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The Spider Bites
When detective Rick Montoya returns to the city to try to clear his name after being accused of taking a bribe, he discovers someone is living in his apartment. Before he can find out who it is, the apartment house goes up in flames. Rick watches covertly as the police remove two bodies. Was the firebombing meant for him? Who exactly was killed in the fire? And why? What was his landlady Cheryl doing at home in the middle of the afternoon? And why is her daughter Susanna acting strangely? Then his estranged wife arrives at the scene of the fire. The questions mount up, along with the suspects.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
3 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Medora Sale
14 books11 followersAKA Caroline Roe
As Medora Sale, Caroline Roe has written six police procedurals, including an Arthur Ellis Award winner. These books are set in and about Toronto and feature homicide detective John Sanders and architectural photographer Harriet Jeffries. As Caroline Roe, Medora used her PhD research on religious diversity in medieval times to re-create the character of the Bishop of Girona's Jewish physician, a 14th-century doctor with important patients and a nose for wrong-doing.
Medora is a past president of both Crime Writers of Canada and the international board of Sisters in Crime. She lives in Toronto with her husband, Harry, when they are not researching background material in Spain.
Series:
* John Sanders and Harriet Jeffries
Series contributed to:
* Malice Domestic
As Medora Sale, Caroline Roe has written six police procedurals, including an Arthur Ellis Award winner. These books are set in and about Toronto and feature homicide detective John Sanders and architectural photographer Harriet Jeffries. As Caroline Roe, Medora used her PhD research on religious diversity in medieval times to re-create the character of the Bishop of Girona's Jewish physician, a 14th-century doctor with important patients and a nose for wrong-doing.
Medora is a past president of both Crime Writers of Canada and the international board of Sisters in Crime. She lives in Toronto with her husband, Harry, when they are not researching background material in Spain.
Series:
* John Sanders and Harriet Jeffries
Series contributed to:
* Malice Domestic
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 24, 2020
3.5 rounded up to 4
Really liked Rick and Angela. Nice quick mystery.
Really liked Rick and Angela. Nice quick mystery.
April 11, 2013
Too many characters and things going on for a rapid read book.
June 11, 2010
This book is referred to as a "
Rapid Read
" book, short, with a little larger print. These books are easy to read and would be great for invalids, anyone with a shorter attention span, a commuter, or anyone who enjoys a quick break with a book.
Medora Sale has authored a great story with all the traditional and exciting elements of mystery held within a smaller package. As a shorter story, "The Spider Bites" lost none of its edge of mystery.
This full-fledged story begins with Rick Montoya, a suspended police officer under investigation for corruption. His nickname is the Spider, and he is innocent but does not expect to be accepted by his fellows even if cleared. He has spent the summer working on a farm and is just returning home.
The framed corruption is only part of what happens in this book. His former life is in chaos and the house his apartment is in goes up in suspicious flames. The action is crisp, the reader learns a surprising amount about his former life, his friends, his wife. There is a strong sense of more than one thing going on. Two people died in the fire, one of them in his apartment, which changes the core of the story... or does it? Are the murders related to the corruption charge? Is there something else going on?
This book will hold your attention to a satisfying close, regardless of being a faster than usual read. I really enjoyed the story-line and read it all in one day, not something I'm usually able to do. Quite frankly, I want to read more from this Canadian author.
Medora Sale has authored a great story with all the traditional and exciting elements of mystery held within a smaller package. As a shorter story, "The Spider Bites" lost none of its edge of mystery.
This full-fledged story begins with Rick Montoya, a suspended police officer under investigation for corruption. His nickname is the Spider, and he is innocent but does not expect to be accepted by his fellows even if cleared. He has spent the summer working on a farm and is just returning home.
The framed corruption is only part of what happens in this book. His former life is in chaos and the house his apartment is in goes up in suspicious flames. The action is crisp, the reader learns a surprising amount about his former life, his friends, his wife. There is a strong sense of more than one thing going on. Two people died in the fire, one of them in his apartment, which changes the core of the story... or does it? Are the murders related to the corruption charge? Is there something else going on?
This book will hold your attention to a satisfying close, regardless of being a faster than usual read. I really enjoyed the story-line and read it all in one day, not something I'm usually able to do. Quite frankly, I want to read more from this Canadian author.
October 4, 2022
**read for kids at work
January 1, 2018
Perhaps it is the writer's direct and sort of literal style but I found the story to be a bit choppy. Good mystery idea and idea regarding the detective; however I felt as if there was too much left unsaid or left to figure out. Although, that might just be a style choice, as some mystery like to keep you uniformed and guessing inbetween the lines. I should also say that I am enjoying the series, and this is coming from someone who reads all kinds of literature and material and levels of writing. You don't have to be the "type-cast" lower level reader to enjoy these series - this is the seventh or so one I've enjoyed, and I happen to not only like getting my reading goal in, LOL, but sometimes I just really enjoy a quick and to the point story.
