Review of "Ink and Bone: A Novel" by Lisa Unger

Ten months after her daughter Abbey was abducted during a vacation in 'The Hollows', Merri Gleason returns to the upstate New York town. Desperate to find out what happened to her daughter, Merri hires cop turned private investigator Jones Cooper - who usually works with psychic Eloise Montgomery.



This time, however, Eloise's gifted granddaughter Finley is getting paranormal 'messages' about the case.



Finley recently moved to The Hollows to be close to her supportive grandmother and to get away from her difficult mom and unfaithful beau. However Finley's cheating boyfriend Rainer followed her to town, hoping to redeem himself. Nevertheless Finley concentrates on her college classes and keeps Rainer at a distance - aside from going to his tattoo parlor to get inked.



As the story unfolds there are flashbacks to the Gleason family before and after the kidnapping. We learn that Merri's husband Wolf was having an affair that affected his judgment and behavior. The flashbacks alternate with what's going on in the present, including Cooper's investigation; Finley's psychic experiences; and accounts of a girl called Penny, who's being held prisoner by a hillbilly family.



During his inquiries Cooper discovers that, over the years, several girls have disappeared from The Hollows. WE learn that all these girls had some psychic abilities. And that's about all I can say without spoilers.

For me this isn't one of Lisa Unger's best books. The Penny parts are disturbing and slow down the story too much; the police investigations (prior to Cooper being hired) are inept; Merri and Finley are too 'understanding' of their cheating men - who should be cut loose immediately and forever; and the hillbilly people are more like caricatures than real humans. Moreover, the story's ending isn't quite satisfying.

Though I'm not a big fan of this book I'd probably read other stories by Unger. 

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review of "The Lost Man: Three Brothers, One Death, No Answers" by Jane Harper

The Bright brothers - Nathan, Cameron, and Bub - grew up on a cattle ranch in the Australian outback with their father Carl and mother Liz. The ranch, called Burley Downs - which covers 3500 square kilometers (1350 square miles) - was inherited by the siblings when their father died twenty years ago.



Due to subsequent changes, a divorced Nathan now lives on a moderate spread three hours away, while Cameron and Bub continue to live at Burley Downs with their mother Liz; Cameron's wife Ilse and daughters Sophie (8) and Lo (5); and ranch hand Harry - who's almost a member of the family.



Life in the outback is hard, with temperatures regularly topping 40°C (104°F), so that even brief exposure is deadly. No one in their right mind leaves home without an ample supply of water, rations, and a radio to call for assistance - since a broken down vehicle could leave a person stranded far from home with no one living closer than tens of miles and no other vehicles on the road.



Thus it's a shock to everyone when Cameron's body is found beside 'Stockman's Grave', the resting place of a man who died on Burley Downs over a century ago. Cameron had neither water nor a radio with him, and his Land Cruiser was 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) away. The local nurse and visiting policeman find no signs of violence, and no one can explain why Cameron died alone and dehydrated. Suicide seems to be the only explanation, but a gun would have been much easier.



Given Cameron's mysterious demise Nathan and his sixteen-year-old son Xander, who's visiting from Brisbane, go to stay at Burley Downs. It so happens that Christmas is only a few days away and the family prepares for Cameron's funeral and a Christmas celebration (for the kids) at the same time.



As might be expected, the atmosphere at the ranch is tense: Liz is distraught; Ilse is troubled and concerned about her girls; Bub is drinking too much; Harry is uncommunicative; and Nathan is anxious. Nevertheless, Nathan takes the opportunity to ask about Cameron's recent state of mind; phone calls; work schedule; and so on - to look for clues to his death. To add to the stress at the ranch, a couple of British backpackers - Katy and Simon - are working there short term....and seem very unnerved by Cameron's death.



No one in this book seems particularly happy and Nathan is especially depressed. He's kept to himself for years, rarely visiting his family and never going into the nearest town. Moreover, Nathan's dog died not long ago, adding to his isolation. Little by little we find out why Nathan is all alone. We also learn uncomfortable truths about the other characters.....and find out how and why Cameron died. Unfortunately the characters' secrets aren't very shocking, and I was a bit disappointed with the predictability of their behavior.



Nevertheless, the story is well-written, and the author's description of the heat and dust of the outback seems very authentic. I think many mystery fans would enjoy this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Jane Harper), and the publisher (Flatiron Books) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Death of the Black-Haired Girl: A Novel" by Robert Stone

While browsing in the library I picked this book up because - from the title - I thought it was a mystery. Though there's a death in the story it's not a mystery as such, with detectives following clues, etc. It's more of a literary novel.

The basic story: Maud Stack is a beautiful, bright co-ed at a prestigious New England college. She drinks too much, is having an affair with her professor/advisor Steve Brookman, and writes for the college newspaper, 'The Gazette.' Local anti-abortion protestors inspire Maud to write a scathing editorial supporting women's rights.



The editorial describes non-aborted babies with serious birth defects and/or lethal syndromes - with distressing photos when the article goes online. Before it's published Maud drops the article off at Brookman's office, hoping to impress him with her writing.



As it happens Brookman has just learned that his wife is pregnant with their much-desired second child and has decided to break up with Maud. Thus, he doesn't read her article, avoids her phone calls, and doesn't respond to her text messages.



Without Brookman to deter her, Maud's article is published. It garners enormous fury and blowback from the anti-abortion community, especially religious Catholics. (This part is hard to buy into. Surely the editor of 'The Gazette' would nix publication of such an inflammatory piece.)



Maud, very much in love with Brookman, is devastated by the break up. She shows up drunk outside his house one blizzardy evening and throws snow at the windows, screams at him, yells things about his wife, and so on. Brookman, wanting to protect his family, goes out to confront Maud - hoping to convince her to go home. Maud attacks Brookman, punching and hitting. Brookman tries to restrain the girl, and during the struggle a car hits Maud and she's killed.



Detectives investigate the incident. Did an anti-abortion protestor hit Maud? Did Brookman push her in front of the car? Was it a random accident? Was it the religious, stalkerish, estranged husband of Maud's roommate? Various 'witnesses' provide conflicting accounts of what happened and it's hard to decipher the truth.

As it happens Maud's father, Ed Stack, was once a New York City police detective who was at the Twin Towers on 9/11. Stack got emphysema from the dust, became disabled, and retired. Stack loves his daughter, is devastated by her death, and is determined to get retribution. Stack also feels guilty for 'abetting' thefts from dead victims of 9/11, and speculates that God might be punishing him by taking his child. (It's pretty horrifying to think that cops would steal from disaster victims but who knows if this is true or not).



Though some of this sounds like the stuff of mystery, the story doesn't really slant that way. It's more about a teacher/student affair, abortion/pro-choice issues, religion, a former nun who's now a student counselor, a militant priest who once worked in South America, a mentally ill man wandering around campus, Ed Stack's possible revenge, how Brookman's wife and co-workers react to the scandal, and more. In the end we do find out who killed Maud but this isn't the important part of the story.

The book has interesting characters and situations but I found it hard to remain engaged in the tale, which seems to wander all over the place. Thus, in the end, I didn't like the book much.

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review of "Dark Sacred Night: A Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard Mystery" by Michael Connelly

In this 21st book in the 'Harry Bosch' series, Michael Connelly unites the vintage sleuth with his new detective Renee Ballard.....and they turn out to be a good match. The novel provides enough background information to be read as a standalone.

*****

Detective Harry Bosch worked for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for over three decades but was always a maverick who bent the rules and eschewed authority. Thus Harry was finally pushed out of the LAPD, and eventually took a job with the small San Fernando Police Department - where he mostly works cold cases.


Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch

Bosch's daughter Maddie attends college in southern California but rarely visits home because Harry has taken in a fiftyish recovering drug addict called Elizabeth Clayton. Elizabeth is still reeling from the unsolved rape/murder of her 15-year-old daughter Sophie nine years ago and Harry - who has a soft heart - is trying to help her keep clean. Harry is also re-opening Sophie's case, hoping to bring her sadistic killer to justice.





LAPD Detective Renee Ballard was on the fast track in the Robbery-Homicide Division until she reported her boss for sexual harassment. The 'Me Too' movement hadn't quite reached the police force - and Renee's traitorous male partner (who saw what happened) didn't back her up - so Renee was reassigned to the night shift. There Renee starts cases that are then handed over to daylight detectives - a situation Renee finds frustrating and unfulfilling.

Renee is still on the outs with some cops, who sometimes give her a hard time or neglect to send back-up when requested, etc. (They should be fired IMO.)



Renee marches to her own drummer. She (sort of) lives with her grandmother Tutu in Ventura, but usually sleeps in a tent on the beach after surfing/paddling in the ocean. Renee's dog Lola stays in 'doggie care' when the detective is at work, where Renee can monitor her on CCTV. Renee sometimes frets about being a bad 'dog mom' but Lola seems to be a happy pooch.....and is a good guard dog for the tent.😊



Renee and Bosch meet when Harry is sneakily looking into his old file cabinets at the LAPD, claiming he was passing the time while waiting for someone.



In reality, Harry is looking for old field interview cards (shake cards), which document informal police contacts during the course of patrol - like intoxicated pedestrians, loiterers, people in parked cars, and so on. Harry thinks these cards might provide information about Sophie's rapist/killer.



Renee, who's adamant about catching sex murderers, signs up to work with Harry and the temporary partners start looking at thousands of shake cards that were put in storage. The cards provide possible clues about Sophie's death, and the detectives follow up when they're not working other cases.

For his part, Harry is investigating the long ago murder of a 'San Fer' gang leader. A reformed thug has provided a tip about the bullets used, and Harry is following it up. Unfortunately, the case springs a leak that has unfortunate consequences.....but gives Renee the opportunity to shine.



On her side, Renee is investigating the theft of valuable Andy Warhol paintings of 'red lips' from the home of a recently deceased woman.....as well as going out on miscellaneous night calls.



As things shake out, a chance observation helps the sleuths solve Daisy's murder, and that's all I can say without spoilers.

Harry shows a dark side in this book, using unorthodox methods of interrogation and a thirst for vengeance. Renee, on the other hand, is a 'by the book' gal and relies on her fine detective skills and good instincts. Together, Harry and Renee are a formidable pair.

I enjoyed the book, which is a police procedural interspersed with snippets about the characters' personal lives. Both Harry and Renee are essentially loners, devoting most of their energy to the job. This makes them excellent partners, and I hope they continue to work together.



I'd recommend the book to readers who like mysteries, especially Harry Bosch/Renee Ballard fans.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Miss Seeton Rocks the Cradle: An Emily Seeton Mystery" by Hamilton Crane

In this 13th book in the 'Miss Seeton' series, the elderly artist/accidental sleuth has adventures in Scotland. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Years ago I read several "Miss Seeton" books by Heron Carvic (the original author of the series) and enjoyed them very much. Miss Emily Dorothea Seeton is a gray-haired, retired art teacher who - due to her daily yoga exercises - is unusually agile and spry.



Miss Seeton (or MissEss as she's dubbed at Scotland Yard) has the uncanny ability to aid criminal investigations with her perceptive drawings. Miss Seeton also tends to cause havoc wherever she goes and has been known to foil crooks with her trusty brolly (umbrella)....always on hand in case of rain. Miss Seeton is especially amusing because she's generally oblivious to the criminal activity around her.



In this addition to the series, written by Hamilton Crane, a baby named Marguerite MacSporran - the child of Scottish aristocrats Lord and Lady Glenclachan - is kidnapped. The kidnappers soon get cold feet and leave the infant in a phone booth, where (of course) Miss Seeton finds her.



Lord and Lady Glenclachan are very grateful to Miss Seeton for rescuing Marguerite, and take the art teacher back to Scotland with them for a wee visit.



First, however, Miss Seeton is cajoled into making a sketch that (eventually) helps the police catch the baby snatchers.



When Miss Seeton goes to Scotland, ace reporter Amelita (Mel) Forby follows, thinking MissEss will generate some juicy news stories. Mel takes a room in a small hotel, waits for something to happen, and is soon rewarded. Miss Seeton ventures out for a walk.....and finds a dead body!



While in Scotland, both Miss Seeton and Mel chat with local residents and learn a good bit about Scottish history and the House of Stuart - the 'true heirs' to the British throne as far as the Scots are concerned. It soon becomes clear that something to do with the Stuarts is brewing around Glenclachan and Miss Seeton - quite unintentionally - thrusts herself into the center of the action.





Some additional interesting characters in the story are Hamish McQueest, owner of the Pock and Tang hotel/pub - who purposely antagonizes his customers; Mrs. McScurrie, Lord and Lady Glenclachan's housekeeper, who takes a shine to Miss Seeton and fiercely protects her; and Philomena Beigg, a Scottish historian who tells a lot of interesting stories.





As the action swirls around Miss Seeton the art teacher takes recreational walks through the hills of Glenclachan, has a couple of picnics, looks at birds, meets interesting townspeople, reads her yoga book to baby Marguerite....and makes several drawings that (quite unknown to herself) reveal dark doings around town.



I enjoyed the story and thought the bits about Scottish history and geography were interesting. Miss Seeton's antics weren't as hilarious as in previous books but it's an entertaining tale, recommended to fans of cozy mysteries.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Hamilton Crane), and the publisher (Farrago) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "The Wedding Guest: An Alex Delaware Mystery" by Jonathan Kellerman

In this 34th book in the 'Alex Delaware' series, LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware investigate the murder of a wedding guest. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

When Brears Rapfogel and Garrett Burdett send out invitations to their wedding reception, which is being held at a repurposed former strip club called The Aura......



......the theme is Saints and Sinners,  and guests are informed that "Everyone needs to be hot!"



Unfortunately one "hot" young woman, a brunette beauty dressed in bright red, ends up dead....garroted in a skanky bathroom on The Aura's second floor. 






LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis catches the case......



....and recruits his friend Dr. Alex Delaware - a psychologist who consults for the LAPD - to help investigate.

Milo and Alex soon learn that nobody at the reception seems able to identify the victim, who appears to be a party crasher. Brears and Garrett say they don't know the woman and Brears's parents, Corinne and Dennis Rapfogel contend that: 'This was something bizarre that has nothing to do with us.' Throwing shade on Garrett's family, Corinne opines: 'If it's anything personal, it has to be from their side. They live out in the sticks.....probably rubes like that movie Deliverance.'



For his part, Garrett's dad - a large animal veterinarian - claims that his family has never seen the victim and says, 'I'd expect her to be one of Brears's friends.....You know. The age, the red dress....a pretty L.A. girl.' Moreover, Garrett's dowdy pretentious sister Amanda - a college student who 'curated her own major' of cultural anthropology, economic history, and communications - is actually hostile to the investigators. When questioned, Amanda states: "Your role offends me...Your presence means the world doesn't have its act together. By now, we should be more than rampaging baboons."



Because of their natural suspicions, Milo and Alex decide to look closely at both families, thinking the victim may have invaded the party to ruin the day for one of them.

The investigators spend a good part of the book trying to identify the dead girl, who turns out to be a 'dancer' who worked at The Aura when it was a strip club. The young woman is described as a quiet girl who just swayed and forth on stage or listlessly pressed herself against the stripper pole....and sometimes said she was a student.



Still, this doesn't elucidate the reason for the brunette's death. Milo and Alex must traverse a twisty path through strip clubs - as well as more unlikely locales - before they finally solve the case. Since this is a mystery, that's all I can say without spoilers.

On the personal side, Alex spends some time with his longtime girlfriend Robin - who makes and repairs fine musical instruments - and his French bulldog Blanche.



As for Milo, he eats gargantuan meals (as usual) and occasionally mentions his life partner Dr. Rick Silverman. In flashbacks, we see some of Milo's travails as a gay detective with the LAPD, which might have gotten him fired if he wasn't a first-rate 'closer.' Luckily, times have changed and Milo is (mostly) accepted now.

Though I liked the novel, which is largely a police procedural, a couple of things bother me. The newlyweds treacly sweet, lovey-dovey behavior (after the murder) seems overdone and phony because - before the wedding - the ostentatious, spoiled bride had serious doubts about marrying nerdy Garrett. Furthermore, I felt cheated by the book's ending, which seems to come out of the blue.

Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable mystery, recommended to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Jonathan Kellerman) and the publisher (Ballantine Books) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3 stars