4 stars out of 5
X marks the spot, I must confess, where I became a teeny bit happy that there are only two letters left in the alphabet. Don't get me wrong, though; this is nowhere near a bad book - nor is any of the others in this series (I've devoured every single one and by now, P.I. Kinsey Millhone feels like a good friend). But early on in this one, precious little action and endless descriptions of who had what for dinner, what clothes who wore but shouldn't have and how many complimentary envelopes were in a hotel desk drawer rendered me almost as bored as Kinsey was on one of her stakeouts (or so she said).
The book begins as Kinsey takes on a client who's looking to be reunited with a son she gave up for adoption years ago. At the same time, Kinsey's been asked by the widow of a P.I. who was killed off in an earlier book (nope, won't tell), to help sort through her late husband's boxes of papers because an IRS guy is threatening an audit. When it turns out the client may not be totally on the up-an-up - and the late husband's papers turn into clues related to an old crime - Kinsey is off and running to find answers.
Lovable characters from past books get involved, of course - like octogenarian landlord Henry, his even older brother William and Henry's cantankerous cat Ed, who strayed into Henry's life in W is for Wasted. Adding to their woes is that their little part of California has been in the midst of a longstanding drought, and Henry is consumed with finding new ways to lower his water bill. Ever the consummate gentleman, he's also taken a shine to the elderly couple who moved in next door, readily offering assistance to the wife as she cares for her invalid husband.
The plot itself is both intricate and intriguing, and on the plus side, once I reached the 60% mark or so, the action started to heat up on all fronts and the ho-hum parts dwindled to a minimum. The primary whodunit was all but confirmed (the only thing remaining was the thrill of the chase, with Kinsey in the lead). The subplots began to take on new relevance, and from that point on I didn't put the book down till I reached the end.
X (A Kinsey Millhone Novel) by Sue Grafton (Marian Wood Books/Putnam, August 2015); 416 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Quick: When was the last time you found yourself rooting for the bad guy? It's hard not to do just that in this book, a Finalist for the 2015 Shamus Award for Best Indie P.I. Novel. I received a review copy at no cost from Netgalley, and it hooked me by the end of the first chapter and didn't let go till the end.
Finn Harding is a former private investigator who lost his license when he crossed a bit too far over the ethics line to suit the powers-that-be. He still plies his trade, but under the table; he's skilled at finding people who go to great lengths not to be found ("sort of like Death's GPS," as he puts it). Early on, it's clear that he won't hesitate to overlook ethics again if the money is right. But with an ex-wife with whom he shares custody of a young daughter and an aging but still feisty father, he's got a bit of a soft side that, when it kicks in, renders him vulnerable. His ability to shift easily from loving father to the dark side brought to my mind a line from from an old movie, book or TV show (so long ago I don't remember which), when someone described a gangster as having no heart. "Sure I've got one," came the retort. "It's right behind my shoulder holster."
Finn lives under the radar on a boat on the Ohio River in Cincinnati (I grew up not far from the Buckeye State's Queen City, so that added another bit of interest for me). He's also got a sense of humor that made me smile now and again, reminding me, at least at first, of another very likable crook - bookstore owner and professional thief Bernie Rhodenbarr of the Burgler Who series by Lawrence Block.
Here, Finn takes on a shady client who's keen on learning who's blackmailing him and is willing to pay top dollar to find out. Finn is successful and the client is pleased; normally, that's a good thing, but now the happy client dangles more cash for even more unsavory work. Finn agrees, and things turn deadly serious as he finds himself facing a possible future either rotting alive in jail or dead in the ground. The nonstop action moves from Ohio to a remote spot in Maine and back, ending with a major cliffhanger, presumably leading to a follow-up book (in fact, the author says just that in the acknowledgements it will be titled Scar Tissue. I'm looking forward to it!
The Shadow Broker by Trace Conger (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, August 2014); 298 pp.
4 stars out of 5
When I read that one of my favorite authors, Sara Paretsky, had a new installment of her series featuring private investigator V.I. Warshawski (Brush Back, released in July), I rushed over to Amazon.com to learn more. When I got there, a more unpleasant reality hit: How the bleep did I miss reading not just one, but the previous three?
No satisfactory answer turned up, but not wanting to tackle the most recent entry without reading what came before sent me hustling to get my hands on those, starting with this one (the 14th). I was a little worried that I wouldn't remember much, but almost immediately a couple of characters from past books -- notably Warshawski's elderly and very protective neighbor Mr. Contreras -- made an appearance and eased my mind.
One I don't recall is her niece, Petra - and quite honestly, she turned out to be so annoying that I'm hoping she'll find something to occupy her time halfway around the world and never be heard from again. The argumentative, petulant young wench added nothing of substance to the story that I could find. That, and a few more errors that I'd expect from a writer of this caliber (a woman frightened out of her wits described as having "blenched," for instance) are the primary reasons for knocking my expected 5-star rating down by one.
Do not, however, take that to mean I didn't enjoy this book; as long as I skimmed over Petra's parts (thus keeping in check my intense desire to smack her upside the head), I found it really hard to put down and finished it in record time.
Actually, it was Petra who got the whole thing rolling (though not in a good way); her aunt was trying to keep tabs on her after she took a job at an artsy, sleezy club in Chicago. A woman known as the Body Artist was performing; totally unclothed except for a tiny G-string and layers of paint, her "art" is inviting audience members to paint her body. After watching a young woman paint a winged design, Iraq war vet Chad Vishneski goes ballistic. A couple of days later, the young woman is murdered, dying in Warshawski's arms, in fact - and the vet, who is suffering from PTSD, is the prime suspect.
His parents believe he's innocent, as parents are wont to believe, and they ask Warshawski to clear his name. Since there are a number of inconsistencies and unanswered questions (what, for instance, do the strings of numbers mean that one rather nasty audience member regularly paints on the Body Artist's back?), Warshawski agrees to take the case. Almost immediately, the plot thickens; the Body Artist pulls a disappearing act, it comes to light that the young vet brought back secrets with him from Iraq that some very bad people don't want revealed and Warshawski finds her own life in danger.
Body Work by Sara Paretsky (Putnam Adult, August 2010); 464 pp.
4 stars out of 5
This is the second full book in the author's series featuring retired college professor turned private investigator Ray Courage (a novella kicks the whole thing off). Like the others, I received it free in exchange for an unbiased review.
Whether that's entirely possible is a matter of debate in my mind; you see, I enjoyed the novella and first novel (Courage Matters) immensely. So when I opened this one, it was with every expectation that I'd enjoy it as well. Whether or not that had any influence on how much I liked this one I'm not sure; I do know it held my interest enough that I plowed through it almost nonstop (in fairness, that's not too hard since it comes in at just 216 pages).
About 13 years earlier, Ray lost his beloved wife Pam in an automobile crash that officially was deemed a horrific accident. In the morning of that day, the two had a nasty argument that resulted in her storming out of the house in an uncharacteristic fit of anger (exacerbating, needless to say, Ray's feelings of sadness and guilt). But now, out of the blue, he receives a couple of email messages from someone who claims to be Pam. Worse, the sender accuses him of murdering her and threatens to get payback all these years later. Could it be, Ray wonders, that she didn't die in the accident after all? And if she's still alive, could she really hate him that much - especially since he had nothing to do with her death?
But then the local police get wind of the emails (thanks to an alert from "Pam"), and a detective starts digging through the years-ago car crash and decides to reopen Pam's case to determine if the accident was, in fact, murder. It doesn't take long, as you might suspect, for Ray to become a person of interest.
As if trying to avoid the clutches of the police weren't enough, it seems other bad guys are monitoring everything Ray says and does and where he goes - possibly in an attempt to make sure he's charged with Pam's murder and possibly for other, darker reasons. Suffice it to say from then on there's plenty of action as Ray and his sidekick Rubia, a former student from his college days who runs a nonprofit to help troubled youth), try to ferret out the truth about what happened to Pam.
