Book Review - November Hunt by Jess Lourey

Here's another review from Carl Brookins. He is able to read and review a lot more books than I ever can, and I appreciate that he shares the reviews with readers here.

November Hunt
By Jess Lourey
ISBN: 978-07387-3136-0
A 2012 269 page TP release
From Midnight Ink Books

 The eleventh novel in her Murder By The Month series brings sometime librarian-cum-private investigator Mira James squarely up against some respected town leaders. Mira is angling to become a licensed P.I. and needs many hours of supervised investigation in order to qualify. Given that her account in the local Battle Lake bank is flatter than the pancakes served at the local eatery, she has two powerful motives to take on the investigation of a local philanthropist and business man’s murder by his long time buddy.

 November in Minnesota can be cold. Not only does the weather provide impediments, so do many of the town’s citizens, but Mira perseveres against bone-cracking cold and icy stares.  The author is a good writer and the story is enhanced with clever characters, and a lot of tongue-in-cheek dialogue.

The series is known for the self-deprecating insouciance of the main character and her slightly twisted outlook on life. The danger of this kind of approach is in going over the cliff. Sometimes the impact of a really powerfully crafted scene can be lessened by the odd verbal swipe.

 The plot is well designed and while there are few large surprises, the author spins this tale tightly and nicely to its conclusion with the aid of several interesting and amusing characters. This  edition contains a series of discussion questions which can be useful to book clubs.

 In the spirit of full disclosure, I note that the author and I are long-time acquaintances.

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Carl Brookins www.carlbrookins.com  BLOG:  http://agora2.blogspot.com  -BOOKS:  Case of the Great Train Robbery, Reunion, Red Sky

Book Review - Fifteen Tales of Murder, Mayhem, and Malice

Fifteen Tales of Murder, Mayhem, And Malice

Paperback: 172 pages

Publisher: Nodin Pr (September 12, 2012)

ISBN-10: 1935666436

ISBN-13: 978-1935666431

 

This anthology is the work of the authors of The Minnesota Crime Wave, a group that includes Carl Brookins, Elizabeth Gunn, Pat Dennis, William Kent Krueger, and Joel Arnold, as well as ten other authors. The stories are all quick, easy reads; some of them have a touch of humor, and others have a touch of horror to them. Joel Arnold's "Blue-Eyed Mary" is one of those that had shades of horror, and the reader will be surprised at what a mother's favorite son will do.

There are bits of humor sprinkled throughout "The Horse He Rode In" by Carl Brookins. The story is told in first person by a short private eye,  Sean NMI Sean, who has a girlfriend, Catherine, who is six feet tall. His quips about being short are self-deprecating, such as when he mentions how people snicker when they see the couple walking the streets of Minneapolis. "I don't know why people in St. Paul don't snicker. Maybe they are more polite that people in Minneapolis."

For the most part the stories are well written and engaging. As with any anthology, there are always stories a reader likes better than others. I was enjoying "Stone Arch Bridge" by Judith Borger until the end. I liked the character of Kate and how she was so willing to help her friend, Anna who was being abused by her husband, but then the story took a turn that did not appeal to me. Other readers may not have a problem with it, though. It wasn't a matter of poor craft, just a plotting decision that I found hard to accept.

I dare anyone to resist reading a story titled "Death by Potato Salad", written by Jess Lourey. In it, Mrs. Bern, a well-known character from Lourey's Murder by Month mystery series attends the All Church retreat and meets Joe, handsome with his wide white moustache and tanned wrinkles. The retreat offers several workshops, and to keep tabs on Joe, Mrs. Bern goes into the Miracles with Mayonnaise workshop as that was obviously his first choice. Mrs. Bern should have been forewarned that mischief was afoot when the workshop leader mentioned that homemade mayonnaise can be deadly if not made properly. When Hiram falls dead in the kitchen, there are suspects aplenty and a bit of surprise at the end.

Fans of short stories will appreciate this super collection and perhaps find a new favorite author or two. I know I did.