mystery

Book Review: Stakeouts and Strollers

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Stakeouts and Strollers
by Rob Phillips

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Mystery

Charlie Shaw is a journalist-turned-private-investigator who, on his first case, ends up getting caught up in a high-stakes mystery involving a teenage girl looking for her estranged dad and a couple of shady bar owners. Meanwhile, he has a six-month-old daughter at home who isn’t sleeping through the night, so he’s running low on sleep too.

I was intrigued by the idea of this new dad trying to balance a new job with his upended home life, and I enjoy a good mystery to boot. However, I realized a little ways into this book that I just wasn’t very engaged. The main character isn’t all that interesting to me, the mystery is lackluster, and the new-baby angle is weirdly both too present and not present enough. The MC does take the baby on a couple of stakeouts with him, which seems like a questionable move, but her irregular sleeping patterns mostly just cause the MC and his wife to yawn at each other randomly. But then conversations about the baby and the MC checking up on her using a monitor app on his phone all just get a bit repetitive. I suppose I’m the wrong audience for a book that focuses this much on what life with a baby is like, because I’m about 16 years removed from that part of life and was never one that wished the helpless-baby phase could have lasted forever.

There were elements of the story that just felt off to me, too. For example, a character that is touted as being super tough and a veteran investigator, etc., lets someone get the jump on him way too easily. And the mystery seemed like it sort of plodded along, until the MC watched his baby do some particular thing and then suddenly was struck with a realization that is kept from us at first, to be revealed later—all of this is a common mystery trope, but the realization he had turned out to be a HUGE leap. Maybe I missed a vital clue, but even when it was explained, it was clear that it was a major guess made by the MC, rather than information he cleaned in passing, experience, or anything like that, coming into play. I kinda think that the target audience for this book is a bit too niche—men who have daughters and enjoy procedural mystery stories. Also, there’s quite a bit of language. I don’t think I could really recommend this book to anyone, but please check out the link below for other reviews if you’re interested.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Persons of Interest

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Persons of Interest
DC Smith #4
by Peter Grainger
read by Gildart Jackson

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Detective procedural, mystery

When DC Smith’s old mobile phone number is found in the cell of a man who was murdered in prison, he can’t help but want to investigate, even though it’s not his case. Fortunately, it’s not long before he finds a connection to his own town that makes his unauthorized investigating a little easier.

I’m starting to really get into the groove of these books and Grainger’s sense of humor, especially as seen through Smith himself. I’m also finally starting to get more familiar with some of the recurring characters; I kept feeling lost in the first few books trying to remember names. The mystery here is engaging, as Smith follows his own threads while still (sometimes just barely) managing to do his assigned job. I enjoy Smith’s view of his work and those around him and the way he’s tough and wise. He’s clearly not beloved by all of his colleagues/bosses, but it wouldn’t be realistic if he was.

Gildart Jackson unsurprisingly does a great job as narrator, bringing DC and all of the other characters to life. I recommend the book for fans of procedural crime dramas, especially with a seasoned detective and set in a small-town area of England. I’ve been saying that I don’t think you’d really need to start at the beginning of the series, but past cases do have continued presence in later books and the first book is spoiled a bit in this one, so keep that in mind.

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Book Review: This Book Kills

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This Book Kills
by Ravena Guron

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: YA murder mystery

When a murderer copies details from a short story that Jess Choudhary wrote for school, it puts her smack in the middle of the investigation of the murder of one of her fellow classmates. When she starts getting death threats of her own, then police don’t inspire confidence, so she knows it’s up to her to solve the murder.

I am at a bit of a loss with this book. I don’t understand the title, don’t agree with the “perfect murder” claim on the front of the book, and am baffled by a major component of the mystery. The story is 1st-person as if written by the MC to help her cope with what happened, so maybe the title is referring to what she’s writing down, but there’s nothing inherently dangerous about it. The short story she used inspired a killer, but that’s it…no reference to books of any kind killing. The tag line on the front of the book says, “She wrote the perfect murder. One of her classmates carried it out… Now she’s next.” There was literally no mention in the book of the short mystery story she wrote for class being a perfect murder. It was just a murder. And she’s not even the only one who is ostensibly targeted to be another victim, so the tagline is pretty clearly sensationalism that isn’t delivered on.

