Shiver Hitch: A Jane Bunker Mystery

Jane Bunker #3

by Linda Greenlaw

Jane Bunker thought she'd escaped the pollution, noise, and dead bodies of the big city when she left her job as a Miami homicide detective and moved back to the idyllic town of Green Haven, Maine. But through her work as a marine insurance investigator, it appears she's left behind the bustle of the city, but not the murder.



When Jane is called to the remote Acadia Island to assess the damages from a house fire, she also finds a badly burned body in the charred rubble, and it turns out that the victim is the owner of the house, a wealthy woman who just happens to be one of the most hated women in town. As Jane investigates further, she becomes embroiled in a plot as thick as New England clam chowder, which involves convicted felons, a real estate scam, and the deep conflicts between the locals and the summer folks. On top of trying to find what might be a murderer on the loose, Jane is still living with her bonkers landlords, the Vickersons, who are delighted when Jane finds out that her brother Wally (who has Down's syndrome) is going to move in with them, after losing his assisted living arrangement. It's all Jane can do to keep all the moving pieces together, much less figure out who would want to burn someone alive--and why.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published June 6, 2017

About the author

Linda Greenlaw's three bestselling books about life as a commercial fisherman -- THE HUNGRY OCEAN (1999), THE LOBSTER CHRONICLES (2002) and ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS (2004) -- have climbed as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. She is the winner of the U.S. Maritime Literature Award in 2003, and the New England Book Award for nonfiction in 2004. Time Magazine called her 2005 RECIPES FROM A VERY SMALL ISLAND, co-authored with her mother Martha Greenlaw, a "must-have cookbook".

Before becoming a writer, Linda Greenlaw was the captain of a sword boat, the career that earned her a prominent role in Sebastian Junger's THE PERFECT STORM and a portrayal in the subsequent film. She has been featured on Good Morning America, Today, CBS Sunday Morning, The Martha Stewart Show, and National Public Radio. She now lives on Isle au Haut, Maine, where she captains a lobster boat.

When Linda Greenlaw confessed a desire to write fiction, readers responded with an enthusiastic "Please do!" At last, she satisfies their hunger with SLIPKNOT, a sharp-witted, compulsively readable mystery, the first in a series featuring marine investigator Jane Bunker. As she proved in THE HUNGRY OCEAN, no one knows the sea like Linda Greenlaw. And as she proved in THE LOBSTER CHRONICLES, no one has a better way with the telling details of Maine village life. SLIPKNOT delivers everything readers want: a great setting, wonderful characters, an authentic and original detective -- and a story that will keep them on the edge of their seats. (from the author's website)

Series:
* Jane Bunker Mystery

Reviews

[Kimiko · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was pretty good, but I didn't like the character. For being a Miami Vice cop transferred to a small town in Maine, she makes stupid early assumptions and ends up with egg on her face. Then goes against her own thought processes and goes out alone with no back up in the face of danger. I do not think she is a believable veteran cop. ( I didn't read the other books in the series and will not read the others after reading this book.)

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Born in Maine, Jane Bunker returns there after leaving her job as a Miami detective. She makes ends meet by working as an insurance investigator and a deputy sheriff. She rents a room from an 80+ year old couple who regard her as their family. Her boss at the insurance agency sends her out to photograph the fire of a large home and she discovers a woman's body. After arson and murder are determined, Jane has to track down a killer.

The author's strong points shined as she described the Maine scenery and the bitter cold of winter there. Although this is my first book in this series, I can see the set up for future books in the appearance of Jane's brother Wally and the mention of the Bunker family cemetery.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greenlaw’s sleuth, Jane Bunker, was born in Acadia, Maine and grew up in Miami, Florida. After her life in Miami as a detective falls apart she moves to Maine to start over. She’s working two jobs, as an insurance investigator and as an assistant deputy sheriff. At the opening of Shiver Hitch, she’s sent to Acadia Island wearing her insurance investigator hat to assess a house fire. At first, the fire seems rather cut and dry—an accidental fire caused by a frozen ground heave that breaks a gas line—until Jane stumbles upon the remains of a body. On goes her assistant sheriff hat.

