What We Thought: Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy

Mystery Readers

October 14, 2015

Monkeewrench

P.J. Tracy

Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy

All readers enthusiastically endorsed Monkeewrench. They agreed that the story was a real page turner and a great first book in a series by the mother- daughter writing team P.J. and Traci Lambrecht. Readers commented that the numerous characters were all essential to the story. It was worth their while to read through the extensive backgrounds to understand how the characters fit into the storyline. Readers said that the detailed descriptions increased their emotional connection to the characters and encouraged them to keep on reading to the shocking conclusion which no one saw coming. 

Readers decided that the graphic and ingenious details of the murders were kept to a minimum so that the characters were the primary focus of the storyline. The authors crafted a plot that had plenty of twists and turns to make people think about the next heart stopping event. They wove the characters into the plot and a satisfying read for everyone. The writing was so well done that no one had anything to criticize. They said that all of the violence was tucked safely inside a book so they didn’t have to worry about reality. Everyone said that they would read more books by the authors and looked forward to the next title in the series, Live Bait in the hope that some of the characters would have continued storylines.   

In this February 2, 2007 interview by Therese Walsh P.J. Tracy talks about her characters.

Question: How do you create your characters? Do any of the characters feel like they “belong” to one of you over the other? Who are your favorites? 

TL: They’re all a slapped-together mess of reality, imagination, and observation. We both have

always paid very close attention to the way people behave, and often the odd gesture or comment of a stranger sends our minds spooling off in all different directions. But generally, we’d like to know in real life or have over for a dinner party. And both our footprints are all on all of the players—they are all truly collaborative figments of our collective imagination. And I don’t think either of us could pick a favorite—that would be like singling out a favorite child.

What We Thought: Notorious by Allison Brennan

Mystery Readers

September 9, 2015

Notorious

by Allison Brennan

“Notorious weaves through two murders and a suicide investigation. It has all the twists and turns that you look for in a crime/thriller novel.” -- Goodreads, Britney

The first book features investigative reporter Maxine "Max" Revere and her cable television show about solving cold cases. She uses unorthodox methods in her determined search for truth and justice for the victim and his/her family and friends. She doesn’t sensationalize crimes, but presents them in a straightforward manner. She is persistent and follows her instincts despite obstacles. Readers admired her standards, treating everyone the same. If someone deserved her respect, she gave it to them. If someone was nasty, she gave it right back in kind.

Book club members engaged in a spirited discussion of the characters and their motives. This discussion was very serious with everyone participating. Readers focused on Max Revere’s motivation for her chosen career. It was decided that the mystery of her own wealthy family background and direct experiences with crime influenced her personality and determination. She stayed away from her hometown and family members and only interacted with them when absolutely necessary. She had better relationships with her employees and certain law enforcement officers, but occasionally there were problems as well. Everything was black or white with no gray areas for her and she set her own boundaries.

The central issue with Max is the mystery of her mother and abandonment. Readers expected that more will be revealed in subsequent books. (Notorious is followed by Compulsion.)

Log in to NoveList with your Holmes Public Library card number to see a list of read-alike suggestions if you like the Max Revere series by Allison Brennan. Or come in to the library and ask us for the list!

Please add to the discussion in the comments below!

What We Thought: Our Lady of Immaculate Deception (or Foxy Roxy) by Nancy Martin

Mystery Readers Book Club

June 24, 2015

Our Lady of Immaculate Deception

by Nancy Martin

“I mean, I know you better than most, Roxy. You’ve got a bad history too. History that’s really screwed with your head. It makes you do the stuff you do. It makes you less than attractive, let’s put it that way.” Patrick Flynn talking to Roxy Abruzzo, p. 273.

Although readers said they liked this book, the discussion began with book titles they liked better than this one. They felt that the story was a lighter mystery than other selections in our Mystery Book Club. They wanted more developed characters and back history of their involvement with each other. They especially wanted more connections between Sage, Roxy’s daughter, and Arden, daughter of wealthy Julius Hyde, recently murdered. Readers agreed that the most likable characters were Roxy’s sidekick Nooch; her long-time ex -- professional chef and biker Patrick Flynn; and Rooney, her pit bull.

Some readers didn’t like Roxy’s promiscuous behavior. They thought it was unbecoming of her as a role model to her teenage daughter Sage. It was noted that she did have a moral code of her own, never knowingly sleeping with a married man. Others liked her and said her behavior was important because she acted like a man in the rough and tumble architectural salvage business. She was outspoken and independent, and said what’s on her mind and did what she wanted regardless of the consequences.

Pittsburgh is the perfect setting for this mystery involving the international trade in stolen antiquities and local mafia characters, some of which are Roxy’s relatives. Author Nancy Martin has written an interesting story with a sense of mystery and humor that readers said reminded them of the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. When the book ended, it was fast and surprising, but still satisfying.

Readers were served cannoli and lemoncello cookies while discussing a quote by Hank Phillippi Ryan in relation to Martin’s book. “I remember Lee Child said his father told him: readers want something new-but they want it to be exactly the same as they already like.”

Have you read Our Lady of Immaculate Deception, now retitled Foxy Roxy? What about the second book in the series, Sticky Fingers? Please share your thoughts in the comments! You don't have to be part of the group already to join the discussion!

What We Thought: Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva

Mystery Reader

May 2015

Rogue Island

by Bruce DeSilva

The mean streets of the Mount Hope section of Providence, Rhode Island evoke a strong sense of place. Readers easily visualized the apartments and businesses of the area. The description of the fires and deadly results of the arsonist deeds affected our readers. Book club members like a good mystery and gritty characters but draw the line on the murder of children and attacks on fire fighters. 

Liam Mulligan, investigative reporter, uses his sarcasm and dark view of everything to write stories that accurately represent his neighborhood and the politics of it along with a criminal element that invades Rhode Island society. Sometimes Mulligan must cross the line to save his friends and keep himself out of trouble. He usually succeeds but there are exceptions.

Although the story is compelling with danger around every corner, readers appreciated the lighter touches of the editor’s insistence on a dog story which turned out to be just as lame as Mulligan had said. Most of the female characters were likeable in their own quirky ways, but everyone had it in for Dorcas, the not yet divorced ex-wife. The nicknames Mulligan gave everyone helped readers keep track of the characters, “Thanks-Dad”.

All agreed that the book ended abruptly and left some loose ends that needed tidying. Perhaps relationships will be dealt with in DeSilva’s second book, Cliff Walk. Readers were surprised that drinking was more emphasized than smoking considering the newspaper culture of hard drinking and hard living. The group ended the discussion with an endorsement of the positive side of Rhode Island and its cultural advantages.

What We Thought: The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

The Other Woman

by Hank Phillippi Ryan

“Everybody, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” Robert Louis Stevenson

The Other Woman is an intricately plotted story of suspense written by bestselling award-winner Hank Phillippi Ryan. The theme of the first year of the Holmes Mystery Readers Book Club is "First in a Series," and in The Other Woman, heroine Jane Ryland makes her debut as a high-profile television reporter who has lost her job and now works for a Boston newspaper.

The time flew by with a very lively discussion of the characters with plot twists and turns making the discussion move along just as speedily as the writing style of the author. Members felt that Ryan’s background as a television investigative reporter and journalist drove the pace of her story. Although some readers were not very interested in the details of a political campaign they did pay attention to the scandals that were generated by many of the characters as a result of typical political intrigue. They were especially interested in the lights-out scene during an important fund raising event. The bridge killer red herring initiated a discussion of Boston bridges and descriptions of their favorites. The comment was made that “It’s tough to kill people.”

Some readers thought that the characters of adult children and spurned girl friends were confusing and needed more elaboration to set them apart from each other. Readers also said that  the character of Owen Lassiter, a candidate for governor seemed quite naïve for a current-day, experienced campaigner and perhaps should have disclosed more of his background to avert the scandal  surrounding his family and stop the tragedy resulting from it.

This discussion of The Other Woman was very productive with everyone participating with fascinating opinions and ready to read the sequels; The Wrong Girl and Truth Be Told to find out more about the blossoming romance between Jane and Boston Police Detective Jake Brogan.

What We Thought: Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger

Beautiful Lies

by Lisa Unger

November 13, 2014

Beautiful Lies is a character driven fast paced psychological thriller with a storyline about how the consequences of a good deed reveals the sad truth of  the early life of Ridley Jones, the main character. Ridley’s story is revealed with the help of a new neighbor, Jake. He enters her life at a time when she has questions about a long term relationship with a former boyfriend and family friend, Zack

The focus of the story is about child abuse and rescue, adoption, and the unintended consequences of good intentions gone badly. Family secrets spiral out of control to reveal concealed truths about parents, siblings, her Uncle Max, family friends, biological and adoptive parents, and lost children. Events in the story are realistic and readers said that the family dynamics of adoption likely could have happened. Ridley was not close to her mother but was indulged by her rich Uncle Max. Her father was supportive of her and her brother Ace was a lost soul addicted to drugs.

Another theme was that of choice and how important freedom was to Ridley. She was determined to uncover the true relationships of her adoptive and biological families and her place in both. Upstairs neighbor Jake is determined to find out about his early life and how both of them are connected to each other.

Readers liked the conversational style of the story along with the first-person narration. Book club members agreed that issues about adoption raised in the story were less likely to be the same in the younger generation today. This led to a discussion of how readers raised their own children. Children are raised in a more permissive society, and secrecy -- although it surely exists -- is not as prevalent as in previous generations. Open adoption and the Safe Haven law were discussed as examples.

Readers are ready to read Sliver of Truth, the next book in the Ridley Jones series.

What We Thought: Alone by Lisa Gardner

Alone by Lisa Gardner

Alone is a classic mystery and psychological thriller with a complex storyline that requires a reader’s close attention to detail in order to follow the action and discover the answer to what really happened on the night in Boston’s Back Bay when a police sniper shot and killed a husband who appeared to be threatening his wife and young son with a gun. Catherine Gagnon, the dead husband’s wife and alleged victim, was able to insinuate herself into the life of Bobby Dodge of the Massachusetts State Police and wreak havoc with his career and  relationships. 

Although everything was resolved by the end of the book, readers were surprised by the convoluted lives of characters who were introduced along the way. Did Catherine set up Bobby and was she responsible for murder? Why was a Judge involving himself in a murder investigation? Why was the doctor and the ADA murdered? What does a puppy have to do with a serial killer? This book prompted a lot of discussion about the motives and backgrounds of all of the main characters. Survivor’s guilt was definitely a theme that was discussed as a motive of more than one character; Bobby alone on the roof, Catherine alone in her captivity and Richard, the serial killer alone in solitary confinement. Members realized that Catherine may not be finished with her mayhem and plan to read more about her in Gardner’s second book, Hide.

Readers thoroughly enjoyed the author’s first book in her D.D. Warren series, and look forward to the next meeting and discussion of Vanished, the first book in the Nick Heller series by Joseph Finder.