fates.

Grafton most assuredly still has her stride. Series fans won’t be disappointed and newcomers can pick up V without any knowledge of the previous 21 books. Another winner for the matriarch of the P.I. novel.

V is for Vengeance is available from Marian Wood Book/Putnam in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0399157868) and on unabridged audio (ASIN: B0067EYTDM) from Random House Audio, narrated by Judy Kaye.

THE DOG WHO KNEW TOO MUCH - Spencer Quinn

Continuing in my quest to post all the Shelf Awareness reviews, today's review appears with their permission.

First line: "Was I proud of Bernie or what?"


The fourth installment of Spencer Quinn’s Chet and Bernie series finds the dynamic PI duo tracking a missing boy. Devin vanishes one night while out camping in the high country with his leader and four other boys. The leader theorizes that Devin wandered off in the night to go to the bathroom and simply got lost. His mother thinks her ex-husband snatched the boy. And all the theories go down the drain when expert tracker, Chet, uncovers startling new clues and Bernie ends up in jail on suspicion of murder. And life with Chet and Bernie can never be simple as a stray puppy proves in The Dog Who Knew Too Much.

The relationship between Chet and Bernie has been compared to Scooby Doo and Shaggy or Wallace and Gromit, but those comparisons miss the depth of connection Quinn builds between his protagonist duo. The relationship is undoubtedly humorous but it’s also respectful, insightful and passionate. Chet and Bernie are a pack unto themselves and they know their roles, so when other factors influence that pack dynamic, such as a stray puppy, the character interactions are as suspenseful as the plot events.

Quinn balances humor well with his content. Murder and a missing child are dark, solemn topics; Quinn manages to convey that seriousness while still entertaining his readers.

With Chet narrating, readers are reminded of many things we humans take for granted. And we even get a look at ourselves that we may not have ever thought about before.

Give Quinn a treat. He’s earned it with The Dog Who Knew Too Much.

The Dog Who Knew Too Much is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1439157091) from Atria and on audio, narrated by Jim Frangione, from Recorded Books (B005LEV0P4).

Audiobook Thursday - BLUE GENES

First Line (dictated from audio): The day Richard’s death announcement appeared in the Manchester Evening Chronicle, I knew I couldn’t postpone clearing up the mess any longer.

Private investigator, Kate Brannigan, finds herself in a whirlwind of activity in Val McDermid's fifth book of the series. Brannigan is simultaneously investigating a pair of con artists trying to swindle newly bereaved individuals by selling them bogus funeral arrangements and an unknown group sabotaging the careers of a pair of Glaswegian musicians. As if those two cases weren't enough, Brannigan's best friend Alexis comes to her with a whopper of a problem. Her partner, Christine, is pregnant with their baby and the doctor who helped them conceive has been murdered. While Kate juggles these issues, her business partner informs her that he's found his soul mate and is moving to Australia.

BLUE GENES has literally everything a great crime fiction novel should: a complex plot with plenty of action, a colorful cast of characters, smart humor, challenging themes and subject matter, conflict and suspense. The plot summary may sound like a lot going on in one book, but McDermid weaves them together in a way that makes the story flow easily, even for listening on audiobook.

The title of the book originates in the element of the plot dealing with Kate's best friend Alexis and her partner, Christine. It isn't overly complex in regards to the science, but the concept leads to issues dealing with ethics, politics maybe even religion. As McDermid pokes and prods at possibilities, she challenges her readers to do more than solve a mystery in this book.

Kate Brannigan is a fantastic female protagonist. She experiences emotions, is witty and smart, but isn't leaping tall buildings in a single bound. She grows exasperated and frustrated, worries about the future, and doesn't let any of it prevent her from working toward her goals.

BLUE GENES, while not the first book in the series, is my first experience with Kate Brannigan. I didn't feel lost at any point in the book, as though I was missing necessary background information, so one can easily pick this book up without having read any others. But I am officially hooked on Kate and will be going back to read the previous books.

BLUE GENES is narrated by Laura Brattan who seems to grasp McDermid's humor as well as her characters and style. I felt Brattan did a superb job of bringing Kate's internal conflicts to the reader's attention as well as the external conflicts. Kate's multitude of emotional experiences shine through in Brattan's performance. This was a strong pairing of reader and book.

BLUE GENES is available in the United States on audiobook from Isis Audio (ISBN: 978-0-75310-899-4) and in trade paper print from Bloody Brits Press (ISBN: 978-1-93285-923-2).

Audio Book Thursday: REDEMPTION STREET

FIRST LINE: "I wasn't thinking much about anything, certainly not my past, as I dusted off several overpriced bottles of French Cabernet."

Living peacefully with his wife and baby daughter, Moe Prager is co-owner/operator of the City on the Vine wine shop when a vagrant stops in asking Moe for help. Despite having his P.I. license, Moe isn't in the detective business. He explains this to the persistent man who wants Moe to find his sister. His dead sister? Arthur Rosen is the man's name and his sister was Karen. Moe should know Karen, Arthur insists; Moe went to school with the girl. When Moe finally remembers Karen, he recalls that she died fifteen years earlier in a tragic hotel fire in the Catskills. Why would Arthur Rosen want Moe to find his dead sister? It seems Arthur and his parents, before they died, had spent all of their time and money trying to convince someone to "find" Karen. But Moe isn't able to learn why Arthur is pursuing a dead woman because Arthur commits suicide. Meanwhile, a real estate investor by the name of R.B. Carter wants to pay Moe to stay away from the case. All the strange questions drive Moe to the Catskills to find out just what happened in that hotel fire fifteen years ago.

REDEMPTION STREET is the second book in Reed Farrel Coleman's Moe Prager series. Being a fan of rich characters and character development, this series is a treasure for me. Coleman isn't afraid to let his characters be human with warts and foibles and all.  Their flaws are ultimately what make them such beautiful characters. In REDEMPTION STREET Moe struggles with his Jewish roots and beliefs. And while Moe searches for Karen Rosen, he is also searching for an element of himself and an element of forgiveness. These themes are then blended with the warning, "be careful what you wish for." Moe's father-in-law repeats this to Moe while in the hospital on drugs after a stroke, and the statement holds meaning for many characters throughout the plot.

While the plot twist at the end of the novel may not come as the biggest surprise to the reader, its importance actually takes a back seat to the journey the characters make. Mr. Roth and Sam Gutterman take on the roles of the angel and the Satan atop Moe's shoulders, whispering in his ears and challenging his choices. It is only through their existence, as well as that of Judas Wannsee, that Moe is able to discover himself. Yes. Rich characters. 

Par for the course, Coleman manipulates the language to create the world in which Moe Prager exists. This world is simultaneously dark and enlightening; one element is the physical setting of New York, of the Catskills, but an even greater element is Moe's psyche. There is a lot of darkness existing in Moe's psyche, but rays of light make their way inside at times.

The piece de reistance is Moe's humor.

"Sarcasm isn't a universal language. That's a thing most New Yorkers forget when they venture beyond the city limits. Most Americans don't spend 80 percent of their waking hours constructing witty comebacks and snide remarks. Not everyone acts as if they're onstage at the Improv or trying to outwit Groucho Marx or George Bernard Shaw."

His sarcasm, while building his New Yorker characteristic, is also uniquely Moe, giving this P.I. series an inimitable attraction.

Reed Farrel Coleman doesn't allow you to be a passive reader in the Moe Prager series. He gives you no choice but to invest a part of yourself, an investment well worth making.

I listened to REDEMPTION STREET, now available on audio and narrated by Andy Caploe. This audio production was a great pairing of book and reader. Caploe has a firm grasp of Moe Prager's sarcastic humor as well as his introspective nature. He also did an impressive job with his interpretation of Mr. Roth and Sam Gutterman. Their importance in the role of this store was obvious. The one element I thought could be improved on this recording had to do with editing. Caploe's breathing is very noticeable, and we surely want him to breathe. It can, however, be edited out so as not to detract from his fine reading.

REDEMPTION STREET is presently available in print from Busted Flush Press (ISBN: 978-0-9792709-0-1) and on audio from Audible.

Technorati Tags: Audiobook, Reed Farrel Coleman, review, crime fiction

Just Another Day in Paradise - A.E. Maxwell

First Line: "Like the rich, California is different."

