In this 22nd book in the 'Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus' series, former LAPD homicide detective Peter Decker - who's close to retirement age - is now working in upstate New York. When art theft ends in murder, Peter and a new partner investigate. The book can be read as a standalone but familiarity with the characters is a plus.
*****
Detective Peter Decker and his wife Rina Lazarus have moved East to be closer to their children, and Peter is now working for the Greenbury Police Department in New York.
As the book opens, two valuable Tiffany stained glass panels have been stolen from a mausoleum in the local cemetery, replaced by cheap fakes.
A couple of suspects come to light, a young female student......
and an award-winning professor, each of whom is associated with a different artsy college in upstate New York. Before long both are brutally murdered.
Decker leads the investigation along with a brash, young, too-full-of himself, Harvard-educated partner named Tyler McAdams who's taken a temporary job with the Greenbury Police Department.
Decker and McAdams discover that the murders seem to be associated with art thefts, perhaps of some very valuable works such as Russian icons, a historic Russian 'amber room', Nazi-confiscated art, panels from valuable reference books, and so on.
Rina helps with the investigation, as does Decker's old partner/friend Detective Scott Oliver.
Everyone puts their heads together to make sense of the clues, twists, and numerous suspects. Even McAdams - who starts out as a rather irritating snob - mellows out and makes himself useful. Rina also fosters camaraderie among the disparate personalities by organizing a delicious kosher dinner and serving tasty sandwiches and snacks as needed.
I enjoyed visiting with familiar characters and I liked the plot until the climax. The unmasking of the killer and the reasons for the crimes are anti-climactic and, in fact, don't make a lot of sense. It feels like Faye Kellerman ran out of steam and just hurriedly wrapped up the book. Up to then, though, it's a pretty good story. I can't wholeheartedly recommend the book but fans of the series will probably like it okay.
Rating: 3 stars
'The Outsider' begins as a police procedural and morphs into a horror story. Both elements of the novel are well-written and compelling, as expected from a Stephen King book.
*****
The residents of Flint City, Oklahoma are horrified when eleven-year-old Frank Peterson is found in the park - covered in blood, sexually violated with a stick, with his neck ripped out. Very quickly, the perpetrator is identified as Terry Maitland, the town's well-liked English teacher and Little League Coach.
The evidence against Terry consists of witnesses - including a woman who saw Terry offer Frank a ride in a white van and a girl who saw a blood-covered Terry emerge from the park; and physical evidence - such as Terry's fingerprints on the rape stick and his DNA on Ralph's body.
Police detective Ralph Anderson - who's enraged by the fact that Terry not only assaulted a child, but has ongoing access to kids.....
.....has the teacher arrested during a big baseball game, in front of a huge crowd.
This public apprehension incites the populace to high levels of fury. Thus Terry is threatened, and his wife and two daughters are tormented on social media, harassed by reporters, and spurned by (former) friends.
Terry vehemently protests his innocence and hires ace defense attorney Howie Gold to represent him.
Terry tells his lawyer that - on the day Frank was killed - he and several other teachers were at a writer's conference far from Flint City. Gold's private investigator, Alec Pelley, checks out Terry's alibi.....AND IT HOLDS UP. The teachers aver that Terry was at the symposium with them, and videotape of the conference shows Terry listening to a talk by the writer Harlan Coben, and then asking Coben a question. Moreover, the notion that Terry sent a lookalike is quashed by the fact that Terry examined a one-of-a-kind book in the gift shop, and left his fingerprints.
Detective Anderson is baffled by the conflicting evidence, but plows on regardless, determined to get Terry off the streets.
Thus, Anderson incautiously takes Terry up the front steps of the courthouse for his arraignment, and the tumult is enormous (think the Michael Jackson trial times a hundred).
As lawyer Gold and investigator Pelley try to figure out what the contradictory evidence means, they learn that the stolen white van used to abduct Frank Peterson was in Ohio at one point. Thinking this might be important, Pelley hires midwestern private detective Holly Gibney (from 'The Bill Hodges' trilogy) to make inquiries in Ohio.
Holly, who's likable but eccentric, says she won't get involved if things might get violent....and Pelley assures her that won't happen. (Ha ha ha. Famous last words! 😏) In any case, Holly takes the job....and the story enters typical Stephen King territory, with paranormal elements that are the stuff of horrific nightmares. 😳
The book has an interesting array of characters, including: District Attorney Bill Samuels - who seriously considers destroying exculpatory evidence; Detective Anderson's wife Jeannie - who encourages him to keep an open mind;
Anderson's cop partner, Yune Sablo - who makes jokes about his Mexican heritage; Frank Peterson's distraught family - whose suffering is intense; and more.
My favorite character is Holly Gibney, who probably has Asperger Syndrome. Holly meticulously prepares for every single thing she does; goes to the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) when she's stressed; is prepared for any and all contingencies; and is the smartest person in any room. I love Holly (and IHOP). 💖
The story rolls along to a dramatic climax, with plenty of death and destruction along the way. I liked the book, and recommend it to readers who enjoy mystery/horror stories, especially Stephen King fans.
Rating: 4 stars
In this 6th book in the 'Tracy Crosswhite' series, the Seattle homicide detective investigates the disappearance of an Indian woman, while her colleagues look into a murder. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Aditi Dasgupta and Kavita Mukherjee, both from Indian families, grew up in the same Seattle neighborhood and have been friends since childhood.
Having recently graduated from the University of Washington, the young women hoped to attend medical school. Thus they continued to share a Seattle apartment, got jobs, and started to save money for tuition. This was anathema to the girls' families, who demanded the girls return home and agree to arranged marriages - as was the custom in their culture.
Both girls refused, determined to fulfill their dreams.
The women's plans to be doctors seemed to be on track until Aditi went to India for two months - to attend a relative's wedding - and returned married to a London man chosen by her parents.
Kavita was shocked and dismayed, and left the apartment while Aditi packed her things. Later that night, Kavita vanished.
The police were notified, and Katie Pryor, a cop with the missing persons division, got a bad feeling about Kavita's disappearance. Thus Pryor asked her friend and mentor Detective Tracy Crosswhite - from Seattle's Homicide A Unit - to help investigate.
Soon Tracy and her partner, Kinsington Rowe (Kins), are involved with Kavita's case.
The homicide boss, Captain Nolasco, wants Tracy to drop the missing persons inquiry and help with a murder investigation.
Tracy's colleagues, Del Castigliano and Vic Fazzio (Faz).....
.....are looking into the death of Monique Rogers, who was shot in front of her building. Del and Faz suspect that Monique - who spoke out against drugs and guns in her South Park neighborhood - was killed by gangbangers.
No witnesses will speak up, though, out of fear of Little Jimmy - the local drug pusher/gang leader.
In defiance of Nolasco, Tracy sticks with Kavita's case. This may spell bad news for Tracy, since she's hiding the fact that she's pregnant, and fears that Nolasco may replace her with a new homicide cop, Andrea Gonzalez, when she goes on maternity leave.
Faz and Del carry on with their murder inquiry, but Faz is distracted by additional concerns. His wife, Vera, recently learned she has breast cancer, and Faz is caught up in an officer-involved shooting that could derail his career. 😏
The suspense in the novel ratchets up as the dual investigations proceed, and the author tackles some interesting issues, including cultural expectations in Indian communities, and girls dating 'sugar daddies' from online sites.
In the course of the story, we see the affection between Faz and his wife, and get a glimpse of Tracy's home life with her husband Dan and their Rhodesian ridgebacks, Rex and Sherlock.
I got a laugh at the end of the book, when Faz asked Del if he had known Tracy was pregnant and Del responded, "I suspected, but I wasn't about to ask unless she gave birth in front of me. My luck she could just be putting on a few extra pounds since her marriage." Ha ha ha. 😁
I enjoyed the story but was disappointed with the resolution of one of the cases, which seemed mundane (to me). Still, I'd recommend the book to readers who enjoy mysteries, especially fans of Tracy Crosswhite.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Robert Dugoni), and the publisher (Thomas and Mercer) for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
'The President is Missing' is a novel about President Jonathan Lincoln Duncan, who's in a race against time to stop a cyberattack that would cripple the United States.
It's tempting to compare fictional President Duncan with real President Clinton (who co-authored the book), and many reviewers have had fun pointing out that Duncan is an improved version of Clinton.
Be that as it may, for my review I'll consider President Duncan a purely fictional character, made up by the authors.
*****
As the book opens, President Jonathan Lincoln Duncan is preparing for a hearing initiated by House Speaker Lester Rhodes, whose aim in life is to impeach the President.....a goal he'll do almost anything to achieve.
The grounds for the hearing revolve around the fact that President Duncan stopped pro-Ukraine separatists from killing terrorist leader Suliman Cindoruk, whose 'Sons of Jihad' followers have carried out deadly attacks on three continents.
Moreover, President Duncan later spoke to Cindoruk on the phone. These actions seem incomprehensible, and the President won't explain his behavior, citing national security.
The reader soon learns that the President's actions were an attempt to forestall a massive cyberattack on the United States. The disastrous computer virus, scheduled to be unleashed in the immediate future, would disable EVERY electronic device in the entire nation. Such a catastrophe would leave the United States in complete chaos and cripple the military - leaving the nation vulnerable to attack from enemies like Russia, North Korea, Iran, etc.
It turns out the President obtained information that Suliman Cindoruk organized the electronic assault, and may be the only person who can stop it. Thus Duncan needed to keep the terrorist alive, so he could try to negotiate a ransom (even though we don't negotiate with terrorists). Unfortunately the effort proved fruitless and Duncan fears the digital shut-down will happen at any moment.
If anyone can deal with a possible catastrophe like this, it's President Duncan. He's super smart; a war hero; and has surrounded himself with capable women - including his chief of staff; senior political advisor; CIA director; FBI director; and personal physician. Even the Vice President is a woman. (One wonders why Clinton and Patterson didn't go whole hog and make the President a woman. 🙂)
President Duncan does have some vulnerabilities, including his continuing grief over the death of his wife from cancer, and a blood disorder called immune thrombocytopenia (a low platelet count) -which requires medications and protein infusions that leave him weak and woozy. Lamentably, the President can't be properly treated during this emergency situation, which adds to the crisis atmosphere.
After the President's failed attempt to bargain with Cindoruk, he's contacted by a couple of foreign computer geniuses who claim they helped the Sons of Jihad create the computer virus. The hackers assert that they've broken away from Cindoruk's group and - if their demands are met - will help America stop the cyberattack. Moreover, the cyber-criminals have proof that one of the President's INNER CIRCLE (the 'Gang of Eight') is a traitor who gave away secret information.
Can you find the traitor? Just joking! 😁
To have a confab with the two brainy hackers, the President must sneak out of the White House COMPLETELY ALONE - unaccompanied by security.
This leads to a series of occurrences - including car chases, gunfire, and several deaths - that leave President Duncan holed up out of public view. The shootings are carried out by a highly skilled female assassin called Bach and a group of deadly mercenaries.....who have more information than they should!
When the press learns that the President has 'disappeared', the 24-hour news cycle declares him 'missing.'
This causes all kinds of wild speculation, with people saying that President Duncan is terribly ill; has stolen a lot of money and fled the country; is avoiding the impeachment hearings; and so on.
In the meantime, the President is conferring with representatives from Israel, Germany, and Russia, and there are some major twists in the story.
I was on the edge of my seat (or actually treadmill) as the clock controlling the computer virus ticked down to zero - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - while the President and his team raced to stop the cyberattack. Do they succeed? Is the 'Benedict Arnold' unmasked? You'll have to read the book to find out.
I enjoyed the novel, which - though not very realistic - has compelling characters, an engaging plot, and heart-stopping action. I'd recommend the book to fans of thrillers.
The book is being adapted into a Showtime mini-series, which I'll watch for sure (when it gets to DVD 😎).
Rating: 3.5 stars
In this 4th book in the 'Dave Robicheaux' series, Detective Robicheaux goes undercover to take down a New Orleans drug lord. Dave's personal life evolves through the series, as he ages, marries (and remarries), raises his daughter, etc. So some readers would probably prefer to read the series in order. Still, the novels can be read as standalones because the mystery in each book is self-contained.
*****
At the beginning of the book, Detective Dave Robicheaux - who works for the Sheriff's Office in New Iberia, Louisiana - is transporting two convicted killers to death row. The jailbirds are Jimmie Lee Boggs - a sociopathic multiple murderer,
and Tee Beau Latolais - a hapless young man who claims he's innocent.
The transport goes wrong, Boggs gets hold of a gun, and the convicts get away after Dave is shot and his partner is killed.
Dave, who's recently widowed and raising his adopted daughter Alafair, recuperates for several months before going back to work. However, the shooting preys on Dave's mind, and he vows to recapture Boggs. So when the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) asks Dave to go undercover in New Orleans, to help take down a drug lord, the fact that Jimmie Lee Boggs has been spotted in 'The Big Easy' is an added inducement to take the job.
Posing as a disaffected former cop who plans to get rich by selling drugs, Dave makes the acquaintance of Tony Cardo - a New Orleans gangster who runs a drug syndicate.
Tony is a mobbed up crook, but Dave has some empathy for the man because - like Dave - Tony is a Vietnam vet with deep psychic scars from the war. Moreover, Tony is a solicitous father to his disabled little boy.
Still, it's Dave job to get Tony arrested, and he means to do just that. It so happens that Dave's best friend, ex-cop Clete Purcell, now runs a night club/bar in New Orleans.
Clete wants to help with the sting operation, so Dave convinces the DEA to put Clete on the payroll, so he can help take Tony down. Clete is a big, tough guy who eats too much, drinks too much, and gets involved with too many wrong women - but he has a heart of gold where Dave and his family are concerned.
Once Dave's ensconced in New Orleans, he gets re-acquainted with his former sweetheart Bootsie, whom he abruptly deserted several decades ago.
Since then, Dave went to war and became a fall down drunk. Dave's now a recovering alcoholic, and finds himself falling in love with Bootsie all over again. The Dave-Bootsie romance is complicated by the fact that Bootsie doesn't know Dave is working undercover. In addition, Tony Cardo's extra-marital girlfriend, Kim Dollinger - who has a lot of problems - repeatedly comes to Dave for help.....and possible hanky panky.
As Dave works with the DEA to get Tony arrested, he has to associate with rough gangbangers. This places Dave in very dangerous situations.....and threatens to make Alafair an orphan. Dave also comes up against Jimmie Lee Boggs - who's as murderous as ever.
On the upside, Dave gets to have delicious beignets and coffee at New Orleans Café Du Monde (a treat I've enjoyed myself on occasion. 😊)
The story has a rich assemblage of characters, including Dave's colleagues and acquaintances (including Tee Beau Latolais's grandmother); Tony Cardo's bodyguards and underlings; a collection of thugs and murderers; and more. As always, the author does a superb job of capturing the ambiance of southern Louisiana with its mixed population of Acadians, whites, blacks, and others; the swamps and bayous; the spicy Cajun food, the jazz music; recreational fishing, etc. The reader almost feels like a visitor.
Unlike most of James Lee Burke's 'Dave Robicheaux' stories, this is more of a thriller than a mystery. It's not my favorite book in the series, but I enjoyed it, and recommend it to mystery fans.
Rating: 3.5 stars
