Prominent Maine artist Zetta Nadeau approaches Detective Charlie Parker to look into the sudden disappearance of her boyfriend, Wyatt Riggins. Upon diProminent Maine artist Zetta Nadeau approaches Detective Charlie Parker to look into the sudden disappearance of her boyfriend, Wyatt Riggins. Upon digging, Parker discovers that the missing man in question is involved in the kidnapping of four children belonging to the ruthless Mexican cartel boss, Blas Urrea. Desperate to see the safe return of his “property” Urrea dispatches two of his best agents. Can Charlie track down and locate Riggins or is he risking a collision with two cold-blooded killers?
John Connolly returns with the twenty-second installment of his acclaimed crime fiction series featuring his titular detective. Once again, the mystery at the center of the novel is rock solid and the suspense it generated had me on the edge of my seat. The pair of villains Connolly puts up against Parker are deeply sinister, one more so than the other. Her actions chilled me to the core and she quickly became one of Connolly’s more shocking creations. Much like one of my other favorite writers, Lawrence Block, Connolly decided to age his main character alongside himself, so there are signs here that time is beginning to catch up with Parker. While he’s just as dogged and determined as ever, there are moments where his body isn’t quite as willing as his mind, which makes his job a bit harder to do, especially when up against younger foes. Thankfully Parker has lots of help in the shape of formidable allies who have his back.
Speaking of those allies, I’ve been reading this series for so long now that I feel at home with these characters; they basically feel like family at this point, and the banter between Charlie and his two friends Louis and Angel once again had me in stitches. If John ever wanted to write a novel about the three of them sitting around a table and chatting for three hundred pages or so, I’d be first in line to buy it.
Connolly ends the story with an eye to the future where it feels like something big is on the horizon. His long deceased daughter Jennifer, who frequents the novels in the ghostly form of a protector for her father, intimates that Parker’s story is coming to a pivotal crossroads and I can’t wait to see what Connolly has up his sleeve....more
Author Benjamin Stevenson returns with his second Ernest Cunningham adventure, EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT. This time around, reeling from theAuthor Benjamin Stevenson returns with his second Ernest Cunningham adventure, EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT. This time around, reeling from the success of a runaway best seller, “Ern” finds himself as a guest of the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society’s annual crime fiction festival. Taking place aboard a train travelling from the northern tip of Australia through to Adelaide in the south of the country, Ernest readies himself for four days of author panels, socialising with fans, and schmoozing with publishers. The festivities are short-lived, however, once a guest drops dead and it’s once again up to Ernest to uncover the guilty party.
Given how much I adored the first book in this series, I was not prepared for quite how much more I would end up loving the sequel. It certainly helped that Stevenson stuck with what brought him to the dance by applying the same style and humour that worked so well with the first book. There were moments that gave me deep belly laughs and of course, the central mystery kept me engaged reading long into the night.
I thought the supporting cast here were stronger than those who made up the first book and I couldn’t wait to see what each character was up to when they were “off-page”. One of the novel’s more nail-biting action scenes had my eyes dancing over the page even though he wasn’t really in any danger, as he was quick to point out early in the novel that the book we’re all reading was, in fact, finished by him. This is the mark of a truly great writer; still finding a way to get you lost in the story when the stakes are relatively low.
It’s hard to believe that I started this series due to the fact that the author released a Christmas novel this year and I had been struggling to find some new non-romance holiday literature (and of course, I had to read the prior two books before I could start the new one). Now this series has become one of my favourite on-going mystery titles and I can’t wait to see what he has planned next....more
Although this series had been recommended to me by a handful of people over the past two years, it never quite found its way to the top of my ever-groAlthough this series had been recommended to me by a handful of people over the past two years, it never quite found its way to the top of my ever-growing to-be-read pile. However, all an author needs to do is write a Christmas entry in a series and I’ll get right to that first book quicker than Santa traverses the globe in a single night.
Ernest Cunningham is invited to a family reunion taking place at a ski resort in the frosty mountains of Australia. Things take a turn for the worse when a body is found in the snow exhibiting tell-tale signs of a serial killer recently dubbed “The Black Tongue”. As the title suggests, everyone in Ernest’s family is a suspect. Can he uncover the guilty party and prevent a killing spree?
This one was a lot of fun. Ernest is a self-published author who helps struggling mystery authors complete and release their work, so he’s well-versed in the mechanics of a good who-dunnit. The book itself takes the shape of a memoir by Ernest telling the story of what happened by adhering to Robert Knox’s 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction, so things like the detective being the criminal, the sudden appearance of twin brothers and the existence of ghosts are strictly forbidden. Ernest is a self-professed “reliable” narrator, so he’s setting out to play fair and isn’t trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the reader. So be forewarned - pay attention to everything! If something is mentioned, it’s absolutely for a reason.
EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE was the PERFECT book to sink my teeth into following the outcome of the 2024 US Election. It’s darkly funny and above all else, an intriguing mystery that offers a welcome distraction from the endless 24-hour news cycle that has turned my brain to mush....more
The sixth and final (to date) installment of The Spellman Files series sees Izzy at a crossroads in her life. Having instigated a coup against her paThe sixth and final (to date) installment of The Spellman Files series sees Izzy at a crossroads in her life. Having instigated a coup against her parents and becoming the majority shareholder of Spellman Investigations, Izzy quickly finds herself in over her head.
Izzy’s benefactor, Mr. Slaytor, who bankrolled her ability to gain majority ownership of her family’s detective agency, asks her to investigate a company prior to a corporate takeover. While Izzy is preoccupied with that job, her sister Rae begins work as a mysterious Conflict Resolution Specialist offering little to no explanation as to what she’s actually doing (par for the course for the Spellmans). Meanwhile, a sudden deluge of funds in the company account has the FBI sniffing around looking for answers. The bills are piling up and the Spellman parental unit have begun slacking off. Can Izzy gain control or will Spellman Investigations become a thing of the past?
I have no idea how Lisa Lutz plots these books. I feel like she bunkers down in a basement with three tack boards, a sharpie, a stack of cue cards and a mile of red string. Not only are there seemingly a half dozen storylines occurring at the same time, but she has to try and outsmart people who outsmart others for a living while maintaining an air of believability. There’s no point in this book or the preceding five where you feel like Lutz has anything less than full control of where things are going and her track record leaves you with no reason to doubt her. I’m not sure Lisa has ever met a plot hole she didn’t fill with a wheelbarrow of gravel.
If you’re a fan of the series, then I can’t imagine you would have a problem with Spellman Six. The comedy is here on full display and Izzy is as charming as ever. She’s the kind of person you would absolutely love to share a drink with, but would laugh at you and call you an idiot for wanting to do so. Now that I’ve read all six novels, I’m going to miss her whisky soaked retorts. Hell, I’m going to miss the whole Spellman clan.
If this truly is the end of the Spellman series, it’s hard to complain where Lutz leaves the story. For purely selfish reasons, I could read another half dozen of these books, but I could say that for a handful of other series that leave well before I’m ready to say goodbye. I’m absolutely going to check out the rest of Lutz’s catalog sooner rather than later....more
BROKEN HARBOUR follows Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy and his rookie partner Richie as they investigate the murder of a family in an abandoned development coBROKEN HARBOUR follows Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy and his rookie partner Richie as they investigate the murder of a family in an abandoned development community. As the pair arrive, the children and father lay lifeless, but the mother is still clinging to life. As the picture develops and suspects come into focus, can Mick and Richie put the pieces together to close the case?
As always, Tana French has knocked it out of the park with another instalment of her Dublin Murder Squad series. This time, she plucked a minor character from Faithful Place and ran with him; fully fleshing him out and giving him a uniqueness all his own. Mick suffers from an often chaotic personal life beginning with the untimely passing of his mother when he was a young man, to his erratic, mentally unstable sister who causes an unending amount of frustration to both himself and his other sister. To counter-balance that disorder, Mick searches for law and order in his professional life in an effort to assert some kind of control.
Richie, a new recruit to the department, counterpoints Mick’s desire to make this an open and shut case by throwing out other “what-if”scenarios, allowing the plot to breathe and expand beyond Mick’s single-minded obsession with who he believes to be the guilty party.
Like French’s other entries in the series, she once again excelled with her character work thus shifting the focus more so away from a whodunit to an exploration of mental health and guilt. The best mystery novels aren’t so much about the mystery than they are about the players. I mean, look at Raymond Chandler, he didn’t even know who killed off a titular character in The Big Sleep.
That’s not to say the structure isn’t there for a strong mystery. I did think I had it sewn up, much like Mick, but when things took a strong turn, I audibly gasped when a key moment was revealed. It’s a heartbreaking read and a strong social commentary about the fleeting nature of financial stability.
BROKEN HARBOUR continues a streak of excellence that French has established in her acclaimed Dublin Murder Squad series and I cannot wait to dive into the remaining two novels....more
Following the success of CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN, author Richard Chizmar returns to the scene of the crime with BECOMING THE BOOGEYMAN. Potentially inspFollowing the success of CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN, author Richard Chizmar returns to the scene of the crime with BECOMING THE BOOGEYMAN. Potentially inspired by the outcome of Michelle McNamara’s I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK, the novel opens with the now convicted killer Josh Gallagher caught years after the murders had taken place through DNA evidence linking him to the crimes he committed. Facing a lifetime behind bars, Josh wants to get his story out there and the only person he will speak to is the author of the first book, Richard Chizmar.
Meanwhile, The Boogeyman seems to have returned leaving a pile of bodies in his wake. But with Josh behind bars, how is this possible? Is it one person? A team? Is Richard taking the role of unreliable narrator and is he the one responsible?
This book was a bit of a surprise for me as I can’t say I expected nor was I clamouring for a sequel to CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN. That said, I’m glad Chizmar decided to give it a shot as it turned out better than I could have expected. I feel like there are several ways that writing a fictional “true crime” book could go sour, but like his first novel, Chizmar once again does an excellent job blending what feels like fact with fiction. I loved the idea of the town’s citizens as well as the true crime obsessives online accusing Chizmar of setting up the resurgence of the 80s serial killer as a way to sell books. This felt very believable as now more than ever, people are addicted to easy solutions and scapegoats to explain away anything that may be even the slightest bit complicated.
Chizmar once again employs various storytelling methods like interview transcripts, television transcripts, online message boards and social media posting as a way to both break up the story and build a richer world around the story. I really loved this. Without spoiling anything, there is a sequel coming to round out the trilogy, so I hope he continues with this trend.
On a side note, I definitely had a much more enjoyable experience this time around given that I was delirious with my first bout of COVID while reading the original novel back in July 2022. I will say that BECOMING THE BOOGEYMAN is just as tense and exciting as the original, even if it did feel a little on the longer side. ...more
Approached by his lawyer Moxie Castin, Charlie Parker is tasked with clearing the name of a mother accused of murdering her child. It isn’t going to bApproached by his lawyer Moxie Castin, Charlie Parker is tasked with clearing the name of a mother accused of murdering her child. It isn’t going to be easy. The deck is stacked against her in the form of a bloody blanket found at the scene and an ambitious prosecutor; a combination that should make Parker think twice. With a whole town against her, can Charlie uncover the truth? Will he like what he finds when he does?
I started reading John Connolly’s Charlie Parker series back in 2008. At that point, Connolly was already up to eight books. It took me a year or two to catch up, but I feel like I blinked and now we’re twenty-one books deep. I keep waiting for the series to lose steam or that one day I won’t be as excited to get my hands on a new installment, but that day has yet to come and after finishing The Instruments of Darkness, Connolly proves that there is lots of life left in these characters.
Connolly’s titular detective series has often straddled the line between grounded crime fiction and elements of the supernatural and while Instruments of Darkness is more geared toward the boots-on-the-ground detective work, there is that otherworldly flavor Connolly is known for thrown in for good measure. I’m not sure, but we could be entering the beginning an overarching storyline that could stretch out for several books. I liked the introduction of Sabine Drew, someone I hope Connolly uses again, but could easily be a one-off.
Instruments of Darkness benefits from a short-chapter-strategy where I’d say to myself “okay, one more chapter”, which kept me reading for hours. It all keeps everything moving at a break-neck pace where much like Parker, I needed to know where all this was headed and just who was responsible. Speaking of Parker, at this point, he comes across as deeply genuine and as fully realized a fictional character can be that given the hours I’ve spent with him on the page, it very much feels like sitting and having a beer with a friend, even if he and I aren’t really drinkers. I guess that’s what comes with lengthy series.
The Instruments of Darkness continues what is already a classic series that if you haven’t yet checked out, I’m not sure how much harder I can recommend it. I even named my blog after the first book! While I’m not one who does this myself, outside of The Dirty South (book 18), you could read this as a standalone, which is crazy considering how deep we are into the series. But I mean, read the first twenty....more
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips return with the fifth book of their critically acclaimed RECKLESS series, FOLLOW ME DOWN. Taking place at the same time Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips return with the fifth book of their critically acclaimed RECKLESS series, FOLLOW ME DOWN. Taking place at the same time as the prior book, THE GHOST IN YOU, we follow Ethan as he agrees to help a friend find his missing daughter-in-law. While tracking down Rachel proves easier than expected for Ethan, he isn't sure what to do once he uncovers the reason for her disappearance.
I've been reading Brubaker and Phillips' work for the better part of a decade and I've yet to come across something I didn't absolutely adore. I feel like a broken record in going on and on about how much I love their collaborations since I first encountered the duo through their early hit, SLEEPER. Reckless has been no exception. The staggering amount of work these two put out is greatly appreciated by this fan; FOLLOW ME DOWN is the fifth graphic novel published in two years. Unbelievable!
The lengthy internal monologues spouted by Ethan over gorgeous yet simplistic urban scenery continues to allow this series to ooze noirish atmosphere coupled with brutal 80s action-movie slickness. The story, while tragic, does offer a glimmer of possibility for everyone involved, too. Brubaker gives a few hints as to where this series is headed, but it's looking like we may have to wait a while to get there as the pair are placing Ethan and Anna on the backburner for a bit in favor of other projects....more
Continuing in the vein of his Obama/Biden mystery series, author Andrew Shaffer takes democratic socialist and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders into theContinuing in the vein of his Obama/Biden mystery series, author Andrew Shaffer takes democratic socialist and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders into the realm of the cozy mystery genre.
Sanders and political intern Crash Robertson arrive in Eagle Creek as Bernie is set to take part in several events surrounding one of the town’s annual festivals. Unfortunately for the pair, plans are altered when Crash stumbles upon the body of the community’s banker who, following an autopsy, is revealed to have drowned in maple syrup.
Can “Crash and Bern” uncover the mystery of the maple murder?
I am a big fan of Shaffer’s Obama/Biden mystery novels. Sure, they have a gimmick that obviously relies on parody, but they’re also solid whodunnits. When I heard Shaffer was targeting the mitten-wearing octogenarian politician as his next novel’s hero, I was all in.
While I did enjoy this for the most part, I did find that the maple syrup references and puns got a little tired after a while. There is only so much a man can take! That being said, there were still moments that made me laugh out loud like when Bernie stopped Crash from swatting a bee by offering a grim warning of the decreasing honeybee population as well as Crash believing her death was not imminent for the simple reason she still had unpaid student debt.
I will say that while I’m not well versed in the cozy mystery genre, this was more or less what I expected it to be. Shaffer has really carved himself out a niche in his politician-led amateur detective novels. Bring on the next one!...more
The gang returns in Richard Osman’s second installment of his acclaimed Thursday Murder Club series, The Man Who Died Twice.
This time around, ElizabetThe gang returns in Richard Osman’s second installment of his acclaimed Thursday Murder Club series, The Man Who Died Twice.
This time around, Elizabeth is confronted by a man from her past, and he needs her help. It seems he got caught up in a spot of bother and requires bodyguards, and who better to keep an eye out for his enemies than a group of brilliant septuagenarians!
Despite the task at hand being in the more than capable grasp of Elizabeth, it isn’t long until things go pear shaped. Having to concentrate fully on her mission proves difficult for Elizabeth and the gang when things within her merry band of crime-solvers take a turn for the worse. Even though life looks bleak at times as one of the four suffers a crisis of confidence, Osman’s trademark dry wit and comedic timing keep the story moving along at a brisk pace. While he never loses focus on the dangers surrounding the protagonists, it wouldn’t be a Thursday Murder Club story if the reader wasn’t laughing out loud at the absurdity of it all.
I really enjoyed the first book, but I absolutely loved the second installment. With this series, Osman has crafted a loveable, endearing collection of friends that kept me reading long after I should have turned off the light and rolled over to sleep. And really, isn’t that all we really want in our books? A story that so completely and totally captures our attention that time flies by with nary a worry. I can’t wait for the third installment, which luckily for me, comes out next week!...more
When drug addict Felix McAveety’s best friend Marina’s body is discovered in a park, Felix sets off on his own to uncover the culprit given the policeWhen drug addict Felix McAveety’s best friend Marina’s body is discovered in a park, Felix sets off on his own to uncover the culprit given the police force’s lack of leads. As the evidence begins to arrive fast and furious, Felix enlists the help of others including his ecstatic downstairs neighbor, as well as a successful crime novelist among others, to bring about justice for his friend.
For anyone that knows me, it’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Frankie Boyle’s comedy. While his brilliantly nihilistic panel show, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, is not shown over the air here in Canada, I make sure to keep up through other means. When I heard that he was writing a crime fiction novel, I knew I had to get my hands on it – even if that meant importing it from the UK. Having finished it, it would be an understatement to say that this book did not disappoint.
Never have I ever laughed this hard while reading a crime novel. With the novel’s protagonist Felix, Frankie has definitely injected him with much of his own sense of humor as well as his often fatalistic view of society. I don’t believe I’ve ever highlighted as many passages in one novel to send to friends than I have for this book. I’m very happy that my wife is also a fan of Boyle’s because I certainly said “Hey, can I read you this one part?” over and over again while reading next to her in bed.
That being said, if you’re going to write a mystery novel, you need a tightly constructed whodunnit at the center and I would be lying if I said MEANTIME didn’t have me guessing where things were going until the very end. Lots of red herrings abound with several plausible explanations as to how Maria met her end. I loved Felix’s interactions with the suspects as well as those close to him that he would come to find he couldn’t trust completely either. His conversations with celebrity author Jane Pickford contained some of the most naturally flowing dialogue I’ve read in a while and his balls-to-the-wall interaction with his hyperactive downstairs neighbor Donnie had me in tears from laughing.
Without spoiling too much, in the final few chapters of MEANTIME, Frankie writes about grief and regret in a way that absolutely crushed me. I had tears in my eyes on more than a few occasions. To have the ability to convey feelings the way he did either suggests maybe his own past trauma or an incredibly special talent to relate to that level of loss on that deep of a level.
I honestly can’t recommend this one enough. It will absolutely end up in my Top 10 at year’s end – it’s that damn good. If like me, you can find humor in even the most desperate of situations, then this one will fit well within your wheelhouse. MEANTIME is a drug-fueled exploration through the seedy underbelly of the Scottish crime scene...more