KN Magazine: Reviews
Pandemic by Robin Cook/Review by Denise
Pandemic
By Robin Cook
G.P. Putnam's Sons
$27.00
ISBN 978-0525535331
Publication Date: December 11 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
This is not science fiction. A biologically active chimeric molecule -- CRISPR/CAS9 -- can modify the genetic makeup of living cells. The potential for use and misuse of this mechanism is quite promising on one hand and quite scary on the other. This story featuring forensic pathologist Jack Stapleton of the New York City Office of Medical Examiners focuses on the use of CRISPR/CAS9 in transplantation.
A young woman who had a recent heart transplant collapses and dies on the New York subway. Jack Stapleton performs the autopsy and is initially convinced that she succumbed to a particularly virulent strain of influenza. Worried about the potential for an epidemic, and because the woman has no ID on her, Jack begins an intense investigation involving testing of body fluids and specimens by specialists and goes into the field to attempt to isolate the virus that caused this death. There are no immediate new cases and that increases his confusion -- until the next woman dies. It is obvious to him that this particular virulent organism is something completely new and it proves difficult to identify. Can Jack figure out the origin and stop the spread of illness before more people die? NO SPOILERS.
If you like science and medicine, this is a medical thriller that will keep you absorbed. I couldn't put it down and read it over the course of a couple of hours. I loved the details about the chimera and all of the forensic pathology and epidemiological investigation. It's just as well that I could focus on the science because I can tell you that I can't stand Jack. His personality is so annoying and fortunately, I was able to ignore him most of the time while reading. Considering what benefits to medicine and health that could be achieved with CRISPR/CAS9 is mind-boggling. Alleviating organ shortage is just one possible positive use but there are many other indications. But using it will come with a cost and it would be easy for ethical boundaries to fall making it dangerous in the wrong hands. How to control something so revolutionary that almost makes the user a god-like creator. And because of the way the world is now, it's quite worrisome. This particular book may be fiction, but the science of gene-editing is and will be, at the forefront of huge changes affecting everyone on the planet.
I've read all of Cook's novels despite not liking anything about his main protagonist, Jack Stapleton. Medical thrillers are my favorite genre and I can highly recommend this to like-minded readers.
Watching You by Lisa Jewell/Review by Melissa
BOOK OF THE DAY
A clever play on perspective, taking things out of context and assumptions—something most of us are quick to make—collide in this compulsively readable watchable storyline.
The central theme of being watched or being the watcher is what elevates this novel from what I consider typical suspense to something much creepier in feel. There’s a host of participants running rampant throughout, the mystery found in deciphering which of the watchers/watched are in fact driven by dark motives.
Is it the headmaster, Tom Fitzwilliam, a man that garners way too much attention?
Or maybe it’s his young newlywed neighbor, a woman with a crush who tends to put herself in precarious situations.
Is there some modicum of truth to the nonsense the crazy mother of one of Mr. Fitzwilliam’s students is constantly spewing outside of the painted houses of Melville Heights?
And what about Freddie, Mr. Fitzwilliam’s teenage son—is it possible he’s guilty of more than just watching all of his neighbors and chronicling their every move?
One thing I’ve come to expect from Lisa Jewell, an oddball cast; my thoughts and feelings for said characters typically running the gamut. This time, not so much. Instead, I wallowed in neutral territory where this nosey bunch was concerned—not particularly enamored or filled with disdain—finding them just interesting enough to keep me engaged.
Naturally, as the majority of suspense novels tend to, Watching You starts off with a dead body. A woman's lifeless corpse strewn across a kitchen floor, accompanied by one piece of pivotal evidence lying in a pool of blood. Something not easily explained away by the owner, yet in hindsight, maybe too obvious?
For those readers that fancy themselves part-time literary sleuths, this is one sure to keep you guessing. Lisa Jewell—and just about the entire cast—put in quite a bit of work, the goal being to throw readers off the scent. Unfortunately, I figured things out earlier than I would have hoped to. Don't worry, the answer is not blatantly obvious and in no way did figuring things out hinder my experience. In fact, of the four Jewell novels I’ve read to-date, this is the one I struggled the most to set down for any length of time. Meaning, I had to force myself to put it aside to play pretend at being a functioning adult.
Oh, and did I mention the short chapters? Creepy vibe + murder plot + short chapters = reading frenzy.
*Thanks to Atria for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Verses for the Dead by Preston & Child/Review by Liz Gatterer
Verses for the Dead
By Preston & Child
Grand Central Publising
$28.00
ISBN 978-1538747209
Publication Date: December 31, 2018
New Release
BOOK OF THE DAY
Verses for the Dead is Preston and Child’s 18th thriller featuring FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast. There is a “new sheriff in town” so-to-speak; Special Agent Coldmoon has been assigned by the new New York City FBI field office assistant director to partner with Pendergast in an attempt to bring the rogue agent to heel. The two investigators head to Miami Beach, where a human heart has been left on the grave of decade-old suicide victim alongside a note from a mysterious Mister Brokenhearts. Of course, there is much more to the story, including all of the supernatural elements that must be part of any Pendergast novel, but there are are some interesting twists that should please even the most jaded reader. Needless to say, Agent Coldmoon is not the controlling influence on Pendergast that the Assistant Director Picket was hoping for.