The mystery that follows is one that expertly uses Greenlaw’s personal knowledge of Down East Maine culture, including the lobster industry and the current opioid epidemic that’s “mowing kids down like a serial killer on steroids.” A new lobster business run by a woman everyone dislikes and that’s staffed by ex-convicts is driving down property values and frightening locals and folks who own seasonal homes. Year-rounders whose families have lived on Acadia Island for decades have relied on “island justice.” They’ve taken things into their own hands to the point that law enforcement has traditionally stayed away. But not anymore with Jane Bunker on the scene.

Although the murder victim died in a horrific manner (off stage), there’s not a lot of violence in this novel. It’s a solid, well-paced mystery with plenty of local flavor and intriguing elements for a mystery (I learned much about the lobster industry). There is a family element to the novel that’s a little too neatly depicted but is a refreshing departure from the typical love interest sub-story that’s depicted in many mysteries that feature a female sleuth.

I like Jane’s independence, the Maine setting, and the nautical elements, all of which ring true. Greenlaw’s writing is strongest when she’s describing locals, Maine, and especially what it’s like to be aboard ship.

Bottom line: A perfect summer read for those who like mysteries with a strong sense of place that is intimately connected to its criminal element, a strong female protagonist, and light on gratuitous violence or sex.

Review originally posted on my blog at https://wildmoobooks.com/2017/06/07/s...

[Linda Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Bunker was born on remote Acadia Island but her mother fled to Miami taking Jane and her infant brother, Wally, along. Jane never heard anything good about her Bunker family but when her career as a homicide detective exploded she decided to settle in Maine. The plan was to find out about the Bunkers but after nine months she has not even visited the island. Her two gigs as an insurance investigator and assistant Knox County sheriff have kept her busy and it is the depths of a Maine winter. But when she is sent over to Acadia to investigate a house fire, she discovers a dead body in the ruins and a tangled web of murder, resentments, and big-time drug smuggling.

It has been a number of years since the first two Jane Bunker mysteries, Slipknot and Fisherman's Bend. I was concerned that I wouldn't remember much about the previous two but found myself slipping into the story easily. Jane is by nature a solitary soul but has made friends in her mainland village of Green Haven, notably her eccentric landlords and her fisherman friend, Cal. After many years of Maine vacations, I find her descriptions of life on the mainland and on remote Acadia completely authentic. I can even hear the distinct Downeast accent in the dialogue. Maine is a beautiful state but has all the problems of anywhere else, especially drugs and lack of economic opportunity. And Maine can be particularly dangerous, especially in the winter. Jane makes a number of missteps in her investigation; missteps that could get her killed. Hopefully, Shiver Hitch signals more to come in the Jane Bunker series. We still don't know much about the Bunkers, and the appearance of her brother, Wally, signal more to come.

Thanks to St. Martins Minotaur and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions above are my own.

RATING- 4 Stars

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won the audio edition of Linda Greenlaw's "Shiver Hitch" from a Goodreads giveaway. It was narrated well and I enjoyed the character of Jane Bunker. Whereas she did seem to make some amateurish mistakes at the beginning, I thought this made her character more realistic. I cannot wait for further installments in the series!
I would personally rate "Shiver Hitch" about 4.75.

[Myndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Bunker left Miami for little Green Haven, Maine in the hopes of starting a new life – one without the rampant drugs and crime that go along with police work in a big city. Absent all the crime, she works two jobs – one as an insurance adjustor, the other as an on-call Sheriff’s deputy. When she heads out to Acadia Island to check out the damages on a recent house fire, she gets more than she bargained for – a body – and she finds herself switching hats from adjustor to deputy in no time. Now she has to find out who killed the victim and why before the locals interfere and mete out their own style of justice.

From the get go, I wasn’t quite sure if this book was meant to be a mystery or a cozy mystery. And after reading it, I still don’t know. It seems stuck right in the middle. A slight bit grittier than a cozy, and none of the romance that you’d usually find in that genre, but a tad too wholesome to be a tried and true mystery. For some reason, I have a difficult time with these books that fall in-between. If I’m going to be reading a cozy, I want to know that because I have to be in a particular mood for those (this is true of several genres by the by – I’m not “picking on” cozies). But I digress…

The story itself was interesting enough, and the mystery was crafty. I liked all the characters alright, but didn’t find myself attached. The characterization of small town islanders in Maine bothered me a bit, though I’m new to the state, and I live in southern Maine, whereas the author is from the area she writes about (which is northern Maine) so…clearly, I just don’t know any better. But I couldn’t reason my way out of those feelings so, like it or not, it affected my feelings about the book overall.

The style was definitely not to my taste. It sometimes felt unnecessarily descriptive and repetitious. The overall mood and tone didn’t really work for me either. All of that said, Greenlaw’s maritime expertise shone brightly, and I think I’d really enjoy some of her nonfiction works.

At the end of the day, it wasn’t for me. Just couldn’t get a good feel for it.

Note: I received this book from the publisher. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.

[Jo-Ann Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, well developed characters but the main character is not very bright. The murderer was obvious from the beginning and the plot seemed a bit murky.

But I did care about the characters from the beginning and loved the setting. So the writing was not bad. However, Jane Bunker is supposed to have previous experience as a detective but she must not have been very good because she totally misses the obvious and jumps to conclusions with no factual basis. I have not read any of the other books in the series.

It is a pleasant enough read but hopefully future plots will be better thought out. I found it disconcerting that when a fellow officer did not return to base and her family was worried, our heroine was not even concerned until so much time had passed the woman could have been dead. I cannot believe any law officer, especially one with experience would go alone to a remote area where there is a known murderer. Especially when expecting to arrest said murderer. They always go in pairs at the very least.

I will probably check out some of the other books in this series.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in this series.A mystery that drew me in from first pages .I am looking forward to reading the first two Jane Bunkers &new ones in the series.Linda Grenlaw is a wonderful author I am a fan of her non fiction books also.

[Hollyann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good detective book.
It took me a moment to know that I was reading a book from the sword boat captain from perfect storm movie.

[Wendy J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Jane Bunker mystery I've read. I was interested all the way to the end. The characters were fairly well drawn, and there was real tension as the mystery wrapped up. However, my rating is only 3 and 1/2 stars.

The foremost reason is that Jane Bunker, who is supposed to have been one of Miami's best drug-fighting cops, actually seems to be a pretty lousy detective. When she finds a dead body in a house fire (a house that was supposed to be unoccupied) she doesn't even have a whiff of concern that it needs to be investigated further. She is shocked when she later finds that the death was homicide. Then when one person is found to have had a possible motive, she decides on the spot that that person must be guilty. "Case closed," she thinks, and of course she is wrong. Then later she focuses in on a second suspect, and again decides definitively, and prematurely, that she has solved the case.

She fails to have her gun with her when needed (don't cops carry their guns at all times when on duty?) There is a woman who failed to pass the police exam who works as a secretary/dispatcher for the department. Jane sends her out alone to check out a factory in a dodgy part of town. When the woman is hours late returning, Jane is totally ho hum about it before reluctantly going to look for her. (That secretary/dispatcher also rather improbably turns out to be one of those TV-style crack computer analysts who seemingly find answers among mountains of data with just a few keystrokes).

There are multiple instances where little packets of white powder from China are mentioned -- supposedly a chemical used in processing seafood -- but Jane, the drug crime expert, never seems to seriously suspect that drugs could be involved in the arson/murder of the seafood factory owner. At least to my memory, she never tests any of the packets. There is a drug arrest as a secondary story, but it never dawns on her that the two cases are linked. (“I’ll worry about the drug case after I solve this pesky murder,” she thinks.)

All this is not to say that Jane Bunker is unlikeable. She has good motives, and you root for her, but there are many instances where you want to smack your forehead at how dense she is. (She thinks a deer hunter is a killer dragging a body to his car - really?) I have no problem with flawed detectives, or even ones who make mistakes. Jane just seems to make them over and over. She doesn't really outsmart anyone - she only stumbles onto the solution by finding a piece of evidence that the killer improbably leaves in plain sight.

A good point of the book is that the author is an expert when it comes to location and to the scenes on the water. There is real suspense as a boat captain tries to maneuver his boat through a terrible winter storm. The writing style is fine. I would read another Jane Bunker book (though I wish the author would allow her to be a little smarter). My ultimate rating is "good but not great."

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually read the other books in the series, but did not even remember them until I discovered them, as part of the series, on the Internet. Needless to say, I do not recall very much about them and cannot compare this one to them. In this book, Jane Bunker, a former Miami detective whose career exploded, becomes involved in a murder mystery on Acadia Island, off the coast of Maine. Acadia Island has meaning for Jane, as she and her brother were born there. Her mother took the children and escaped to Florida years ago, where she settled. Jane is a town detective as well as a maritime insurance investigator. In this case, Jane travels the short distance to Acadia Island to investigate a fire that destroyed a mansion. During her look through at the mansion, Jane discovers the burnt remains of the woman who owned and lived there. Thus, begins the mystery. Initially, Jane concludes the dead woman died in the fire, but further inspections shows she was killed before the fire and dragged there, with the fire set to probably disguise the murder. Jane meticulously uncovers clue by clue, trying to figure out what is going on. She comes up with a few theories, some of which prove to be false or non-starters. To complicate matters, Jane is ever haunted by the fact that her ancestry is on this island, and everyone knows it, but she has little time to figure that part out. As the story progresses, Jane plods through many clues and events, hoping to finally discover who killed this woman and why.

As I said, I do not recall the other books, which I read years ago. Thus, I cannot compare them. Instead, I read this one as a stand-alone. The author writes very well and has a captivating style that provides a fantastic picture of the Maine area. However, the story drags along slowly, as Jane slowly and methodically progresses from one clue and/or idea to the next. You get a good picture of Jane, a methodical, plodding detective who refuses to leave any clue unchecked or stone unturned. However, I did wish sometimes it would move along at a faster pace, instead of slow and steady. I also found it interesting that Jane decides who the murder is slightly less than half way through the book, and then spends a lot of time trying to convict the alleged murder or figure out why she is wrong and whom she should really be looking at. This is a slow, steady book, written by an author who knows the setting and possesses a good sense of writing style. I think someone who enjoys a challenging mystery would enjoy it. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won an advanced reader’s copy of “Shiver Hitch” by Linda Greenlaw, on Goodreads.com and am posting an honest review. I gave it a rating of 4 stars.

Following her mother’s death, Jane Bunker moves from Florida to the small Maine coastal town of Green Haven from which her mother fled with 8-year-old Jane and her younger brother Wally some thirty-five years ago. They had lived on Acadia Island, a 40-minute boat ride across the bay. Doubly employed as an insurance investigator and an assistant deputy sheriff, Jane has found enough excuses in the eight months she’s been there to avoid visiting Acadia Island and attempting to find out why her mother mysteriously severed ties to the Bunker family. With news that Wally, who suffers from Down’s Syndrome, was being evicted from his government-subsidized housing, Jane now has to find new living quarters for him.

Sent by her boss to investigate a house fire on the island under frigid conditions, Jane hopes to reconnect with the estranged Bunker family if time permits. The house fire seems to be accidental, ignited by a water heater when a propane line was broken by frost heaves. Then Jane stumbles across a woman’s body in the rubble. Apparently the victim was overtaken by smoke while trying to extinguish the fire rather than summoning help.

Further investigation reveals that the wealthy homeowner, Midge Kohl, was thought to be off the island. She was in the middle of a contentious dispute with island residents over the use of ex-cons working at her local lobster processing plant. When it’s determined that Mrs. Kohl died by drowning, everyone on the island becomes a suspect in the murder.

Jane must battle dangerous winter weather along with hostile residents to solve the case. I was mildly disappointed that after relating the story of the estranged Bunker family, there was no resolution of the problem at all. Maybe the author is saving that for the next book of the promising series.

[Linda Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book via a goodreads giveaway.

Jane Bunker has moved close to her home town, a small island off the coast of Maine that her mother stole away from years earlier, moving as far from the Bunker family as possible. Jane had been a murder detective, now in the small town of Green Haven, she must work two part time jobs just to make a living. She works as an insurance investigator and a part time police officer.

When Jane returns to Acadia Island to assess the damage caused by what appeared to be a broken propane line, she stumbles over the body of the owner. After assessing the situation, Jane feels the owner of the home had attempted to put out the fire without calling for help, only to succumb to the smoke. When one finds what they suspect, the investigation usually goes no further; but, when Jane takes a sample of what she believes is blood, airing on the side of caution, she turns the entire case and her own life upside down.

Jane returns to the island to investigate further, only to be lead into her initial trap, finding what she expects to find, what will happen when she finally learns too much?

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shiver Hitch is the third book in the A Jane Bunker Mystery series by Linda Greenlaw. This is the first book in the series that I have read. It is also the first book of Greenlaw's that I have read. You do not need to read the first two books in the series to enjoy Shiver Hitch.

Jane Bunker lives in small town Green Haven, Maine. She is employed as both a deputy and as an insurance investigator. In the midst of the cold Maine winter, Jane is called out to remote Acadia Island to investigate a house fire as part of her job as an insurance investigator. Soon she has to don her deputy hat as she discovers a body in the ruins of the fire. The body is that of the home owner. Who would want to kill her?

There is a story about Jane Bunker that has not been explored at all yet. Jane moved with her mother to Florida as a small child and knows nothing about her relatives on Acadia Island. The subject was touched on but Jane did little to find out about them. I hope that story is being saved for a later book in the series.

I really enjoyed Shiver Hitch and am definitely looking forward to more books in the series! Highly recommend.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is difficult to be objective while reading a signed copy of Linda Greenlaw's newest Jane Bunker mystery "Shiver Hitch". Nonetheless, I enjoyed returning to new material in this series after many years since the last edition and I imagine many others will too. This is the first time in the series where Jane Bunker's law enforcement background really emerges as a complex thread in the story with suspect interrogations, workplace antics at the sheriff's department and more thrilling crime fighting situations. Diving more into the police procedure is out of Greenlaw's expected sweet spot of her commercial fishing knowledge, but it works in this book. Clearly she has done her research and it adds a new dimension to the Jane Bunker series. The greatest success of this work is the addition of two new characters - Jane's brother Wally and police dispatcher/techie Deloris - which was needed to further Jane's character development and facilitate future books in this series. Per Linda Greenlaw, more Jane Bunker books are forthcoming and I'll certainly be at her future book release events.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#3 in the Jane Bunker mystery series. Author Greenlaw brings back Jane Bunker after a nine year hiatus since Fisherman's Bend (2008). Greenlaw is most known for her non-fiction relating to her day job as a commercial fishing captain off the Maine coast. This background stands her in good stead as she describes small town Maine life and the freezing nor'easter that catches the small boat transporting Jane by surprise on a trip from Acadia Island to the mainland. I enjoy the series and hope a sequel arrives faster than this series entry.

Jane Bunker is an insurance investigator and part-time deputy sheriff in Green Haven, Maine. Her family is originally from nearby Acadia Island, but she knows little of her past. When she is asked to investigate a fire that has destroyed a home on the island, she thinks she might learn a bit about her history in the process. Then she finds a body in the house, and the case becomes murder. The dead woman, Midge Kohl, ran a lobster-processing plant and was universally disliked in the town.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

Linda, Linda, Linda, I SO loved your non-fiction books about swordfishing in New England and lobstering in Maine. How can you possibly have SO much trouble writing a cutesy mystery novel? You were an English major at Colby (which I attended, as well), and somehow you've missed out on most of the major points of literature. I even hate to say all this. But I've read all 3 of your Bunker mysteries, and they are getting more boring and cringe-worthy. And the editing! WAS there an editor? Jane Bunker makes mistakes constantly, her thoughts about everything seem forced, her "progress" in solving the murder is so slow and painful... Grammatical errors abound, and the writing appears to have been done by an 8th grader rushing through his/her final paper. "I felt heat surge from within my chest as my pulse raged with the excitement and fear of what I saw in the bottom of the ashtray." "I clenched my jaw tight to gain control of my chattering teeth." Oh. My. God. I'm totally done with Jane Bunker. RIP, I hope.

[David Freas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been 7 years at least since I read the first two books in this series, so I don’t remember much about them other than liking them enough to keep Greenlaw on my ‘To Read’ list. I like them because they are distinctive enough with main character of a marine insurance investigator in a small town in main to be a refreshing break from the many, many novels set in New York, LA, Chicago, or any other major city in the U.S.