Things get a bit hectic over the last few chapters (coming close to exceeding the realm of possibility, especially for a guy who doesn't spend a lot of time at the gym), but everything works out in the end (sorry, but I don't consider it a spoiler to reveal that the hero of an ongoing series survives). I assume (make that hope) there'll be a new adventure coming down the road - and for sure I'll be wanting to get my hands on it.
Courage Resurrected by R. Scott Mackey (Big Hound Publishing, April 2015); 216 pp.
5 stars out of 5
When author Scott Mackey asked if I'd be willing to read this book (and the follow-up, Courage Resurrected) in exchange for reviews, I did what I always do with such requests: Held off responding. My worst nightmare, you see, is having to give a less-than-favorable review (which more often than not happens as a result of less-than-impeccable grammar and punctuation). But being a writer (albeit strictly nonfiction) and professional copy editor myself, neither am I willing to pull any punches. After I'd read the description half a dozen or so times, though, it sounded right up my alley and I said to myself (and the author) what the heck - bring 'em on. Now that I've plowed through this one almost nonstop, I assure you my sleep has been quite peaceful.
At the heart of it all is Ray Courage, retired from college professorial duties in Sacramento, California. He lost his beloved wife in an accident years ago, their daughter is on her own and he's decided on a second career as a private investigator. Soon after he hangs out his shingle, he gets a visit from former main squeeze Jill Stroud (the two were together for a couple of years after Ray's wife died). Now, she's asking Ray to do some sleuthing on behalf of her father, filthy rich investment broker Lionel. Seeing Jill again brings back some good memories, and more to the point, Ray's hope, however faint, of reconnecting with his former love - so he somewhat reluctantly agrees.
Something isn't quite right with Daddy, Jill explains, adding that the man - not known for his warm fuzzy demeanor - won't be happy that she, nor Ray, is meddling in his affairs. She was right on the money, but Ray ends up determined to keep digging despite Daddy's hostility and warnings to back off. When one person close to Daddy is murdered, Ray decides to keep plugging away. When a second body turns up, his determination to see it through intensifies (bolstered by an intensifying re-relationship with Jill). There are plenty of starts, stops, twists and turns throughout, and while I admit to having an inkling of whodunit about three-quarters of the way through, the ending was a bit of a surprise.
As I read, I kept getting flashbacks of sorts, finally realizing that Ray (and his former student and P.I. buddy Rubia) remind me of characters from somewhere else. Finally, I got my "aha" moment: It's Bernie Rhodenbarr, the Manhattan bookstore owner and occasional thief and his buddy Carolyn; they're impossible not to love in Lawrence Block's wonderful The Burglar Who series (I've devoured every single one). Unlike Bernie, Ray doesn't have sticky fingers (as far as I can tell, he's honest as the day is long) and Rubia and Carolyn don't share the same sexual preferences, but the personalities and the author's style of writing - including touches of humor here and there - seem quite similar.
BTW, for those who want to start at the beginning, there's an 85-page short story titled "Courage Begins: A Ray Courage Mystery Novella" that kicks off this series. It's not a prerequisite to this full novel, which stands alone just fine, thank you very much, but since the author was kind enough to send it to me, I zipped through it before moving to the main attraction. It's well done and provides a good introduction to the character, who is undertaking an "internship" before launching his own P.I. firm, so you may want to give it a go first. The only question I had when I finished was how a college professor with his background would ever, in a million years, come up with the notion of becoming an investigator. Well guess what? The answer turned up in this book.
The ending of this one also left the door open to plenty of possibilities for Ray's new career, too, so now I'm off and running toward Courage Resurrected. Stay tuned!
Courage Matters by Scott Mackey (Big Hound Publishing, February 2014); 233 pp.
X marks the spot, I must confess, where I became a teeny bit happy that there are only two letters left in the alphabet. Don't get me wrong, though; this is nowhere near a bad book - nor is any of the others in this series (I've devoured every single one and by now, P.I. Kinsey Millhone feels like a good friend). But early on in this one, precious little action and endless descriptions of who had what for dinner, what clothes who wore but shouldn't have and how many complimentary envelopes were in a hotel desk drawer rendered me almost as bored as Kinsey was on one of her stakeouts (or so she said). 
