Book Review: Suspect

Sometimes reading fiction helps one figure out the mysteries of life.  After reading Suspect by Robert Crais, I now know why our dog Shiba happily pushes me out the door every morning when I go to work but whines pitifully when my husband leaves. I am not a member of Shiba's pack!

This is the story of Maggie and Scott.  They have been matched to become partners in the LAPD K-9 Platoon.  Maggie and Scott have a lot in common.  Maggie, a military working dog, lost her handler in a roadside attack in Afghanistan.  Maggie was wounded in the attack and was returned to the United States to heal. Scott, a young policeman, is also healing. He was wounded and his partner, Stephanie, was killed when they unexpectedly came upon what appeared to be a contract killing. That crime has not been solved.

Maggie and Scott have a lot to learn.  They must heal both emotionally and physically.  They must learn to trust.  They must become pack.  As pack, they can face the future. Together, Maggie and Scott can solve the crime.

I have always enjoyed Robert Crais's books because of the action and suspense.  I especially enjoyed Suspect because of Maggie.  Crais manages to make her a compelling character without anthropomorphism. The information about K-9 and military dog training was fascinating.   If you would like to learn even more about military dogs, read the article, "The Dogs of War", in the June 2014 issue of National Geographic Magazine.  Pack is everything!

~Gilby G

Dog on It

If you ask me why I am an adult services librarian I will tell you, “Because I don’t want animals to talk in the books I read.”  OK, so there are other reasons too such as I am really really bad at dancing the Hokey Pokey.  Dogs in books should bark or even sometimes growl, but they should never talk.  However, after six people told me I should read Dog on It by Spencer Quinn, I reluctantly gave in and checked out the book. As you probably have guessed, the book is narrated by Chet the dog.  To my surprise, I truly enjoyed the book and loved Chet.  If dogs could talk, I imagine that they would sound just like Chet.

Chet’s sidekick is private investigator Bernie Little. He is a bit down on his luck. He needs money

Move over Reacher, there's a new guy in town!

Have you already read all the Jack Reacher novels from Lee Child? Would you like to meet another ex-military hero that can hold his own with a little bravado and even a little swagger? Or maybe the thought of Tom Cruise playing Reacher in the upcoming movie adaptation has you looking for a new hero? Maybe it's time to check out Army Ranger Quinn Colson, star of a new series from Ace Atkins. Colson has the confidence and competence that makes  Reacher so appealing, but with slightly more humility and a lot more charisma.

In The Ranger, Quinn Colson takes leave from the army to return to his hometown in Jericho, Mississippi for his uncle's funeral. His uncle, Sheriff Hampton Beckett, supposedly killed himself. With the help of deputy Lille Virgil, Quinn starts to investigate in order to find out what really happened. The cast of characters in this action packed mystery includes ex-girlfriends, army buddies, meth dealing criminals, corrupt politicians and sinning preachers. If you like The Ranger, Colson's story continues in The Lost Ones.

Mysteries of the Southwest

Several readers have written in to the Personalized Good Reads service asking for mysteries set in the Southwest. Most people using the service are avid readers and have already exhausted the complete works of Tony Hillerman and J. A. Jance. While I was thinking of a reply for the patron, I came across Steven F. Havill's latest book, One Perfect Shot. This book is a prequel to a long running series set in Posadas County, New Mexico. The main character is an Deputy Sheriff Bill Gastner and Estelle Reyes is a new hire for the department. This prequel does an excellent job of setting the stage for a series - solid plot, well defined characters, a great sense of the place. I went on to pick up another book in the series, Double Prey, to find Estelle Reyes-Guzman as a seasoned Deputy Sheriff. I'm looking forward to going back at my leisure to fill in the missing years.

Read on for more mystery series set in the Southwest.

Cool Off with White Heat

Are you getting tired of the summer heat? Do you feel like a little cool weather would be refreshing? For those of us unable to take a trip to cooler climes, maybe we can be satisfied just reading about snow, ice and blizzards...

In her debut novel White Heat, M.J. McGrath takes us deep into the Arctic tundra. Edie Kiglatuk, half Inuit and half Caucasian, lives on Ellesmere Island and works as a hunting guide. Edie is always at odds with the patriarchal establishment and things get worse when a tourist is murdered on her watch.

While You Wait for Gone Girl

I just finished Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, the plotty thriller that everyone and their brother has a hold on this summer. No spoilers: it's as good as they say it is, keep it on your list! Here are some lesser-known titles to tide you over until your hold arrives.

Last year's must-read plot twist novel was Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson. Reminiscent of Memento, the main character wakes up every morning missing most of her memory. She sees a forty-something in the mirror, but the last thing she remembers is being a twenty-something college student. This is not her beautiful house, and certainly not her beautiful husband. If you haven't read it yet, now is the perfect chance to peer into her diary as she tries to piece together the missing years. Read on for more ominous thrillers!

Gritty Crime Fiction

When Ian Rankin finished up his Inspector Rebus series, I was devastated. I had followed his career over the span of 17 books and almost 20 years. I couldn't imagine another author capturing that same feel - the underbelly of Scotland, the dourness and the grit. I'm thrilled to have found Denise Mina's series featuring Alex Morrow, a tough, female detective inspector. The Glasgow backdrop makes a change from Rankin's Edinburgh and Mina does a great job with the dialog. You can hear the strangulated vowels leap off the page as you read.

Still Midnight, the first in the series, opens with a home invasion and kidnapping. The criminals are inept and unsure of themselves. The situation is almost funny, until an accidental shot ups the stakes. DI Alex Morrow is assigned to the case, but not in the leading role she feels she deserves.

13 1/2

I like to read fiction books that take place in the location I am visiting, so I recently read Nevada Barr's stand-alone book, 13 1/2. Can you think of a better way to read a book than while eating beignets and drinking coffee at the Cafe Beignet on Royal Street in New Orleans? I originally avoided reading this book because it is a departure from her Anna Pigeon series, and I had been told it was really "different." It is very different.  13 1/2 is a very dark psychological suspense book that I did not want to put down. I really needed to know how it ended!

At the age of fifteen, Polly Deschamps escapes her abusive childhood by running away to New Orleans. On her first night there, a fortune teller at Jackson Square tells her that she will make something of her life. The fortune teller was right;

Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet

Wicked Autumn is the first of Agatha Award-winning author G. M. Malliet's books I've had the opportunity to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

For me, it was a combination of a cozy murder mystery and a village story (like the Miss Read stories, which I adore). Max Tudor is a former MI-5 agent turned Anglican priest. He is still adjusting to his new parish of Nether Monkslip when the village's self-appointed organizer of all things, especially the annual Harvest Fayre, Wanda Batton-Smythe is murdered. Many secrets of Nether Monkslip and its residents are brought to light in the process of solving the murder.

This is a slow-moving book, taking its time to introduce the reader to the main and minor characters and the village they reside in. I enjoyed getting to know Max Tudor's character especially how he came to the priesthood.

Now that I've met Max Tudor and the residents of Nether Monkslip, I look forward to returning.

Happy Reading!
Patti

Never Enough Nordic Noir

I'm always on the lookout for another Nordic Noir that catches my eye - so special thanks to my Goodreads friend for giving The Keeper of Lost Causes a 5-star review. I had seen this one come through the library, but it took a friend's rating to inspire me to read it. Jussi Adler-Olsen, winner of The Glass Key award, is promoted as Denmark's #1 crime writer. This is his first book published in the United States. The Keeper of Lost Causes is part thriller, part police procedural and entirely worth reading.

Patrons' Recommendations

One of the things I enjoy about my job is talking about great books with library patrons and making suggestions about something they might like. However, one of the more unexpected pleasures of my job is all the recommendations I receive from patrons. Two books I have read recently based on patrons' suggestions are In the Woods by Tana French and Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn.

In a Single Sitting

I have seen entire blogs and websites devoted to books read in a single sitting. Really? People have that much time that they can read all their books in a single sitting? Alas, I don't seem to have that much time. When I do read a book in a single sitting, it stands out as something special. I had heard of the Noah Braddock Private Investigator series, but I was a bit skeptical. A surfing PI seemed like a bit of a stretch. When Liquid Smoke came into the library, the cool cover caught my eye (I know...how shallow!) and I thought I'd give it a go.

Noah is approached by a lawyer looking for help with her client, an inmate on death row in San Quentin. Noah is reluctantly drawn into the case when he hears the prisoner is Russell Simington, his biological father he never met. Simington has a reputation as a remorseless, cold blooded killer who made his career as a gun for hire. The family reunion sets events in motion with unforeseen and tragic consequences.