The murder the MC wrote for her short story had 2 specific elements that were copied (well, 3, if you count the murder happening in the woods, but that’s not super specific): the victim was killed with a trophy and the murderer spelled out “help me” with twigs next to the body. That least one is what baffles me. I kept waiting for an explanation or at least some theories about the “help me,” but nothing ever came. So I can’t help but wonder…why did she have the murderer in the short story do that? To pretend it was the victim who did it (to what end, though, I have no idea)? Was it a cry for help from the murderer, either real or faked? Was it a taunt, saying that the victim needed help even though they were already dead? None of these jumps out as an obvious reason for the twigs, because to me there isn’t an obvious reason, and it’s literally never questioned by anyone in the book. Supposedly the MC put it into her story to show off her creativity, but to me, it’s not creative so much as…pointless? The murderer copied it, and truth be told, I don’t think I ever even understood why the murderer bothered to copy the short story details. Then, at least to me, the author was trying so hard to keep the reader from guessing the murderer (which I didn’t, but I rarely do) that she threw in too many sub plots and red herrings. In the end, it was underwhelming, confusing, and just not enjoyable. Around halfway through, my 15-year-old daughter (who was interested in the book when I started reading it) asked me what I thought so far, and all I could say was, “Meh.” It was just kind of boring. It was clearly not for me, but if the book interests you, please do check out other reviews at the link below.

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Book Review: Good Dog, Bad Cop

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Good Dog, Bad Cop
The K-Team #4
by David Rosenfelt
read by Fred Berman

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When asked to select a cold case to investigate for the Paterson police department, Corey Douglas insists on being allowed to work on the not-so-cold unsolved case of his old mentor. Though unsolved, it’s widely believed that the retired cop murdered a woman and then killed himself, but Corey is certain that he would have never done such a thing.

The plot of this book is overall decent, with some twisty conspiracies not dissimilar to those standard to the main series. It has an interesting ending that I didn’t see coming, though I could look back and see some hints to the final reveal. Still, Corey himself is just a bland main character to me. In this book, he points out that investigators need to be objective, but that in this case, he’s not going to be able to be, and I thought, “Just in this case? Because I remember another recent case where you set out to prove a guy you didn’t like was the bad guy from the get-go…” I just have a difficult time buying this guy was ever good at being a cop before he retired.

I’m always torn between being happy when Andy shows up in these books and being annoyed, because he comes across so much more snarky and annoying in this series. Maybe that’s intentional, due to that being the way Corey sees Andy, and if that’s the case, then it’s well done by Rosenfelt. I did manage to get used to Fred Berman’s narration, which really threw me off at first, but that’s most likely because I couldn’t help but compare him to Grover Gardner, the narrator for the Andy Carpenter series. If you’re a fan of the Andy Carpenter series and wonder if you should read this, I’d say give the first book in the series a try, because (minor spoiler) a recurring character from the main series comes to an end in that book. Then you can decide for yourself whether to continue on, but the other 3 books in the series don’t contain any major developments for the main series. If you haven’t read any of the main series, don’t start here. But definitely do start on the Andy Carpenter series if you’re interested.

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Book Review: Best in Snow

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Best in Snow
Andy Carpenter #24
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Mystery

Finding a dead body in the snow might not have been so bad if it hadn’t led to Andy Carpenter being asked to defend the man accused of the murder. But it’s hard to say “no” to a friend, even a friend like Vince Sanders, the gruff newspaperman who can’t believe that his protégé would commit murder.

Is it weird that I struggle so much with the reviews for this series, not feeling like I have more to say than I said in every review before it, yet I don’t see that as a bad thing? And when I’m ready to listen to the next book, I’m excited and it feels a bit like coming home? The series is formulaic in a good way, but that makes it difficult to know what to say that isn’t the same as I always say. So here goes…Andy is delightfully sarcastic and funny; I laughed out loud a couple of times during this book. Andy’s team is fun and efficient; it’s always fun to see the Boobalah Brigade, though I feel like they weren’t quite as involved in this time as they have been in the past. I can’t remember the last time Andy wasn’t brought into a case by a dog (other than his own), so even that small break in formula was kind of nice. My favorite thing about this book does involve the “dog of the week” though, since someone besides Andy takes the dog in and the whole sequence of what happens is in turns hilarious and endearing. Grover Gardner never fails to do a wonderful job narrating, and if it’s not clear, I recommend this book (especially the audio) for fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas, as well as the books that precede it in the series (and probably all that follow it, but I’m still working my way through).

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Book Review: Luck and Judgement

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Luck and Judgement
DC Smith #3
by Peter Grainger
read by Gildart Jackson

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Detective procedural, mystery

When a man disappears from an offshore gas platform, it’s unclear whether foul play was involved or not. DC Smith and his team’s investigation leads them to some seedy parts of their town and involves some powerful people.

I think this was my favorite of the series so far, even if it did involve some very questionable elements, from a “married singles” club to DC’s own decision to bend the rules (quite a bit, really) for a matter unrelated to the case. Plus, the case was left a bit dangling at the end, but it’s really just a lack of a satisfying resolution. For all intents and purposes, we have an ending, just maybe not one we’d like. I don’t know if this will be continued in future books, but I could see it as a possibility, since cases from previous books are brought up here and there in this book as well.

DC is such a nuanced character, it’s difficult to get a handle on him. But I mean that in a good way. He feels a lot more realistic that way. I enjoy his ribbing with Waters yet also being stern when needed. And him being understanding with a new member of his team that has had a bit of a colorful and rough background. And the further crumbs we get about his history before the start of the series—both about his late wife and the difficult, high-profile case that apparently had some issues—continue to intrigue. Gildart Jackson unsurprisingly does a great job as narrator, bringing DC and all of the other characters to life. I recommend the book for fans of procedural crime dramas, especially with a seasoned detective and set in a small-town area of England, and I don’t think you’d really need to start at the beginning of the series.

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Book Review: Citizen K-9

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Citizen K-9
The K-Team #3
by David Rosenfelt
read by Fred Berman

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Mystery

The K Team is asked to choose a cold case to investigate for the Paterson police department, and both Corey Douglas and Laurie Collins immediately choose the disappearance of two people from their high school class after a high school reunion a few years back.

The idea of investigating a cold case was a nice different take on the mysteries in this overall series. The team here doesn’t know for sure whether they are investigating a double murder or a disappearance of some type, but the reader has more knowledge. I often don’t feel like the segments showing the reader scenes that the MC isn’t aware of (this happens in the main series as well) are particularly necessary—sometimes they can add suspense or help the reader keep the twisty conspiracy straight, but plenty of times I feel like they’re just extemporaneous. Here, though, they gave me insight that did affect my view of the mystery and led me to some theories of my own. On the other hand, they made me shake my head at the way the investigation went for a while. The team goes after a crime boss for a large chunk of the book, Laurie even saying that they’re sure he’s behind the disappearance; meanwhile, Corey says multiple times (in the narration) that it makes no sense for the crime boss to be behind it. It just made it feel like a large portion of the book was spinning wheels. Corey also tended to be repetitive in his sorting though the case in the narration, and early in the book, he made a list of this “6 stages of relationships” (or something like that), and frankly, they just made no sense.

I really hate that I’m basically just listening to these books to make sure I don’t miss any major developments that might affect the main series (see my review of The K-Team) and have a feeling of “hanging in there” until this 4-book arc is done and I can focus solely on the main series. I’m sure David Rosenfelt had a reason to write these books, and I’m sure he put a lot into them, just like every author does. But they just don’t really work for me. I’m not trying to compare Corey to Andy, but Corey is just similar enough that it’s difficult not to. And in that comparison, Corey falls short. If you’re a fan of the Andy Carpenter series and wonder if you should read this, I’d say this particular book could be passed on (Andy is in it a tiny bit but mostly just to complain and deliver a few one-liners—if I only had this view of him, I’d think he was a sarcastic jerk too). If you haven’t read any of the main series, don’t start here. But definitely do start on the Andy Carpenter series if you’re interested.

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Book Review: Sad Cypress

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Sad Cypress
Hercule Poirot #21
by Agatha Christie
read by David Suchet

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

This story has a different structure than the previous ones I’ve read, starting out in the courtroom with a woman on trial for murder. Then we see flashbacks to the events leading up to the death and Poirot’s investigation after. The courtroom scenes are shown from the perspective of the accused woman, and she gives nothing away in the narration. I made some assumptions right off the bat, but as the story unfolded, things became more muddled for me. I definitely didn’t guess the ending, but that never bothers me. Overall, I found the story engaging and the psychology involved well-written. Generally speaking, this was one of the better in the series for me. I still prefer Hugh Fraser’s narration to David Suchet’s, which I know might be weird, since David Suchet is well-known for portraying Poirot. His voice for Poirot in this audiobook left much to be desired, in my opinion, but it wasn’t bad overall.

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Book Review: Dog Eat Dog

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Dog Eat Dog
Andy Carpenter #23
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Mystery

When a stranger steps in to stop a dog from being abused and is then accused of a murdering two people in Maine, semi-retired defense attorney Andy Carpenter steps in to defend him. Anyone who will stand up for a dog can’t be all bad, can he?

A chance of scenery can be nice, and this time we go from New Jersey to Maine. Fortunately, most of the regular characters are still part of the story, so we’re not missing out on any of what makes these books great. But it breathes a little life into the series after so many books, with a chance for new scenery, courtroom characters, and locals. The lawyer that Andy partners with to be able to practice in Maine and Andy’s sudden obsession with lobster rolls were two of my favorite things about this books. The mystery was a good one, though not necessarily a stand-out for me. I felt like the ending was a little sudden and had a difficult time remembering it very well by a few days later. But the overall story is still good, and the narration is as enjoyable as ever. Even if I never listen to another Andy Carpenter book (not that I ever plan to stop), Grover Gardner would still forever be the voice of Andy in my head. If it’s not clear, I recommend this book (especially the audio) for fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas, as well as the books that precede it in the series (and probably all that follow it, but I’m still working my way through).

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Book Review: But for the Grace

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But for the Grace
DC Smith #2
by Peter Grainger
read by Gildart Jackson

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Detective procedural, mystery

When the resident of a care home dies from a heroine overdose, DC Smith sets out to figure out whether it was murder, suicide…or something in between.

I liked this story overall, with the slower pace, lack of unnecessary flash and fluff, and Smith matching wits with an adversary. Part of what has made this series intriguing to me is the hints dropped here and there that there was a major case in DC’s past that didn’t go well. The shadow hangs over him, along with the shadow of his (somewhat?) recently deceased wife, and I appreciate the little crumbs of both of these situations. Though I’m not sure I quite have a handle on DC yet, that might just be because I made assumptions about him from the beginning based on tropes, and he’s turning out to be more unique than that. I don’t know if the author, then, isn’t putting him across clearly or if it’s my own issue.

I found myself getting lost here or there, either not remembering who some characters were and wishing for a reminder or sometimes due to the Britishness of the story. But overall, this was another good read/listen, and Gildart Jackson unsurprisingly does a great job as narrator. I recommend it for fans of procedural crime dramas, especially with a seasoned detective and set in a small-town area of England.

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