November 21, 2024
This started out well. It was a fun premise and the plot lines were fast moving. However, in an attempt to pull an Agatha Christie, too many characters were thrown into the mix. The dialog became mired in literal he said, she said. A good high interest but a bit messy.
September 11, 2019
A good easy read
April 25, 2022
quick read
April 4, 2025
Feels like reading a fast-talking film noir detective's inner monologue.
March 28, 2013
Rick Montoya is a police officer suspended on suspicion of accepting bribes. He’s innocent of the charges, but lays low for five months, working on a farm. When he returns to clear his name, he finds someone living in the basement apartment he rents. He gets a hotel that night, but before he can investigate, his apartment is burned down, its occupant and the landlady (Cheryl) both killed in the blaze. Rick needs to figure out who was in his apartment, and whether or not the fatal fire had been meant for Rick, instead.
This book is part of a series called Rapid Reads aimed at young adults and adults who struggle with literacy. These books provide low-level reading with topics and characters that are age-appropriate.
As far as a tool for helping struggling readers, this book misses the mark. The reading level is low as far as the lexile level is concerned. This just means that sentences are shorter and use shorter words. There are also few uncommon words. However, a low-level reader will struggle with several parts of this book. For example, the first chapter is Rick returning home from working on a farm for five months, but there’s only a vague reference to why he was working on the farm and what he’s returning to. Readers are regularly asked to draw inferences about information that is not there. The red herring takes up the majority of the story and is intricately laced into the actual events, so it’s probable that struggling readers will try to connect the red herring with what really happened. The solution is hinted at, but hard to know for sure. The suspects are difficult to differentiate, as are their motives. Even the murderer’s motivation is unclear because the writing isn't direct in the explanation. In short, there isn’t enough information for readers to draw the inferences they should be making, and way too much inferencing required when the events should be explicit.
Then there's the stereotypical main character. A shamed police officer who worked so hard that his marriage failed, and he likely is an alcoholic. (Another detail that wasn't clear.) All this guy needs is a weird hobby in his basement, which he might have had...if only his basement apartment hadn't been burned down.
The overall case is interesting, but it’s too many twists, turns, characters, and backstory for so short of a book. I think it could be quite successful with more room to develop these things and engage the reader.
• A few PG-13 swears
• No sexual issues
• Violence with the arson murders
This book is part of a series called Rapid Reads aimed at young adults and adults who struggle with literacy. These books provide low-level reading with topics and characters that are age-appropriate.
As far as a tool for helping struggling readers, this book misses the mark. The reading level is low as far as the lexile level is concerned. This just means that sentences are shorter and use shorter words. There are also few uncommon words. However, a low-level reader will struggle with several parts of this book. For example, the first chapter is Rick returning home from working on a farm for five months, but there’s only a vague reference to why he was working on the farm and what he’s returning to. Readers are regularly asked to draw inferences about information that is not there. The red herring takes up the majority of the story and is intricately laced into the actual events, so it’s probable that struggling readers will try to connect the red herring with what really happened. The solution is hinted at, but hard to know for sure. The suspects are difficult to differentiate, as are their motives. Even the murderer’s motivation is unclear because the writing isn't direct in the explanation. In short, there isn’t enough information for readers to draw the inferences they should be making, and way too much inferencing required when the events should be explicit.
Then there's the stereotypical main character. A shamed police officer who worked so hard that his marriage failed, and he likely is an alcoholic. (Another detail that wasn't clear.) All this guy needs is a weird hobby in his basement, which he might have had...if only his basement apartment hadn't been burned down.
The overall case is interesting, but it’s too many twists, turns, characters, and backstory for so short of a book. I think it could be quite successful with more room to develop these things and engage the reader.
• A few PG-13 swears
• No sexual issues
• Violence with the arson murders
June 29, 2010
The Spider Bites wasn't a terrible read – there just wasn't a lot there. The plot was certainly simple and easy to follow; in fact, it was so simple that there was almost no suspense involved – not a good thing in a mystery novel. And the lack of description and character development left me feeling like I was reading just part of a whole book. It also kept me from forming any real interest in or sympathy for the protagonist, or any of the other characters, for that matter. But while the book may be slight, it's well-written, there was a bit of humor thrown in along the way, and some of the dialogue did have the ring of truth. As I said, not terrible.
The idea of a series of short, easy-to-read books for adults sounds interesting, although I'm not sure how practical it is, in reality. I think it's possible that it might work well for (as the Rapid Reads brochure says) "those struggling with literacy challenges." Otherwise, I can't really see how the books are likely to hold anyone's attention long enough to finish them, even though they can definitely be read in one sitting.
