ONE LAST KILL

4 stars

It's hard to believe this is the 10th appearance by Seattle Police Department cold case detective Tracy Crosswhite - especially, perhaps, since it seems over the years her actions, even when she was in the right, have alienated just about everybody around her except a couple of loyal former partners, her husband Dan and their daughter Daniella. In this one, though, she gains at least one ally (or comes as close as she can given their former misgivings - and no, I'm not gonna tell).

This time out, Tracy - the sole member of the cold case task force - is taking another look at the so-called Route 99 serial killer, whose spree inexplicably stopped after 13 victims around the mid-1990s. The police chief, who shall we say is not a Tracy fan, assigns Tracy's old nemisis, now Captain Johnny Nolasco, to work with her instead of one of her former partners. Chapters shift from the events and investigation of the 1990s to the present. Back then, five potential suspects were identified; but once the killing stopped, so did the investigation.

It makes sense, then, to re-look at those who remain alive. In fact, some new evidence leads to a conclusion - but one with which Tracy isn't totally comfortable. Rather quickly, it becomes pretty clear her instincts are on the money, but that doesn't mean she and Nolasco will close the case - on which Nolasco worked 25 years ago - any time soon. In fact, some very powerful people are standing squarely in the way, desperate to protect secrets they still plan to take with them to their graves. And if the killer is still out there, how will he or she react to the renewed effort to bring closure to the victims' families?

It's another fast-paced adventure that series fans won't want to miss (although I admit to growing a bit weary of the near-constant emphasis on who feels wronged by Tracy and still carries a grudge). But I enjoyed it all the same, even to the point of taking it to bed with me to finish (something I rarely do). I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy, and now, as always, I'm looking forward to the next one.

One Last Kill by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer, October 2023); 351 pp.

DREAMBOUND

5 stars out of 5

When I started this book, my first thought was that believability was going to be stretched beyond the limit - and I was spot on. That said, count me as one who took a deep breath (make that two or three) and decided to go along for the ride.
 

And what a ride it is! Part Peter Pan, part Harry Potter, part Narnia and all fantasy with roots in reality, it really blew me away. One big reason is the unique presentation: Written as a cleverly composed compilation of notes, interviews, emails, book excerpts and other interactions between Bryon and other characters, it's far from any of the standard writing styles common to most books. Basically, it follows the frantic attempts of successful writer/reporter Byron James (nee Kidd) to find his 12-year-old daughter Liza. The girl, it seems, left a note, meaningfully stashed in her favorite fantasy book, to inform her parents that she was leaving home to find her way to "the end of the world." Byron and his wife Val are devastated, of course, but Bryan - knowing that several other children have gone missing in similar fashion and never been found - takes it to a whole new level by vowing to find her and bring her back.

Not a little of his intensity is born of guilt; he blames himself for failing to give Liza the attention she deserved and not supporting her strong beliefs in the fantasy world she clearly loved. And, his attempts to win Val over to his assertion that Liza is still alive fall mostly on deaf ears; separated from Byron and in therapy after Liza's disappearance six months earlier, she's struggling to come to terms with her grief and isn't inclined to drag things out any longer. And that brings up another point: while Bryon's dogged determination to find Liza is commendable, he's not the most lovable of heroes. Put another way, his controlling, misogynistic attitudes make it easy to see why he no longer has a wife and daughter. Still, there remains a clear and present danger to Liza - and there are some signs that he's trying for an attitude adjustment - so (insert a couple more deep breaths here) I gave him a pass.

Early on, Bryon concludes that the author of Liza's favorite books, Annabelle Tobin, is central to the disappearance. The wildly popular series has spawned a huge following, right down to an annual event similar to Comic Con. Now, all those fans are clammoring for the sixth, and final book, to be completed; but so far, Annabelle's promises to produce are empty and the author has become a virtual recluse. Just to land a meeting with her, then, is the first significant hurdle Bryon must overcome. The rest of the story follows Byron's progress - complete with gains, setbacks and near disasters - as he tries to follow the path Liza took to get wherever she went and, hopefully, find that she's still alive, able and willing to come back home. Loved it - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the privilege of reading and reviewing a pre-release copy.

Dreambound by Dan Frey (Del Rey, September 2023); 400 pp.

12 MONTHS TO LIVE

5 stars out of 5

Well, it ain't the cheeriest of stories: hard-driving defense attorney and former NYPD officer Jane Smith has no shortage of enemies, any one of whom is more than capable of taking her down at any given moment. Should they miss, though, her terminal cancer will finish her off.