One of the biggest challenges in writing a series that has 18 (and hopefully more) installments, is keeping the story fresh while still including all the familiar parts of the characters that fans expect. Preston and Child are masters of writing contemporary tales that feel familiar. Even if you start at this point in the series, you will enjoy the ride.
Liz Gatterer attended Tulane University while living in New Orleans. It was there that she first began working with authors in the printing industry. Originally from Upstate New York, she moved to Nashville with her husband to pursue their careers (his being music). Three (absolutely fabulous) children later, she has returned to the working world in the industry she loves. She currently lives in Spring Hill with said husband and children, dogs, cats, and various other creatures. The necessity of multitasking has led her to an addiction to audio books – but, when able to, she still prefers to curl up with a good book (and a child in her lap).
The Burglar by Thomas Perry /Review by Danny Lindsey
The Burglar
By Thomas Perry
Mysterious Press
$26.00
ISBN 978-0802129000
Publication Date: January 8, 2019
BOOK OF THE DAY
Elle Stowell 20s, diminutive, attractive
Describe for yourself the perfect burglar. Think for a minute. How about small enough to wriggle through a pet door? Shinny up a drainpipe? What about appearance? Maybe female, young (20ish), attractive and in good shape? Able to fit in as a co-ed home from college back east somewhere?
Thomas Perry may have invented the perfect thief in Elle Stowell. She fits right into all those categories, and she is a professional. Adept at spotting the tell-tale signs that a house is empty, she can be found running through upscale neighborhoods early and late, sporting expensive running shoes and college sweatshirts. No one gives her a second look as she blends into the scenery, just another fitness nut pursuing her passion.
What Elle is really doing is pursuing her livelihood, and she is very, very good at it. But things go off the rails suddenly when she opens the door to the master suite in the home of an art gallery owner and finds three bodies, shot while enjoying a three-way. The only thing Elle takes from that house is a camera, still running, which may or may not have captured her image as she entered the room.
The action accelerates as Elle becomes the quarry of – who? Someone is stalking her. Someone obviously had other cameras running in the house, and it quickly becomes apparent to Elle that she must solve the murders to prevent becoming the next victim.
The pace is fast and the plot, while seemingly “out there,” is believable. Elle could be the next jogger coming down the sidewalk. The Burglar could be the first in a good series.
Danny Lindsey keeps trying to retire. After a 20-year Army career and a 25-year second one in the private sector, he’s finally settled down. His current gig is as the Veteran Employment Services Manager for a Huntsville, A.L. based non-profit, Still Serving Veterans. Both full careers were characterized by numerous writing assignments, from war plans to operating policies and procedures, then on to white papers, analyses of alternatives and competitive contract and grant proposals. Now his writing consists of blogs for the website www.ssv.org, podcasts for the local NPR affiliate, and a half dozen Pulitzer-worthy, albeit unpublished novels.
Update: Danny's 2017 Claymore Award winning manuscript Serial Justice is now available on Amazon!
In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin/Review by Jerry Ridger
In a House of Lies
By Ian Rankin
Little, Brown and Company
$27.00
ISBN 978-0316479202
Publication Date: December 31, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Isn’t it wonderful when an old friend comes back into your life? That’s is how I felt after reading Ian Rankin’s last DI John Rebus novel, In a House of Lies. It was time well spent and I have hope that it won't be the last we hear of him.
To catch those new to the series up… would be a waste of time. The quick version is that retirement is just as boring Rebus thought it would be. Getting older, giving up your bad habits (and dealing with the effects of those habits) is not going to work for him.
So, when he hears of the discovery of a car in the woods with a body in the boot of a man that went missing over a decade before he reaches out to his old friend, Siobhan Clarke to help solve this cold case file. Never mind that Rebus has been retired for several years, in his heart he’ll always be a copper. It’s in his blood. And he still has plenty of scores to settle.
I love that all of the old gang is still around - Malcolm Fox, Big Ger Cafferty, and even his dog Brillo. It is incredible how Rankin can get all of the stories were woven in together so tightly, with no loose threads. He is a master of his art.
Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts/Review by Annie Oneonta
Of Blood and Bone
By Nora Roberts
St. Martin's Press
$28.99
ISBN 978-1250122995
Publication Date: December 4, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
There are so many ways the society might come crashing down around us... and so many more that can be imagined. Thirteen-year-old Fallon Swift is part of the generation that came after The Doom sickness. After everything fell apart. She has only known this world. Where she is hunted for being special. But, the time is coming where she will no longer be able to hide.
This is a world of witches, fairies, and magic. It is wonderful. As the sequel to Year One, we are once again part of Katie and Fred and all of what the wonderful characters from book one. But, we also get to meet some new and not so nice characters. If you haven't read Year One, stop. Go to your local bookstore and start there. But certainly, pick up Of Blood and Bone while you are there because you will want to read it right away.
This is a really great series. Plenty of supernatural creepiness - and not a blindfold in sight.
The Second Goodbye by Patricia Smiley / Review by Tim Suddeth
The Second Goodbye
By Patricia Smiley
Midnight Press
$15.99
ISBN 978-0738752365
Publication Date: December 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
In The Second Goodbyeby Patricia Smiley, we are gifted with the third installment of her Pacific Homicide series featuring LAPD Detective Davie Richards of the Pacific Homicide Division. Davie may be petite and have coppery orange-brown hair, but she’s no-nonsense with her catchphrase: assume nothing. She’s also quite able to handle herself whether it’s dealing with gangbangers, con men, hit men, or attractive stud-muffin detectives. Well, one out of four.
During a lull in the homicide cases in their district, Davie receives two cold cases to follow up on from the list her boss keeps and hopes to complete before he retires. One is the death of a possible gang member, the other a strangulation whose only suspect, the victim’s husband has committed suicide. While she holds little hope on the strangulation, she quickly has some ideas to investigate in the gang shooting. On her way, she’s giving another case to look at involving a possible suicide in a pawnshop.
We are taken on the journey with her as she tries to unravel these cases before a new homicide occurs and takes priority. When you add in false identities, a serial killer stalker, and witnesses whose statements aren’t always reliable, you have a very engaging read. Top it all off with a partner returning from her past, and it becomes a book you can’t put down.
Smiley has put her own stamp on this classic genre. You can feel the tension of the contemporary streets of LA, always under the threat of wildfires. You experience the desperation the detective feels while she is trying to learn the truth. Davie is the type of detective you want on your case: smart, able, and one who refuses to give up until she has all the answers.
Although this is the first book I’ve read in this series, that didn’t hold me back any from getting engrossed in the story. It only makes me want to go back to the others so I can get more of Detective Richards and Smiley’s stories of Los Angeles.
Tim Suddeth was the 2017 Jimmy Loftin Memorial Scholarship Award winner. He’s currently working on his fourth novel. He currently blogs for The Write Conversation and is trying to make a dent in his to-read bookcases. You can follow him at on his blog at timingreenville.com or on Twitter @TimSuddeth.
Mycroft and Sherlock by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar / Review by G.Robert Frazier
Mycroft and Sherlock
By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse
Titan Books
$14.99
ISBN 978-1785659256
Publication Date: October, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Mycroft Holmes may have gotten short shrift from his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is well on his way to changing that with Mycroft & Sherlock, his second novel featuring Sherlock’s older brother. This time, as the title suggests, he’s brought the slightly more renowned Holmes, albeit a teenage version of him, along for the journey.
The book opens with news of the grisly death of a Chinese man in the heart of London, 1872, in what the papers have dubbed the Savage Garden Murders. The seventh such victim of the killer, he has been savagely mutilated, though with uncanny surgical precision. All of the victims, including six of Chinese descent, had been proprietors or frequent clientele of opium dens.
The case isn’t exactly high on the list of priorities for the War Department, where the 26-year-old Mycroft serves as special counsel to the Secretary of State for War. Mycroft is more preoccupied with his friend, Cyrus Douglas, whose trade ship has mysteriously run aground on its way to Australia.
Nor do the murders immediately grab the attention of Mycroft’s younger brother, who proclaims them “a colossal bore” with their “pedestrian” motive to teach a moral lesson. Sherlock, rather, is more fascinated by a young orphan with evidence of needle marks on his body. The destitute youth would hardly be able to afford drugs administered in such a fashion, convincing Sherlock that something more is afoot. When the youth is later found dead, Sherlock takes up the case with even more vigor.
Needless to say, the brothers ultimately wind up matching wits and, in some instances, trying to outdo the other, in their effort to solve their cases.
Abdul-Jabbar, who is ably assisted once again by screenwriter Anna Waterhouse, has crafted an entertaining look at the early life of the Holmes brothers. The interactions between the Holmes men, as well as the brief glimpses of characteristics and skills Sherlock will become renowned for, provide ample fodder for Holmes fans.
Robert Frazier writes about other writers and their works on his blog and other sites such as BookPage. He has served as a script reader for both the Austin Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival screenwriting competitions and is a member of the Tennessee Screenwriting Association.
The Drowned Girl by Sara Blaedel/Review by Laura Hartman
Long Road to Mercy
By Sara Blaedel
Grand Central Publishing
$9.99
ISBN 978-1538759851
Publication Date: December 24, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Officer Louise Rick travels an hour out of Copenhagen to a small town to help the Unit One Mobile Task Force investigate the horrific murder of a young girl. She was found submerged in the bay by a local fisherman. Suicide is out of the question as she was tethered to a concrete block. Was this an act of random violence? Was she killed by someone she knew? Or was this an honor killing?
The dead teen is Muslim. Her parents live by the rules of their religion, which makes the investigation much more difficult due to their lack of cooperation due to fear and tradition. Unfortunately, information comes to light that may point to a private side of the young victim. Her parents may have found out about her secret which could have brought dishonor to their family.
