Hangtown by Karen Sandler

Angry Robot Ltd.
Exhibit A Books

With her San Francisco apartment building going condo and her office space about to be razed, Janelle Watkins finds herself living in an old RV on a parcel of land she inherited from her father.  The arrangement provides for her basic needs and suits her budget while she tries to save enough money to move back to San Fran.  Sounds good, except for one little drawback, the location - Greenville - her hometown. The one place she doesn't want to be. 

Greenville is loaded with memories of her monster of a father. As well, her former SFPD partner and on again off again lover, Sheriff Ken Heinz, lives there with his teenage niece Cassie.  For reasons that Janelle doesn't quite fathom, Cassie has taken a liking to Janelle and keeps ending up on her doorstep.  This wouldn't be so bad except that it makes it difficult for Janelle to avoid Ken, even though she isn't entirely sure she wants to.  However, when Janelle and Cassie find a teenager hanging from a bridge and another one disappears, Janelle's involvement in the investigations makes it impossible for her to avoid the Sheriff professionally or personally.

There are a number of tangled threads in this web of a plot involving past indiscretions. As the cover says "no secret can ever stay buried.." and this is key to the plot and the characters, including Janelle and a very dark period in her life.  There is also the ongoing theme of children being abandoned, physically and/or emotionally, by less than adequate parents.  As we learn more about Janelle's past and her ongoing psychological issues, we are witness to her allowing her vulnerability to show on occasion. 

I love the character of Janelle.  She is so perfect in her imperfections.  She is physically and emotionally disabled and I appreciate how Sandler incorporates this into the storyline to reveal to the reader Janelle's feelings, thoughts and the stubborn reactions she has to ensure she doesn't fall victim to any sort of pity, kindness or affection.  The same sense of pride makes it difficult for her to have a relationship with Ken, or anyone.

The relationships between Janelle and Ken, Janelle and Cassie, and Janelle and Reverend Brown all make this an enjoyable read for me.  The small town, rural setting adds to the feeling of intimacy between the reader and the story.  It also makes the plot somewhat plausible because small towns can conceal big secrets.

A great read and I look forward to Janelle's next investigation.  I hope the demise of Exhibit A books doesn't get in the way. http://exhibitabooks.com/2014/06/20/news-about-exhibit-a/

To learn more about Janelle and Karen Sandler read my review of Clean Burn, the first Janelle Watkins investigation.

http://birch-bark.blogspot.ca/2013/08/clean-burn-by-karen-sandler.html






 

The Truth Will Out by Jane Issac

Legend Press

This book hooked  me right from the start.  Imagine two best friends skyping when one, Naomi, says to the other, Eva, that she thinks she hears an intruder in her place.  No sooner does Naomi say this than a mysterious figure attacks her from behind.  To her horror, Eva is a witness to what is happening to her friend until the intruder turns the screen off.  Frantic, she takes off in her car, panicking as she realizes that the intruder will be coming after her next. Eva thinks Naomi has been badly beaten as a warning that is related to their recent misadventure in France.  She doesn't know Naomi has been brutally murdered.

DCI Helen Lavery is assigned to the case.  A case that is not just about murder by a psychopath, but also involves organised crime, drug smuggling, and police corruption.  This is a psychological thriller and a police procedural at its best.  But what really holds the story together is the character of Helen Lavery.

DCI Lavery is reminiscent of Lynda La Plante's Anna Travis in her tenacity to get to the truth.  Also, like Travis, she had a father who was in the police force and that she looked up to and admired as an officer. Both Travis and Lavery are strong female characters, common in British mysteries. However, Lavery is original as she is older and widowed with two teenage sons and an ageing mother to look after.  She strives to balance work and home and is familiar with the politics of the glass ceiling.

 

There are moments in the story when dealing with police work seems a lot easier than being the mother of a teenage boy with raging hormones or a daughter handling the health issues of an ageing parent.  It is easy to relate to Helen - she makes mistakes at home and at work,  she enjoys her family and her job and is often caught between the conflicting demands of the two.  Lonely, and missing the closeness of being in a relationship, makes her a vulnerable, very believable and sympathetic character.