Note: I received my copy of this book from the publisher, free of charge, through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. The opinions expressed here are my own.
The idea of a series of short, easy-to-read books for adults sounds interesting, although I'm not sure how practical it is, in reality. I think it's possible that it might work well for (as the Rapid Reads brochure says) "those struggling with literacy challenges." Otherwise, I can't really see how the books are likely to hold anyone's attention long enough to finish them, even though they can definitely be read in one sitting.
Note: I received my copy of this book from the publisher, free of charge, through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. The opinions expressed here are my own.
August 6, 2010
Rick Montoya has spent the past six months working on a farm, away from his life, his wife and the corruption investigation that he faces when he returns. When he shows up in town, he discovers a stranger living in his apartment. Determined to sort it out in the morning, he returns to find his apartment incinerated and that the mysterious tenant and his landlady died in the fire. Is it related to the corruption investigation? And if it is, who arranged the attempt on his life?
This is part of Orca's Rapid Reads series for adult readers. The books are written for easy reading and are examples of the reluctant reader genre books that Orca produces. I found the mystery to be good, if simple, and the writing brisk. I would recommend this one to my Upper Intermediate and Advanced ESL students that are looking for something more challenging than their textbook, which won't insult their intelligence, since the mystery is adult fiction.
This is part of Orca's Rapid Reads series for adult readers. The books are written for easy reading and are examples of the reluctant reader genre books that Orca produces. I found the mystery to be good, if simple, and the writing brisk. I would recommend this one to my Upper Intermediate and Advanced ESL students that are looking for something more challenging than their textbook, which won't insult their intelligence, since the mystery is adult fiction.
June 3, 2013
As I finished reading this book, I was left with the impression that Agatha Christie would have been impressed. In classic 'who done it ' form, the suspects were all gathered together for the 'reveal', though not in the sitting room, but in a coffee shop. Very Canadian.
Much of the story focused on Detective Rick Montoya and the reasons some one might have had for killing him after he'd already been framed for other crimes. I was so focused on that story line, that I failed to take sufficient note of other developments. I rarely deduced Ms. Christie's revelations, and it was no different here. I'll admit to being pleasantly surprised by the ending.
This was a good, quick read from Raven Books Rapid Reads series. These books are directed at reluctant or low level readers, though they also appeal to readers with a short time to read.
Author Medora Sale has written a police procedural series under this name as well as a medieval mystery series under the pen name Caroline Roe.
Much of the story focused on Detective Rick Montoya and the reasons some one might have had for killing him after he'd already been framed for other crimes. I was so focused on that story line, that I failed to take sufficient note of other developments. I rarely deduced Ms. Christie's revelations, and it was no different here. I'll admit to being pleasantly surprised by the ending.
This was a good, quick read from Raven Books Rapid Reads series. These books are directed at reluctant or low level readers, though they also appeal to readers with a short time to read.
Author Medora Sale has written a police procedural series under this name as well as a medieval mystery series under the pen name Caroline Roe.
September 6, 2010
I think that it is a nice little story that can be read in a couple of hours. The mystery itself wasn't very complicated but was somewhat of a surprise as to who did it. The story was well told, I think, and didn't spend time in endless descriptions of people, places, backgrounds etc. That helped to keep it to its short length. The series is geared to those who want to read but don't want to commit to a longer book. Also this series is good for those to whom reading is somewhat of a challenge. I can see these books being used for YAs who really don't like to read but need to for school and also this would be helpful for ESL or adult literacy programs.
My only complaint was the price- I doubt that I would pay $9.95 for a book like this. I can get a regular new paperback for $6.99 at Borders.
My only complaint was the price- I doubt that I would pay $9.95 for a book like this. I can get a regular new paperback for $6.99 at Borders.
February 9, 2012
This was a very quick read ... it's about 130 pages.
It sounded like a good story. But because it is such a short book, nothing gets fleshed out very well. It's very high level, quick and, before you know it, the murders have been solved. And I wasn't buying any of it.
And that's why I don't like short stories and novellas. Had I known it was a novella, I wouldn't have borrowed it.
Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2011/07...
It sounded like a good story. But because it is such a short book, nothing gets fleshed out very well. It's very high level, quick and, before you know it, the murders have been solved. And I wasn't buying any of it.
And that's why I don't like short stories and novellas. Had I known it was a novella, I wouldn't have borrowed it.
Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2011/07...
November 30, 2011
i think that is good book to read !after i read this book i learn that if u think that some people is good and at the end u find that the person no is what u think about it and if u leave things in the past and u came back some times u could gets that things back to you
August 6, 2015
Never read such a short mystery & it could have been shorter. It was over almost before it started. You're left to draw your own conclusions.
January 10, 2017
it was a good bo0k
September 15, 2010
This one didn't do it for me. The plot was thin and the writing was choppy.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews