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A Sasha Solomon Mystery #3
The Socorro Blast
Victim or perpetrator? That's what New Mexico's favorite public relations maven, Sasha Solomon, can't figure out about her favorite niece. The daughter of Sasha's overbearing sister, Gabi is a grad student at Socorro's New Mexico Tech, where she's studying explosives technology. In town to help boost area tourism, Sasha looks forward to spending time with the young woman. But the PR pro never imagined it would be in the hospital, where Gabi lands after someone rigs her mailbox with a nasty surprise.
Jewish with an Iranian surname, Gabi could be the victim of a hate crime. But as details emerge about her work and personal relationships, she begins to appear less as a victim than as a threat. Meanwhile, Sasha learns that the family of her client, town patriarch Papi Sanchez, is riddled with secrets and scandal.
At once a topically flavored whodunit and a realistic portrayal of the way families join together--or don't--in a crisis, The Socorro Blast is a blend of mystery and domestic drama, with the flawed but always engaging Sasha Solomon on center stage.
"Lucky readers who enjoyed Pari Noskin Taichert's first two Sasha Solomon novels don't need to be told she's a first class writer. But they're going to find The Socorro Blast is even better. It's full of wit and sociological insights."--Tony Hillerman
"PR sleuth Sasha Solomon takes us on yet another rollercoaster read. Fans of Noskin Taichert will love the unexpected twists right up to the shocking conclusion. The Socorro Blast is her best work yet, as Sasha whips her way through one of New Mexico's most diverse landscapes."--Barbara Richardson, First Lady of New Mexico
"The Socorro Blast is indeed a blast, and literally opens with one. The narrator, Sasha, is one feisty lady and has a mouth on her to rival the best of the Irish spirit. The mystery is compelling and New Mexico is conveyed with a love and poetic eye that is truly evocative. The dynamic or dysfunction of families is captured brilliantly."--Ken Bruen, multiple award-winning mystery novelist
Jewish with an Iranian surname, Gabi could be the victim of a hate crime. But as details emerge about her work and personal relationships, she begins to appear less as a victim than as a threat. Meanwhile, Sasha learns that the family of her client, town patriarch Papi Sanchez, is riddled with secrets and scandal.
At once a topically flavored whodunit and a realistic portrayal of the way families join together--or don't--in a crisis, The Socorro Blast is a blend of mystery and domestic drama, with the flawed but always engaging Sasha Solomon on center stage.
"Lucky readers who enjoyed Pari Noskin Taichert's first two Sasha Solomon novels don't need to be told she's a first class writer. But they're going to find The Socorro Blast is even better. It's full of wit and sociological insights."--Tony Hillerman
"PR sleuth Sasha Solomon takes us on yet another rollercoaster read. Fans of Noskin Taichert will love the unexpected twists right up to the shocking conclusion. The Socorro Blast is her best work yet, as Sasha whips her way through one of New Mexico's most diverse landscapes."--Barbara Richardson, First Lady of New Mexico
"The Socorro Blast is indeed a blast, and literally opens with one. The narrator, Sasha, is one feisty lady and has a mouth on her to rival the best of the Irish spirit. The mystery is compelling and New Mexico is conveyed with a love and poetic eye that is truly evocative. The dynamic or dysfunction of families is captured brilliantly."--Ken Bruen, multiple award-winning mystery novelist
318 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Pari Noskin Taichert
4 books6 followersPari Noskin Taichert hails from Albuquerque and has worked as a belly-dancing instructor, textbook sales consultant, and waitress--among her more respectable jobs. She earned her B.A with Distinction in Far Eastern Languages & Literature and masters of Social Work in Transcultural Therapy from the University of Michigan. Unable to sit still for very long, Pari has traveled to--and lived in--enough places to have the good sense to finally come home. Among her longer adventures were a year as a foreign exchange student to Tours, France while in high school and a little under a year of study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong while in college.
A national award-winning journalist, Pari has written freelance features for Crosswinds Weekly, Albuquerque, The Magazine, and Mystery Scene Magazine as well as a monthly literary column for the Albuquerque Tribune. She also maintains a small public relations consulting business.
In December 2005, Pari Noskin Taichert earned her blue belt in Tae Kwon Do with a mean side kick that cracked through three boards. This same strength and determination has seen her through years of rejection and struggle until her first book, THE CLOVIS INCIDENT, was published in 2004.
Pari married late, had children even later, and loves Guinness, Glenlivet and strong coffee. When she isn't punching or defending against her black belt husband and colored belt children, she's writing.
Pari also helped start the first Albuquerque chapter of Sisters in Crime--of which she is now president. In addition, she is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, the American Crime Writers League and the National Federation of Press Women.
A national award-winning journalist, Pari has written freelance features for Crosswinds Weekly, Albuquerque, The Magazine, and Mystery Scene Magazine as well as a monthly literary column for the Albuquerque Tribune. She also maintains a small public relations consulting business.
In December 2005, Pari Noskin Taichert earned her blue belt in Tae Kwon Do with a mean side kick that cracked through three boards. This same strength and determination has seen her through years of rejection and struggle until her first book, THE CLOVIS INCIDENT, was published in 2004.
Pari married late, had children even later, and loves Guinness, Glenlivet and strong coffee. When she isn't punching or defending against her black belt husband and colored belt children, she's writing.
Pari also helped start the first Albuquerque chapter of Sisters in Crime--of which she is now president. In addition, she is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, the American Crime Writers League and the National Federation of Press Women.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 4, 2017
The Socorro Blast by Pari Noskin Taichert is the third in a series that features Sasha Solomon. There were several references to the previous two books, but it certainly can be read as a stand alone. In this book, Sasha gets embroiled in a mystery surrounding her niece, Gabi, who is the victim of a pipe bomb attack. Between meetings as a public relations specialist, Sasha tries to help Gabi who is under suspicion because of the disappearance of her lover. There are some elements of a hate crime since Gabi is Jewish of Iranian descent and this hampers the discovery of who set the pipe bomb. Matters are handily tied up by the end of the book with a fairly satisfying ending.
February 19, 2025
I enjoyed the witty and vivid writing style. As someone who went to New Mexico Tech, the author's descriptions of the area were fun to read and accurate. The plot did start to drag a bit for me, but still a page turner.
January 16, 2022
Very lightweight!
August 6, 2009
The third and probably the last in Noskin Taichert's series about PR expert Sasha Solomon (it's been dropped by the publisher) has a good story which is somewhat marred by the neuroses of the protagonist. Sasha Solomon is 41, with a history of bad relationships; her current and very nice boyfriend is about to leave for a job in Maryland, and she has no desire to leave New Mexico. Her family relationships are conflicted and conflictful, and her nutritional status (she exists primarily on canned whipped cream and candy bars, although she does eat some pretty great-sounding New Mexican food in this book) is horrifying. Oh, and she sees visions now and again.
The Socorro Blast centers around Sasha's niece Gabi, whose father is an Iranian Jew (though an American citizen) and whose mother, Eva, Sasha's sister, has become very Orthodox and not a little paranoid. When Gabi is injured by a pipe bomb in her mailbox, Sasha rushes to her side, since she has a job to do in Socorro anyway. (It's the site of New Mexico Tech, explaining chemistry grad student Gabi's presence, and Sasha is to help with increasing tourism.) The plot becomes ever more complicated and Sasha must deal with her sister, Gabi's sister, news media, as well as with her job, funded by a wealthy local man whose daughter is also involved in the plot. It's not as confusing as it sounds, and there's a lot of interesting local color that makes me want to go to New Mexico right now. However, some readers may be turned off by the protagonist's neurosis -- fair warning. Recommended with reservations.
The Socorro Blast centers around Sasha's niece Gabi, whose father is an Iranian Jew (though an American citizen) and whose mother, Eva, Sasha's sister, has become very Orthodox and not a little paranoid. When Gabi is injured by a pipe bomb in her mailbox, Sasha rushes to her side, since she has a job to do in Socorro anyway. (It's the site of New Mexico Tech, explaining chemistry grad student Gabi's presence, and Sasha is to help with increasing tourism.) The plot becomes ever more complicated and Sasha must deal with her sister, Gabi's sister, news media, as well as with her job, funded by a wealthy local man whose daughter is also involved in the plot. It's not as confusing as it sounds, and there's a lot of interesting local color that makes me want to go to New Mexico right now. However, some readers may be turned off by the protagonist's neurosis -- fair warning. Recommended with reservations.
