|
|
|
|
The Trailer Park Murder
by Paul Austin Ardoin
“The Trailer Park Murder” is the third book in Paul Austin Ardoin’s Dr. Kep Woodhead / Bernadette Becker series. Becker is a federal investigator, still trying to recover from her previous mistakes. Woodhead is a forensic toxicologist who has the unique ability to instantly recognize smells. Their teamwork is often challenging, but that is what leads to the most interesting parts of the stories.
In this volume, Woodhead and Becker become involved in investigating what at first appears to be a suicide in a small trailer park in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula. In the process, they become targets themselves as they try to decide who they can really trust among a rather interesting mix of local authorities, acquaintances of the victim and other local personalities. Their efforts are severely hampered by being forced into hiding and not being able to use their normal tools--laptops, smart phones, and the ability to freely move around and talk to witnesses and suspects.
As an “audio preferred” reader, it is somewhat disappointing that this series is available in print/eBook only. I would love to hear how a talented narrator would voice the eccentric Dr. Woodhead, who is indeed a very interesting character. That being said, the lack of audio has not hindered my enjoyment of the stories.
|
Bad River
by Marc Cameron
“Bad River” is the sixth and most recent book in Marc Cameron’s Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter series. Cutter, his partner Lola Teariki and his sister-in-law Mim, along with a wide variety of supporting characters, are caught up in the investigation of connections between the discovery of a young woman’s body and the death of Cutter’s brother.
As with all the Cutter novels, Alaska plays a key role in the story. It’s geography, geology, history and diverse culture are all important elements. In addition to Cameron, authors Sue Henry (Jessie Arnold) and Dana Stabenow (Kate Shugak, Liam Campbell) portray Alaska as a main character of their narratives, complete with its own dynamic personality.
My “problem” with “Bad River” is that:
1) it was very hard to put down (i.e., hit Pause) and went by way too quickly (that was a very quick 13 hours), and
2) it will be a long, long year waiting for the next instalment!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shallow Ground
by Andy Maslin
“Shallow Ground” is the first of three Detective Ford novels by Andy Maslen. The story begins with the tragic accidental death of Ford’s wife, ultimately caused by Ford, which leaves him as the sole parent of an 8½ year-old boy. The story picks up exactly six years later when Ford, still anguished over the accident, becomes the lead investigator in a series of mysterious related deaths.
DI Ford does have a real first name, but he never uses it. Instead, his co-workers call him Henry, mostly as a joke, which he does not discourage. His primary partner in the investigations is Dr. Hannah Fellowes, whose background is also somewhat of a mystery, being employed in what is seemingly a low-level position at a small regional UK police station despite her education and previous work with the FBI in the US.
Once in a blue moon there is a sentence in a book that causes me to reread (relisten) multiple times just to admire the creativity of the author. In this case, Sergeant Natalie Hewitt is the first officer on scene at an apartment where the downstairs residents reported blood dripping through their ceiling, leading to: “Natalie nodded, eager now to enter the death room and deal with the latest chapter in the Big Book of Bad Things People Do to Each Other.”
Steve West does a masterful job on the audiobook narration. His deep but not overpowering voice, with a rich, smooth British accent, is perfect for the male roles, yet soft enough to pull off the female roles. I am looking forward to the next volumes in the series, earbuds in.
|
|
|