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Latent Lives
The first novel in the John Stauber & Linda Lavaque Murder Mystery Series - Something went terribly wrong that night in Duluth, Minnesota. The call came at 3:12 in the morning: The Mayor, her husband and son found brutally murdered in their lakeside mansion. The police have no motive that makes any sense. "This kind of thing just does not happen here," John Stauber kept thinking. The daughter of the murdered family was begging for his help. But he wasn't a cop anymore and this was strictly police business. Besides, as a recent mental patient he was in no shape to help anyone, not even himself.
350 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 12, 2013
The most sensational murder in decades has hit Duluth. The mayor, her husband and her son have been killed, each dispatched with a single knife thrust to their heart. They were having a quiet evening at home, watching old home movies. The only survivor is Linda Lavaque, the daughter and now heir to the family fortune. The police are stumped as to motive or any viable suspects.
Linda remembers how her mother used to talk about the policeman she found most impressive, John Stauber. John is no longer on the police force, having suffered a breakdown after the deaths of his wife and infant daughter. Linda reaches out to him to help her solve the murders but he is reluctant. He is not on good terms with the police after his separation from the force, especially the man in charge, Mike Johanson. John had rubbed Mike the wrong way while on the force and Mike wants no part of him.
But Linda is persuasive, and the murders keep happening. The Lavaque's cook is killed, as is the mayor's main researcher. The murders also hit John personally. His sister, Jamie, has just invented a laser device that can locate evidence such as fingerprints that have eluded detection. Her supervisor is murdered as he discusses the invention and the device is destroyed. How does this tie in with the Lavaque family murders? John, Linda and Jamie join forces to try and determine what is going on and who is responsible. They are soon targets themselves and they race to solve the crimes before they are also killed.
Latent Lives is the first in the Stauber-Levaque mystery series. There are currently three books in this series. Mystery readers who enjoy fast-paced plots with lots of action will be glad to discover the author and his Midwestern mysteries. The relationship between John and Linda propels the plot forward. This book is recommended for mystery lovers.
Linda remembers how her mother used to talk about the policeman she found most impressive, John Stauber. John is no longer on the police force, having suffered a breakdown after the deaths of his wife and infant daughter. Linda reaches out to him to help her solve the murders but he is reluctant. He is not on good terms with the police after his separation from the force, especially the man in charge, Mike Johanson. John had rubbed Mike the wrong way while on the force and Mike wants no part of him.
But Linda is persuasive, and the murders keep happening. The Lavaque's cook is killed, as is the mayor's main researcher. The murders also hit John personally. His sister, Jamie, has just invented a laser device that can locate evidence such as fingerprints that have eluded detection. Her supervisor is murdered as he discusses the invention and the device is destroyed. How does this tie in with the Lavaque family murders? John, Linda and Jamie join forces to try and determine what is going on and who is responsible. They are soon targets themselves and they race to solve the crimes before they are also killed.
Latent Lives is the first in the Stauber-Levaque mystery series. There are currently three books in this series. Mystery readers who enjoy fast-paced plots with lots of action will be glad to discover the author and his Midwestern mysteries. The relationship between John and Linda propels the plot forward. This book is recommended for mystery lovers.
February 26, 2013
If you’re a fan of mysteries, thrillers and paranormal, you’ll enjoy Latent Lives. Author Larry Parr delivers an exciting, fast-paced murder mystery plot with lots of action in this first book of his series.
There’s not too much that I didn’t like in this book. I love when I’m reading a book, and I think I know where the story is going, but then the author throws in a curve and I’m caught off guard. That is how much of this book was for me, and it made it that much more exciting.
The main characters were great. I loved John Stauber, former cop and currently dealing with his own demons. When John gets called to help on an investigation by a client, he has doubts that he would be any good, but he follows ‘that thing’ in his gut and proceeds to get in the middle of a nasty murderers killing spree.
Linda Lavaque is the survivor of the prominent family that was murdered and seeks the help on John. She is also a strong character, who is not going to let this killer stop her from handling her families daily affairs. I was a bit suspicious of her at first, couldn’t quite tell if she was ‘real’ with her relationships with some of the characters, but I grew to admire her.
The last character I’ll mention is Jamie Stauber, John’s sister. I didn’t really like her, she was weak, dependent, and ‘mousey’. Although she wasn’t a strong character, she was a key player and I believe her character was meant to be weak.
Overall, this was a fun, fairly ‘clean’ read. The murders that took place were brutal, but you don’t get any of the grisly details. The romance was there, but no love scenes. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy for review from the author, and all opinions are my own.
There’s not too much that I didn’t like in this book. I love when I’m reading a book, and I think I know where the story is going, but then the author throws in a curve and I’m caught off guard. That is how much of this book was for me, and it made it that much more exciting.
The main characters were great. I loved John Stauber, former cop and currently dealing with his own demons. When John gets called to help on an investigation by a client, he has doubts that he would be any good, but he follows ‘that thing’ in his gut and proceeds to get in the middle of a nasty murderers killing spree.
Linda Lavaque is the survivor of the prominent family that was murdered and seeks the help on John. She is also a strong character, who is not going to let this killer stop her from handling her families daily affairs. I was a bit suspicious of her at first, couldn’t quite tell if she was ‘real’ with her relationships with some of the characters, but I grew to admire her.
The last character I’ll mention is Jamie Stauber, John’s sister. I didn’t really like her, she was weak, dependent, and ‘mousey’. Although she wasn’t a strong character, she was a key player and I believe her character was meant to be weak.
Overall, this was a fun, fairly ‘clean’ read. The murders that took place were brutal, but you don’t get any of the grisly details. The romance was there, but no love scenes. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy for review from the author, and all opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews