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Should Grace Fail
Staying alive depends on knowing whom to trust and when to run.
When a man who saves lives has his own brutally taken, Greater Metro Detectives Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger have their strengths pushed to the limit. The murdered man rescued trafficked teen addicts from a vindictive crime boss, but he was also an alcoholic who left the police force under suspicion. Is his murderer a drug dealer, a pimp, a corrupt police colleague, all of the above? Or could the killer be a victim who lashed out at her savior?
In the mix is the imperious matriarch of a hotel chain who is blind to incidents on her properties. The best friend of the dead man yearns to help but shows up in the wrong place at the wrong time with his therapy dogs. And a biracial eighteen-year-old pianist, haunted by drug abuse, finds herself protecting a charming sweetheart from the draw of crime.
To solve the case, blunt Deb has to ingratiate herself with the hotel matriarch while resisting her attraction to the woman’s foxy assistant. Reserved Erik needs to earn the trust of a wrongfully accused teen. The detectives are pushed over a riverbank, pushed off a golf course, and pushed into a tiger enclosure. If they don’t catch the killer, the best friend and the young pianist are as good as dead. Erik and Deb, working with and against each other, must move fast before helping others proves fatal.
When a man who saves lives has his own brutally taken, Greater Metro Detectives Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger have their strengths pushed to the limit. The murdered man rescued trafficked teen addicts from a vindictive crime boss, but he was also an alcoholic who left the police force under suspicion. Is his murderer a drug dealer, a pimp, a corrupt police colleague, all of the above? Or could the killer be a victim who lashed out at her savior?
In the mix is the imperious matriarch of a hotel chain who is blind to incidents on her properties. The best friend of the dead man yearns to help but shows up in the wrong place at the wrong time with his therapy dogs. And a biracial eighteen-year-old pianist, haunted by drug abuse, finds herself protecting a charming sweetheart from the draw of crime.
To solve the case, blunt Deb has to ingratiate herself with the hotel matriarch while resisting her attraction to the woman’s foxy assistant. Reserved Erik needs to earn the trust of a wrongfully accused teen. The detectives are pushed over a riverbank, pushed off a golf course, and pushed into a tiger enclosure. If they don’t catch the killer, the best friend and the young pianist are as good as dead. Erik and Deb, working with and against each other, must move fast before helping others proves fatal.
230 pages, Paperback
Published December 8, 2020
2 people are currently reading
1079 people want to read
About the author
Priscilla Paton
5 books73 followersWHEN THE HOUSE BURNS, the third in my Twin Cities Mystery Series, will be available February 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 23, 2022
Inquisitive
Should Grace Fail is a police procedural with a clever detective partnership and a crime that offers an intriguing mystery.
Detective Deb Metzger is roped into covering a keynote speech at an event hosted by Nancy Leclerc when ex-detective Dan Routh fails to show. Routh was an alcoholic and left the police force under suspicious circumstances but now operates as a social worker helping young drug addicts. While Metzger is providing her speech, her partner Detective Erik Jansson is at a crime scene discovering the body of Dan Routh in a dumpster.
Metzger and Jansson are both assigned to investigate the murder, and it brings them into contact with Routh's AA sponsor Gordy, who is such an entertaining character. He is unreliable and prone to obstructing the investigation in his attempts to help. The investigation also introduces several other characters, including Luna and Jaelyn, both talented musicians who follow separate threads in the novel but are destined to collide.
The story is a solid police murder mystery with a good plot, but I didn't find any significant connection with the writing. The descriptive language felt a bit amiss, and some of the dialogue scenes were forced. Deb and Erik are colourful characters and work well together, offering a mix of situations that add depth to their partnership and other relationships.
I want to thank Ellen Whitfield and Priscilla Paton for a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Should Grace Fail is a police procedural with a clever detective partnership and a crime that offers an intriguing mystery.
Detective Deb Metzger is roped into covering a keynote speech at an event hosted by Nancy Leclerc when ex-detective Dan Routh fails to show. Routh was an alcoholic and left the police force under suspicious circumstances but now operates as a social worker helping young drug addicts. While Metzger is providing her speech, her partner Detective Erik Jansson is at a crime scene discovering the body of Dan Routh in a dumpster.
Metzger and Jansson are both assigned to investigate the murder, and it brings them into contact with Routh's AA sponsor Gordy, who is such an entertaining character. He is unreliable and prone to obstructing the investigation in his attempts to help. The investigation also introduces several other characters, including Luna and Jaelyn, both talented musicians who follow separate threads in the novel but are destined to collide.
The story is a solid police murder mystery with a good plot, but I didn't find any significant connection with the writing. The descriptive language felt a bit amiss, and some of the dialogue scenes were forced. Deb and Erik are colourful characters and work well together, offering a mix of situations that add depth to their partnership and other relationships.
I want to thank Ellen Whitfield and Priscilla Paton for a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
December 9, 2020
Having not read the first in the Twin Cities Mysteries did not lessen the enjoyment of Should Grace Fail. A former policeman is found dead in a dumpster but Detective Erik Jansen is on the scene. Meanwhile, his partner Deb Metzger is speaking at the conference of which the victim was to be speaking. So, the investigation begins and builds nicely to a resolution, thereby proving an effective police mystery story. A real strength of the narrative is the two main characters and what we discover about them. With thanks to the author and NetGalley for the eBook copy for review purposes - a three-and-a-half-star rating.
January 6, 2021
Detectives Erik Janson and Deb Metzger are investigating when a man is found in a trash dumpster, having been stabbed multiple times. The victim is identified as a former cop who recently spent a lot of time trying to help teens who have a problem with drugs and those who are being trafficked.
A teenage girl wants nothing more than to continue making music. It's her get away from knowing that her boyfriend just up and disappeared without a word to her. She's also got a good friend, Luna , who's recently been hanging out with some bad people.
As Jansson and Metzger investigate, these two stories start to merge. Some of the teens that the former cop was trying to help, are now in Luna's circle.
Who wanted the former cop killed? Why? Where is the missing boyfriend?
There are many twists and turns surrounding deftly defined characters. Throw in some varied, viable suspects with some solid police work and you have a novel well worth reading. There's a lot of action keeping the reader riveted to the tightly woven plot.
Many thanks to the author / Coffeetown Press / Netgalley for the copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
A teenage girl wants nothing more than to continue making music. It's her get away from knowing that her boyfriend just up and disappeared without a word to her. She's also got a good friend, Luna , who's recently been hanging out with some bad people.
As Jansson and Metzger investigate, these two stories start to merge. Some of the teens that the former cop was trying to help, are now in Luna's circle.
Who wanted the former cop killed? Why? Where is the missing boyfriend?
There are many twists and turns surrounding deftly defined characters. Throw in some varied, viable suspects with some solid police work and you have a novel well worth reading. There's a lot of action keeping the reader riveted to the tightly woven plot.
Many thanks to the author / Coffeetown Press / Netgalley for the copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Want to read
September 26, 2020I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.
December 28, 2022
Should Grace Fail by Priscilla Paton is the second in the Twin Cities police procedural series.
First, let me thank both Ellen Whitfield and Layne Mandros from BooksForward, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Series Background: (Warning: May contain spoilers from previous books)
The series is set in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Detective Erik Jansson and his partner, Deb Metzger (who describes herself as 6'2" and lesbian), work in the Greater Metro Investigative Unit (G-Met). Erik is a runner, a top marksman, divorced, has a young son named Ben, and is somewhat reserved. Their boss is Chief Ibeling (known as Almost Allwise Ibeling), and whose wife is rumored to be black ops.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A disgraced ex-cop is found dead in a dumpster, and Erik and Deb are on the case. The man had turned his life around, joined AA, and was working with teens to get them out of gangs, away from drugs and on their way to a better life. But someone decided Dan Routh should die. Suspects abound. It could be a drug dealer, a pimp, an old police "friend", or even one of the kids Dan was trying to help. His friend and AA sponsor tries to help the police, but Gordy seems to be more of a hindrance.
Deb has been working with the LeClerc hotel chain, and the rather miserable woman behind the business. Dan Routh had been scheduled to speak at a conference at the hotel, and Deb is wondering whether there is a connection between LeClerc and the dead man. Something is not right at the LeClerc hotels.
Meanwhile, Luna, a young girl who had been working with Dan appears to be missing, and an 18-year old ex-addict pianist may know something, but she has so many anxiety issues, she doesn't trust herself.
Erik and Deb are both having issues with some of the suspects tied to this investigation. As well, they are both having their own love life issues.
My Opinions:
Again, this book seems long, wordy, and very slow moving. Another struggle to get through.
A lot of characters are thrown at the reader, and it takes a long time to figure them out.
The two things that this series really has going for it are the detectives, and the plot. Both Erik and Deb are completely different and both a little odd. Their conversations, even when they are just thoughts, are wonderful. The plot was deep, and well thought out. The writing was good
So, overall, the book was good, it just felt like a bit of a slog. However, this won't prevent me from trying again. There is just something about the detectives that make me want to know more.
For a more complete review of this book and others, (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information and contact details), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
January 8, 2021
I'm not much of a mystery reader, so I can't speak to the mystery plot except to say that it was complicated enough to keep me guessing till the end. For me, the pleasure of the novel is in Paton's wit--the banter between the characters, the puns, the lively cultural commentary, especially fun for me because I spent a number of years in the Twin Cities area. Much of Paton's writing is texture--and this is a good thing. Fun to renew my acquaintance with Detectives Erik and Deb and the rest of Paton's cast.
October 24, 2020
This books tests our understanding of good and bad. The characters are flawed - open to judgement as to whether they are “good” or “bad.” This makes them very relatable and I spent as much of the time assessing them as I did trying to solve the mystery. It’s a clever approach as it makes the book appealing to non-mystery lovers, too. Apart from this clever characterisation, the book offers a strong mystery and a great writing style. Highly recommended.
January 1, 2021
Another satisfying mystery by Priscilla Paton. The book is great on its own but even better if you are familiar with the Twin Cities geography and culture.
October 9, 2020
Quick note: I know this was an uncorrected ebook, but the formatting of it was DREADFUL. Hopefully, they get it under control for the release.
Detective Deb Metzger, who was to speak briefly at an event hosted by Nancy Leclerc, scion of a hotel chain, is asked to take over the keynote speech, which was supposed to be given by Dan Routh, a former policeman, when Routh doesn't show. She hesitantly agrees.
Routh, it turns out, has been murdered, his body found in a Dumpster. Detective Erik Janssen, Deb's partner, is on the scene where the former policeman and now quasi-social worker has been found.
The duo are assigned to investigate, and the first person they wind up speaking to is Gordy, Routh's sponsor in AA. Gordy's one of the most delightful and funny characters in this book - clearly wanting to o good, and right by Routh, but he also clearly has a case of scattershot thinking. After collecting the information he has, they continue on, following Routh's footsteps.
They find that Routh was lately working primarily with a girl named Luna - a fetal alcohol syndrome baby who grew up to be a talented musician. But she is in the wind, leaving Erik and Deb to start digging around in her life as well, trying to find her.
There's a secondary plot involving Jaelyn, an accomplished pianist, who may or may not know Luna, but who is definitely seeing Ray, a drug dealer - and carrying cash and/or product around for him.
By this point, we have a good reading of the two detectives' personalities: divorced Erik, quiet, and prone to going off to do something without telling Deb. Deb, single after breaking up with her last girlfriend, but seeing a possible new love interest in Jude, right hand to the imperious Nancy Leclerc.
As the story progresses, the overall investigation gets both broader but also more intently smaller, focused on Jaelyn's drug dealing boyfriend, another young man who seems to be ready to spill his guts, and someone within Nancy's inner circle.
Erik and Deb doggedly follow the clues, resulting in the arrest of the killer and a rather satisfying ending.
While there were a couple of draggy spots - the neighbors and voles/gophers, for instance - overall the book is quite readable and there weren't any gigantic plot holes to run trucks though en route to all the pieces of the investigation dovetailing quite nicely at the end.
A solid four out of five stars.
Thanks to Coffeetown Press and NetGalley for the review copy.
Detective Deb Metzger, who was to speak briefly at an event hosted by Nancy Leclerc, scion of a hotel chain, is asked to take over the keynote speech, which was supposed to be given by Dan Routh, a former policeman, when Routh doesn't show. She hesitantly agrees.
Routh, it turns out, has been murdered, his body found in a Dumpster. Detective Erik Janssen, Deb's partner, is on the scene where the former policeman and now quasi-social worker has been found.
The duo are assigned to investigate, and the first person they wind up speaking to is Gordy, Routh's sponsor in AA. Gordy's one of the most delightful and funny characters in this book - clearly wanting to o good, and right by Routh, but he also clearly has a case of scattershot thinking. After collecting the information he has, they continue on, following Routh's footsteps.
They find that Routh was lately working primarily with a girl named Luna - a fetal alcohol syndrome baby who grew up to be a talented musician. But she is in the wind, leaving Erik and Deb to start digging around in her life as well, trying to find her.
There's a secondary plot involving Jaelyn, an accomplished pianist, who may or may not know Luna, but who is definitely seeing Ray, a drug dealer - and carrying cash and/or product around for him.
By this point, we have a good reading of the two detectives' personalities: divorced Erik, quiet, and prone to going off to do something without telling Deb. Deb, single after breaking up with her last girlfriend, but seeing a possible new love interest in Jude, right hand to the imperious Nancy Leclerc.
As the story progresses, the overall investigation gets both broader but also more intently smaller, focused on Jaelyn's drug dealing boyfriend, another young man who seems to be ready to spill his guts, and someone within Nancy's inner circle.
Erik and Deb doggedly follow the clues, resulting in the arrest of the killer and a rather satisfying ending.
While there were a couple of draggy spots - the neighbors and voles/gophers, for instance - overall the book is quite readable and there weren't any gigantic plot holes to run trucks though en route to all the pieces of the investigation dovetailing quite nicely at the end.
A solid four out of five stars.
Thanks to Coffeetown Press and NetGalley for the review copy.
November 27, 2020
Considering I had not read the first book in this series, I found this a good, firm crime thriller, with characters that engaged you, if not making you wonder.
Deb Metzger, our lead detective agrees to speak at an event, which was supposed to be given by Dan Routh, a former policeman, when Routh doesn't show. Dan is found, dead, in a dumpster, and Debs’ partner, Erik Jansson is at the scene. The duo is assigned to investigate where they wind up speaking to Gordy, Routh's AA sponsor. Gordy is the comical character in this story; clearly wanting to do right by Routh, but his chaotic thinking makes this a hard puzzle for the detectives. After collecting the information he has, they continue on, following Routh's footsteps.
They find that Routh was working, in his after-hours social work, with a girl named Luna, who’s grown up to be a talented musician. She’s in the wind, leaving Deb & Erik to start digging around in her life stumbling upon others that are involved, however peripherally. Another intrigue involves Jaelyn, an accomplished pianist, who may or may not know Luna, but who is definitely seeing Ray, a drug dealer.
Around and around as the story progresses, the investigations get bigger and concentrated. Deb and Erik resolutely follow the clues, resulting in the arrest of the killer with a substantial ending.
Both detectives have an attention-grabbing backstories that are woven into this solid read. I really tried to decipher both Deb & Erik’s motivations and personalities almost as much as the crime.
Thank you to @booksforwardpr for the gifted book for an honest review.
Deb Metzger, our lead detective agrees to speak at an event, which was supposed to be given by Dan Routh, a former policeman, when Routh doesn't show. Dan is found, dead, in a dumpster, and Debs’ partner, Erik Jansson is at the scene. The duo is assigned to investigate where they wind up speaking to Gordy, Routh's AA sponsor. Gordy is the comical character in this story; clearly wanting to do right by Routh, but his chaotic thinking makes this a hard puzzle for the detectives. After collecting the information he has, they continue on, following Routh's footsteps.
They find that Routh was working, in his after-hours social work, with a girl named Luna, who’s grown up to be a talented musician. She’s in the wind, leaving Deb & Erik to start digging around in her life stumbling upon others that are involved, however peripherally. Another intrigue involves Jaelyn, an accomplished pianist, who may or may not know Luna, but who is definitely seeing Ray, a drug dealer.
Around and around as the story progresses, the investigations get bigger and concentrated. Deb and Erik resolutely follow the clues, resulting in the arrest of the killer with a substantial ending.
Both detectives have an attention-grabbing backstories that are woven into this solid read. I really tried to decipher both Deb & Erik’s motivations and personalities almost as much as the crime.
Thank you to @booksforwardpr for the gifted book for an honest review.
January 10, 2021
This book is a well written police procedural. It does get a bit confusing in parts because there are so many characters and plot lines.
Staying alive depends on knowing whom to trust and when to run.
When a man who saves lives has his own brutally taken, Greater Metro Detectives Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger have their strengths pushed to the limit. The murdered man rescued trafficked teen addicts from a vindictive crime boss, but he was also an alcoholic who left the police force under suspicion. Is his murderer a drug dealer, a pimp, a corrupt police colleague, all of the above? Or could the killer be a victim who lashed out at her savior?
In the mix is the imperious matriarch of a hotel chain who is blind to incidents on her properties. The best friend of the dead man yearns to help but shows up in the wrong place at the wrong time with his therapy dogs. And a biracial eighteen-year-old pianist, haunted by drug abuse, finds herself protecting a charming sweetheart from the draw of crime.
To solve the case, blunt Deb has to ingratiate herself with the hotel matriarch while resisting her attraction to the woman’s foxy assistant. Reserved Erik needs to earn the trust of a wrongfully accused teen. The detectives are pushed over a riverbank, pushed off a golf course, and pushed into a tiger enclosure. If they don’t catch the killer, the best friend and the young pianist are as good as dead. Erik and Deb, working with and against each other, must move fast before helping others proves fatal.
Staying alive depends on knowing whom to trust and when to run.
When a man who saves lives has his own brutally taken, Greater Metro Detectives Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger have their strengths pushed to the limit. The murdered man rescued trafficked teen addicts from a vindictive crime boss, but he was also an alcoholic who left the police force under suspicion. Is his murderer a drug dealer, a pimp, a corrupt police colleague, all of the above? Or could the killer be a victim who lashed out at her savior?
In the mix is the imperious matriarch of a hotel chain who is blind to incidents on her properties. The best friend of the dead man yearns to help but shows up in the wrong place at the wrong time with his therapy dogs. And a biracial eighteen-year-old pianist, haunted by drug abuse, finds herself protecting a charming sweetheart from the draw of crime.
To solve the case, blunt Deb has to ingratiate herself with the hotel matriarch while resisting her attraction to the woman’s foxy assistant. Reserved Erik needs to earn the trust of a wrongfully accused teen. The detectives are pushed over a riverbank, pushed off a golf course, and pushed into a tiger enclosure. If they don’t catch the killer, the best friend and the young pianist are as good as dead. Erik and Deb, working with and against each other, must move fast before helping others proves fatal.
December 14, 2023
"Should Grace Fall" by Priscilla Paton is a crime novel that weaves a complex narrative with intriguing characters, but falls short of reaching its full potential.
The story follows Detectives Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger as they investigate the murder of a man who dedicated his life to rescuing trafficked teen addicts. The novel delves into the psyche of its characters while navigating a web of potential suspects, from drug dealers to corrupt police colleagues.
While the premise holds promise, the story was a struggle to finish. The plot is often convoluted and other times painfully dry, making it challenging to fully engage with the central mystery. The pacing is uneven, and the narrative occasionally loses focus, making it difficult to maintain a consistent level of suspense. The characters, though diverse and with potential for depth, often remain underdeveloped.
In the end, "Should Grace Fall" is a middle to lower end procedural crime novel that isn’t one I’d recommend to readers.
The story follows Detectives Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger as they investigate the murder of a man who dedicated his life to rescuing trafficked teen addicts. The novel delves into the psyche of its characters while navigating a web of potential suspects, from drug dealers to corrupt police colleagues.
While the premise holds promise, the story was a struggle to finish. The plot is often convoluted and other times painfully dry, making it challenging to fully engage with the central mystery. The pacing is uneven, and the narrative occasionally loses focus, making it difficult to maintain a consistent level of suspense. The characters, though diverse and with potential for depth, often remain underdeveloped.
In the end, "Should Grace Fall" is a middle to lower end procedural crime novel that isn’t one I’d recommend to readers.
January 5, 2021
I received a copy of this book from Books Forward in exchange for my honest opinion.
I had no idea that this book was part of a series until I was halfway through. I don’t think reading book one was needed in order to follow the story, which is a police drama. I did have a really hard time getting into the book, mostly because I didn’t connect with the characters. There were a lot of details that might have helped me connect with the characters and the story IF I were from the Twin Cities. I was left not really caring what happened. It seemed like a great story that was not executed well.
I had no idea that this book was part of a series until I was halfway through. I don’t think reading book one was needed in order to follow the story, which is a police drama. I did have a really hard time getting into the book, mostly because I didn’t connect with the characters. There were a lot of details that might have helped me connect with the characters and the story IF I were from the Twin Cities. I was left not really caring what happened. It seemed like a great story that was not executed well.
November 7, 2020
I found this to be a solid police detective thriller.
It begins with one of the two main characters, Deb Metzger, who is due to speak at an event when the keynote speaker is found murdered and Debs’ partner, Erik Jansen is at the scene. It’s an at times complicated plot line, but, with a satisfying ending.
Both detectives have an interesting background story that is woven into this solid good read and I’m grateful to NetGalley and Coffeetown Press for the opportunity to preview.
It begins with one of the two main characters, Deb Metzger, who is due to speak at an event when the keynote speaker is found murdered and Debs’ partner, Erik Jansen is at the scene. It’s an at times complicated plot line, but, with a satisfying ending.
Both detectives have an interesting background story that is woven into this solid good read and I’m grateful to NetGalley and Coffeetown Press for the opportunity to preview.
December 28, 2020
Should Grace Fail is the second book in a series, and I'm not sure if you need to read the first book to get the full enjoyment out of this one.
This ended up a DNF for me and the main reason is that it was a bit dry for me. It leans toward a non-fiction procedural rather than a fiction/thriller and just didn't hold my interest.
This ended up a DNF for me and the main reason is that it was a bit dry for me. It leans toward a non-fiction procedural rather than a fiction/thriller and just didn't hold my interest.
September 23, 2024
Book 2 starts out with a murdered retired cop. A cop with a bad reputation that makes him look suspicious. And mix that in with a fancy hotel lead by a demanding matriarch that keeps detective Metzger busy.
Writing style has improved from the first book but still very fragmented sentences that make it hard to follow the story line.
Writing style has improved from the first book but still very fragmented sentences that make it hard to follow the story line.
December 11, 2020
A solid and entertaining police procedural, I enjoyed it.
Interesting characters, a gripping plot and solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Interesting characters, a gripping plot and solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
December 13, 2020
Good crime thriller. Author does a great job with the descriptions of the two detectives that are the main characters. If you like mysteries you’ll enjoy this one.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this copy in exchange for my review.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this copy in exchange for my review.
Read
February 19, 2021When I chose this book I didn't realize that this was the second book in the series. Although it was not necessary to have read the first, it does help. This was a good police procedural story, and the characters were interesting. If you like police mysteries this this will be a satisfying read.
January 8, 2021
Could not finish-lost interest-boring
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