Cleverly Twisted

The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer

Two recent incidents prompted me to blog about this great book:

1. Spotting a Superman costume while shopping for Halloween festivities

2. A recent reader's advisory interaction with someone requesting "a fast, clean, unique, suspenseful mystery thriller"

Because I am not blogging about a comic book, the relationship of these incidents may appear uncertain. It is this combination of seemingly unrelated events that reminded me of the author Brad Meltzer.

Silent in the Grave

As I sat down to write this post, I had to think. What have I read recently that was fantastic, amazing, really rave worthy? I won't tell you how long I sat thinking, but finally it came to me.  Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn. First, allow me to share the first sentence.

"To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor."

I love that first line! Anyway, Silent in the Grave is the first of the "Lady Julia Grey" series. With a gothic Victorian setting, the series follows the eccentric March family, but especially Julia, as she dares social mores and protocols in discovering a new side to herself after the death of her husband leaves her a widow. The characters are outrageous but believable, the pace is just right, and the ending shocking. What more could you want?

The Poacher's Son

When I think of Maine, I have visions of beaches, lobster pots, yachts and lighthouses. It's easy to forget that the state is also known for timber, toothpicks and paper. The Poacher's Son is set far from the beaches, in the heart of the deep woods of Maine.

Rookie Game Warden Mike Bowditch returns home from investigating a pig-stealing bear to find a message from his estranged father, Jack, on his answering machine. It doesn't seem like a coincidence when Jack turns out to be the primary suspect in a double murder and the target of a statewide manhunt. No matter how many times he was disappointed in the past by his father, Mike can't believe that Jack is a cold-blooded murderer. Mike puts his career on the line when he heads out to find his father and discover what really happened.

Bent Road

Welcome to the high plains of Kansas, where you can see for miles and nothing's as it seems.

After a 20 year self-imposed exile, Arthur Scott relocates his wife and three children to the Kansas farming community of his youth. Years before, his beautiful blond sister Eve died mysteriously and small town speculation cast guilt on her boyfriend Ray who, after Eve's death, married her sister. The locals' open curiosity and condemnation reduced him to an abusive drunk and the likely suspect when another local beautiful blonde girl disappears shortly after the Scotts arrive.

Neither pastoral nor sympathetic, the country and community portrayed in Bent Road by Lori Roy is pure Midwest gothic with danger and drama around every corner.

Find it at your Library.

Vicki Ann

Missing Persons

Sometimes when I read mysteries, I feel like Goldilocks in The Three Bears. This book is too cozy! This book is too scary! When I read Missing Persons by Clare O'Donohue, I felt like it was just right. Missing Persons is the first in a new series featuring Kate Conway. Kate, a reality TV producer of true crime shows, throws herself into her work after her estranged husband dies unexpectedly. When the cause of his death in inconclusive, Kate becomes a suspect in his death.

The plot moves along briskly, with the television show becoming more intertwined with Kate's personal life. Kate is a great character; she's both strong and funny. O'Donohue sets up an interesting supporting cast as well, especially Vera, the dead husband's girlfriend. When I'm next in the mood for a cozy mystery, I'm going to have a look at O'Donohue's first series that starts with The Lover's Knot: A Someday Quilts Mystery.

- Susannah

The Girl in the Green Raincoat

Think "Rear Window," but with a pregnant private investigator confined to bed rest in her third trimester of pregnancy. In The Girl in the Green Raincoat, Baltimore native, Tess Monaghan still manages to get herself in plenty of trouble even when she doesn't leave her room. While suffering through her confinement, Tess watches dog walkers in the park every afternoon. One day, Tess spies a little dog running off without his owner. Tess can't rest until she finds out what happened to the missing woman.

Skeleton Creek

I am celebrating the month of October (and all things that go bump in the night), by reading mysteries. Mysteries break down into quite a few sub-genre's, and I've read silly, funny, puzzling, police procedural and spooky. But I'm highlighting this one because of the way it employs mixed media.

Skeleton Creek is Ryan's journal. Ryan was in a mysterious accident at the dredge (a mysterious place), and shattered his leg, rendering him housebound. His best friend, Sarah, is still out and about, and while Ryan loves to write, Sarah loves to film. As you hit markers in the text, Ryan will send you to a website: http://www.sarahfincher.com/, where Sarah posts the videos she makes around town. Don't worry, you can't do much with this website unless you also have the passwords, which are sprinkled through the text.

While Ryan does write like a high school boy, the videos are deliciously creepy and the pacing is just right. Don't read (or watch) this at night!

Find it at your library

Please tell us what your favorite mystery is!

~ That One Girl