Enter crime reporter Camilla, a close friend of Louise. She jumps into the story and latches onto the honor killing theory. Her editor wants more of this angle, but the deeper Camilla dives into the lives of the Muslim families, the more she wants to help them by finding the truth. But her articles are stirring up a hornet’s nest of preconceived notions that will result in a bigger divide between Danish and Muslims. Will this lead to more violence?
Not only is this a solid mystery, but the thread of prejudice that affects the different groups of people is woven throughout the plot. This multilayered story makes the reader pause to think about listening more and learning more about others they may fear or dislike without foundation.
Some books that are translated from a different language are difficult to read. The Drowned Girl is not one of those books. The flow and read were perfect. Even though this is the first novel I’ve read by Blaedel, it is not the first mystery featuring Louise Rick, but I never felt as though I didn’t know enough about the characters to fully understand the story. Actually, it was quite the opposite. Not only were the main characters shown doing their jobs, but personal lives, hopes, and dreams are woven throughout to bring them to life and enrich the story.
This intriguing mystery is entertaining and thought-provoking. The plot kept me guessing until the last chapters. Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, my theory would be debunked in the next chapter. This is a perfect multilayered book. If you like Jodi Picoult books, you will love Blaedel’s writing style.
Sara Blaedel is a prolific Danish author, who now resides in New York. She is the recipient of several awards including the Golden Laurel, Denmark’s most prestigious literary award.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the publisher/author in connection with Killer Nashville in return for my review. Copyright © 2018 Laura Hartman
Laura Hartman is a short story author and book reviewer. She has work appearing in A Woman’s Touch: 11 Stories of Murder & Misdemeanors and The Killer Wore Cranberry, A Second Helping. She began reviewing books for GenReviews in 2011 and currently reviews for publicist Maryglenn McCombs, Penguin First to Read and NetGalley. She is a writer by day and a reader by night.
The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams / Review by Joy Gorence
The Whispered Word
Secret, Book & Scone Society (Book 2)
By Ellery Adams
Kensington
$26.00
ISBN 978-1496712400
Publication Date: November 27, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
It isn’t that Nora Pennington, owner of Miracle Books, looks for souls to comfort, but they seem to find her and the members of her Secret, Book, & Scone Society, comprised of a small group of caring women, each learning to live a life despite a painful past. In The Whispered Word, a young girl and obvious victim of abuse, Abilene, seeks secrecy and solace from Nora and her friends. Soon, however, Abilene becomes the focus of murder. With determination, skill, and intuitiveness, Nora unravels the mystery of the events that shake the foundation of Miracle Springs, North Carolina, which is also trying to survive a recent economic downturn.
The second book in the series of the Secret, Book and Scone Society, Ellery Adams keeps the reader thoroughly engaged. Although this is the second in a series, it is a solid stand-alone story. The fast-paced novel lures readers to ignore everyday chores in order to uncover the basis for the mysteries that have entangled the town and its residents, both established and recent. With the pervasive aura of mystery and a light touch of romance, there is little that can be done to improve this book. Adams skill as a writer entices readers to become invested in the characters and their stories. In addition, her placement of literary quotes in this cozy mystery is a bonus for devotees of literary fiction.
As the mystery unravels and the conclusion of The Whispered Word becomes evident from the number of pages left, readers will find this book evokes nostalgia for small towns and cozy bookstores.
Joy Gorence is new to Killer Nashville. She is an author, world-traveler, English professor (ret.), and avid reader. Originally from Long Island, NY she now lives in South Florida with her husband, Bill and their two pampered kitties.
The Darkest Time of Night by Jeremy Finley/Review by Liz Gatterer
The Darkest Time of Night
By Jeremy Finley
St. Martin's Press
$26.99
ISBN 978-1250147301
Publication Date: June 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
The Darkest Time of Night by Jeremy Finley is one of the scariest books I have read in quite a while (and I am a big fan of both the sci-fi and horror genres). I am sure that because it is set right here in Nashville, amongst places quite familiar to me, and centered around the abduction of a 7-year-old boy (I am also the mother of a 7-year-old boy) had a lot to do with upping the personal unease I felt while reading it. Still, I am sure that others will enjoy all of the spine-tingling chills that Finley has in store for them
Lynn Roseworth is the wife to the U.S. Senator from Tennessee, mother to three grown daughters and purveyor of a small flower shop on the edge of the woods. The woods where as a child she was forbidden to go; the woods where the mysterious gravestone of a young girl has stood for nearly a century; the woods where her grandson William has just disappeared from (into?). But with the help of her dear friend, a man from her past, and a few new friends – Lynn just might be the only person who can find him.
Finley put his real-life background as an investigative journalist to work in this exciting, scary and very entertaining story. The characters are exceptionally well developed and true to Nashville. Having lived in the area for the past 20 years, I think I may have actually met “Lynn” and her side-kick, “Roxy” (who is probably my favorite character in this novel). The storyline, likewise, is well thought-out, logical and feels like a real investigation. I think it is that these are real people and real places that makes the more science fictional elements seem believable. For fans of The X Files, this is your book. I usually have trouble buying into the amateur sleuth idea, but Finley fixes this by giving the main character a very credible back story.
I truly enjoyed reading this book, but I will be just a little bit worried when I see those darn ladybugs gathering...
Liz Gatterer attended Tulane University while living in New Orleans. It was there that she first began working with authors in the printing industry. Originally from Upstate New York, she moved to Nashville with her husband to pursue their careers (his being music). Three (absolutely fabulous) children later, she has returned to the working world in the industry she loves. She currently lives in Spring Hill with said husband and children, dogs, cats, and various other creatures. The necessity of multitasking has led her to an addiction to audio books – but, when able to, she still prefers to curl up with a good book (and a child in her lap).
Trust Me by Phillippi Ryan/Review by Sharon Marchisello
BOOK OF THE DAY
Trust Me (Forge 2018) is Hank Phillippi Ryan's first standalone novel, and it stretches her talents to the next level.
Mercer Hennessey, the protagonist, has been paralyzed by grief since her husband and three-year-old daughter were killed in a car accident on a rainy night over a year ago. Her grief is so overpowering that every morning, she tracks the number of days since their deaths by drawing the figure in the condensation left on the mirror from her shower.
When the story opens, Mercer's editor friend Katherine offers her an opportunity to heal by diving back into her profession as a journalist to cover the sensational trial of Ashlyn Bryant, a young woman accused of killing her three-year-old daughter and dumping the body into Boston Harbor. The plan is to turn the story into an instant bestseller.
What kind of monster would kill her own child? Ashlyn's despicable act resonates particularly hard with Mercer as she reflects on her own anguish at the tragic loss of her daughter. The evidence seems to point overwhelmingly to Ashlyn's guilt, yet the jury acquits her.
And just like that, the book project takes a new direction.
Katherine arranges for Ashlyn to give Mercer an exclusive to the "real" story. To facilitate progress on the book and keep Ashlyn safe from the derisive public eye, Ashlyn moves into Mercer's home.
As a reader, I found myself as frustrated with Ashlyn as Mercer surely was. Every day Ashlyn makes up a new lie or conspiracy theory, contradicting herself and changing her story at every turn. She manipulates Mercer's grief and survivor's guilt. Although Mercer keeps trying to coax and trick Ashlyn into revealing the truth, Ashlyn makes Mercer question everything she thought she knew about her own life.
The author did a great job delving into the protagonist's emotions and illustrating how many versions of truth can exist for the same set of circumstances.
Hank Phillippi Ryan still works as an investigative reporter, a career that has won her 34 Emmys and 14 Edward R. Murrow Awards. She writes the award-winning series starring investigative reporter Jane Ryland, as well as the Charlotte McNally series, also featuring a female journalist.
Sharon Marchisello (sharonmarchisello.com) is the author of Going Home, (Sunbury Press, 2014) a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's disease. She earned a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is a member of the Atlanta chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives in Peachtree City, GA, with her husband and cat, does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society, and writes a blog about personal finance, Countdown to Financial Fitness https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/.
Every Wicked Man by Steven James/Review by G. Robert Frazier
Every Wicked Man
By Steven James
Berkley
$9.99
ISBN 978-1101991596
Publication Date: September 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
There’s so much going on in Steven James’s new Patrick Bowers thriller, Every Wicked Man, you may need a cheat sheet to keep track. From the mysterious, live-streamed suicide of a senator’s son to the threat of a new designer drug on the market to a twisted novelist-turned-serial killer, James’s novel is loaded with intrigue and suspense.
Bowers is initially presented with looking into the suicide of a senator’s son, which takes an unexpected turn when the shadow of a person is seen on video tape observing the suicide. Evidence that the victim may have used a possible new designer drug opens a deeper investigation into the distribution of the drug. And when a longtime criminal rival’s henchman is spotted at the scene of the victim’s suicide, the investigation takes another unexpected turn.
Even as all of these plot threads unravel and, ultimately, intersect, Bowers struggles to connect to his new stepdaughter, who has a knack for getting into trouble (she’s a fan of our aforementioned serial killer novelist), and wife, who has secretly learned that she has cancer.
James has explained in a recent interview how he approaches his characters from three avenues: the external, internal, and interpersonal. The external issue revolves around solving the crime at hand, the internal focuses on how he’ll get to that solution and what he’ll do to get there, and the interpersonal keys in on the relationships in his life while everything else is happening. The result is a richly layered, character-oriented novel full of emotional highs and lows to keep readers fully engrossed.
Touted as his final Patrick Bowers novel, Every Wicked Man is actually the third in the 11-book series from a chronological standpoint. It’s not necessary to read the others in the series, but after reading Every Wicked Man you may find yourself hunting them down.
Robert Frazier is a freelance writer and former reporter and editor at several Middle Tennessee newspapers. He also reviews books for BookPage and BloggingforBooks and has served as a script reader for both the Austin Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival screenwriting competitions.
Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry/Review by Sharon Marchisello
Dark Tide Rising
By Anne Perry
Ballentine
$28.00
ISBN 978-0399179914
Publication Date: September 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
This was the first time I'd read one of Anne Perry's novels, and I was excited to find this book so soon after hearing her speak at last summer's Killer Nashville conference.
I was a little concerned I might be late to the party, with Dark Tide Rising being #24 in the series, but the author provided enough background information about the characters and their relationships so I didn't really need to have read the previous books to follow the story.
Her writing is splendid, and she did a good job of evoking Victorian London. I could feel that cold winter wind blowing off the Thames.
The story opens when William Monk, commander of the Thames River Police, is called to facilitate a ransom payment for a kidnapping. Wealthy businessman Harry Exeter asks for assistance from the river police to deliver payment in exchange for the release of his wife, Kate. But the mission goes terribly wrong; Exeter and the police are ambushed, the ransom money is collected, and Kate is tragically killed. Exeter appears devastated, and Monk blames himself.
Worse, the only explanation is that one of Monk's men betrayed their position. A good bit of the story is spent agonizing over who might be the traitor, and what dark secrets each man might harbor that would cause him to sell out his colleagues. Some of the agonizing is repetitious, which slows the plot down in places.
Every time they get a lead in the case, someone else gets killed. There are some good twists toward the end, which picked up the pace and made this a satisfying read.
British historical novelist Anne Perry is the author of two long-running, critically-acclaimed detective series. One features Victorian policeman Thomas Pitt and his wife Charlotte; the other, of which Dark Tide Rising is the most recent, stars Detective William Monk and his clever wife Hester, a Crimean War nurse. In addition, Anne Perry has published numerous short stories, a World War I series, and over a dozen Christmas novellas.
Sharon Marchisello (sharonmarchisello.com) is the author of Going Home, (Sunbury Press, 2014) a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's disease. She earned a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is a member of the Atlanta chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives in Peachtree City, GA, with her husband and cat, does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society, and writes a blog about personal finance, Countdown to Financial Fitness https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/.
The Witch Elm/Review by Tana French/Review by Clay Stafford
BOOK OF THE DAY
Clay's Pick
Toby Hennessey is not much different from you or me. He’s just an average guy going through his life. He’s a resilient sort, lucky one would say, and barely escapes losing his job at work when he is caught in a little discrepancy. But matters are about to get worse. Toby’s apartment is robbed and he is beaten to human pulp. As happens, his brain and memories are not what they used to be. He can’t work and to pass his time while he is healing, Toby’s mother suggests that he temporarily stay with his dying uncle at the old family home, the Ivy House. The two can keep each other company. The therapy seems to work and is going along swell until a skeleton is literally found in the backyard. At that point, it becomes a question of how did it get there and, without memories to help him remember, Toby is at a loss for how to deal with it.
“The Witch Elm” is a detailed character study. I was drawn immediately into the character and point of view of Toby. It’s a longish book (over 500 pages), but one that kept me engaged throughout. French is a writer whose sense of place and character are unmatched. An international bestseller with her Dublin Murder Squad series, this is a standalone that does not disappoint. Because you’ll be so involved, you’ll want to read it quickly, but you’ll also find you’ll want to slow down just to savor the language and nuances of the story. It is not often a story can be told as much with dialogue, more so than even with description. Tana French writes a tale that makes you want to read it again immediately after the first time through.
Tana French is the author of six New York Times bestselling books (this one will make seven) and is the winner of the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry Awards. She lives in Dublin, Ireland with her family.
Clay Stafford is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He has sold over 1.5 million hardcover copies of his children’s adaptations and has seen his film work distributed internationally in over 14 languages. Four of his five staged murder mysteries have had Los Angeles premieres. He has reviewed books, plays, and films, writes near-daily book reviews for the Killer Nashville Book of the Day, has been quoted on book jackets, and has edited several PBS companion books associated with national series. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13). He is the founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) and publisher of Killer Nashville Magazine (www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com). He has served on the board of numerous nonprofits. Clay has a B.A. and M.F.A. and has been a professor or lecturer to several major universities. His list of current projects includes the award-winning feature-length documentary “One Of The Miracles: The Inge Meyring Smith Story” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” with fellow mystery writer Jeffery Deaver (www.JefferyDeaverXOmusic.com). Previously associated with Universal Studios and PBS, he is currently President / CEO of American Blackguard, Inc. (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), a publishing/film and television/ music/entertainment company near Nashville, Tennessee. More information can be found at www.ClayStafford.com.
You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart/Review by Mandy Dugan
You Were Always Mine
By Nicole Baart
Atria Books
$28.00
ISBN 978-1982108113
Publication Date: October 16, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Currently separated from her husband, Jessica Chamberlain is barely holding things together for herself and her two boys. 13-year old Max has been uncharacteristically acting out, an agreement to clean up his graffiti on the middle school wall hanging over his head. Gabe, sunny and six, greets his mother with a smile every day but struggles to deal with loud noises and navigate friendships. Although we see her as a teacher, a daughter, and a friend as well, Jessica sees herself first and foremost as a mother, and the idea that she might be failing at that haunts her from the very beginning of this story.
When her estranged husband, Evan, turns up inexplicably dead from an apparent shooting accident, Jessica’s nerve slips further, and the foundations of her carefully constructed life seem to fall apart. Baart artfully weaves in recollections of the Chamberlains life together as Jessica grieves. And though Jessica initially attempts to, like the duck, keep paddling frantically under the surface while maintaining a serene appearance, the weight of circumstances and her grief is simply too much, and the careful scaffolding she has constructed to support her fragile life begins to crack and fall down.
Amazingly, into the rubble slip moments of grace. Jessica learns that she can confront things she could never look at straight on, but only glance at out of the corner of her eyes: her suspicions of her husband’s infidelity, the way her relationship with her father has changed since her mother died, and most devastatingly for Jessica, the identity of Gabe’s birth mother and an understanding of his need for connection to her. Gabe’s mother lies at the heart of the mystery of Evan’s death, and what he was doing in the dark and cold three hours from home on the night he died. But Jessica has never been able to even acknowledge her existence.
Jessica’s struggle to reconcile her memories of her husband with the emerging picture of his death is poignant and real. So too, is the way she stubbornly refuses help in the face of incredible need. That desperation to be everything that her children need has to be painfully crushed before she learns that letting go is sometimes the only way forward and that other people (her father and step-mother, her friend, her son, even her rival) sometimes hold the key to life and freedom.
You Were Always Mine charts the mysteries of a mother’s heart and a father’s search for justice. It shows just how much we all need each other, and how the assumptions that we make can hamstring our happiness and that of others. By pushing through the darkness and acknowledging the pain, by trusting others and forgiving ourselves, things can come right in the end.
Mandy Dugan lives in Brentwood, TN with her husband and three children (and a dog, a gecko, and three fish). She loves words and projects, and still has a great deal to learn from life and the people (and animals) around her. Find her at mandy@duganeditorial.com.
Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci/Review by Laura Hartman
Long Road to Mercy
By David Baldacci
Grand Central Publishing
$29.00
ISBN 978-1538761571
Publication Date: November 13, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
FBI special Agent Atlee Pine is a loner. She specifically requested an assignment in a tiny office in Shattered Rock, just outside of the Grand Canyon. Pine began her life as a team with her twin sister, but no longer works well with others. Just her and her administrative assistant are perfect for her loner lifestyle. She doesn’t mind hard work or long hours. As a matter of fact it suits her well, leaving less time to think about the serial killer that abducted and most likely killed her twin sister Mercy when they were young children.
Pine gets a call that there is a missing person and a dead mule at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. A missing person is not that unusual. Hikers wander off and go missing, but it is extremely unusual to have someone from a group disappear leaving a dead mutilated mule in his wake. As Pine begins investigating she begins to see the disappearance is just the tip of the iceberg in a much bigger plot with huge ramifications.
It sounds like an impossible riddle: What do the Grand Canyon, a dead mule, the Russian and Korean governments, a possible kidnapping and/or murder and a lone FBI Agent have in common? Baldacci weaves an intricate tale full of action, adventure and intrigue. His characters travel the United States in their quest to find the truth, trying to live long enough for justice to prevail.
I have read many books by Baldacci, and am very excited to find he has begun this new series featuring Atlee Pine. She is a character that has many sides and secrets. Some of them are hers, and some are truths that have been kept from her. I am anxious to find out more.
Baldacci’s latest page-turning thriller lives up to his reader’s expectations and beyond. It is hard pressed to find anyone who has not heard of this award winning, NYT Best Selling author. There is a reason for the accolades; his books are complex yet easy to read. I learned more interesting facts about the Grand Canyon than I’ve heard before, making me want to visit the only one of the Seven Natural Wonders that is located in the United States.
READ KILLER NASHVILLE'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MR. BALDACCI HERE
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the publisher/author in connection with Killer Nashville in return for my review. Copyright © 2018 Laura Hartman
Laura Hartman is a short story author and book reviewer. She has work appearing in A Woman’s Touch: 11 Stories of Murder & Misdemeanors and The Killer Wore Cranberry, A Second Helping. She began reviewing books for GenReviews in 2011 and currently reviews for publicist Maryglenn McCombs, Penguin First to Read and NetGalley. She is a writer by day and a reader by night.
Paris in the Dark by Robert Olen Butler/Review by Clay Stafford
Paris in the Dark
By Robert Olen Butler
The Mysterious Press
$26.00
ISBN 978-0802128379
Publication Date: September 2018
Clay's Pick
BOOK OF THE DAY
It is the Fall of 1915 and Germany is bombing France. Woodrow Wilson has kept Americans out of the war up to this point, but that does not stop young American men and women from volunteering to help France in their war effort. One such volunteer is Christopher “Kit” Cobb, a Chicago reporter who moonlights as an undercover agent for the U.S. government. He is in France to do a story on the volunteer ambulance drivers servicing the war front. Unexpectedly, someone begins bombing Paris cafes in an act of terrorism. Kit is assigned to find out who is doing it. It is not an easy task as the city is full of refugees and any one of them could be a German agent in disguise or a Parisian with German sympathies.
The story begins explosively. After only the first several pages, I was hooked. The plot progressed steadily and believably and gave a more than satisfying (and nail-biting) ending, but even more than the plot, it was the relationships that kept me engrossed. I felt thankful to get to know the nurses, doctors, and ambulance drivers, but it was the love story that especially appealed to me, which in tone was old-fashioned and romantically straight out of Casablanca. Not being an expert on this time period, I have no clue as to the historical accuracy of the novel, but it read real and I felt that I came away from it with a deeper understanding of the time period and the city. Paris came alive for me and I was transported there through the eyes of Kit. The writing itself is well-crafted and poetic, to the point and lean. This is an intelligent reader’s novel. It is genre fiction that feels like a literary masterwork. It’s one of the best books I have read this year.
Robert Olen Butler is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of seventeen novels, six short story collections, and one nonfiction book on the creative process.
Clay Stafford is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He has sold over 1.5 million hardcover copies of his children’s adaptations and has seen his film work distributed internationally in over 14 languages. Four of his five staged murder mysteries have had Los Angeles premieres. He has reviewed books, plays, and films, writes near-daily book reviews for the Killer Nashville Book of the Day, has been quoted on book jackets, and has edited several PBS companion books associated with national series. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13). He is the founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) and publisher of Killer Nashville Magazine (www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com). He has served on the board of numerous nonprofits. Clay has a B.A. and M.F.A. and has been a professor or lecturer to several major universities. His list of current projects includes the award-winning feature-length documentary “One Of The Miracles: The Inge Meyring Smith Story” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” with fellow mystery writer Jeffery Deaver (www.JefferyDeaverXOmusic.com). Previously associated with Universal Studios and PBS, he is currently President / CEO of American Blackguard, Inc. (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), a publishing/film and television/ music/entertainment company near Nashville, Tennessee. More information can be found at www.ClayStafford.com.
Dead Ringer by Kate Kessler/Review by Sharon Hopkins
BOOK OF THE DAY
Dead Ringer by Kate Kessler (Redhook, October 23, 2018) is a definite page-turning thriller with a twist.
One day when a teenage Rachel Ward and her identical twin Hannah switch places, Hannah is abducted and never heard from again. Rachel’s guilt and determination propel her into law enforcement and eventually into the FBI eighteen years later. There she becomes part of the team assigned to solve the Gemini murders, involving a brutal kidnapper who abducts one identical twin and leaves the other. Rachel believes the Gemini murderer is the same person who took her sister, and who taunts her every year on the anniversary, by sending her pictures. Rachel believes her twin is alive and is still being held, prisoner.
Rachel does not start out as a character you immediately like, but as the story moves forward, Rachel earns your respect and admiration.
The book is dark and has some graphic scenes, but those scenes definitely aren’t gratuitous. Rachel and her partner, “Trick,” who is also her lover, defy the odds and corner the kidnapper. That’s when things take a really strange turn and keep turning right to the surprising end.
The story is well written, and the plot has a lot of twists, even though the perp is identified early on. It’s the kind of story you keep thinking about long after you reach the end.
I’d love to see a follow-up book!
Sharon Woods Hopkins' mystery series featuring mortgage banker Rhetta McCarter and her '79 Camaro hits close to home. Sharon is a former branch manager for a mortgage office of a Missouri bank. She also owns the original Cami, a restored '79 Camaro like Rhetta's. Sharon's hobbies include painting, fishing, photography, flower gardening, and restoring muscle cars with her son, Jeff. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Guppies, Thriller Writers of America, the Southeast Missouri Writers' Guild, Heartland Writers, and the Missouri Writers' Guild.
A Shot in the Dark by Lynne Truss/Review by Pam De Voe
A Shot in the Dark
By Lynne Truss
Bloomsbury
$17.00
ISBN 978-1635572742
Publication Date: November 6, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
I admit that I chose to review A Shot in the Dark by Lynne Truss because I so admire Eats, Shoots and Leaves. I thought anyone who could make a grammar book amusing and engaging must be able to write a good novel. A Shot in the Dark—a comedic, dark mystery—more than meets my expectations.
The tale begins in 1950s Brighton with a cast of delightfully irritating characters: such as the pompous Inspector Steine, the earnest but bumbling Sergeant Brunswick, the clever Constable Twitten, the endearing Mrs. Groynes, the unfathomable Bobby Melba, and the malodorous theatre critic A. S. Crystal. The story unfolds as a classic mystery--that is, as a detective story presented as a puzzle. At the same time, it gives the reader the sense of watching an old British radio show, one where the narrator intersperses funny and now-pay-attention side comments into the ongoing action. (Which as it turns out makes a lot of sense, because Truss also writes radio comedy-dramas.)
Throughout the book, the reader will probably solve the puzzle of who did what through a series of logical deductions rather early on. But that is not the point. A Shot in the Dark is as much a dance as a mystery. The dance involves the perception of reality. Who has the power to define what is true and what is not true? Whose version of the facts will emerge as the more credible and, therefore, believable? This question adds an exciting dimension to the classic mystery structure.
A Shot in the Dark is definitely a must-read for anyone who loves mysteries and has an adventurous spirit. I highly recommend it.
P.A. De Voe is an anthropologist and Asian specialist who writes historical mysteries and crime stories immersed in the life and times of Imperial China (Hidden, Warned, and Trapped). She’s also published short stories, From Judge Lu’s Ming Dynasty Case Files, in anthologies and online.
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