Jane's client, wealthy ne'er-do-well Rob Jacobson, is on trial for the murder of an entire family - dad, mom and daughter. Her investigative partner, Jimmy Cunniff, is an ex-cop as well, and the two are determined to get a favorable jury verdict for their client, no matter how unlikable he is (nor, for that matter, whether or not they believe in his innocence). In between, Jane - whose sister Brigid also is fighting terminal cancer - is training for a biathlon. At that point, I have to be honest and say that while I was impressed with both Jane and Jimmy, the thought of wading through a book that's bound to have an unhappy ending no matter which way the trial goes lost a bit of appeal. But I hung in there - if only because I'm a big fan of both the authors - and also honestly, the story itself began to draw me in. 

An old friend of Jimmy's asks Jane to investigate a similar case that happened about six months earlier - another dad, mom and daughter who were murdered in a similar fashion. Despite the (ahem) trials and tribulations in the courtroom, Jane decides to take on both cases; and that's when the action really starts to pick up. Apparently, someone out there isn't rooting for Jane and Jimmy to win; they're both threatened, and when they don't heed the warnings, the threats turn all too real. 

Scenes shift from the courtroom, where Jane mixes it up with a worthy legal adversary, to what's happening in her personal life to what turns up as Jimmy investigates the relationship, if any, between the two horrific murder cases. Of course, you won't get the details from me, but I will suggest reading it for yourself as I did - even if you're pretty sure in the end you won't like the ending - just because it's a doggone good book. And I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

12 Months to Live by James Patterson and Mike Lupika (Little, Brown and Co., September 2023); 401 pp.

THE RAGING STORM

4 stars

I've read and enjoyed the first two books in this series featuring North Devon Detective Matthew Venn, who's an intriguing character beyond the mind he uses to solve crimes. Not only did he leave the cult-like religion to which his parents adhere, but he found and married the love of his life, a pleasant and capable chap named Jonathan. This time around, he's back "home" in Greystone, the land of his childhood and still home to many of the super-religious Brethren - who basically tossed him from the fold in a very public manner years ago.

So it with a bit of trepidation that Matthew leaves Jonathan and heads to Scully Cove, where the naked body of a local man Jem Roscoe, who's gained fame as a sailor is found abandoned in a dinghy. Blood found in the bathroom of the place Jem was staying offered proof that the death was no accident. From that point on, Matthew and his team battle nasty weather, but while the suspect list grows almost by the day, the investigation turns up little to no real evidence. The story actually moves rather sluggishly - mirroring, perhaps, cases that happen in the real world - until closer to the end when a second dead body turns up. This one - an individual who is at least under consideration as the culprit - may well be a suicide; but Matthew's keen instincts, and the keen investigative skills of his team including Jen Rafferty and Ross May, prove otherwise.

Meantime, Matthew is a bit concerned about his relationship with Jonathan, who's clearly got something on his mind he wants to share, but the murders don't leave much down time for heart-to-hearts. By the end, though, both the murders and Jonathan's dilemma are known to readers, with one of them providing fodder for the next book. All in all, it's another enjoyable reading experience, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me once again with a pre-release copy for review.

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves (Minotaur Books, September 2023); 392 pp.

TO DIE FOR

4 stars out of 5

A cutthroat world of real estate agents and brokers? Who knew? In and of itself, that doesn't sound too exciting. And for the most part, it wasn't. But my lack of enthusiasm mostly happened because the plot seemed lacking in transition; while the technique of jumping from time period to time period - allowing readers to gradually see what happened before that led to the current situation - can be effective, it just didn't work well for me in this case (maybe my opinion was colored by the fact that the identity of the murder victim wasn't revealed until way past the halfway point). Besides that, it was a bit of a letdown to realize that real estate really wasn't the issue at all.

Despite the aforementioned caveats, it's an entertaining story that's worth reading. Once I got used to the presentation and the changes in perspectives no longer required me to go back to my notes to re-discover who was who, I became more involved in the details. Basically, Andi Hart is a realtor whose firm has landed a representation contract for a $50 million Malibu beach home - clearly a financial boon to the firm and the agent who reels in the buyer (to the tune of a cool million dollars - hardly chump change). Needless to say, competition turns ugly; the firm's agents and the husband-and-wife owners are, understandably, hot to trot to get it done and apparently willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

The story is complicated by the fact that each of the characters, Andi included, carries secrets they'd rather no one else knows. An already bad situation takes a turn for the worse when, during an posh post-staging party for brokers, a dead body turns up in the swimming pool. But who is the victim, what was the motive for the murder and - most important - who did the dirty deed? Little by little, readers get hints about both, until all is revealed at the end (which I'd describe as mostly satisfying). For the details, though, you'll have to read it for yourself; as for me, I'll just say thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read a pre-release copy.

To Die For by Lisa Gray (Thomas & Mercer, August 2023); 329 pp.

A KILLER IN THE FAMILY

4 stars out of 5

To be honest, this - the fifth book in a series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens - just didn't grab me. I'm pretty sure much of that comes because it's the first in the series that I've read, and what background was included wasn't sufficient for me to be able to really "connect" with any of the characters. That the story was very complex, with quite a few people to keep track of, made it even harder to process.

That said, once I got the lay of the land, so to speak - with burning pyres topped by women murdered by what appears to be a serial killer - the story itself kept me turning the pages (well, okay, thumbing the edge of my e-book reader). Before I get to the murders, though, I'll mention that the aforementioned Jonah is experiencing some kind of marital upset; that, too, most likely was an issue in a previous book or books. But here, too, there wasn't enough explanation for me to say, "Jonah, you're an idiot - grow up!" or sympathize with what he's going through.

The murders, though, are the primary focus. Finally, detectives catch a break when human blood is found at a partially burned pyre and it doesn't belong to the victim. At that point, they decide to try a new-to-them DNA search to identify the owner - or very close relatives of - the killer. About the same time, local resident and single mother Aisling Cooley sends her DNA to an ancestry website in hopes of finding the father who left with no warning when she was a teenager some 30 years earlier. She gets more than she bargained for when the police come to say that she's a close relative of the so-called "Bonfire Killer." But the only relatives she knows about are her father - who may not even be alive - and her two mostly-grown sons. Could one of them possibly be a murderer?

The rest of the book follows the complex investigation, with leads that turn out to be dead ends even though they have a DNA link. The ending didn't thrill me because I'm not a fan of cliffhangers - and there are two gobsmackers here. I'm pretty sure most fans of this series will enjoy this one, though, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to become one by way of a pre-release review copy.

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge (Random House, August 2023); 405 pp.

THE FURY

5 stars

Have mercy - he's gone and done it again! If this book by ubertalented Alex Michaelides doesn't cause a fury of excitement among readers, I'll eat your hat (I'll have to borrow it because mine got blown along with my mind even before I got to the end).

Narrated by Elliott Chase, one of the main characters, the story recounts what happened on Aura, a small Greek island owned by retired and highly acclaimed motion picture star Lana Farrar. She's invited a couple of friends plus her husband Jason and son Leo there for a weekend getaway - as much to get some much-needed sunshine for herself as anything else. But the get-together stretches the concept of "friends" to the limit and beyond; before the weekend is out, tragedy will strike one of them. Was it triggered by the winds - the menos, or "fury," for which the island is known - or was it a deliberate act by one (or more) of the humans? And if so, who's the culprit, and what on earth was the motive?

The details lie in Elliott's narration - expertly crafted by the author, of course - which takes readers back to view interactions among the characters that led up to the events of the day; nothing is as it seems (and maybe never was). Once I got the gist of what was happening, I was hooked; it was next to impossible to put the book down, and as I neared the end, I knew I'd never sleep unless and until I got there no matter how much beyond my regular bedtime that happened. The intricacy of the plot from the start to the "Oh, my gosh" finish is nothing short of awesome.

Since I'm duty-bound not to reveal too much, all I can say is it's a winner in my book, one I know will be at the top of my list of favorites for some time to come. Many, many thanks to the publisher for the privilege of reading a pre-release copy. Brilliant!

The Fury by Alex Michaelides (Celedon Books, January 2024); 320 pp.

LION & LAMB

4 stars out of 5

For the first several chapters of this book, I wasn't feeling the love; not for the plot, and certainly not between the main characters, Philadelphia-based private investigators Cooper Lamb and Veena Lion, a former prosecuting attorney. The vibe between the two PIs never really materialized for me (I mean, "Baaaa" and "Rowrr?" Really)?

But since an NFL team is involved (yeah, I'm a big pro football fan, even if "my" team is the Cleveland Browns), the plot started to connect with me around the 25-yard point and didn't let up till the end zone. That connection was made more of a trudge, I think, because much of the tale is told by way of "transcripts" of conversations recorded by Cooper or Veena (some illegally) and reports from their associates based on their research and investigations. It takes a while to adjust to that.

It begins when star Philly Eagles quarterback Archie Hughes is murdered the day before a big game - his Super Bowl ring removed from his finger and missing; his wife, a popular singer of the Beyonce mold, is the primary suspect. But neither Cooper nor Veena believe she did it, so they get on with trying to find out who else might have a motive to kill such a beloved person - especially on the eve of a game that could land the team in the upcoming Super Bowl and fill the streets of Philly with a joie de vivre that hasn't been felt for many years. 

Of course, getting to the truth may be more elusive than that next Super Bowl ring, but Cooper and Veena - coming from two different perspectives but after the same outcome - give it their best (right down to pledging to work together). It really is the thrill of the chase that drives the story and makes it fun - even if, like me, you really don't give a hoot how the relationship between Cooper and Veena turns out, or even if there is one.

The ending brings several surprises - a couple of them gobsmackers - making it a fun read. I'm sure I'm not alone in my assumption that this book is intended to be the start of a new series; if it is, count me as one who's eager to read the next installment. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to score a pre-release copy to read and review.

Lion & Lamb by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski (Little, Brown and Co., August 2023); 363 pp.