December 6, 2011
The Socorro Blast is an entertaining mystery that may be of interest mostly to people who went to school at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, NM (perhaps especially in the days when the campus rang from improvised explosive devices). The author has other books based in New Mexico cities; the book is from UNM Press. A couple of quotes gives the feeling of the book. My choice probably reflects memories of Socorro food:
"No vegetarian restaurants?" Davielle pivoted at my touch, then resumed her rant. "How can a college town have no vegetarian restaurants?"
When we'd been served, Bonnie cut into her lunch and with a frown said, "I can hardly taste anything anymore. It's awful."
"Why?" Lupe dumped ten ounces of honey on her meal. Most of us who liked that hot, sweet flavor faked it by putting honey on a sopaipilla (a bready, deep-fried piece of heaven) and then surrepitiously letting the liquid fall upon our other food as if the result was a pleasant accident. I'd never seen anyone so brazen about the combination before.
"No vegetarian restaurants?" Davielle pivoted at my touch, then resumed her rant. "How can a college town have no vegetarian restaurants?"
When we'd been served, Bonnie cut into her lunch and with a frown said, "I can hardly taste anything anymore. It's awful."
"Why?" Lupe dumped ten ounces of honey on her meal. Most of us who liked that hot, sweet flavor faked it by putting honey on a sopaipilla (a bready, deep-fried piece of heaven) and then surrepitiously letting the liquid fall upon our other food as if the result was a pleasant accident. I'd never seen anyone so brazen about the combination before.
March 3, 2008
Good, quick read, just like the others. This one, though, was much more politically and racially charged, and...well, for me it kind of took some of the fun out of it. I've enjoyed the series because of its wit, pacing, and quirkiness, and for me, the heavier material bogged it down rather than giving it more depth. Sasha Solomon's bizarre family dynamics are always fascinating in their own way, but the portrayal of her devout Jewish relatives in this installment come off as uncomfortably cardboard. For a book so focused on family relationships and supposed hate crimes, it lacked a deeper explanation of and connection with the orthodox characters to balance out Sasha's less-orthodox frustration with them.
March 20, 2014
PR for hire Sasha Solomon is traveling to Socorro, but her trips takes an unexpected turn when her niece is hurt in a pipe bomb blast. Can Sasha find out who planted it while keeping her niece off the suspect radar? This book is equal parts family drama and mystery. The family drama got a little old near the end, but on the whole the plot was strong. And there is plenty to think about when the book is over.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
May 16, 2008
Okay, I'm giving up. I've read all three of the Sasha Solomon books and I still don't like the main character. The mysteries are good, the writing is wonderful and I'm uncomfortable the whole time I'm reading because Sasha just makes me uncomfortable. So, although I like her mysteries, I'm done with Taichert and the Sasha chronicles. Oh well, plenty other to read and I'll spend that time on people I grow to care about, no someone I have to work to make me finish the story.
January 12, 2009
Pari Noskin Taichert does a wonderful job of spinning the mystery here. At times it felt like it veered off course a bit, but that might be the difference between a male and female reading experience -- meaning that I suspect that female readers might have enjoyed this aspect tremendously. I was definitely hooked, though it took a while for me to get into it. Definitely worth reading!
March 30, 2009
Gabi has been working on an explosive device at a New Mexico Tech's Explosives Laboratory and her Sister Eva wants to know why, especially after her Mail Box was blown up and Gabi landed in the hospital.
Was it because she is Jewish and Iranian? Is she a Terrorist? What is going on??
Was it because she is Jewish and Iranian? Is she a Terrorist? What is going on??
September 1, 2008
I haven't read the first two in this series, but I thought this was entertaining enough.
March 27, 2012
Great mystery with Socorro setting w/blasting is very interesting to this former student at New Mexico Tech in Socorro who also worked at TERA, precursor to the EMRTC blasters.
December 8, 2014
I enjoy Sasha Solomon
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews