Tag: policeprocedural

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#BlogTour: Gone In The Storm by B.R. Spangler

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a murder mystery with one of the creepier killers I’ve read of late. For this blog tour, we’re looking at Gone In The Storm by B.R. Spangler.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (Hardcover.app / BookHype.com / Pagebound.co / TheStoryGraph.com / Goodreads.com) and YouTube:

Spangler Returns With One Of His Creepiest Killers Yet. Seriously, while Spangler has had some pretty creepy killers in this series in particular, this one is certainly near the top of that particular chart – and we see this from essentially the opening words of this text.

Maintaining the series cohesion, this tale is nearly as much about Detective Casey White’s personal and professional struggles as it is the “freak of the week” murder mystery, so even as White finds herself going up against one of her toughest investigations to date… she’s also encountering a lot of things that make her question a lot of things, and these ultimately could prove quite interesting indeed to the overall series – or even perhaps an ending at some point in the near-ish future?

For me, this particular tale, with its falsely accused high school student in particular, took a bit of a more personal tack, as I too ran into a somewhat similar situation at that age, so I know all too well what that feels like. In my personal case, while it wound up leading me to leave that school, it also wound up giving me everything I now have thanks to a very crucial several month period there between Fall 1998 and Summer 1999. I’ll simply note that I have – still, all these years later – a very nicely written apology letter from one of the leaders of those falsely accusing me back then and that because of all of that, I met my high school mentor, Tommy Harris, then of the now long defunct Bartow Academy in Cartersville, Georgia – and it was Mr. Harris who became so instrumental in helping shape truly the rest of my life. So while we don’t know how this situation affects the rest of this particular character’s life in the world Spangler has created here, I can state with confidence that such situations *can* wind up ultimately benefitting the falsely accused – even though the hell they go through in the short term can be quite immense, and Spangler does a great job of showing this.

Read this book because it really is an excellently written creepy murder mystery set, as always with this series, in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. And hey, maybe something in it will resonate with you too. Either way, make sure to leave a review once you’ve read it.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: Gone In The Storm by B.R. Spangler”

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#BookReview: The Hunt by Gregg Dunnett

Intriguing If A Touch Meandering. Will Be Divisive. I believe this is my first ever review with an asterisk on the rating as far as I’m concerned – because for the first time ever I may well come back and reduce it by a star, depending on how the next book plays out. My reasons here can’t be explained without delving into spoiler territory, but I’ve written about my thoughts on what happens here in other contexts in other places, so they are at least quantities that can be known – and which should be at least partially obvious to those who have read the book.

For what it is though, this book itself is truly a fun and intriguing look at a Sherlock-variant “super detective” who finds herself placed in a situation she refuses to believe is actually true. The story then meanders quite a bit before the big reveal, which then explains the meandering before leading into the final sequences here.

Even in the meandering, the plot is well paced with a lot going on in different areas around the globe, making this easily the most expansive book in the series to date. The characters all play their roles superbly, and the result is a book that reads at least as good as some of the movies that are of its ultimate form. But again, because of the nature of this book, there is really only so much that can be said without revealing spoilers of some form or another.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Hunt by Gregg Dunnett was originally written on January 10, 2025.

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#BookReview: So This Is Christmas by Kay Bratt

Yet Another Excellent Entry In Series. Seriously y’all, if you enjoy small towns and family drama, you’re going to love this entire series. So just go all the way back to Book 1, start there, and this one will be here when you get here.

Yet again with this series, Bratt bases the crime of the book on an all-too-real one, though as she notes in the author’s note, this particular one was *so* horrible that she just couldn’t bring herself to replicate certain elements of the real crime in her fictional world.

And that brings me to my one criticism of this particular book. Anyone that knows Bratt and follows her on social media, particularly her Facebook page, knows that she brings quite a bit of her own real world into her fiction, and there was one particular line that while meant as fiction and from a character’s perspective… there are just too many instances of the real world blending into the fictional for this line not to be addressed in my review, particularly since, as I told Bratt personally, I tend to call such bullshit lines out any *other* time I see them, and I do try my best to approach every book and every author in the same manner, *no matter what*. Indeed, the very line in question references by name and detail an all too real event that happened just months before publication of this book.

The particular line in question here is that “The gun laws in this State are a joke, and you know it. That’s why we’ve got tragedies like Apalachee High School – two kids and two teachers gunned down because *it’s easier to buy an AR-15 than it is to adopt a damn dog*.” (Emphasis mine).

As I told Bratt directly before sitting down to write this review – and I quote: “As someone who has both adopted a dog and bought a gun in the State of Georgia – the gun across State lines at a Georgia gun show while living in South Carolina, no less! – I can state without hesitation or equivocation that Bratt is 100% wrong about it being easier to buy a gun in the State than adopt a dog. For one, there are no background checks at all when adopting from a County-run animal shelter, while buying a gun anywhere in the United States requires a criminal background check to be completed before the gun can be purchased – yes, even if buying the gun at a gun show. Furthermore, while where I can take my dog is not legally restricted in any manner (though property owners certainly may decline to allow my dog on their property), where I can take my gun is heavily restricted, even in the State of Georgia.”

I also told her that I would also note here that this is absolutely one of those issues where your mileage may vary – you may agree that guns need to be more heavily regulated or you may not, you may think that pet adoption or pets generally need to be more heavily regulated or not – but the statement in the text was 100% wrong in the real State of Georgia, and I’ve personally experienced both sides of the statement and know of what I speak here. But hey, Bratt never specifically addresses these issues in her fictionalized Georgia, so even though it bears a striking resemblance to the real thing, as authors frequently note in the front pages of their fiction books “This work is fiction and not intended to represent any real person, place, or thing no matter how similar they may or may not be. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the fictional characters only and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by any real person, including the author.” So let’s give Bratt the benefit of the doubt here that she isn’t addressing the real State of Georgia in that particular line and move on. 🙂

Again, outside of that particular line, the book itself is perhaps even one of the stronger of the entire series – which is saying something, considering Bratt originally intended to end this series a few books ago, but fans keep demanding to come back to this world, and she keeps delivering. The drama in our central family is coming back up from unexpected and interesting places, there is more drama brewing in other areas well established earlier in the series yet which had cooled off in recent books, the crime of the book is particularly gnarly and the investigation is tight without being the frenetic sprint of the prior book…

It just all works truly, truly well, and again, makes this one of the stronger books in the series to date overall.

So again, go back to book 1 (assuming you’re new to the series) and get here – you’ll want to get here when you do, and this book will make you fall in love with the series all over again and want at least one more book from it. Which Bratt may or may not have news about in the Author’s Note. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of So This Is Christmas by Kay Bratt was originally written on December 11, 2024.

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#BookReview: See How They Hide by Allison Brennan

Intriguing Crime Drives Solid Series Continuation. This is one of those FBI tales where the crime at hand really drives this particular story, even as Brennan expertly weaves the relationships between her team forward even throughout the investigation. Showing each teammate at their best – but also showing that they are not superhuman by any stretch of the imagination – this particular story is at its best when its villains are at their creepiest.

And yes, the crime at hand is particularly creepy on its face… which Brennan then spins into its own breathtaking and heart rending sub plot.

I wouldn’t *start* reading the series here, mostly due to the relationships between the teammates, but the crime itself isn’t tied to any prior tales, so it also isn’t a “you absolutely cannot start reading the series with this book”. So whether you’re new to this series intrigued by its premise and *want* to start here or whether you’re a long time fan of it, you’re going to have a good time with this book. Just be warned that there *are* situations that will make some uncomfortable here. Read the book anyway, and hopefully make such situations a touch easier from having dealt with them in the safety of fiction.

Very much recommended.

This review of See How They Hide by Allison Brennan was originally written on December 11, 2024.

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#BookReview: Shades Of Mercy by Bruce Borgos

Wildly Divergent Storytelling From First Book In Series, Still Great. The Bitter Past, the first book in this series, was a dual timeline almost historical fiction/ spy thriller, and it worked beautifully – to summarize my review of that book. This time, we get a lot of solid character work and even more solid action pieces (particularly towards the end, but also an intriguing prologue to bring us into the tale), with plenty of “what the hell is going on here” in the middle. Whereas the first book looked to the past to tell its tale, this one actually reads as though it is bringing the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war into a tale set in rural Nevada. There’s some innovative action sequences one would expect more in a Vin Diesel XXX movie or one of the GI Joe live action movies than in a tale of a small town Sheriff… even if this particular Sheriff *is* a highly trained former soldier. (And yes, this comes into play as well.) Borgos does well to show Beck’s strengths *and* weaknesses, and it is the combination of both that make Beck feel like a fully “real” human rather than just another action hero.

Overall a solid tale more in the mystery/ action space than its predecessor, and yet it does its job of making the reader *need* the next book perfectly.

Very much recommended.

This review of Shades Of Mercy by Bruce Borgos was originally written on July 31, 2024.

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#BookReview: You’ll Never Find Me by Allison Brennan

Solid Series Starter. This has pretty much everything one would want in a family based PI / police procedural type drama series starter. Complicated family dynamics, a compelling case – where in this particular instance (series?) family members find themselves on different sides of the case -, an interesting mystery, and the storytelling to put it all together quite well indeed.

As is typical of such a series, this is clearly going to be a “freak of the week” type with an overall lore and mythos, and both look to be compelling going forward.

Fans of the genre generally will find a lot to like here, and those who haven’t really dabbled in this kind of tale before will also find a lot to like that could potentially bring in new fans.

Ultimately, this is one of those series starter books that does everything it needs to do and does it all quite well.

Very much recommended.

This review of You’ll Never Find Me by Allison Brennan was originally written on June 26, 2024.

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#BlogTour: Her Last Hour by B.R. Spangler

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a compelling police procedural with a crime so horrific it would make even Aloysius Pendergast gasp. For this blog tour, we’re looking at Her Last Hour by B.R. Spangler.

Here’s what I had to say on the review sites (Hardcover.app, TheStoryGraph, BookHype, Goodreads):

Continual Innovation Compels Series Further. This is the first book in this series in a while to have some real innovation both in how the crime happens and in the domestic side of the police procedural format, and both the book at hand and overall series are that much stronger for it. This is one of those tales that tells a complete tale… and yet you’re going to be clamoring for the next book immediately, though in a very different way that prior books, including Their Resting Place earlier in this series. Truly one of the more horrific crimes of a series that has had some particularly innovative and horrifying crimes, nearly on a level that would make even Aloysius Pendergast gasp. And yet as always Spangler does a remarkable job balancing the crime and investigation with the domestic elements, and here makes both sides of the story equally compelling and exciting.

Overall yet another strong entrant in a strong series. Very much recommended.

After the jump, an excerpt from the book followed by the “publisher details” – book description, author bio, and social media and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: Her Last Hour by B.R. Spangler”

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#BookReview: The Trap by Gregg Dunnett

Silence Of The Lambs Homage With Twists. This is one of those books that I honestly never would have connected it with Silence Of The Lambs had other reviewers not pointed that connection out, but it absolutely does fit here. Of course, along similar lines one could also connect this tale to the legendary Sherlock Holmes tales, which ultimately most modern detective tales come from in some way or another. Honestly, the connection I made while reading the book itself was to Starfield, a long awaited game that finally released nearly three months before this book did, and which I’ve been playing quite heavily since. *That* connection will only make sense after you’ve read this book *and* played that game all the way through at least once though.

Overall, this is a pulse pounding thriller, one where a brilliant detective faces off with an equally brilliant – and possibly moreso – serial killer. In this case… the showdown that we were promised in Book 1 of this series, The Cove. The murders here are particularly brutal, and our heroine has quite a bit in common with that famous 19th century detective in several ways, making this quite the compelling tale.

As to whether a Book 3 may be coming… I love the fact that the author actually weaves into the tale here a discussion of why that may not actually be a great idea… and yet… I ultimately still think I want to see it anyway. So we’ll see what Dunnett and his publisher do next.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Trap by Gregg Dunnett was originally written on December 31, 2023.

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#BlogTour: Pray For Her by Holly S. Roberts

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a pulse pounding thriller with one of the best prologues I’ve ever encountered. Seriously, this prologue makes the case for *every* book having one. For this blog tour, we’re looking at Pray For Her by Holly S. Roberts.

Here’s what I had to say on the review sites (Goodreads, Hardcover.app, TheStoryGraph, BookHype):

Now THAT Is How You Do A Fucking Prologue! Seriously, I don’t normally tweet out or contact the author when I’m reading a book. After *this* prologue, I immediately had to tweet out how awesome it is, particularly given the various discussions in Boolandia regarding how many readers skip prologues or don’t enjoy them or whatever. I don’t mind books that don’t have them, but a well written one can really get a reader curious and/ or excited about the story, and this is one of the best written ones I’ve ever encountered.

Beyond the prologue, this is a tremendous tale, one that has been set in motion since the very beginning of this series – everything is now coming to a head, and Bennett and her team are about to be challenged like they’ve never been challenged before… and by the one person who terrifies Bennett more than any other.

Filled with pulse pounding action and intrigue, this is one of those mystery/ police procedural tales that really shows the true power of how great these particular types of stories can be – and yet, still, to get the full impact here, you really do need to begin at Book 1 and read through this point. Trust me, when you do you will absolutely devour this particular tale as well.

Overall a remarkably strong tale that could well serve as a series finale – or, equally, could simply serve as a trilogy conclusion and allow the series to continue on. I for one am very curious to see which direction Roberts (and possibly her publisher) will go there. Very much recommended.

After the jump, an excerpt from the book followed by the “publisher details” – book description, author bio, and social media and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: Pray For Her by Holly S. Roberts”

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#BlogTour: Our Sister’s Grave by B.R. Spangler

For this blog tour, we’re looking at the latest pulse pounding thriller in BR Spangler’s Detective Casey White series that introduces a new idea into the series for the first time. For this blog tour, we’re looking at Our Sister’s Grave by B.R. Spangler.

Here’s what I had to say on the review sites (Hardcover.app, TheStoryGraph, BookHype, Goodreads):

Pulse Pounding Thriller In And Out Of The Water. This is one of those coastal murder tales where there is actually quite a bit happening both in and out of the water – and our team is right in the thick of all of it, after a diver dies underwater. With this tenth entry into the series – written loosely enough that if one doesn’t mind spoilers about the team’s relationships, nothing about (most) of the prior mysteries is spoiled here, meaning it is mostly ok for new fans to start here and work their way back, should they so choose – Spangler actually manages to incorporate a few things not seen in prior books in this series, including a few particular cultural touchstones that it is genuinely surprising that it took him this long to use, given the region he has chosen to set this particular series. And man, when he *does* incorporate them… he almost makes me want to drive up I-95 a few hrs and get to the Outer Banks this weekend myself. Even though I am in no way, shape, or form a diver of any sense involving diving underwater. 😀

Overall another solid entry in this series, one where yet again the stakes are raised in so very many ways. Very much recommended.

After the jump, an excerpt from the book followed by the “publisher details” – book description, author bio, and social media and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: Our Sister’s Grave by B.R. Spangler”