However, in this book…

Jane Bunker seems to jump to conclusions fairly quickly and mostly wrongly. “It’s this guy. No, it’s that guy. No, wait. It’s this other guy.’ This doesn’t speak well about Bunker’s skills, especially for someone who once was a detective in a crime-ridden city like Miami. Nor does her penchant for going unarmed and alone onto an island that is the scene of the crime. And instead of solving this crime by the patient gathering of evidence and information, she does it by the almost coincidence-like discovery of a clue that puts it all together for her.

Still, I think I’ll be back for the next book in the series.

[Cathyann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this mystery. It is the first one of Greenlaw’s mysteries that I read and will not be the last.

Of course the Maine coast is a great place to set a mystery series, the setting itself possesses great character. Greenlaw does an excellent job in describing the setting in all its characteristics. As you read feel the cold or the warmth of a hot shower after being out in the cold.

Her characters are real people you like to cheer for a the story goes on; you can’t help but want to get to know them. They are true and carry her story to the end and beyond. You end the book wanting to catch up again with them soon.

The plot is well planned out and carries the story to the end. No where along the way does the plot lose any momentum. When you get near the end of the book it could possibly keep you up later than you wished. Jane Bunker, Deputy Sheriff of Green Haven is a determined woman with a lot spunk. I can’t wait for my next adventure with Jane, Cal, Audrey, Deloris, the Vickersons and her brother Walter.

[Conny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a First Read Winner of this book, and quite anxious to get started on it since the description had me intrigued. Overall I really liked the book, it had me guessing along with our main character and I gladly went along for the ride, but I never really felt I got to know Jane very well. Of course that could have something to do with the fact that this is the 3rd book in the series and I was not familiar with the previous ones, perhaps it would have explained more about her? All I found out about her was that she was a penny pincher, a meticulous cop who handled pressure well, and pretty much a loner but who was very attached to her brother and the landlords that took her under her wing. The story moved along at a good pace and I would like to check out the other books in the series to get a better understanding of our heroine. I have my eye on Linda Greenlaw now and will gladly read any other of her books.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit It- I'm a fan girl of Linda Greenlaw, who has created a wonderful character in Jane Bunker. This latest installment in the series, which can easily and happily be read as a standalone, adds to Jane's backstory by sending her to Acadia island. More importantly, the addition of Wally, Jane's brother, creates another dimension for the story. The Vickersons, well, would you like them as your landlords? They are just so real. A fire that turns into murder scene is nothing new in the mystery field but Greenlaw has effectively used her Maine setting and Jane's ability to untangle a mystery, even when layered in family secrets, to good effect. Her background as a homicide detective will never leave her, even when she's working in the marine insurance field (which is interesting in and of itself). This is well written and entertaining- and different from the usual. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Try this one for a good Maine mystery.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Green
Aw is an admirable woman and so e made it a point to read all of her books. For the most part she writes very well and is entertaining, especially her non fiction. He Jane Bunker series is not as well written, but still enjoyable. Jane has some really annoying traits, like her nearly psychotic frugality. But this installment has her redefining her relationship with the Vickersons and bringing her brother to live with her in Maine. The personal side of the book balanced out the criminal search that had a few really foolish errors. Still, it was an informative story with a lot of information about the drug culture out in the isolated areas of Maine’s coast. I learned a lot despite the book being fiction. I plan to read the next Jane Bunker, if only because her personal story is actually more compelling than the mystery.

[MTD · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read the first two Jane Bunker books, and thought both were better than this one. However, I read an ARC from Netgalley, and this advance copy was the sloppiest galley I've ever read. To me, it read like an assignment that one has put off until the last minute. Lots of tense errors; incomplete character development; cliches; unsuccessful attempts to make this a standalone novel; an entire plotline (Jane's island ancestors) mentioned throughout the novel but left mostly undeveloped in the end; and overall rushed writing. One thing I love about the Bunker novels is Jane's witty, slightly snarky personality and tone. That was present, but did not shine through as clearly in this one as in the others. I do not want to base my rating on the writing, as I did not read a final copy of the book. The plot was serviceable enough; I got a bit bored towards the end and the aforementioned plot dangler was annoying, as it is mentioned at steady intervals throughout the book. I'd do two-and-a-half stars if I could, but will round up to three, emphasizing that a review of the finished product would possibly be quite different.

[Kay Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a terrible mystery, just minimally nuanced. Greenlaw is a lobsterer who writes books, the no-nonsense world of fishing is evident in her writing, people tend to be little more than one dimension. Lots of writers get stuck in a narrower and narrower area because their characters are not nuanced enough to contain both good and bad. They become boring. Taking place in Maine in February there were lots of ways for the setting to become part of the story. In spite of a 40 minute boat-trip to reach the scene of the crime, the atmosphere just doesn't become part of the story. It would enrich it greatly. The main character has potential but nobody is very interesting. A mystery without characters you care about becomes a yawn.

[Gregory Andis · Rating 4 out of 5]

With apologies to my beloved wife, I confess that I have had a crush on Linda Greenlaw ever since Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio portrayed her in The Perfect Storm (which was a great read before it was a great movie). I have read her non-fiction works and been fascinated by her stories and grit in what can arguably be described as a man's profession. Anyway, being all about anything to do with Maine (my eventual retirement destination) I decided to try her fiction a while back and was not surprised that her heroine, Jane Bunker, is as likable as she seems to be. The third installment is a really great standalone read but the reader will enjoy it more by starting with first two books. I cannot wait to get my hands on number four.

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Jane Bunker mystery series. I have read the first two and really enjoyed them so I picked up this one from the library. I love the character of Jane and the other townfold who she interacts with in the small Maine town where the series is set. Jane is a former Florida detective who now survives on doing Insurance investigations and deputy duties. She moved to find out more about her family, but has not done so yet in the series. In this outing, she goes in for a routine fire insurance inspection and discovers a body. She soon moves into police mode as she heads the murder investigation. Really well developed sense of place in this series and in this book in particular. I'd highly recommend this series.

[Auderoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

FAV QUOTES:

People make more of what is unsaid than what is said.

Here I was, a short boat ride to the truth, but unable to climb aboard; my fear of disillusionment crippling.

To my mind, only the best of friends will agree to a favor before knowing what it is.

The best and worst times of my life had been defined publicly as "Fine, thanks."

I always came down on the side of being good. After all, if I attributed my life to luck, I would have to believe that someday my luck would run out. And that would make it hard to get out of bed in the morning.

No reason to be frightened. Dead people never harmed anyone; only the living did.

[Susan Rainwater · Rating 1 out of 5]

Linda Greenlaw’s The Hungry Ocean and The Lobster Chronicles are among my favorite non-fiction naturalist books. So when she ventured into cozy mysteries, I said, “Why not?” The first two were reasonably good. The third, Shiver Hitch has never made it into second printing for a reason.

Shiver Hitch is dull, relentlessly dull. It reads like the stage directions from a TV detective show – think Law and Order with all of the dialog left out. Despite leaving a lot hanging at the end, I have no interest in finding out what happens in the next book.

There are many fine writers of cozies. Sadly, Greenlaw isn’t one of them.

[Jaimie Bruzenak · Rating 4 out of 5]

We spend time in Maine most summers, which is how I discovered Linda Greenlaw's books. I look for local authors when we visit somewhere. Though Jane was born on Acadia Island, she spent most of her life in Miami and worked as a homicide detective. Back in Maine living in Green Haven, she is working as an marine insurance investigator as well as assisting the sheriff when needed. When a body turns up in a house fire investigation on the nearby island of Acadia, Jane shifts gears from insurance adjusting to solving the crime. Plenty of interesting locals and intrigue.

[Bjipson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read a book by a Derryfield alum. Plus, the setting is downeast Maine, where we've been lucky enough to spend some time...I am not an avid mystery reader, although I find them fun from time to time -- I did guess, although was not sure, about who dun it in this one. Mostly the fun was reading the descriptions of how cold it is in Maine in the winter and what the breakfast diner culture was. I do think Richard Russo is a little better at it, but I will recommend this to anyone at school who wants a fun mystery ~