Beginnings

Kate Martinelli #5.5

by Laurie R. King

INSPECTOR KATE MARTINELLI has worked the SFPD's Homicide Detail for nearly thirty years. She knows all about how a cop builds a case bit by bit to create a clear story from the scattered pieces of evidence. Until the day her fifteen-year-old daughter, Nora, happens to ask about an aunt she'd never met. Kate's kid sister died in the 1980s, a wild young woman who lost control of a car and hit a tree, end of story ... except it isn't. Because once Kate begins to look, seeking to reassure Nora that it was only a senseless accident and not the suicide a small town's gossip made it, she starts to find pieces that don't fit the picture. Holes in the evidence. Mismatched fragments that change the story Kate has told herself all these years-the story that for her, was the beginning of everything. What did happen in Diamond Lake that night? Was it an accident, or a hushed-up suicide? Or was her sister's death something darker yet?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Novella, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

136 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Edgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes series and standalone novels. Her official forum is
THE LRK VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB here on Goodreads--please join us for book-discussing fun.

King's 2018 novel, Island of the Mad, sees Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel from London's Bedlam to the glitter of Venice's Lido,where Young Things and the friends of Cole Porter pass Mussolini's Blackshirts in the streets. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series follows a brilliant young woman who becomes the student, then partner, of the great detective. [click here for an excerpt of the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice] The Stuyvesant and Grey series (Touchstone; The Bones of Paris) takes place in Europe between the Wars. The Kate Martinelli series follows an SFPD detective's cases on a female Rembrandt, a holy fool, and more. [Click for an excerpt of A Grave Talent]

King lives in northern California, which serves as backdrop for some of her books.

Please note that Laurie checks her Goodreads inbox intermittently, so it may take some time to receive a reply. A quicker response may be possible via email to info@laurierking.com.

Reviews

[Barbara K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read somewhere that Laurie R. King wanted to resurrect her Kate Martinelli series, but that her editor convinced her that it had been too long since the last installment, which was published in 2006. I gather the compromise was this novella, and the initiation of a new series featuring Raquel Laing, also an SFPD homicide detective.

It might have been better to just skip Martinelli 5.5 and focus on the Laing series (which has gotten off to a great start with Back to the Garden). There just isn’t enough room in this short book to give us a real sense of what has been going on in Kate’s life in the years since 2006, and also to develop an intriguing plot. Had this story unfolded over the course of a full length book, King could have added the texture that typically makes her books such enjoyable reading experiences. This was sadly predictable.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago I read my first Kate Martinelli about intrepid and tough San Francisco homicide detective, and then the rest of the series. I thought it was over and was sad. Then, lo and behold, Laurie R. King gave us another story that takes us back to the early years of Kate's life and an old cold case for her to solve that hits close to home.

Beginnings is the sixth installment in the Kate Martinelli series and, in spite of its title, should be read after the rest of the series as it both drops in on Kate's life in the present, but assumes the reader/listener has experienced the earlier books of characters and cases.

Beginnings starts with Kate and her wife, Lee, getting ready to take their daughter out for her birthday dinner and meet Nora's boyfriend. Kate has a flashback of her younger sister when she sees Nora and gets Nora curious about the aunt who died young and she never hears about. Nora starts asking questions and Kate is forced to really look at her sister's car accident.

A cursory glance at a newspaper clipping that hints at suicide has her on a journey back to her small central valley home town of Diamond Springs and sifting through the police records and witnesses who are still around from back then. It is an uncomfortable walk down memory lane that Lee encourages her to take to put paid to her past once and for all and figure out some of the odd facts that don't add up about her sister's death which is looking less like a suicide or an accident.

Beginnings is a novella, but it is fully developed with both an introspective journey of memories for Kate and a slow burn cold case for her to solve with her old detecting partner working the case along side her. For being a novella, I have to admit that this was the first time I found one a little dragging in places. It wasn't boring, but I did have a few times when I was done with the mental dialogue and wanted to get back to the story.

It was neat getting a reunion with Kate and Lee to see how they are doing now that they are older and in their fifties with a teenage daughter who is as intrepid as Kate. Kate is a little more mellow now that she has established herself and doesn't have to hide her relationship or get put down as a woman detective with the times changing. Speaking of times, there are some sharp side jabs made at society and politics that fortunately get made and move on. Lee is as supportive and helpful analyzing people as ever and it was neat seeing Kate and Al back on a case together.

The mystery was interesting because it was Kate's little sister involved. It wasn't as twisting or dark as the rest of the series mostly because this is a novella, I think. I had no trouble working out what happened when enough evidence and facts were piled up. The suspense was how they were going to close the case when it was supposition and circumstantial evidence. Kate and Al come through with some clever finds, of course.

This was my first time listening to Alyssa Brenahan's work. I liked her voice for Kate and all the other characters both male and female, young and older. She matched her tone well though I did have to listen at 1.5 speed because her pace was slower than I liked. I would definitely listen to more of her work.

All in all this follow up reunion novella to the Kate Martinelli series was engaging and left me wanting more even if that means a re-read/listen to the other books in the series. Kate is a good sharp-edged character and her investigations get gritty and exciting like thrillers. I can definitely recommend the series.

My thanks to Recorded Books for sending me the book to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the Kate Martinelli series so I was looking forward to catching up with her again but this novella, a cold case investigation into the death of her sister 30 years previously, is so predictable it’s boring. 3 stars only because it’s well written. It was obvious what the outcome would be within the first few chapters.

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent addition to the Kate Martinelli cannon. Makes me long for another full length novel to sink my teeth into. Spending my Saturday morning with a cup of tea and this novella was like like visiting old friends. I want more!

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author has decided to resurrect this character, and this is good. The plot is a bit constrained by the confines of the back-story, and the mystery is more convoluted than dangerous, but it brings back the main players and reminds us all how we got to this point.

I anticipate that the next story will be fresh and forward-looking. And I will read it.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a big story wrapped up in a neat novella. I really enjoyed the premise of the storyline.

[Kimberly-Dawn Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was THRILLED to get a new Kate Martinelli book. So much has changed in society since I began this excellent series about a San Francisco homocide detective. It was fantastic to visit with old friends who aged along with the rest of us. An accident of her sister over 30 years “cold case” deserved her first look at it. Kate and her wife are so normal raising their teenage daughter it was so refreshing.

If you haven’t read Kate Martinelli mysteries I highly recommend this book and every other one.
Laurie King word well developed characters and places you right into heart of the mystery.
I hadn’t listened to any of them before and really risked having a beloved character messed with. I was not disappointed. The narrator was excellent and I will see about adding the older books into my Audible library.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed so much the chance to “reconnect” with Kate Martinelli and her family. I totally echoed her “how can she have a 15 year old daughter” but really really liked this bit of back story into her past and thought the way LRK ties it into her present life was genius. More, please. Thirteen years to too long to wait between novels but this novella has certainly helped tide us over til we can add more pieces to the Kate Martinelli picture.

[Jennifer Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Laurie King!

I am a covid-exhausted healthcare worker who finally got some time off and read Beginnings, mostly on my phone, mostly waking very early out of weeks of habit. I did not realize how much I missed Kate. And Lee. And Al. Thank you for this mini-vacation to CA which I desperately needed. Your work is a joy.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the Kate Martinelli series for the great characters. This novella gives some backstory which I enjoyed along with a detective/mystery, of course.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how much I enjoyed Laurie R. King's writing and characters. I decided to change up reading genres for a bit and found this novella, a Kate Martinelli story. Now I need to figure out which of her Kate Martinelli books and Mary Russell novels I've read and catch up on those I've missed. Definitely a treat to reconnect.

[Gabrielle Jarrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a Laurie R King novel and found Beginnings online. It's a well-plotted novella about an accident causing the death of Kate Martinelli's younger sister thirty years previous to the story. She decides to unearth the cold case to understand more. What happened was a typical cover up in wealthy families, not hers. Very enjoyable.

[Martin Settle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy , enjoyable read of a (fictional) cold case with personal connections... Adding more layers to Kate Martinelli

[Barry Bean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not her best effort, but still enjoyable

King’s storytelling abilities and previous familiarity with the characters made this an enjoyable read, but the story itself was a little thin and had a rushed ending. I always enjoy reading along, but this one is for confirmed fans only.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago, I greatly enjoyed Laurie King’s Kate Martinelli series, especially for the characters and Martinelli, a strong female lead. I was surprised and delighted when I saw as new Martinelli offering ~ “Beginnings” ~ a novella which gives some interesting backstory to the character of Martinelli herself. The real pleasure is a return to a likeable character after a long absence.

INSPECTOR KATE MARTINELLI has worked the SFPD’s Homicide Detail for nearly thirty years. She knows all about how a cop builds a case, bit by bit, to create a clear story from the scattered pieces of evidence. That is until the day her fifteen-year-old daughter, Nora, happens to ask about an aunt she’d never met. Kate’s kid sister, a wild child who died in a car accident the 1980s, end of story … except it isn’t. And so begins a mystery wrapped firmly in Martinelli’s past.

King’s storytelling abilities and our previous familiarity with the characters made this an enjoyable read, but the story itself felt a little rushed at the end. The plot is intriguing, but it is a bit predictable. Still, it wasn't boring. I strongly recommend that anyone who enjoys a well-crafted book that not only makes you think, but delivers great enjoyment, to read Laurie King! However, do read each series in order to get the greatest impact. With the Martinelli series, start with the first ~ "A Grave Talent." The whole series is good, but "A Grave Talent" is exceptional.

[Mrs Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confused

Not much of a story in this compared to previous Kate Martinelli stories. Rather disappointing. I'm sure fans are always pushing for more, but not if it's as thin as this.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate is back. It’s many years since the last novel. She and Lee are still married and have a teenage daughter, Nora. In fact it’s Nora who gets the whole ball rolling. Kate mentions a sister, Patty, who Nora never heard of. Nora begins asking questions which Kate has to decide how to answer. Patty died in a solo car accident when she was in high school, and Nora goes digging. She finds an old story to suggest something sinister. Kate decides to dig and asks her old partner Al his opinion when she discovers a few things that don’t add up. Soon they are on the trail which leads to the only other famous person from their small town, tech giant Mark Fields. Kate had rebuffed him several times, and once when he and friends had her cornered, she hit them with a lead pipe. Several years later, deciding to get even, he beds Patty and is taking her to a party where she will be the main course. In the car, she realizes something is wrong and tries to get away. The car crash kills her, but he gets away.

Kate’s part in this is hidden, so Fields won’t retaliate; it’s a good set up for another book.

Good to see Kate and Ll working together again. Knew who the culprit was early on.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well told, plotted and characterized.
But, full of major plot holes that drove me crazy.
Like, who was the reporter/editor who wrote the article hinting of the doubtful reasons given for Patty’s death, starting Kate’s truth seeking mission?
Who was the boy driven -by guilt? - to drop out, join the army and die overseas, and why were his family and friends not interviewed? He was identified, but no follow up.
Why was the boy who owned the car crying during the police interview right after the “accident?” Guilt? Relief? Fear? Was he part of the conspiracy?
And, what of Field’s family, non-existent throughout?

Interesting also that the tale wraps with Kate satisfied with the new story of Patty’s death revealed. But the current story is ongoing, with the investigation incomplete, the trial and her part in it still to come. What next?

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm starving for Kate Martinelli content, so I was happy to see this. I listened to the audiobook; the reader had a very Kate Mulgrew as Captain Janeway vibe, which I liked, though I still don't think of that as Martinelli. Then again, this story is set when she is 52 years old so the vibe checks out.
I don't listen to a lot of mystery books, but the ending was kind of obvious. The real enjoyment of this book is in the relationships that were established in previous novels. It's like an epilogue in the form of a novella. I would really like to see how Kate would handle a powerful adversary, but it's up to the author whether she'll continue this series. I think it would be refreshing to have an older woman perspective mystery novel.

[Sarah Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Martinelli, SFPD homicide detective extraordinaire, looks back on her younger sister's death in a car crash thirty years previously and retrospectively constructs what turns into a crime scene. Insofar as retroactive construction goes the book reminds me of nothing so much as Josephine Tey's "The Daughter of Time," an excellent mystery which clears the name of Richard III. Tey's detective Alan Grant is laid up in hospital and bored, and comes across a picture of Richard III which doesn't strike him as fitting a criminal type. Martinelli also zeros in on her villain because he has shown evil tendencies since his youth. If you've read both books you may not see it, but if you haven't read Tey's book I would strongly urge it on you. Also Laurie R. King's.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was looking for something new to read by Laurie King, and found this novella. Had read the previous Kate Martinelli books, but I don't think you have to have read them, in order to like this book.
Kate's daughter, Nora, now 15, asks about Kate's sister, Patty. Patty died at 17 years old, in a single -car accident, while Kate was away at college.
Kate looks up some of the details she never paid attention to, all those many years ago; and they don't seem to add up correctly. She asks for help from her old police partner, Al, and they uncover long forgotten memories and more details.

[Terisoares55 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling but Triggering

I went through so many emotions reading this story. I recognized the small town Central Valley environment described so eloquently because that’s the environment I come from. The Central Valley is so different from the Bay Area. Whenever I had to return there to visit family, the people there did not make me feel welcome. I thoroughly recommend this story. I left for the Bay Area to go to college as Kate did and it saved me.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflective crime thriller

As a fan of the previous Kate Martinelli novels, I greatly enjoyed being brought back into her San Francisco world. This time, we have an older, less raw Kate, looking into her past because her daughter, Nora, has questions about the aunt she never met. As usual, Laurie R. King provides a very clean police procedural, with humor and humanity to keep you hooked through the last page.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella takes a look at Kate's past as she finally investigates the life of her younger sister who died more than 30 years earlier in a single vehicle car accident. Kate's daughter Nora has questions about the aunt she never knew which leads Kate back to the hometown she was eager to leave for college in Berkeley. Looking at the accident reports now, raises lots of questions. She and her former partner Al finally get justice for Kate's sister Patty's death.

[JayeL]

Kate's daughter, Nora, now 15 asks about Kate's younger sister. This sends Kate into her past, which she has long ignored.

This is a short story in the Kate Martinelli series. I miss this detective and wish Ms. King would get back to her. I enjoyed the story and felt it was very complete even as a short story. I didn't feel like details were missing and everything was well explained at the end.

[Mac Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

When San Francisco police detective, Kate Martinelli was in college, her sister died in a traffic accident. For thirty years, she's buried the incident and gone on with her life. But now, her teenage daughter is asking questions and forcing Kate to relive that time. As she does, she discovers the accident may not have been so cut and dried.

This is a gripping look at a major influence in Kate's life, and is a good introduction if you haven't read the series yet.

[Jan Crossen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that Laurie R King is BRILLIANT and I love her Kate Martinelli series! It is wonderful to spend time with Kate again, and to learn about what happened "back in the day." The plot is intriguing, the primary characters are old friends, and the writing is excellent. Bravo! More Martinelli books please!

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate's kid sister died in the 1980s in a car accident. When Kate's daughter asks about the aunt she never met, Kate decides to investigate. Was it a suicide as some thought or just an accident, or something else. This novella is easy to read, and continues the stories of the interesting characters that inhabit the Kate Martinelli series,

[Erika Stockton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Kate and I was so excited to reconnect with characters I love. I enjoyed it, mainly because I had missed them. It was an entertaining story, though not nearly as intricate as her full novels. The lack of real mystery was fine though, because we get to see a little window into their lives again.
I was left (again) wanting more.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting dip into Kate’s past, as she goes back to her hometown to investigate more thoroughly her younger sister’s death in a car accident many years before. Lots of bad and sad memories. Interesting details and plausible conclusions. It makes me want to go back and read all of King’s Martinelli books.