Fiddler is a P.I. who once played the violin. He will still do anything for his ex-wife Fiora. They both love each other but learned they couldn't live together as husband and wife. Now they are "friends with occasional benefits." So, when Customs agents pay Fiora a visit concerning her twin brother, Danny, Fiora calls on Fiddler to help her find out just what kind of trouble Danny's gotten himself into this time. As they begin to investigate Danny's business dealings in computer chips, they find that Danny has problems with more than just the Feds.

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE is the first book in the Fiddler and Fiora series, and it is fun. One of my favorite parts about this book is the deft manner in which the A.E. Maxwell writing team weaves music into the book. They give the standard P.I. novel a unique twist. Analogies and metaphors pepper Fiddler's dialogue and thoughts throughout the book:

"For an instant [Fiora] leaned against me, something she rarely did. Any doubts about whether I was going to play first violin in this mad orchestra vanished as I felt Fiora's weight against my hip. If Dannyboy was going to play a tragic concert, for once in his life he would play a solo, not a duet for twins."

The writing in this novel hooked me. There's smart humor blended with the emotional struggles of the characters. I think in this particular novel, they probably did a better job of developing Fiddler than they did Fiora, and I was a tad bit disappointed in the "damsel in distress" motif that made its way into the plot. But, JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE was originally published in 1985, so I'll give them a bit of leeway on that one. Especially considering scenes like this one:

"He slipped down into first, double-clutching with the speed that only came from experience. He stabbed the accelerator, burned through first and into second with a speed that flattened us against the seats. The Cobra rose up on its shocks as the engine went from throaty to nasal roar. The front end dipped for an instant again when Volker executed his remarkably smooth power shift into third. The Cobra's weight snapped onto the back wheels again as we accelerated.

Cars appeared in front of us like still photos glued to a concrete page. The world divided, flowing by us on either side in a multicolored stream as we went past one hundred mph. At that moment there was nothing I wanted more than a second Cobra. Nevada was a mountain range away, roads straight and empty, country made by a God who loved raw power almost as much as Carroll Shelby had."

I'm not a car enthusiast, but this scene makes me feel their excursion and the excitement of it. I understand why Volker and Fiddler love the Cobra and the speed. When a writer can connect with someone who doesn't already have that passion, that's great writing.

The novel does reflect the time period it was written in, but that doesn't detract from the book at all. And quite frankly, it shouldn't detract. Great art imitates life. Throughout time, great works have been reflections of the time and place they were written. JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE reflects California in the 1980s. It's funny with a complex plot, unique twist and characters I definitely want to visit again.

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE was originally published by Doubleday in 1985; it was re-issued in trade paper (ISBN: 978-0-9792709-6-3) by Busted Flush Press in 2009.

Technorati Tags: book review, A.E. Maxwell, P.I. Fiction, Crime Fiction

THEREBY HANGS A TAIL - Spencer Quinn

THEREBY HANGS A TAIL is Spencer Quinn's follow-up to his New York Times Bestseller, DOG ON IT. In this outing, P.I. Bernie and canine sidekick, Chet, are called on to find a missing contessa and her show dog, Princess. The ante is raised even further when reporter Susie Sanchez also winds up missing. This adventure separates Bernie and Chet, takes them to "Nowhereville," and matches their wits with a pair of nomad Hippies. And everything is told from the point of view of Chet.

THEREBY HANGS A TAIL warmed this animal-lover's heart. I have not yet read DOG ON IT, but rest assured I will be back-tracking to do just that. The use of Chet as the storyteller is a fresh perspective on crime fiction. And as a pet-owner myself I found myself nodding and chuckling as Quinn brought out behaviors I've seen in my own dogs. The humor comes from the animal's rationale for the behavior.

The use of this perspective also throws another challenge into the puzzle of the mystery. The narrator is unreliable because he doesn't always understand what's going on and he isn't always privy to all information. On the other hand, he often has information that the humans don't, especially information related to sound or smell:

"Did I smell anything? Was that the question? Did it mean Bernie smelled nothing right now, not even the coyote piss? Every coyote in the desert must have been using Red Butte as a kind of giant fire hydrant. I checked out Bernie's nose, a not-quite-straight little thing: what was it used for?"

But together Bernie and Chet make a great pair of detectives:

"Bernie's brain was one of the best things we had going for us, right up there with my nose."

"'We're trying to separate truth from lies. That's a big part of our job.' It was? First I'd heard about it. Our job was to track down perps and grab them by the pant leg. But Bernie had his reasons, whatever that meant, and I had my own ways, which was why we were such a good team..."

The realism of these two crime fighters is a big part of the draw for THEREBY HANGS A TAIL. And while the book provides a fresh perspective, it also incorporates many of the traditional characteristics of the private eye: a loner with issues. Bernie is divorced and only has partial custody of his son Charlie. Quinn hints at a problem with alcohol. And Bernie's finances are less than stellar.

From these rich characters, Quinn creates a plot including elements of the Wild West, the 60s and the Westchester Kennel Club Dog Show. It's packed with humor, with tenderness, and with action. The combination keeps the pages turning, and Quinn leaves one last present for the very end: a cliffhanger, reassuring the readers that THEREBY HANGS A TAIL will not be the last tale of Bernie and Chet.

Bernie and Chet have assured themselves a place on my list of favorite P.I. pairs.

THEREBY HANGS A TAIL is published by Atria Books and is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-4165-8585-5) today, January 5, 2010.

PALOS VERDES BLUE - John Shannon

FIRST LINE: "A small boy stood in front of the pickup holding a plastic machine gun that flashed its red transparent barrel as it clacked away gruesomely."

PALOS VERDES BLUE was my first experience reading John Shannon, but he's no stranger to the crime fiction genre. PALOS VERDES BLUE is the eleventh novel in Shannon's Jack Liffey series. Jack Liffey is a specialized private eye living and working in Southern California. He's not a licensed P.I. but he finds missing children. In PALOS VERDES BLUE, he's looking for Blaine (a.k.a. Blue), the teenage daughter of Jack's ex-wife's best friend. While looking for Blue, he uncovers the ugliness of the very wealthy Palos Verdes. What he finds just may endanger Jack and everyone around him.

The first question that popped into my head while reading this book was "why haven't I heard of this series before now?" The characters in this novel are flat out amazing. Maeve, Jack's daughter, made me think of Veronica Mars in her attempts to investigate for her father. Her struggles for indepedence and for self-identification are beautiful. And all the while there's still that element of her that clings to being her father's little girl. Jaime is a determined illegal immigrant who works hard and keeps his nose down. And Jack is the classic P.I. His internal struggles often isolate him, but he tries his best to do what he believes is the right thing. Shannon crafted several scenes with Jack and his dog, Loco, that truly drive home the authenticity of Jack Liffey.

Shannon also has a distinct knack with his antagonists. He isn't drawing any psycho serial killers or some other rare aberrant character; even more scary, he's created the average person and what ugliness hate and intolerance are capable of producing. He also examines how easy it is to be pulled into that circle of hate without meaning to be. And that ultimately leads to the themes of this novel.

Shannon's writing about sunny Southern California, but like many in the genre before him, it's a dark road he's walking. PALOS VERDES BLUE examines a hot button topic in illegal immigration, but even more than that, it examines being an outsider and the struggles that go along with outsider status. The theme ties in beautifully with the title of the novel as well.

The format of the book is unique in that letters are interspersed throughout. Some of the letters are written by Jaime back to his sister in Mexico. Other letters are written by a character named Brandon (a.k.a. Twitch) to his father. At first I wasn't grasping the concept, but as I progressed into the novel, it made much more sense and was an effective tool.

Maeve seems to be translating the letters from Jaime to his sister because various comments are made by her throughout those notes. What I never quite understood was how Maeve and/or Jack came to have the letters to be able to translate them. I'm not sure if I missed it in my reading or if it's a technique Shannon has used throughout the series and it's explained earlier. I loved the use of the letters; it was a fantastic way to change point of view, but I just didn't see where Maeve would have come by the letters. That's a minor point where examined in the whole scheme of the strengths of this novel.

This is a series I will definitely continue to follow and recommend to others.

PALOS VERDES BLUE was released in April of this year and is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-60598-037-9) from Pegasus Books.