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Maggie O'Dell #8.5 et al
Off the Grid: A collection of short stories and one novella featuring Maggie O'Dell
For the first time, all of New York Times bestselling author, Alex Kava's short works of psychological suspense are finally together in one collection. OFF THE GRID offers four short stories and one novella. All but one, feature Kava's critically acclaimed FBI profiler, Special Agent Maggie O'Dell. In Goodnight Sweet Mother, Maggie O'Dell and her mother's road trip takes a chilling and an unexpected detour. A Breath of Hot Air puts Maggie's forensic skills to work. While in Pensacola, Florida, for another investigation she's awakened in the middle of the night when a man is found dead in the same hotel. Cold Metal Night brings Maggie back together with Nick Morrelli (A Perfect Evil) to chase a cold-blooded killer who's targeting homeless people. Electric Blue drops Maggie and her partner, R.J. Tully, into a dangerous storm on the Gulf of Mexico to help track a United States senator's family that has gone missing. And finally, in After Dark, corporate executive, Madeline Kramer hopes to escape for a much needed vacation. All she wants is the quiet and solitude the cabin in the woods promises. Be careful what you ask for. Also included: A list of where these Maggie O'Dell short works fit chronologically in the series. Although they can be read and enjoyed individually, some were meant to be companion pieces to various novels in the series. NOTE: All of these short works have been previously published in separate anthologies or as a larger ebook. This is the first time they are being offered all together in one collection. PRAISE FOR ALEX KAVA: "Alex Kava is a master. Her heroine, Special Agent Maggie O'Dell is one of the classic characters of the thriller genre." - Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author "Kava's short scenes with cliffhanger endings are spot on." - The Boston Globe "Maggie, who handles forensic evidence with ease can give Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta a run for her money." - Booklist "O'Dell could be Reacher's long-lost twin." - Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author "Twisted plots, shocking characters, breakneck pacing. Guaranteed to keep you up all night." - Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author "Tension, suspense, masterful twists . . . Alex Kava's writing has it all." -- Crimespace "A pro, Kava writes as coolly and adroitly as O'Dell profiles. Supremely paced." - The Lincoln Journal Star "The writing is taut and polished, and the plot is well-woven. The forensic background is meticulously researched." -- Crime Fiction Lover (UK)
213 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2016
174 people are currently reading
691 people want to read
About the author
Alex Kava
51 books2,586 followersALEX KAVA IS A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the critically acclaimed Maggie O’Dell series and a new series featuring former Marine, Ryder Creed and his K9 dogs. Her stand-alone novel, One False Move, was the 2006 One Book One Nebraska. Published in over thirty countries, Kava’s novels have made the bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Poland. Her novel Stranded was awarded both a Florida Book Award and the Nebraska Book Award. She is a member of the Nebraska Writers Guild and International Thriller Writers. Kava divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska and Pensacola, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 14, 2020
Short stories packed full of action
Maggie is back with a series of short stories between her other cases. This book puts them all together and also shows where each story falls chronologically in the series. The last story has nothing to do with Maggie, but it is a fun and fantastic short read.
I thought all of them were entertaining and helped spend more time with secondary characters like Tully, Ben and Maggie’s mom. Timing worked great for all of the stories except for the one that took place during the hurricane. Since the main case and story also took place during the hurricane I was confused on how the novella situation did not show up in the main book.
I enjoy this series and hope to see more from Maggie and Tully’s cases.
Maggie is back with a series of short stories between her other cases. This book puts them all together and also shows where each story falls chronologically in the series. The last story has nothing to do with Maggie, but it is a fun and fantastic short read.
I thought all of them were entertaining and helped spend more time with secondary characters like Tully, Ben and Maggie’s mom. Timing worked great for all of the stories except for the one that took place during the hurricane. Since the main case and story also took place during the hurricane I was confused on how the novella situation did not show up in the main book.
I enjoy this series and hope to see more from Maggie and Tully’s cases.
June 8, 2024
Off the Grid is a fantastic collection of short stories featuring the FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell!! The last one doesn’t feature Maggie but it was still a great addition to the collection! I had just finished Stranded, book eleven, the last book in the Maggie O’Dell series and wasn’t quite ready to jump into Alex Kava’s other series, Ryder Creed. Figured these quick little doses of Maggie would help me remember the character a bit more while I take a break from Alex Kava’s stories for a while. Though, who are we kidding, I don’t see myself forgetting anything about this character at all!!
Goodnight Sweet Mother is first. Taking place between The Soul Collector, book three, and At the Stroke of Madness, book four. This was the shortest of the five stories but it was great! I loved how Maggie and her mom, Kathleen, actually worked together a bit following an accident with another driver, versus the typical way in which the two interact. I loved the little surprise at the end! Had the rug pulled out sort of thing. At the end of that story a little blurb says that this short story was published in an anthology filled with stories to keep you up at night. Certainly a fitting ending to make you question all you’ve read!
Second is A Breath of Hot Air. This short story takes place amidst the plot of Damaged, book eight, during the first night Maggie is staying in Pensacola, Florida after being sent there by her boss to help with a case. Alex Kava and Patricia A. Bremmer came together to write this short story and it features the main characters from each of the women’s stories! I personally have never read a book written by Patricia but this glimpse of her main character makes me want to check out what mysteries he gets around to solving!
Maggie is awoken in the middle of the night by the hotel desk clerk who is worried that a guest in one of the rooms may be dead. It doesn’t take long for Maggie to meet Glen Karst, a Denver homicide detective, and the two work together to figure out what happened. I LOVE stories like this. Where an author, or in this case two, squeaks in a story during a stretch of time in an already published novel. In Damaged there is no mention of this happening but there’s no need. It’s fun to let the imagination run wild for the stretches of time that aren’t documented or touched upon in a story. I really enjoyed this one!!!
Third is Cold Metal Night. This story is one that comes from a novella titled Slices of Night that features three parts, each one written by a different author. It features Erica Spindler’s, J.T. Ellison’s, and Alex Kava’s main characters! A serial killer is going around the country killing those who he believes the world could do without, those who he thinks aren’t even noticed by society. The complete novella features the story from beginning to end regarding this serial killer. In this collection, Off the Grid, it just features Alex Kava’s story. Which I was happy with!! I’m sure getting a preview of the other two women’s characters and writing styles would’ve been great, but just to read about Maggie again was awesome!
Speaking of the characters, we see the return of Nick Morelli (!!!) AND Detective Pakula!? What a surprise!! I loved both of these characters. Nick was last seen in Black Friday, book seven, and he and Maggie left on, let’s say, rough amicable terms. Pakula was working with Maggie in A Necessary Evil, book five, and when it comes to other characters that Maggie was working with aside from her partner, R.J. Tully, Pakula was a standout!! He and Maggie got along great and worked the case in book five together really well. It was great to see him again!
The story itself was tense! A serial killer roaming the streets of Omaha as the town is getting ready for Christmas festivities with the lighting of the lights set up in the downtown district. Plenty of targets for the killer to choose from. The ending for the case was freaking sweet, and knowing that the last written interaction between Maggie and Nick ended the way it did was perfect for a reader like me who loved the two of them together. Like Maggie thinks at one point, he wasn’t relationship material, but even she can’t deny that the two of them have chemistry and at least, one could say, a strong hint of emotions towards one another. From their meeting in A Perfect Evil, book one, to seeing one another again in Split Second, book two, then A Necessary Evil, and Black Friday, they’d been through a lot together! Hell, particularly in book one!! It was a shame to see them go separate ways the way they did in Black Friday but this canon story makes up for it tenfold.
Fourth is Electric Blue. This one was the longest of the five stories here in this collection! The length definitely allowed me to really get invested. It felt like a perfect continuation of Damaged, book eight, but with R.J. Tully! Looking at the order of the Maggie O’Dell books on Goodreads this takes place after Stranded, book eleven, and it appears that this one segues into the story present in Breaking Creed, book one of Alex Kava’s other series!! Love that! This story, much like Cold Metal Night, is part of a collection called Storm Season. It contains three novellas written by the same three authors as before for Slices of Night. Unlike SoN, the three stories are not connected. At least I don’t think they are. This collection, Off the Grid, only features Alex Kava’s contribution to the Storm Season collection. The only connection seems to be the storm system moving its way across the United States that is impacting every story.
Just like in the previous story, we see some familiar faces!!! The coast guard flight crew from Damaged makes a return, even Liz Bailey!!! Her and Maggie get to work together again and that was a treat to see! They’re both badasses and work super well as a team, or duo!
