Deadly Legacy (A Carmedy & Garrett Mystery) by Alison Bruce

Published by Imajin Books
Reviewed for Imajin Books from 1st edition ebook

An intricate weaving of a celebration of life and the results of sudden death, this book with its intriguing characters is sure to pull the reader in like a whirlpool. With ingenious plotting, prickly relationships, futuristic technology and bodies dropping like flies, Alison Bruce has a knack for descriptive narrative that breathes life right into the scene. The landscape, streets, murder scenes and characters rich and poor, are all clearly established in the mind. Set in the winter of 2018, there is plenty of opportunity the author to play with technological possibilities.

From the opening scene in a cold muddy field with a rookie cop gathering evidence from the drugged vicious rape of a young girl in the hope of saving her life, to the sudden accidental death of Joe Garrett, the very popular retired ex-cop turned private investigator, and coincidentally the father of Kate, the rookie cop who was working in that muddy field, the story appears to go in many directions, but does it really?

It's been a very difficult and emotional day for Kate and there are many decisions for her to make, not the least of which is whether to remain with the police force or to take over her father's business, as his will splits ownership between Kate and Jake Carmedy, Joe's business partner. Unfortunately, Kate and Jake do not get along, but a hidden undercurrent they aren't aware of seems to promise a hot romance in the future. In the meantime Kate is going to have to take over the current case Joe was working on, as well as pursuing the police case of the now declared murdered girl.

Alison Bruce's writing almost takes on a life of its own as it weaves in and out of these relationships and cases. The murdered girl died of prescription drugs, Joe died from a car accident, while following a man for his protection, a man who claimed he had been threatened. But why was this man threatened? It didn't make sense. Yet bodies and coincidences begin to pile up even while both police and family friends are mourning Joe's death.

When do coincidences become conspiracies? Joe's death seems unrelated, but why do the murders appear to have commonalities? The action is rapid-paced, the suspects are many and unusual, and the story is compelling as it gets deeper into the mystery. It all comes down to a perfectly Agatha Christie-esque finish with all suspects in one room. Yet we are left with the question, are Kate and Jake going to be able to put aside their antagonism? Will they? won't they? Can they make this partnership work? With the ultimately odd backdrop of the Santa Claus parade going by, surely anything can happen!

Dead of Knight - A Jack Staal Mystery by William R. Potter

Reviewed for Review the Book
Published by RealTime Publishing

This psychological thriller was of special interest to me because a lot of the action centered around the area where I grew up, Vancouver and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. According to the cover blurb, Canadian author William R. Potter began this book in 2002, put the book on hold, and after completing other work, returned to Dead of Knight. I for one, am very glad he did.

A descriptive book, it takes place in the fictional town of Hanson in British Columbia. The book begins with a journey into the mind of a psychotic murderer, nick-named the Birthday Boy, because his victims were murdered on their birthdays. He sees himself as a hero; he is currently Tyro, training to become what he perceives to be a super hero who will be Damian Knight, Soldier of Justice. He believes he is on the same side as the law. The character is well-defined, as is the character of Jack Staal, the detective who becomes Knight's focused nemesis.

The story is also a police procedural that doesn't always follow procedure, often a sign of office politics versus either the very caring or the corrupt. Jack Staal is one of the caring, but he is fraught with demons of past cases. Some might call him flawed, others a hero. No matter, this is one man who is determined to stop Damian Knight, the psycho-serial killer with a mission. But what is the mission? How do the murders connect?

Jack and his group of allies on the police force must buck authority to bring in the "perp" as soon as possible, while the authorized group bungle and follow wrong leads, rumours abound. This is a very satisfying thriller, complete with background descriptions of what has led to this killing spree, internal strife in the police department, a vendetta against Jack Staal by Damian Knight when he thinks he is getting too close to solving who Damian Knight is, false leads, taunting hints left for Jack, death and injury. The methods of putting the pieces together is compelling. The plot was well thought out, played out with passion and resolve. A complex and taut story that kept my attention throughout. Written for mature readers.

Exit Music by Ian Rankin

I was very interested in reading this book because I had heard so much about the author and had never read one of his books before, not realizing that would make it difficult to review this as part of a series, so I will review it as a stand-alone. 

The final in a long-running series, this book was entertaining, the characters full-fledged and mostly long established.  Ian Rankin handles his characters well, the interaction is so natural - fun and serious by turns. There is the bull-headed terrier DI John Rebus, 10 days from retirement, fond of old movies and music who likes to test his young assistant on actors and musicians of decades past; DS Siobhan Clarke, his well-trained assistant who proves herself as both faithful and extremely capable; the straight-up newbie Todd Goodyear, and the two DCs assigned to Rebus, Colin  Tibbet and Phyllida Hawes. This comprises the core group under DCI Macrae. Excellent police procedural and team play.

Rankin's portrayal of the murdered expatriated but acclaimed Russian poet rings true.  With a group of Russian businessmen in town, could this be political?  Then one murder becomes two, with a slight connection between the victims. With tenuous connections, many red herrings and lies, the case quickly escalates into a masterful puzzle, pitting Rebus and Clarke first against DCI Macrae and later against each other.  His old nemesis "Big Ger" Cafferty may or may not be involved.  This interplay of characters engenders an almost family feeling, as though the past is a part of the present. It also makes for a fascinating ride and draws the reader into the "family".

When the case is taken over by the SCD (SCDEA, Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency), and then by DI Derek Starr, I felt the anger along with the rest of the original investigators. With Rebus removed from the case, Clarke proves her mettle and capabilities.  I was a little disappointed toward the end, probably mostly on behalf of John Rebus, but also touched.  A fit end to a long-standing series. 

But, fear not, fans of Rankin. He will be with us for a long time yet, and he currently has his latest book "Doors Open" released as of this month. Whether this is a stand-alone or the beginning of another series I was unable to find out but I as a new fan will be looking up some of the earlier Rebus books, and following future books.

Justice Denied by J.A. Jance

Originally posted July 20, 2007

Be sure to read the Prologue which starts off like a shot and grabs you from the first sentence. I found this book to hold my attention from beginning to end with no flagging of interest. J.A. Jance lets you pick up where you left off if you have been reading the series. However, the book does not constantly dredge up superfluous references to what has happened before. I have only read one of this series in the past, "Failure to Appear", and was pleased to learn more about the continuing characters.

I found the book enjoyable, which follows a change in the hero (J.P. Beaumont)'s life and circumstances. A lot of the story is written through dialogue, which I found interesting and more personal. This gives the reader a chance to view the thought processes and workings involved in solving the crime. It is always fun to see the use of very current news and technology involved in these novels. One would almost suspect the author saves some space in the writing to insert the most up-to-date news in the book. The story itself goes in several interlocking directions and although there are a few constants in the story that appear to give away the ending, there are still surprises in store.

There were a lot of different names mentioned throughout because of the scope of the mystery, which was a bit distracting at times, but I learned a lot from the book. I do like mystery books that give you insight into other areas, in this case in the psyche. I would say this book runs the gamut of genres from cozy to police procedural, including some humour. I definitely liked this book and will be looking for more books by Jance in the future.

The Burnt House by Faye Kellerman

Originally posted Dec. 5, 2008

Literally starts with a bang
The Burnt House was a great read. Decker & Lazarus, long-time working duo of the series quickly become old friends and acquaintances to this first time reader. The book is so well-written, combining police procedure with family life, that I felt completely at home with the characters.

The story starts off with a literal BANG!! as a commuter plane crashes into an apartment building. So many twists and turns begin when a search for the remains of one flight attendant purported to have been on the plane, becomes more complex with the appearance of another body in the rubble. Police procedure and how their families must cope became more real to me in this book than similar books I have read in the past. Just when I thought I had it all figured out (as did the team of investigators), it spun around in a completely different direction. I found the book at once believable yet surprising, and intricately woven. I am certainly going to search out more of the many earlier books featuring this duo.