 

The story is told primarily from the viewpoints of Helen and Eva, shifting back and forth between the two as the plot unfolds.  Eva is also a well-developed character. At the start, I didn't particularly care for her, finding her immature and selfish.  But as the story progressed, I began to like her more and to appreciate her resourcefulness. A number of other characters are also well drawn and I especially liked Lavery's assistant, Sean Pemberton, whose loyalty to her rivals the loyalty of the long-suffering Detective Sergeant Lewis in the Inspector Morse series.

 

Even though this is a police procedural, Jane Isaac's strong characterizations make this a more enjoyable read than the typical heavy focus on hows and whys.  The crime scenes are intelligently described without relying on lurid details and the plot moves along at a quick, fluid pace.

 

A truly engrossing read.
 

http://www.legendtimesgroup.co.uk/legend-press

That Touch of Ink by Diane Vallere

Henery Press

 

This is one of those light reads great for the beach or a rainy day. 

Even for the fabulous Madison Night, interior designer, receiving a rare five thousand dollar bill in the mail is not your average day.  Convinced that this bill is somehow connected to her past and a former lover, she is intrigued and starts to look into what the bill is really all about.  Soon someone is murdered, Madison is in a car chase, guns appear, a mysterious neighbor moves in and Madison is running for her life. She is also running from some pretty hot men. She isn't sure about the men in her life -  does she actually love one of them, are they good for her and can she actually trust them or anybody else for that matter. Aw Madison, dilemma is thy middle name.

While she is dealing with murder, a counterfeit ring, and staying one step ahead of the law, she comes home to find her apartment has been painted in just the right shade of daisy yellow by persons unknown, deals with some kooky clients and hides out in a house she recently inherited that shows potential from an interior design point of view.

Though I am writing this a little tongue in cheek, I did have fun reading this book.  There are numerous Doris Day references scattered throughout the story (i.e. the title) that you are either going to love (like me) or find very kitschy, much like any Doris Day movie. But if you want a few laughs, a good story, and to learn a little about counterfeiting then read That Touch of Ink.  You won't be bored.

 

You can read an excerpt on the author's web page http://www.dianevallere.com/that-touch-of-ink.html

The Mangle Street Murders by M.R.C. Kasasian

Open Road Integrated Media

When in the late 1800s March Middleton is orphaned after her father's death, her godfather, Sydney Grice, offers her the opportunity to live with him in London.  March accepts and moves in.  Grice is a "personal" detective of renown and before she is barely moved in, March is involved in a case.  She is quick to pit herself against her uncle when he refuses to accept a case because the client doesn't have the means to pay him.  Convinced of the innocence of William Ashby, who stands accused of stabbing his wife to death, she insists on paying Grice's fee and being part of the investigation.

 

March is not your average Victorian lady.  She spent many years helping her father, who was an army doctor, so her upbringing was less than conventional.  She smokes and swigs gin and hangs out at a woman's private club.  She also follows Grice through the less genteel parts of London to examine dead bodies and blood spatter patterns, chase down clues and interview potential witnesses.  And all this before tea! The more Grice is convinced of Ashby's guilt, the more March is convinced of his innocence.  The sparring between the two main characters and the addition of some interesting secondary characters, keeps the story entertaining and moving along at a fair pace.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and would read another with these two characters.  Despite the numerous red herrings, I knew who the murderer was the instant the character was introduced.  The twists in the plot made me question myself once or twice, but it still was a little obvious to me.  There is a cameo appearance by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and I suppose it can be argued that the characters of Grice and March are a type of homage to Holmes and Watson.   I really think, however, that Grice and March stand on their own and to compare them to Holmes and Watson is to give them less than their due.  The author might disagree on this point.

The one thing I didn't like about the book was the references to letters about a relationship in March's past.  Yes, they show another side of her character and emphasize her strength as a woman, but in this case, less would have been more.

 

Overall - an entertaining read that will hold your attention, give you an occasional laugh and show you that those Victorian ladies weren't quite as delicate and gentle as you have been lead to believe.