Dead Calm

Mattie Winston Mystery #9

by Annelise Ryan

The honeymoon will have to wait for newlyweds Mattie Winston and Steve Hurley . . .

As deputy medical examiner and homicide detective respectively, the couple are dispatched to a grisly crime scene at the Grizzly Motel, a seedy joint for illicit liaisons on the outskirts of Sorenson, Wisconsin. A man and woman are found dead next to each other in bed in what initially appears to be a grim but straightforward murder-suicide. An affair gone sour?

But as the forensic evidence is gathered and autopsies are performed, Mattie and Steve realize the scene has been staged. They have a double murder on their hands. The spurned spouses of both victims top the list of suspects, but as more is revealed, the case becomes increasingly complex. Dividing their time and resources between the double homicide and an ongoing investigation involving Mattie's father, as well as caring for their toddler Matthew and Steve's teenaged daughter Emily, the two are stretched to their limits.

After another victim turns up dead, there's no room for error as Mattie and Steve stage a scene of their own to back the killer into a corner . . .

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary

352 pages, ebook

First published February 27, 2018

About the author

Annelise Ryan is a pseudonym for Beth Amos, the USA Today bestselling author of 30 novels, including the Monster Hunter Mysteries featuring cryptozoologist and bookstore owner, Morgan Carter, the Mattie Winston mystery series, featuring a wryly cynical nurse-turned-coroner, and the Helping Hands Mysteries featuring social worker Hildy Schneider.

In addition, she is the author of the Mack's Bar Mystery series written as Allyson K. Abbott and five standalone paranormal thrillers written as Beth Amos.

She is a retired emergency room nurse living in Wisconsin. There are several reasons why she decided to use pseudonyms, not the least of which was that her ER patients might not have been comfortable knowing she spent her spare time thinking up clever ways to kill people.

Reviews

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ninth book in the Mattie Winston series does not disappoint, they just keep getting better We left Mattie and Steve being married in the last book. The newly wedded pair is sent to a seedy, run-down motel to what appears to be a grisly murder-suicide. As the pair begins their investigation they realized the man believe to be the shooter is left-hand and the gun is near his right-hand. The explore the situation they learned the victims had large insurance policies which would benefit both spouses. The coroner office is still understaffed and Mattie has returned to working full time. Bones are located in the acreage delaying their house plans. The bones become a media sensation causing more difficulties. The pair needs answers to all the cases they have been working before there are more deaths of innocent people. I highly recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Kensington Books for my copy to review. The opinions expressed are my own.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Deputy Medical Examiner Mattie Winston and her husband Homicide Detective Steve Hurley are called to the Grizzly (No Tell) Motel for 2 bodies. At first, the deaths are thought to be murder/suicide to end an affair but some keen observations and the autopsies show that isn’t what happened. It is a double murder case and the couple’s respective spouses are now the prime suspects.

Mattie and Hurley are also still working on an investigation that involves Mattie’s father, trying to build a house, taking care of their family, and more. With this new double murder, they are juggling a lot and it may just be too much. Then another body is found and Mattie pushes her boss to hire a replacement for her recently deceased coworker before she goes over the edge. Until then she and her hunky detective may need to get creative to solve a complex case and catch a killer.

Ms. Ryan has packed this book full of mysteries! An old case that started in a previous book, a strange case that may involve aliens, and the current murder case. All three grab a hold of the reader and play out at their own pace throughout the book. The alien case made me think of the recent release by this author, A Death in Door County. It shows me that the author has wanted to explore unique storylines for a while and she does it very well. The old case is very complex and has many tangents to explore which I enjoyed. The new case was more straightforward and easier for readers to solve.

I really appreciate that Ms. Ryan writes true-to-life characters. Mattie Winston is not a superwoman and her work is starting to take a toll on her mind and body. Steve is very supportive but he gets overwhelmed at times as well. Izzy and Dom are struggling a bit too with Izzy going back to work, his mother living on the premises, and Dom wanting to get back to some of the things he was doing before the baby came. Dom is also babysitting Matthew for Mattie and Steve.

The recognizable Wisconsin references are always a treat. This time Mattie truly was in my neck of the woods, just mere blocks away.

I love the way Ms. Ryan writes a story and the way she blends together mysteries and family life. At first, I thought this book was a little light on the author’s signature humor. That was until Izzy and Mattie started to interview for someone to replace Hal. Oh my stars, you won’t believe who they ultimately hire. I think things are going to be very interesting around the morgue. It may mean everyone working there will need to receive a special piece of equipment.

Dead Calm is not a book you can read as a stand-alone because of the arc of one of the cases. Of course, as a fan, I think you should read the entire series in order to really get to know these characters. But if you want to jump in later in the series it twisted from the cozy realm to more hard-boiled with Dead in The Water so that one should definitely be read before this book.

I have enjoyed this entire series and look forward to reading Dead of Winter soon.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Calm by Annelise Ryan is the 9th book in the Mattie Winston Mysteries series. Deputy medical coroner Mattie Winston together with her homicide detective husband Steve Hurley investigate an apparent murder-suicide at a local sleazy motel. A fabulous book with plenty of action and intrigue. There is a lot happening with the continuation of the previous case from the previous book and also the discovery of an alien like skeleton during excavation work on their new house. Interspersed with humour and laughs, this book is highly entertaining and captivating.

[Paul T · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, way too Byzantine soap opera.

[Linda Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mattie Winston and her new husband, Steve Hurley, are settled into his home, along with Steve's 15-year old daughter, Emily, and their 2-year old son, Matthew.Things are cramped in Steve's small house, so they are planning to build a new home. Besides the stresses of a new marriage and a blended family, Mattie is working insane hours at the Medical Examiner's office because of the death of her work sharing counterpart and the recent heart attack of her boss, Izzy. Mattie is a death investigator, assisting Izzy at autopsies and working on cases. It's a good fit because of her nursing background and her general nosiness. The plus is that she works with Steve often in his capacity as a police detective; sometimes it seems that that work is their only time together. The two are called out to a local motel where there appears to be a murder-suicide but seems wrong to Mattie. Then, the construction crew excavating their building site discovers skeletal remains. The skeleton appears to be a space alien, and a media frenzy ensues. Tying up the ends of the two cases are much more than a full-time job for both, especially since the murder-suicide has ties to an earlier investigation; one that the solution arrived at dissatisfies both Steve and Mattie.

I have enjoyed all the Mattie Winston novels because of the characterization and the humor. The humor in Dead Calm is not as broad as in some of the others, but there are plenty of chuckles. The search for a working counterpart for Mattie brings some of the oddest applicants ever. Then there is Mattie's continuing battle with food and klutziness. I did spot the murderer early on, but the appearances of Mattie's group of friends and family made up for that.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advance copy. The opinions are my own.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Calm (Mattie Winston Mystery, #9) by Annelise Ryan is another fantastic book added to the series.
When Mattie & Hurley are called out to a seedy motel, known as Grizzly Motel- for a suspected murder-suicide, they have no idea of the tangled mess they will have to unravel.

Married life is new for Mattie & Hurley, and trying to combine family, work, building their new house and many other things, Mattie is emotionally and physically drained.
She knows the only way to get through this is to work smart, so she teams up with Hurley to investigate the odd deaths. What they discover is an Cancun plot and the murderer is not sorry at all.

Fans of this series will be delighted to catch up with Matte and the gang in the 9th book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

Dead Calm releases on February 27, 2018
#DeadCalm #NetGalley

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Calm by Annelise Ryan is the ninth installment in A Mattie Winston Mystery series. Mattie Winston, medicolegal death investigator for the medical examiner’s office, and her husband, Detective Steve Hurley are called out during the night to a crime scene at the Grizzly Motel. At first glance, it looks like a murder-suicide scenario with Craig Knowlton killing Meredith Lansing. But upon further examination, it is evident that the scene was staged. Now Steve and Mattie have a double murder on their hands. The more they dig, the more complex the case. At the site of Steve and Mattie’s new home, the builders dig up a set of unusual remains. The bones are deformed which causes speculation that the remains are those of an alien (media sensation). Steve is still digging into the Prince case which relates back to Mattie’s father. They are still missing some key details. Will Mattie’s father fill in the gaps? This pair have their hands full with three investigations, a teenager and a toddler to take care of, and the construction of their new home on hold. Then another victim turns up. It does not help that the medical examiner’s office is understaffed, and the only potential candidate has a malodourous medical condition. How will it all turn out? You will have to read Dead Calm to find out!

Dead Calm reminds me of the Energizer bunny—the story just keeps going and going at a fast clip. Dead Calm has three mysteries with varying levels of complexity. There is one odd, one simple, and the final one is convoluted. The main mystery can be solved before you are a quarter of the way through the story. The Prince case is more complex, and it started in a previous book in this series. It is a mystery that plays out since readers are not given all the facts necessary to solve it. This case dominates the book, and we are vast amounts of information relating to it (information overload). The odd case involving the deformed skeleton is interesting and provides some humorous moments (since people believe the skeleton belongs to an alien). I felt that the author crammed too much into this one book. Dead Calm is not a standalone book. While many details about the characters and cases from previous books is included (goes on for many pages), new readers will be lost. The characters are realistic and well-developed. The ending was anticlimactic regarding the Prince case, but the solution was clever. The crimes are counterbalanced with humor that will have many people laughing hilariously. There are a couple of items in the book that I could have done without. One of them being Matthew, Mattie’s young son, peeing on her leg. While I am sure most people will find it humorous and realistic, I did not feel it needed to be included (makes me glad I had a daughter). There is some repetition of information in Dead Calm. It makes me wonder if authors think readers forget the facts as we progress through the book. I am giving Dead Calm 4 out of 5 stars. There is a preview of Last Call (the next book in A Mack’s Bar Mystery series) at the end (both series written by same author).

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the first half of this book was nearer 2 stars. There was a LOT of exposition, explanation, relaying of past events. Sure, some of that was necessary; there were, after all, quite a few loose ends from previous books. But the execution was plodding, wearying, and boring. Break it up, for crying out loud--at least that.
Fortunately, somewhere between 1/2-2/3 of the was through, things lightened up, in multiple ways. I'd been missing the things that made this series unique, such as Mattie's frequent "how do I get into these situations" situations. The humor has been missing, along with some other small things that reduced the series' appeal for me. However, finally this book plugged in to all that. Most if not all of those loose ends were tied up, humor returned, and the ending came with a sense of accomplishment and contentment. All that raised my rating to 3 stars.

[Ellie Rhodes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many stories going on at the same time. I realize this is a series but can we just stick with ONE plot at a time and not try to cram the stories for 5 other books into this. They detract from the main one with all the pointless meandering.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the Mattie Winston series, Dead Calm is a whirlwind of activities and emotions that makes the title seem facetious. Newlyweds Mattie and Steve/Hurley are like the ducks you see on a river. they look calm but underneath the surface they are paddling like crazy. That describes the life of Mattie and Hurley as they not only do their involved and time consuming jobs, but raise a family that includes a 16 year old and a 2 year old, try to have a new house built, and be there for their friends and co-workers as they work towards solving an old case involving drug companies, murder, and Mattie's father while working on a current double murder. Fortunately, the author keeps the tension of the various storylines throughout the book, leaving the reader surprised and pleased with the book from start to finish.

I loved the range of emotions that Mattie had, and managed to keep most of them in check. There is a scene or two with toddler Mathew that had me simultaneously laughing and crying. It was a spot on glimpse of life with a strong minded two year old child! There was also a scene with her ex that made the reader flash back to what brought on Mattie's divorce, and again appreciate Mattie's inner dialogue and emotions.

Because recently Mattie and Hurley have been allowed to work together, the books have focused more on their working dynamics and less on other co-workers. I felt a little bereft because many of their co-workers hovered so far into the background that their appearances in the story were minimal. One funny exception was the candidate interviewed for a job-sharing position with Mattie.
Another was Arnie, the resident conspiracist, and the discovery of a deformed skeleton while the foundation was being dug for Mattie and Hurley's new home. Due to the deformities, Arnie was convinced that it was remains of an alien, a theory that spread like wildfire among the media! These delightful side stories injected much needed levity into the current horrific double murder that was the main case Hurley and Mattie were trying to solve.

The main case of a pair of lovers found at a "by the hour" motel at first appearance seems to be a murder-suicide. The more they gather information, the more Hurley and Mattie discover peculiarities that require second and third looks at survivors. The realize that this is a double murder, no suicide! Their attention to miniscule details are the reason they solve these murders as they do the others before them.

Dead Calm is not a stand-alone mystery. Readers really need to start at the beginning of the series and read through the books in order. Only then will the details given in this book make complete sense. What a delightful and enviable experience awaits as a new reader goes through the series meeting Mattie and other characters for the first time!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy for my voluntary review.

[Mary Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Calm
Mattie Winston Mystery, Book #9
Annelise Ryan
5 Stars

Synopsis:

The honeymoon will have to wait for newlyweds Mattie Winston and Steve Hurley . . .

As deputy medical examiner and homicide detective respectively, the couple are dispatched to a grisly crime scene at the Grizzly Motel, a seedy joint for illicit liaisons on the outskirts of Sorenson, Wisconsin. A man and woman are found dead next to each other in bed in what initially appears to be a grim but straightforward murder-suicide. An affair gone sour?

But as the forensic evidence is gathered and autopsies are performed, Mattie and Steve realize the scene has been staged. They have a double murder on their hands. The spurned spouses of both victims top the list of suspects, but as more is revealed, the case becomes increasingly complex. Dividing their time and resources between the double homicide and an ongoing investigation involving Mattie's father, as well as caring for their toddler Matthew and Steve's teenaged daughter Emily, the two are stretched to their limits.

After another victim turns up dead, there's no room for error as Mattie and Steve stage a scene of their own to back the killer into a corner . . . (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. I like that Mattie is a working mother with two children to raise. That made her seem more realistic to me and it was refreshing to see her struggling to juggle all of her responsibilities, just like everyone else. Her husband, Steve, loves Mattie and his family fiercely and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. The two make a good pair, both at work and in the personal loves. I really like them both.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is fast paced. The book is action packed and I found myself having to stop and catch my breath while I was reading. There is more than one mystery to solve in this book (one is a recurring one that is not easily solved). Things are not always as they seem.

The author is very talented in creating tension and suspense with the written word. I stayed up much later than I should have reading this book, wanting to find out what was going to happen.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well plotted mystery. I think this series just keeps getting better and better. If you have not read any of this series yet, I would suggest you start at the beginning for the most enjoyment. What are you waiting for?

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Calm by Annelise Ryan is the 9th book in the Mattie Winston series, and another terrific addition. Mattie is an assistant medical coroner in Wisconsin and Detective Steve Hurley is Mattie's husband. They live with their son, Matthew, who is 2 years old and Steve's15 year old teenage daughter, Emily, in Steve's small house while they build a new home. Mattie and Steve are working an apparent murder-suicide, but is it what it seems? Also abnormal bones are found on their land, is it an alien skeleton? I loved this book and did not want to put it down. There is so many story lines going on, you just want to keep reading to see what happens next. I really enjoy the well developed characters, and story line. This book also has great humor, which I always enjoy. I strongly recommend this book/ series for any mystery readers.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Caitlin C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved every book in the series and the newest addition was no different. Mattie is funny and smart and has just the right amount of sass. Mattie is a deputy medical examiner in the small town of Sorenson, WI. Her husband, Steve Hurley is a detective on the Sorenson police force so often times they are called out to investigate murder scenes together. This time it is an apparent murder-suicide out at the Grizzley Bear Motel, a pay-by-the-hour hotel 20 miles outside of town. Mattie and Steve investigate the scene and realize not everything is what it seems. On top of their hectic schedule they have a 2 year old at home who loves to paint everything in the kitchen with syrup! They work very well together plus there are great secondary characters. At the end of this book we meet a new investigator who has a bit of a flatulence problem. I am looking forward to the next one!!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m guessing Dead Calm is probably the last book of this series and honestly.. I loved it. it did have a bit of a slow start but once shit got real, it was really good and I just couldn’t stop reading!

I think my favorite person in this entire series is the adorable Matthew! He is such a sweetheart!

I waited for this book for months because I was really excited to learn more about Mattie’s dad and his case... But then I got a lot of alien stuff and a motel murder instead! I was frustrated at first, but I’m glad I kept going because this book is awesome! It had just the right amount of humor and action!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Assistant Medical Examiner Mattie Winston and her police detective husband Steve Hurley are called out one night to investigate a seemly open-and-shut murder-suicide at the local no-tell motel. But the adulterous pair were murdered--that's what the examination shows. Meanwhile, Mattie worries about the innocent man she's sent to prison, who is another victim of the far-reaching conspiracy that caused her father to leave their family when Mattie was too young to remember him. And there's the mysterious skeleton--could it be an alien?--found on the land that Mattie and Steve have bought to build a dream house for themselves and their two children.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mattie is a deputy medical examiner and her husband, Hurley is a homicide detective. They are called to what they first think is a murder-suicide but turns out to be murder. They are also still working on a case involving Mattie’s father that turns out to be far reaching. While all this is going on, they are trying to take care of their toddler and Hurley’s teenage daughter, plus build a house. A body of a child turns up on their land and they are trying to find out about that so the building can continue.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stelle e mezza
Altra piacevole lettura anche se avevo capito subito chi fosse il colpevole del duplice omicidio iniziale. Sono contenta che sia finita, in un modo un po' strano a dire il vero, una storia che so trascinava da un po' e che riguardava il padre della protagonista, sebbene non si capisca come evolva il rapporto fra due.

[Sam Sebesta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally I was able to keep up with the plot of the murderer! I've admittedly had to revisit the ending on a few of the books, so keeping up with it all was a very welcome surprise. Love this series and the development of the characters. Also have to laugh at the ceiling the author does to not give away too much of the plot too early. On to #10.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read in this series and I will be looking for more titles! Great main characters and a compelling mystery! This will be a new author to continue exploring!

[Veronica Pisano · Rating 3 out of 5]

good story but these books are getting old, i think they can be a series or stand alones so since i am reading it as a series it is very repetitive. but the crime portion is good

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these characters! They are the best part about these books. So much was going on in this book and I enjoyed all the storylines, even if at times it was tricky keeping them straight.

[Alisha Carderella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is last in series I will read, getting a bit slower reading.

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short and the sweet of this is that Dead Calm is the BEST Mattie Winston mystery to date.

Kudos to Annelise for taking her stories to a new and more exciting level.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time reading this author. Decent story but I don't know if I will read any more of Ms. Ryan's books. Too much going on at one time. The reader is often kept in the dark when Mattie has an idea for a case, you can't always tell which case is being discussed, too much personal drama, and a very offensive treatment of an illness of a job applicant. Perhaps it was supposed to be funny but it wasn't and it wasn't necessary to the story.
The story didn't become interesting until more than half way through. With two, sorry, three, current murders, a skeleton on the property where they are building their new house, an innocent man in prison that Mattie is trying to free ( she put him in there), several prior murders they're trying to solve from a prior book, her con-man father who left his family when Mattie was little, and dozens of other characters and situations, it was a mess. Way too much going on.
Perhaps with time I will have a more favorable view of this book, maybe.

[Sherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was the first book by this author I have read. I should have read earlier books as there is too much tying up of loose ends from her earlier books in the series.

[Mary Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. Since it was listed as a thriller, I thought it’d have some thrill. The end result was pretty anticlimactic.

[Caryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Calm opens with Mattie Winston had new husband Steve Hurley’s life anything but calm. As readers of the series know, they are recently married, are in the process of building a larger home, have a two year old and to cap it all off Steve’s teenaged daughter has recently come to live with them. Add to that, Mattie’s office is short handed requiring her to work long hours. Dead Chaos comes closer to describing their life. However, readers who have not read the series before will have no trouble jumping right in. The author uses parts of the first few chapters to give readers a bit of background on their lives.
As Dead Calm opens, Mattie, a death investigator for the medical examiners’ office and her husband, a police detective are called out to the scene of a murder/suicide at the Grizzly Motel, THE place for the rent by the hour crowd. The victims, Craig and Meredith had a professional relationship. Craig and his wife ran a very successful financial planning business. Meredith was a client, though neither were suspected of extramarital affairs. Things start to fall apart with that theory as small discrepancies creep in. The gun was found in Craig’s right hand though he was left handed, was the first “off” thing, but more were to follow.
As the investigation progresses, the plot takes some interesting turns crossing paths with Mattie’s ex-husband a surgeon.
Meanwhile at Steve and Mattie’s home site a deformed skeleton has been found with gold fabric material around it. Arnie, one of Mattie’s coworkers, decides the body is an alien and before long the newspaper is on the story complicating Mattie and Steve’s lives even more.
Dead Calm is an interesting combination of the various mystery sub genres. It has “serious” crime investigation with the cases that Mattie and Steve catch and the series could easily succeed on that alone. But along with that are the silly moments such as Arnie and the alien plot line and another involving the new hire in Mattie’s office with a most unusual medical condition making this a bit of a humorous mystery. In addition to both of those, the domestic angle of the books now have taken on a quite a “mommy track” feel. Anyone who has reared a toddler will relate to some of the funnier parts of the book. The result is a little bit of something for nearly every type of reader though serious crime fiction folks may be put off by the aliens and potty training scenes.
Dead Calm is the ninth book in the series. While it is not necessary to read them in order, it would be helpful.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, but one part of this was tedious.

Mattie: former RN, divorced from a cheating MD husband, married to Hurley, work for the M.E.'s office, & helps Hurley investigate crimes

Hurley: divorced cop, now married to Mattie, has a teenage daughter, now had 2 yr old son w/ Mattie, & building their dream house.

Together they begin investigating what appears to be an affair gone bad turned homicide/suicide.... Until Mattie the M.E. notices that the suicide allegedly shot himself w/ his right hand, but he was left-handed. She also notices the lack of blood at the crime scene, brain matter yes, blood not enough.

Turns out the couple had been killed earlier and not in the motel where their bodies were found. There are spouses due for insurance settlements, one of whom doesn't need or care about the settlement and an odd familial back story....

In addition, Hurley & Mattie are working on a case of diet pills w/ fatal side-effects and Mattie's long-gone father holds one of the keys. With the big players being a local DA, his father the Judge, & a high ranking politician.... The witness, who is in jail from a frame, won't speak out of fear of retaliation against his family and the other two witnesses are dead, they were shot in cold-blood in front of Mattie & Hurley (in an earlier installment?).

The manner in which Mattie & Hurley tied up this unsolved fatal drug crime, was interesting, but not fully detailed for the reader. It did include Mattie questioning her ex-husband's medical conferences which were paid by the drug company being investigated.

The side plot, which I found tedious, a grossly deformed skeleton is found by the contractors while excavating the land for the foundation of Mattie's & Hurley's new house. A co-worker of Mattie's called newspapers to the scene as he was convinced that the contractors unearthed an alien, which of course caused problems for Mattie until she was able to talk to the family who sold them the land & find out who the skeleton belonged to.

I found the book to be interesting, and happily, the more annoying characters were not overly present...

[Squirrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plodding book. The first three chapters summarize bits fromprevious books, completely unnecessary filler. If the writer can't make the bits interesting or relevant with a couple of sentences interspersed with current action, the material shouldn't even be attempted.

And the reader truly doesn't care about the MC's daddy issues, conspiracy theories, 'big powerful' people who will obviously be taken down by the end of the book. The 'plot armer' is so clunky the reader wishes the MC and MMC had gotten shot in the drive-by. Wow, killed the target and a 'friend' (NOT) but completely missed the two physically largest people in the group? Must be divine intervention?

Jump ahead a bit, to Ch 12, and ... miss nothing. There is SO much repetition, of what is going on, what is happening, this is something between a short story and a novella, heavily padded to stretch it to a novel lenth book. Add excessive gratuitous focus on scatalogical topics, between the toddler and the elderly mother and the gassy job applicant. Why gratuitous? Because the 'digestive disorder' would be apparent at any interview, so Its not likely the person would have made it through years and years of school, job interviews, etc., to beat out other applicants, literally gassing the interviewers the whole time. He'd have been 'forced' into an outdoor job, or remote job, or a job in a toxic environment - waste management, fuels, trucking, utility worker, help-desk, insurance invesigator. So its just gratuitous, holding up a disability for ridicule and juvenile 'jokes'. Which are magically fixed/improved at the end with the info "potty training done" and "charcoal undies and fans".

The 'murder ' is overly convoluted and unraveled behind the scenes, with an unrealistic 'grand gesture' reveal that any lawyer could get thrown out (lured into a scene where they plan to arrest her, not Mirandized...) The author likely wanted to seem terribly clever, but it doesn't come across that way. Bringing in a 'seer' and a 'witch' would have been more convincing here.