Maggie and her partner Tully are sent to Pensacola, Florida, per the order of their boss after a senator pulls some political strings for him to send his best agents to find the senators missing family. Maggie joins the flight crew to find the houseboat where they’re hoping to find the senators family, husband and two kids. Tully stays on land and works with the senator to fit the puzzle pieces together. Like I said, this was the longer of all the stories and I wasn’t expecting that!! So to see the story continue to unfold, and become a true novella versus a short story, I loved it!
Tully and the senator end up speaking with Howard, a character briefly introduced around the end of Damaged, and he reveals a lot that helps Tully put the pieces together. Also alludes to what challenges to expect in Breaking Creed, even further enforced after reading the description for that book!!
The story ended with a bang! Loved the way everything came together, with both badass agents side by side. To think they met way back in Split Second, book two, and Maggie wasn’t trusting at first due to how she always preferred to work alone, and to see them now!!! Great character development. I love to see it.
Last up is After Dark. This is an original short story that, according to the blurb at the end, was originally featured in an anthology titled First Thrills with other short stories.
We’re introduced to Madeline Kramer who is fed up with work and the stresses related to it and books herself a secluded cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway vacation. Little did so know it would be incredibly secluded due to it being the off season and no one else being there in the other cabins.
I LOVED the descriptive elements of the setting, the cabins and the grounds, the surrounding forest and the storm that eventually moves in after it was hinted at in the beginning. This story and all of the world building reminded me that I could easily try and make a similar story that would be pleasing to read. Not even with a mystery in mind or feeling the need to incorporate tense moments, but just to create a place in one’s imagination thanks to written words.
The ending of After Dark was awesome! Madeline was a fun character to share the POV with and hell if anything that happened in this story may end up becoming canon in a Ryder Creed story I’m all for it!!!
Alex Kava, and Deb Carlin, thank you so much for this collection and this ability to continue to see more adventures and stories in which Maggie O’Dell shines!!
Goodnight Sweet Mother is first. Taking place between The Soul Collector, book three, and At the Stroke of Madness, book four. This was the shortest of the five stories but it was great! I loved how Maggie and her mom, Kathleen, actually worked together a bit following an accident with another driver, versus the typical way in which the two interact. I loved the little surprise at the end! Had the rug pulled out sort of thing. At the end of that story a little blurb says that this short story was published in an anthology filled with stories to keep you up at night. Certainly a fitting ending to make you question all you’ve read!
Second is A Breath of Hot Air. This short story takes place amidst the plot of Damaged, book eight, during the first night Maggie is staying in Pensacola, Florida after being sent there by her boss to help with a case. Alex Kava and Patricia A. Bremmer came together to write this short story and it features the main characters from each of the women’s stories! I personally have never read a book written by Patricia but this glimpse of her main character makes me want to check out what mysteries he gets around to solving!
Maggie is awoken in the middle of the night by the hotel desk clerk who is worried that a guest in one of the rooms may be dead. It doesn’t take long for Maggie to meet Glen Karst, a Denver homicide detective, and the two work together to figure out what happened. I LOVE stories like this. Where an author, or in this case two, squeaks in a story during a stretch of time in an already published novel. In Damaged there is no mention of this happening but there’s no need. It’s fun to let the imagination run wild for the stretches of time that aren’t documented or touched upon in a story. I really enjoyed this one!!!
Third is Cold Metal Night. This story is one that comes from a novella titled Slices of Night that features three parts, each one written by a different author. It features Erica Spindler’s, J.T. Ellison’s, and Alex Kava’s main characters! A serial killer is going around the country killing those who he believes the world could do without, those who he thinks aren’t even noticed by society. The complete novella features the story from beginning to end regarding this serial killer. In this collection, Off the Grid, it just features Alex Kava’s story. Which I was happy with!! I’m sure getting a preview of the other two women’s characters and writing styles would’ve been great, but just to read about Maggie again was awesome!
Speaking of the characters, we see the return of Nick Morelli (!!!) AND Detective Pakula!? What a surprise!! I loved both of these characters. Nick was last seen in Black Friday, book seven, and he and Maggie left on, let’s say, rough amicable terms. Pakula was working with Maggie in A Necessary Evil, book five, and when it comes to other characters that Maggie was working with aside from her partner, R.J. Tully, Pakula was a standout!! He and Maggie got along great and worked the case in book five together really well. It was great to see him again!
The story itself was tense! A serial killer roaming the streets of Omaha as the town is getting ready for Christmas festivities with the lighting of the lights set up in the downtown district. Plenty of targets for the killer to choose from. The ending for the case was freaking sweet, and knowing that the last written interaction between Maggie and Nick ended the way it did was perfect for a reader like me who loved the two of them together. Like Maggie thinks at one point, he wasn’t relationship material, but even she can’t deny that the two of them have chemistry and at least, one could say, a strong hint of emotions towards one another. From their meeting in A Perfect Evil, book one, to seeing one another again in Split Second, book two, then A Necessary Evil, and Black Friday, they’d been through a lot together! Hell, particularly in book one!! It was a shame to see them go separate ways the way they did in Black Friday but this canon story makes up for it tenfold.
Fourth is Electric Blue. This one was the longest of the five stories here in this collection! The length definitely allowed me to really get invested. It felt like a perfect continuation of Damaged, book eight, but with R.J. Tully! Looking at the order of the Maggie O’Dell books on Goodreads this takes place after Stranded, book eleven, and it appears that this one segues into the story present in Breaking Creed, book one of Alex Kava’s other series!! Love that! This story, much like Cold Metal Night, is part of a collection called Storm Season. It contains three novellas written by the same three authors as before for Slices of Night. Unlike SoN, the three stories are not connected. At least I don’t think they are. This collection, Off the Grid, only features Alex Kava’s contribution to the Storm Season collection. The only connection seems to be the storm system moving its way across the United States that is impacting every story.
Just like in the previous story, we see some familiar faces!!! The coast guard flight crew from Damaged makes a return, even Liz Bailey!!! Her and Maggie get to work together again and that was a treat to see! They’re both badasses and work super well as a team, or duo!
Maggie and her partner Tully are sent to Pensacola, Florida, per the order of their boss after a senator pulls some political strings for him to send his best agents to find the senators missing family. Maggie joins the flight crew to find the houseboat where they’re hoping to find the senators family, husband and two kids. Tully stays on land and works with the senator to fit the puzzle pieces together. Like I said, this was the longer of all the stories and I wasn’t expecting that!! So to see the story continue to unfold, and become a true novella versus a short story, I loved it!
Tully and the senator end up speaking with Howard, a character briefly introduced around the end of Damaged, and he reveals a lot that helps Tully put the pieces together. Also alludes to what challenges to expect in Breaking Creed, even further enforced after reading the description for that book!!
The story ended with a bang! Loved the way everything came together, with both badass agents side by side. To think they met way back in Split Second, book two, and Maggie wasn’t trusting at first due to how she always preferred to work alone, and to see them now!!! Great character development. I love to see it.
Last up is After Dark. This is an original short story that, according to the blurb at the end, was originally featured in an anthology titled First Thrills with other short stories.
We’re introduced to Madeline Kramer who is fed up with work and the stresses related to it and books herself a secluded cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway vacation. Little did so know it would be incredibly secluded due to it being the off season and no one else being there in the other cabins.
I LOVED the descriptive elements of the setting, the cabins and the grounds, the surrounding forest and the storm that eventually moves in after it was hinted at in the beginning. This story and all of the world building reminded me that I could easily try and make a similar story that would be pleasing to read. Not even with a mystery in mind or feeling the need to incorporate tense moments, but just to create a place in one’s imagination thanks to written words.
The ending of After Dark was awesome! Madeline was a fun character to share the POV with and hell if anything that happened in this story may end up becoming canon in a Ryder Creed story I’m all for it!!!
Alex Kava, and Deb Carlin, thank you so much for this collection and this ability to continue to see more adventures and stories in which Maggie O’Dell shines!!
January 23, 2018
A mix of books
It was interesting to read five different books in short form. They were all
Very good and fast moving. I love Alex Kava boojs.
It was interesting to read five different books in short form. They were all
Very good and fast moving. I love Alex Kava boojs.
March 30, 2018
Loved this book. I have read many of Alex's books and she is a great storyteller and one of the best author I know. Thanks Alex
June 13, 2018
Off the Grid by Alex Kava is an anthology of short stories in the FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell series. Note that these short stories have been included in other collections, but never as a whole. Some appear to be out-takes from her existing novels.
A brief synopsis of each:
Goodnight Sweet Mother…… Maggie and her Mom take an ill-advised road trip together. Liked this one.
A Breath of Hot Air…… Maggie is investigating a strange find in Florida during a Hurricaine. But she gets side-tracked when a body is found in another hotel room. This was okay.
Cold Metal Night….Nick Morrelli gets involved with a serial killer targeting the homeless. Maggie to the rescue. Pretty good.
Electric Blue….Maggie’s boss has sent Maggie and Tully into a storm in the Gulf of Mexico to find a Senator’s missing family. Maggie has to get back on the dreaded helicopter. This was good.
After Dark…….The only short that isn’t a Maggie O’Dell story. A woman tries to escape for some much needed peace and quiet in a remote cabin in the woods. Her quiet is about to be disrupted. I think this was the best of the bunch!
There is also a preview to Kava’s Creed series at the end.
My Opinions:
Well, this was a really fast read, and if you are an Alex Kava fan (as I am), they are a nice refresher, but I didn’t feel it lived up to her normal standards.
A brief synopsis of each:
Goodnight Sweet Mother…… Maggie and her Mom take an ill-advised road trip together. Liked this one.
A Breath of Hot Air…… Maggie is investigating a strange find in Florida during a Hurricaine. But she gets side-tracked when a body is found in another hotel room. This was okay.
Cold Metal Night….Nick Morrelli gets involved with a serial killer targeting the homeless. Maggie to the rescue. Pretty good.
Electric Blue….Maggie’s boss has sent Maggie and Tully into a storm in the Gulf of Mexico to find a Senator’s missing family. Maggie has to get back on the dreaded helicopter. This was good.
After Dark…….The only short that isn’t a Maggie O’Dell story. A woman tries to escape for some much needed peace and quiet in a remote cabin in the woods. Her quiet is about to be disrupted. I think this was the best of the bunch!
There is also a preview to Kava’s Creed series at the end.
My Opinions:
Well, this was a really fast read, and if you are an Alex Kava fan (as I am), they are a nice refresher, but I didn’t feel it lived up to her normal standards.
June 1, 2022
I'm neutral about the short stories of Off the Grid. I don't think they do justice to either Alex Kava or Maggie O'Dell. They are both better than these stories.
I've read other Alex Kava short stories, I believe in a collection by another author.
3 Stars, not wowed by Off the Grid.
I've read other Alex Kava short stories, I believe in a collection by another author.
3 Stars, not wowed by Off the Grid.
January 7, 2020
Wanted to like this book. Though well-written, felt like some of the short stories ended too short. I cannot ignore the poor editing. There were few misspellings and sentences that were probably restructured but not properly edited.
January 7, 2021
Excellent
Fascinating stories from Alex Kava with each one a small slice of crime/thriller. I am used to Ms Kava’s novels full of complex crimes and personalities. Truly enjoyed experiencing the same complexity in these short stories.
Fascinating stories from Alex Kava with each one a small slice of crime/thriller. I am used to Ms Kava’s novels full of complex crimes and personalities. Truly enjoyed experiencing the same complexity in these short stories.
August 13, 2024
A collection of short stories mostly featuring one of my favorite FBI agent/profilers…Maggie o’Dell. Great way to pass a bit of time waiting for my next read to pop into the library. Crisp writing and wonderful character development.
November 11, 2017
A few good short stories in one book. I had read a few before, but not all.
June 17, 2018
Great collection of short stories mostly about Maggie O'Dell. I wish I had known about this sooner.
September 8, 2019
Disappointing.
September 11, 2020
Great writing
Must find more by this author. Fast moving, good dialogue and story development. And I love Maggie O'Dell. Good read.
Must find more by this author. Fast moving, good dialogue and story development. And I love Maggie O'Dell. Good read.
October 4, 2020
The stories were good, but I had a hard time getting past all of the grammatical errors. One or two, I understand, but I found at least 8.
March 27, 2021
The stories were good but the editor should find a new day job.
May 25, 2023
Excellent short story companion to Alex Kava’s novels
October 21, 2023
Good selection of short stories that are easy and fast to read. Action and investigation plus a couple new characters. All have a quick, unexpected conclusion. A good read.
July 17, 2024
Nice short stories
September 24, 2018
A great collection of all of the short stories/novellas that Alex Kava has written about Maggie O'Dell. These stories can stand on their own, but they also tie in with the full length novels. I really enjoyed these extra glimpses into Maggie's life.
August 25, 2023
Enjoyed the stories.
April 22, 2017
Enjoyed these short reads that give a brief glimpse in Maggie's life.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews