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Jake Hines #10
Noontime Follies
Jake Hines and his team are plunged into the controversial world of cutting edge science when a biochemist is found dead at his desk.
Rutherford’s Property Crimes division is on a hot streak. Having recently attracted a string of New Science businesses, the town has had fourteen office break-ins in just five days, though nothing seems to have been taken. A series of threatening notes are left by an environmental group, and curiosity soon turns to alarm when a lead scientist is found dead at his desk at one of the invasion sites.
As the small start-ups that received the messages are damaged and frightened by sneak attacks, Jake and his team must embark on a steep learning. But is the professor’s death really to do with his pioneering scientific work, or is there more to it than meets the eye?
Rutherford’s Property Crimes division is on a hot streak. Having recently attracted a string of New Science businesses, the town has had fourteen office break-ins in just five days, though nothing seems to have been taken. A series of threatening notes are left by an environmental group, and curiosity soon turns to alarm when a lead scientist is found dead at his desk at one of the invasion sites.
As the small start-ups that received the messages are damaged and frightened by sneak attacks, Jake and his team must embark on a steep learning. But is the professor’s death really to do with his pioneering scientific work, or is there more to it than meets the eye?
- GenresProceduralMystery
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 31, 2014
3 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Gunn
32 books54 followersA one-time innkeeper with a taste for adventure, Elizabeth has been a private pilot, sky diver, SCUBA diver, and liveaboard sailor. Extensive travel in the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe led to a second career as a free-lance travel writer, during which she began writing a series of police procedural mysteries set in southeast Minnesota, where she grew up. Her books contrast the sometimes gritty routine of police work with the idyllic rural scenes around a mid-size city in the upper Midwest.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 1, 2015
A Jake Hines Police Procedural, the latest one. Jake was pulled from a garage ben when he was about 2 hours old. It is impossible to tell what race he is. The stories follow a portion of his life as he rises to head of unit of Crimes against People. Here his unit works with Crimes Against Property solve this case. This series is one of my favorites and I have read. Most of Jake Hines books and her Arizona series. I have like them all.
Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Severn House through Netgalley for an honest review. I would like to thank for this opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own.
Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Severn House through Netgalley for an honest review. I would like to thank for this opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own.
May 4, 2015
This is book #10 in the Jake Hines series and somehow I managed to miss all the previous nine. That is a mistake I need to remedy in the near future. This police procedural series is the type where everyone within an entire police department takes part in the investigation and they progress in the mystery by sharing their findings. I enjoy that style of mystery because it gives me a good way to feel I'm solving the mystery at the same time.
Jake Hines is in charge of the detective division of the Rutherford, Minnesota police department. Still a small town, but moving quickly toward becoming a city because of all the business growth which has happened over the last few years. With more growth comes more problems for the police department, this time in the form of multiple cases being investigated by the Property Crimes division. A flurry of burglaries over a short period of time with no damage or property loss but messages left at the scene.
I liked not having a resolution to the natural death/murder question settled for a long period in the novel. The characters have appeared in many other novels so their personalities are very well set and I enjoyed meeting them as whole, complete people instead of works in progress which often happens in first novels. The action and the plot feels right for a small town in rural America so those are well done by the author. I do have to say I knew pretty early on who the guilty party was going to be, but the "why" was a surprise. It made sense even though my thinking had never gone in that direction. That distraction was very well done by the author. Recommended for readers who want to enjoy a book as they read it and not have to be constantly cringing away from descriptions of guts and gore.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
Jake Hines is in charge of the detective division of the Rutherford, Minnesota police department. Still a small town, but moving quickly toward becoming a city because of all the business growth which has happened over the last few years. With more growth comes more problems for the police department, this time in the form of multiple cases being investigated by the Property Crimes division. A flurry of burglaries over a short period of time with no damage or property loss but messages left at the scene.
I liked not having a resolution to the natural death/murder question settled for a long period in the novel. The characters have appeared in many other novels so their personalities are very well set and I enjoyed meeting them as whole, complete people instead of works in progress which often happens in first novels. The action and the plot feels right for a small town in rural America so those are well done by the author. I do have to say I knew pretty early on who the guilty party was going to be, but the "why" was a surprise. It made sense even though my thinking had never gone in that direction. That distraction was very well done by the author. Recommended for readers who want to enjoy a book as they read it and not have to be constantly cringing away from descriptions of guts and gore.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
October 31, 2015
Elizabeth Gunn's fictional Rutherford, Minnesota is a small town growing into a city. South of the Twin Cities, it has been the setting for ten novels about Jake Hines and his fellow cops. They don't have the edge that Lucas Davenport's cast does (my gold standard for cop series), but they are pleasant to read and have enough plot to reward attention. Rutherford's growing agri-tech research base is at the center of this book. Someone has broken into several offices and left vaguely threatening messages warning about the consequences for engagement in the production of genetically-modified crops. Fairly soon, the break-ins morph into an attempted shooting and a possible murder. Jake, head of the detective unit (maybe fifteen detectives), and his detectives brainstorm, investigate, bicker, and work around the clock to find and break suspects before even more violence happens. It's a fairly pleasant ride for the reader, and, as happens, the book's 3 1/2 stars are actually closer to four than to three.
October 12, 2019
Even in rural Minnesota, ecoterrorism can strike. Even in rural Minnesota, GMO-vs. non-GMO products can result in terroristic behavior. I think the very beginning of this storyline lost me. I just haven't thought Rutherford was a very big city. Even 10,000-25,000 population rural towns/cities, do not attract this kind of an experimental hub--too far from major research universities, too far from major transportation hubs, and to0 far from the donor research dollars. My credibility gap was compromised!
October 22, 2020
3.5 hearts
I've read this series for a long time and enjoy it. This one seemed like a bit more police procedural with mini views into various characters. It's the 10th book. If I didn't already know the characters, I wouldn't be as connected to them from this or get to know them. There were some personal developments but they were more told than shown happening. Inotherwords, this was all about the cases with only a little personal in the background.
I've read this series for a long time and enjoy it. This one seemed like a bit more police procedural with mini views into various characters. It's the 10th book. If I didn't already know the characters, I wouldn't be as connected to them from this or get to know them. There were some personal developments but they were more told than shown happening. Inotherwords, this was all about the cases with only a little personal in the background.
December 2, 2022
I think I like Elizabeth Gunn
The first book I’ve read by her. Not perfect. And there were too many people…I couldn’t remember who was who. But I got the idea. The murderer was unusual. I liked the book and will definitely buy more by this author.
The first book I’ve read by her. Not perfect. And there were too many people…I couldn’t remember who was who. But I got the idea. The murderer was unusual. I liked the book and will definitely buy more by this author.
September 12, 2017
Enjoyed this book!
Such a great author, just love her books. She never fails to entertain me! Looking forward to the next book in this series.
Such a great author, just love her books. She never fails to entertain me! Looking forward to the next book in this series.
April 6, 2023
Whole lotta characters to keep track of and I didn't. Police procedural and accurate.
March 5, 2024
I’m so sad this is the last Jake Hines. Elizabeth Gunn was an amazing writer and I miss her books.
June 15, 2015
Noontime Follies is a commendable police procedural featuring Jake Hines and his investigative team. Elizabeth Gunn does an excellent job showing how a complicated crime can be solved through diligent police work. This novel isn't for fans of mysteries heavy on action, having more in common with British police procedurals than American style crime novels. That being said, the puzzle posed is an interesting one and the ending is unexpected.
Rural Minnesota is a welcoming environment for biotechnology startups, but not everyone believes in extending that welcome. Rutherford's property crimes division is faced with a series of break-ins at new science startups across the city. Nothing is taken, but odd warning messages are left on the premises. Not long after, Nathan Gold, a scientist whose company was broken into, is found dead at his desk. Are environmental activists responsible for his death, or is there a reason closer to home? With attorneys from the other targeted companies breathing down his neck, Jake Hines and his detectives have to determine who is targeting the startups and what can be done to stop them, as well as discovering if Gold's death is murder and whether it is related.
The detectives under Hines are varied, with differing personalities, backgrounds, and specialties. Some work together better than others. Gunn's writing gives the feel of a real office environment, where the police are no less likely to have issues than others. The case is important, but it doesn't extend beyond the work day and progress is slow and methodical. While this adds to the realism, it also distances the reader from the murder and the suspects.
On the whole, Noontime Follies is a solid, well crafted police procedural. It is an interesting read, but doesn't involve the reader emotionally in the story.
Noontime Follies is available for preorder and will be released July 1, 2015
4/5
I received a copy of Noontime Follies from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Rural Minnesota is a welcoming environment for biotechnology startups, but not everyone believes in extending that welcome. Rutherford's property crimes division is faced with a series of break-ins at new science startups across the city. Nothing is taken, but odd warning messages are left on the premises. Not long after, Nathan Gold, a scientist whose company was broken into, is found dead at his desk. Are environmental activists responsible for his death, or is there a reason closer to home? With attorneys from the other targeted companies breathing down his neck, Jake Hines and his detectives have to determine who is targeting the startups and what can be done to stop them, as well as discovering if Gold's death is murder and whether it is related.
The detectives under Hines are varied, with differing personalities, backgrounds, and specialties. Some work together better than others. Gunn's writing gives the feel of a real office environment, where the police are no less likely to have issues than others. The case is important, but it doesn't extend beyond the work day and progress is slow and methodical. While this adds to the realism, it also distances the reader from the murder and the suspects.
On the whole, Noontime Follies is a solid, well crafted police procedural. It is an interesting read, but doesn't involve the reader emotionally in the story.
Noontime Follies is available for preorder and will be released July 1, 2015
4/5
I received a copy of Noontime Follies from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
June 13, 2015
It is a puzzle to me that this really fine series doesn't get more attention. There's less about the police officers' private lives in this one, as the whole squad is working on a series of strange break-ins at biotech engineering start-ups in and around Rutherford. The strange feature is that nothing is stolen; a note condemning messing with nature is found at most of the offices. Then one of the offices is targeted a second time, and the body of one of the partners is discovered. But no one can figure out what the cause of death is. Things go on from there, with Jake Hines working with his diverse and sometimes temperamental staff to unravel what turns out to be more than one mystery.
January 29, 2016
A new Jake Hines. Another good read, delving into current political issues related to the world of GMOs and climate change and political action, along with a good smattering of the complexities of human relationships.
July 17, 2015
Somewhat boring. I've read better Jake Hines books. Police procedural? Procedures could be better. Hard to believe a small town has this man detectives and police officers.
Disappointing overall.
Disappointing overall.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews